Chapter Seventeen
Caden
I can’t stop touching her. All through the meal, as members of my family came over to say hello and to chat, and now, sitting and waiting for the rest of the reception to start, I can’t keep my hands to myself.
Adrienne has been amazing. Funny, engaging, and polite, despite the fact she knows I’m uncomfortable. And let’s be honest, she’s picked up on it. Even if I’ve done everything in my power to hide it, she sees it.
She sees me.
And maybe that’s why I love being around her. Frankly, I can be myself, and I find I open up more and more as the minutes tick by and we spend time together. I’ve been so closed off for so long, it feels weird to be so…free. Not to mention the fact I’ve had more fun with Adrienne in the last week than I’ve had in I don’t even know how long, and I’m not just talking about the sex, though, that’s been pretty fucking amazing.
“Hey, I think I’m going to grab another drink,” Adrienne says, leaning toward me and pressing her tits against my arm. Without my suit jacket, I can feel the heat and weight of them and want nothing more than to slowly strip away her dress and devour her from head to toe, making her come over and over and over again.
In fact, that’s at the top of my to-do list the moment we leave this place.
“I’ll go with you,” I tell her, standing up and extending my hand.
We leave Gram, Scarlet, and a few of my cousins at the table and head for the bar. Neither of us have had much to drink, and now that the meal is over, I switched to Coke so I can drive. I thought about calling a ride from one of those apps, but I don’t have the urge to get hammered tonight, despite the fact most people here thought that’d be exactly what I do.
Just as we approach the bar, a shadow falls over us. I turn and come face-to-face with my dad. His eyes are glassy, his cheeks rosy. Clearly, he’s been enjoying the open bar that accompanied tonight’s celebration.
“Son,” he greets, pulling me into another big hug.
We spoke briefly before dinner when we arrived at the reception, but since he was sitting at a different table, we haven’t had much opportunity to chat. “Hey, Dad. Having a good time?” I ask as we wait for the bartender to approach.
“Sure am,” he replies, grabbing the hand of a woman who looks young. Very young. “Have you met Mel yet?”
The woman in her early to mid-twenties steps forward, teetering terribly on her very high heels. “’Lo,” she greets, stepping forward and giving me a hug. She presses her chest against mine, causing me to stand rigidly straight as I gently pat the middle of her back awkwardly. “You look just like your daddy,” she sings, reaching up and patting me on the cheek.
I clear my throat. “Thanks,” I mumble before taking a step back and wrapping my arm around Adrienne’s waist.
Mel’s eyes flit over to Adrienne before turning away. She slings her own arms around my dad’s neck and practically purrs against him like a cat in heat.
Jesus.
“This is Adrienne,” I introduce.
My date reaches out her hand to Mel, having already met my dad earlier in the evening. “Nice to meet you,” Adrienne says with a polite smile.
“Likewise,” Mel replies. “I need another drink.”
As soon as the bartender moves to where we stand, I order another white wine for Adrienne, a Coke for me, and my dad throws out two drinks for him and Mel. Awkward silence follows as we wait for our drinks.
“Do you mind if I run and use the ladies’ room?” Adrienne asks, turning those stunning light-brown eyes my way.
“Not at all. I’ll grab your drink and meet you at the table,” I suggest, anxious to get back over to Gram. Not that I’m uncomfortable with anyone else, but she acts as a good buffer, keeping all her other grandkids and kids in line.
My father included.
“Sounds good,” she replies, going up on the tip of her toes and placing a kiss on my cheek. “Be right back.”
My cock takes notice of her red-stained lips, hopeful to see them wrapped around me later tonight.
“I’ll go too! Girls have to stick together in the ladies’ room,” Mel announces, reaching out and sliding her arm through Adrienne’s. I’m not sure if it’s for solidarity in the restroom or if she needs Adrienne’s support to walk.
“She’s not like the others.”
I turn my attention back to my dad. “Excuse me?”
“That girl. Adrienne. She’s different. Not the typical girl you usually take home,” Dad says as the bartender places our drinks on the bar top. I slip a bill into her tip jar and grab our two drinks before stepping to the side and out of the way of other guests.
I glance back to where Adrienne once was, only to find she’s already inside the restroom. My dad’s words replay in my head while I take a drink of my Coke. He’s right. She’s not my usual type. Everyone before her was fake. Superficial. Fun. They were high on thrills, with no chance of anything more than a few nights of sex. And yes, as tasteless and crude as it sounds, I have a type. Your typical Barbie doll, though I never really had a preference on hair color. At first, I avoided blondes because of Dawn, but over the years, I started to not care as much.
