I looked away. “I’m not answering that.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I tell you, you’ll conjure up even more reason to dislike him and his family.”
His face became serious. “So it did have something to do with him?”
I glared at him. “I never said that.”
“I know it did,” he stated. “Just answer one question for me: did he do it?”
“No.” My voice was firm, and Dad’s shoulders relaxed a bit.
“Fine. Then who did?”
“I don’t know,” I lied, “but it wasn’t Cane. He wasn’t even on the East Coast when it happened. You can check his records or whatever it is you do. He was in Texas.”
Dad ran a palm over his face. “Well…it’s not like she didn’t have it coming,” he muttered. “I can’t lie and say I didn’t think of ways to serve her a little more justice myself.”
I folded my arms, looking over my shoulder. “He’s upstairs, you know? Cane.”
He grimaced and was about to walk around me, but I pressed a hand to his chest. “Why is he in my house?” he growled.
“Because I told him to come inside with me. Look, Dad, you can pretend you hate Cane all you want, but you and I both know that it isn’t true. Cane made some mistakes in his life, yes, but he has told me repeatedly that loving me wasn’t one of them. Not only that, but you knew all about Cane and where he came from and who he was involved with, but you still let him into this house every single time for those dinners. You know he’s not all bad.”
“Jesus, Kandy. You’re still on that? Believing every little lie he tells you?”
“To be frank, Dad, Cane has told me nothing but the truth ever since I went back to him.” I folded my arms. “But I see you’re still out to blame him for every little thing.”
“I don’t trust him,” he grumbled.
“Well, I do. Okay? And I love him. He means a lot to me, and at one point in your life, he meant a lot to you and Mom too.” He tried fighting the look, but I noticed his eyes soften. “Look, I know things can’t go back to the way they used to be. Trust me, I get why they can’t, but you had your time to sulk and throw your own pity party. It’s time to accept life as it is.”
He scoffed and walked away from me, sitting in the recliner. “If you came back, thinking I would show him some sympathy, it isn’t gonna happen. As far as I’m concerned, Cane is dead to me.”
“And I hate that you feel that way, D.” Cane’s deep voice rose behind me, and I looked back, watching him and Mom round the corner. I was so involved in our conversation that I didn’t even hear them coming down.
Dad stood up quickly, glaring at Cane. “You have some nerve, Cane.”
“I know I’m the last person you want to see.” Cane raked his fingers through his hair. “Do you remember the day you called me about Kandy’s graduation, and you told me that you really wanted me there?”
Dad didn’t answer, but his eyes stayed on Cane’s.
“I was busy as hell that weekend. Swamped, really. But you told me that if I didn’t make it, you would understand. And if I did make it, it would mean so much to you because I was family to you.”
Dad’s eyes went red at the rim.
“It was the first time you actually called me family. I mean, yeah, you’d hinted at the whole brother thing before, but calling me family was different and special, and I appreciated it. The thing about family, D, is that there are always arguments. There is always drama we have to deal with, but we push through it out of love, man. It can take months—years sometimes—but you learn to forgive. And look, I know me being with Kandy crosses every single line in your book. I know I hurt you the day you found out about us…but if anyone in this world knows me, it’s you, and you know I would never do a thing to hurt your daughter.” He came closer. “I am begging you, as someone who cares deeply for not only your daughter, but all three of you, to accept this for what it is. Accept the fact that I love her, D, and that I want her in my life just as much as you want her in yours. Stop trying to fight what already is because if you keep fighting it, you’ll only create a bigger barrier between the two of you.”
Dad ran a hand over the top of his head, turning his back to us. “What is this, some kind of intervention?” he muttered.
“No,” Mom said, walking up to him and rubbing his back. “It’s time for you to make changes, honey. Kandy is our only child. She’s not five anymore, and I don’t know about you, but I love seeing her like this. I never want to see her like she was before. We have to make compromises, baby. It’s that simple. It’ll take time to accept it, but we’re going to do our part as parents and make things right. She’s all we’ve got, Derek.”