to her.” He started through the door, but Cody stopped him this time.
“No, give her some space, some time. She has a lot to think about. If you crowd her now, she could run.”
“Or if we leave her to try to sort through this by herself, she could panic.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Cody shoved his fingers through his hair. “Dammit, this is a tough one.” He paced back and forth a couple of times. “No, we should give her some space. That’s what she needs. We don’t want to come on too strong, or look too pushy. Listen to me, saying that. Isn’t that funny?” His chuckle was mirthless.
“I’m not pushy. I’ve never been pushy.”
“Easy, bro. I know that.” Cody threw his arm around his brother, giving his shoulder a shake. “She loves us. You know it. I know it. Give her time to see it too.”
“Fuck that. I’m going to find her. I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Dammit. Hold on. I’ll come with you. I think I know where she’ll be.”
Chapter 7
Thomas Cooper . Lovi ng husband and father. Born 1963 . Died 2008.
Candi sat on the grass, tears streaming from her eyes.
“What the hell was wrong with you?” she whispered. “What did you do? What kind of monster were you?” She dragged her hand under her nose. “Did I even know you?”
She didn’t. That was the ugly truth. Her own father had been a stranger. A man she’d set on a pedestal and worshipped. The world’s perfect father. The world’s only perfect man.
What an idiot she’d been.
Not only was he not perfect, but he’d been a horrid monster. A monster who had hurt two very innocent, very sweet young boys so badly they’d never be the same.
And yet, she still couldn’t despise him.
“I should hate you for this,” she shouted at his gravestone. “You lied to me, made me believe you were something you weren’t.”
She bent her knees, wrapped her arms around her shins and held herself as tremors quaked through her body and sobs tore from her throat.
* * * * *
Justin couldn’t handle another minute of this. Not another second. “Look at her.” Sitting in their truck, he poked his finger at the window.
“She’s working through her pain,” Cody said, sounding calm and sure. How the hell could he be so fucking calm when they were watching Candi fall apart? “When she’s ready, she’ll come back to us and then we can help her.”
“She needs us. Now. Not later. We’re all she has.” He jerked his head toward the window. “Look at her! Nobody should be alone when they’re that upset. We can’t sit here and just fucking watch.”
He stared out the window.
He counted to five then said, “To hell with this.” He shoved open his door. “Fuck this sitting and waiting. Fuck this whole give-her-space bullshit.” This was Candi, his Candi sitting on the wet ground, crying. His precious Candi. Now, more than at any time, she needed his comfort, his protection.
She didn’t even lift her head when he approached. He doubted she had heard him.
“Candi,” he said, softly as he stooped down next to her.
She lifted red eyes. Her face was a blotchy, wet mess. Her long hair whipping around her head as the first winds of an approaching storm kicked up. “Justin? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to take you home.”
At least ten minutes crept by...or that’s how it felt. But then, as he took her hands in his and gently pulled, she rose to her feet and leaned into him. “I love you, Justin. I always have. And, no matter what, I always will.”
He slid one arm behind her legs, scooped her up and carried her cradled to his chest back to her car. And he held her that way, in his lap in the backseat while Cody drove them all back to her apartment.
Now that she was in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. And he didn’t. Not during the drive. Not when they parked in the lot behind her apartment building. He carried her to the door, up the stairs, and into her bedroom.
When he laid her
“No, give her some space, some time. She has a lot to think about. If you crowd her now, she could run.”
“Or if we leave her to try to sort through this by herself, she could panic.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Cody shoved his fingers through his hair. “Dammit, this is a tough one.” He paced back and forth a couple of times. “No, we should give her some space. That’s what she needs. We don’t want to come on too strong, or look too pushy. Listen to me, saying that. Isn’t that funny?” His chuckle was mirthless.
“I’m not pushy. I’ve never been pushy.”
“Easy, bro. I know that.” Cody threw his arm around his brother, giving his shoulder a shake. “She loves us. You know it. I know it. Give her time to see it too.”
“Fuck that. I’m going to find her. I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Dammit. Hold on. I’ll come with you. I think I know where she’ll be.”
Chapter 7
Thomas Cooper . Lovi ng husband and father. Born 1963 . Died 2008.
Candi sat on the grass, tears streaming from her eyes.
“What the hell was wrong with you?” she whispered. “What did you do? What kind of monster were you?” She dragged her hand under her nose. “Did I even know you?”
She didn’t. That was the ugly truth. Her own father had been a stranger. A man she’d set on a pedestal and worshipped. The world’s perfect father. The world’s only perfect man.
What an idiot she’d been.
Not only was he not perfect, but he’d been a horrid monster. A monster who had hurt two very innocent, very sweet young boys so badly they’d never be the same.
And yet, she still couldn’t despise him.
“I should hate you for this,” she shouted at his gravestone. “You lied to me, made me believe you were something you weren’t.”
She bent her knees, wrapped her arms around her shins and held herself as tremors quaked through her body and sobs tore from her throat.
* * * * *
Justin couldn’t handle another minute of this. Not another second. “Look at her.” Sitting in their truck, he poked his finger at the window.
“She’s working through her pain,” Cody said, sounding calm and sure. How the hell could he be so fucking calm when they were watching Candi fall apart? “When she’s ready, she’ll come back to us and then we can help her.”
“She needs us. Now. Not later. We’re all she has.” He jerked his head toward the window. “Look at her! Nobody should be alone when they’re that upset. We can’t sit here and just fucking watch.”
He stared out the window.
He counted to five then said, “To hell with this.” He shoved open his door. “Fuck this sitting and waiting. Fuck this whole give-her-space bullshit.” This was Candi, his Candi sitting on the wet ground, crying. His precious Candi. Now, more than at any time, she needed his comfort, his protection.
She didn’t even lift her head when he approached. He doubted she had heard him.
“Candi,” he said, softly as he stooped down next to her.
She lifted red eyes. Her face was a blotchy, wet mess. Her long hair whipping around her head as the first winds of an approaching storm kicked up. “Justin? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to take you home.”
At least ten minutes crept by...or that’s how it felt. But then, as he took her hands in his and gently pulled, she rose to her feet and leaned into him. “I love you, Justin. I always have. And, no matter what, I always will.”
He slid one arm behind her legs, scooped her up and carried her cradled to his chest back to her car. And he held her that way, in his lap in the backseat while Cody drove them all back to her apartment.
Now that she was in his arms, he never wanted to let her go. And he didn’t. Not during the drive. Not when they parked in the lot behind her apartment building. He carried her to the door, up the stairs, and into her bedroom.
When he laid her
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