“She’s got curves,” my dad states when I don’t reply. Of course, his response pisses me off. I don’t want him noticing anything about Adrienne’s body.
Again, I don’t reply, which to him, must mean keep talking. “And the fact you’ve brought her to a family function is pretty telling.”
“We’re not together, Dad. Just friends.”
He snorts. “Could have fooled me.”
I feel Adrienne’s hand brush against my side as she slips her arm around me. I catch her floral perfume hanging around her, and it’s all I can do not to lean over, run my nose up her neck, and inhale. Instead, I hand Adrienne her white wine.“Mel needed a few more minutes in the restroom,” Adrienne tells my dad with a concerned look on her face.
“Yeah, all right, I’ll head over and make sure she’s okay. She doesn’t drink much so when she does, she tends to get a little too drunk too fast, you know what I mean?” my dad says with a laugh.
I nod, realizing the woman my dad is dating is exactly the type of woman I always went for too. It’s a little unsettling actually. I’m thirty and he’s a good twenty-five years older than me.
He turns to walk away, pausing before he gets too far. “Thanks, Addi, for the heads-up.”
I feel her tense in my arms and hear the sharp intake of breath. My mind recalls the time I drove her home and called her Addi. Her reaction was pretty much the same. Then, she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, and I can’t help but wonder if she’d tell me now. Not that a lot of time has passed, but we’ve still come a long way as friends since.
Feeling her pull away emotionally as well as physically, I keep my hand clamped firmly on her hip. It’s not enough to hurt her or truly keep her in place if she wants to get away, but enough to let her know I want her exactly where she is.
The song changes to a slow one, which is perfect. “Dance with me.”
She glances to the dance floor, noticing the few couples. “All right.”
I take her hand and lead her that way, both of us setting our drinks down on the table as we go. I pull her against my body, our chests pressed a little more firmly together than what might be deemed appropriate in the presence of Gram, but I don’t care. I just want to feel her against me.
After about a minute of dancing, I run my finger up her arm, causing her to shiver. “Tell me what happened back there,” I murmur softly, hoping she opens up, but knowing I won’t hold it against her if she doesn’t. She guards herself as securely as I do myself, so I won’t fault her if she continues to keep those pieces hidden.
She exhales and rests her cheek against my shoulder. We move for a few seconds before she speaks. “My ex used to call me Addi. I hate it.”
I spin her around and love the way she smiles back at me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. When I called you that not long ago, I recognized a negative response but wasn’t sure exactly what the cause was. I promise to never call you that again, and I’ll make sure to mention it to my dad.”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to be difficult.”
“It’s not okay if it bothers you, Adrienne.”
We’re quiet as the song finishes. I’m about to escort her off the dance floor, but a second slow song starts to play, so I take the opportunity to keep her right here. I don’t care if we’re silent the entire song. There’s something special about being right here, dancing with this woman.
And I don’t dance.
Not to the slow songs anyway. I’ve got rhythm and can dance, but I never voluntarily walk onto the dance floor with a woman during a slow song. Mostly because the songs are usually about love, trust, marriage, and forever, and that’s the farthest from my mind. I don’t want any woman to get any ideas, so I always try to avoid the complication it invokes.
“You’re so much different than him.”
Her whispered words catch me off guard, and for a moment, I’m not sure who she’s referring to. But then it hits me. Hard. Like a two-by-four to the face. It slams into me, figuratively knocking me on my ass. “Good.”
She swallows hard and holds my gaze, following my lead as we move on the dance floor. “Looking back, I can see he wasn’t that nice to me. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t get physical or anything like that, but there were digs. Digs about my weight, what I was wearing, or what I ordered at the restaurant. I didn’t see it then, but now, it was there.”
“He was an idiot and an asshole.”
She grins. “Clearly.”
“I’m glad he didn’t dampen your spirit, Adrienne. Your wit, sass, and attitude are some of your best features.”
“He didn’t think so,” she replies, letting out a long breath.
“And like I said, he was an asshole.”
“He didn’t like my belly ring, so I took it out, and he wasn’t a fan of my tattoos, which is why I waited until after we broke up to get more.”
“I’m proud of you for taking control of your life.”
She nods. “I told myself I was living my life on my terms, and I’ve upheld that ever since.”
“Good,” I state with a little heat before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Because you’re a fucking badass.”
She smiles widely. “I am, aren’t I?”
I can’t help but laugh. “Damn right you are. Strong, independent, and so fucking sexy.” I push my groin against her just to prove my point.
She holds my gaze as she adds, “I was going to marry him.”
Something happens. My chest grows tight, and air is suddenly difficult to move into my lungs. The thought of her almost marrying that man— any man—causes a reaction I’m not expecting or prepared for.
Thankfully, since I find myself unable to form words, she continues, “About a year ago, I was the bride planning my wedding. I had everything I thought I wanted, right down to the expensive new car gifted by my fiancé. I had the dress, the event location I was dreaming of, and the perfect summer weather. Only, the groom didn’t show.”
My feet stop moving. I stand here, staring down at this woman, trying to comprehend what she was saying. Why in the hell would someone leave her on her wedding day? “What?” I whisper.
She gives me a sad smile. “Worst part wasn’t being handed the Dear Jane note, telling me he wasn’t going to marry me. It was realizing one of my bridesmaids was gone too. Apparently, they had been cheating since before we even got engaged, and he realized on our wedding day he couldn’t marry me because he loved her. One of my closest friends.”
My stomach falls onto the floor, just as my jaw does. “Son of a bitch.”
“Yep. Fifteen minutes from walking down the aisle, and it all fell apart.” She takes a deep breath and glances over my shoulder. “I learned a lot about love and myself that day. I decided I didn’t need the former and needed to focus on the latter. For the last year, I’ve been healing me. That’s why I moved here. I needed a change, and my mom suggested this place, since my uncle Gary’s lived here for years.”
I run my thumb over her jaw as my fingers slide into her hair. Leaning down, I brush my lips across hers, completely forgetting where we’re at or the fact we’re surrounded by an audience. Her hands grip my button-down as her lips dance against my own. “You about ready to get out of here?” I whisper.
“Very ready,” she murmurs, her warm breath tickling my skin.
I take her hand and lead her off the dance floor, but before I make it too far, Dawn appears directly in front of us. We stop, coming face-to-face with the woman who lied and wrecked me all those years ago.
“Caden, hi. Thank you for coming,” she says, holding her head up high as her eyes bounce between me and Adrienne.
“Dawn,” I reply with a brisk nod. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” she replies, finally letting her gaze land on Adrienne. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Dawn.”
“Adrienne,” she replies, reaching out a polite hand.
I can feel eyes of half the attendees around us, but I don’t give two shits. Let them stare, talk, or whatever. “We were just preparing to leave.”
Dawn glances over her shoulder briefly. “Tyler was wanting to say hello.”
I almost roll my eyes. In the eight years since I punched him in the face for sleeping with my fiancée and knocking her up, he’s never reached out. “You guys are busy,” I reason, giving them an out. I’m sure they’re both as equally shocked as I was to agree to come.
“Mom!”
Just then, Scottie comes running up to Dawn, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Grandma and Grandpa want to take me and Sarah home soon, but I want to stay.”
I take in the boy who’s an equal combination of both Dawn and Tyler. He has Dawn’s eyes and hair color, but the rest of his facial features are his dad’s. My heart hammers in my chest. At one time, I thought I was his dad. I went to the appointments, shared the big news with my family and friends, and started to turn our home into the perfect place for a family of three.
“We talked about this, Scottie.”
“I know,” the young boy grumbles, “but I don’t want to go yet.”
Dawn looks from her son back over to me. She clears her throat and says, “Scottie, this is Caden. He’s your dad’s cousin.”
“Hello,” the young boy says, flashing me a big, toothy grin.
My throat is so tight, it’s hard to move air. “Hi there.”
“And this is his friend, Adrienne.”
“Nice to meet you,” Scottie adds before turning to his mom. “Can I go out and dance with Riley until it’s time to go?”
“You sure can,” Dawn agrees, giving him a loving smile as he turns and runs toward the dance floor.
My eyes follow the boy. I’ve seen him around town, but not a lot. Anytime I run into any of them, they make a beeline away from wherever I am. “He’s a great kid,” I find myself saying, even though it hurts my heart a little. Not because what I said wasn’t true but simply because he really is. And at one time, he was mine.
I can’t help but wonder how long she would have let the charade continue. How long would I have thought I was his father? Would the big reveal have happened after he was born? It’s not like I wouldn’t have thought he was my son. Many of the features he gets from his dad aren’t that far off from my own. Neumann genes are good and strong. Many of us cousins resemble siblings, despite the extended bloodline.
“He’s the best,” Dawn states proudly. “They both are,” she adds, referring to their five-year-old daughter, Sarah, who’s also running around on the dance floor.
“Caden.”
I look to my right and find Tyler approaching. His smile is hesitant, and I can’t help but notice he keeps a little extra distance between us. Good. I want him to always wonder if I’m about to throw a punch at him. Serves him right.
“Tyler,” I state with a nod. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” He flashes a happy grin toward his wife. “I, uh, wasn’t sure you’d come.”
Deciding not to beat around the bush, I answer honestly, “I came for Gram. She asked me to.”
He nods, taking my statement on the chin. I’m not going to lie to him. That’s not my style. I’m here because our grandma asked me to and for no other reason. “Well, still. I— we —appreciate it.”
“We were just getting ready to head out,” I announce, placing my hand on Adrienne’s lower back. “Have a good evening.”
Together, we walk away, and even though the conversation was awkward and unwanted, I don’t regret it. I don’t wish either of them ill will, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to kiss and make up. They can live their lives, and I’ll do the same. We’ve both moved on, so there’s no point in living in the past.
When we reach our table, I grab my suit jacket and slip it over my arm. “Gram, we’re out of here.”
“Wait! I need a picture,” she insists, waving Tyler over. Once she tells him what she’s after, he takes off to gather the rest of the cousins for a group photo.
I hand my jacket to Adrienne. “Give me one minute and then we can go.”
“No rush,” she says.
It takes close to ten minutes to gather the ten of us and then get us into position for the photograph. I make sure I’m on the opposite end from where Tyler is, and we all say cheese together. Someone suggests, “Hey, Gram, you get in one too.”
Gram hands her cell phone over to Adrienne and shuffles toward us, waving at the middle to part enough to give her room. “Make sure you get my good side,” Gram instructs to Adrienne, who chuckles.
“Everyone ready?” she asks, getting everyone into the picture.
“Cheese!”
Adrienne takes a handful of pictures before returning the phone to Gram. “Thank you, dear.”
“You’re welcome,” Adrienne replies.
“Gram, we’re out. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes,” she replies, pulling me into a big hug. “Thank you for coming. I know this wasn’t how you wanted to spend your Saturday, but I appreciate this more than you’ll ever know. You’ve done your time, so now you can take your lovely date back home and have your wicked way with her.”
“Gram,” I groan, closing my eyes and shaking my head.
“I’m not so old I don’t remember what it was like to be in the presence of someone of the opposite sex you’re wildly attracted to. I was eighteen when I met your grandpa, but we didn’t get together until I was twenty-two. I learned a lot in those four years by dating around, which is exactly what you’ve been doing.”
I groan, wishing I could erase this entire conversation from my brain. “Stop talking.”
“Fine, fine, whatever. Adrienne, it was lovely to see you again. I’m so glad you came with my grandson.”
“I’m happy to be here. It was a beautiful wedding.”
Gram rolls her eyes. “Beautiful and expensive. Too much for a couple who already have two children. I mean, the bride wore white. White. Can you believe that?”
“I don’t think the tradition has quite the meaning it used to, Gram. Everyone wears white.”
“Not everyone,” my gram insists. “I saw photographs on the inter-web where the bride was wearing blood red. Can you imagine? Looking like a trauma patient on your wedding day?”
I snort a laugh and shake my head before leaning in and kissing her cheek. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Yes, yes. Pizza with Jack and his crew soon. I promised Christian.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
“Good. And bring Adrienne. I want to show her all your embarrassing baby photos.”
Groaning, I grab my jacket once more and take Adrienne’s hand. “No way.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” Gram insists, winking at Adrienne before she says, “go you two before you’re stuck doing the Chicken Dance with the rest of the drunks.”
“Love you,” I tell her, placing another quick kiss on her cheek.
“Love you more, my boy.” And then she’s gone, heading out to the dance floor just as the Chicken Dance begins.
“Ready?” I ask, giving Adrienne my full attention.
Her smile is seductive. “For the horizontal dancing part of our night? Oh, I’m ready.”