Easy to Love You (13 page)

After Mom confessed everything to the Cahill’s, they instilled the need to always protect CC in Jackson, Mason, and Cooper. When I hung up the phone a couple of hours later, I felt a sense of relief that I wasn’t the only one looking out for my family. This whole time it was like two families had combined into one, forming a stronger bond, a bond that would never be broken.

My only problem was that CC didn’t know about any of this. Just like Mr. Cahill never wanted what he did for a living to touch her, I didn’t want my past to touch her either. However, now that my dickbag of a father was back in the picture, I wasn’t sure I could make that happen, but I was damn sure going to try my hardest.

I was thankful that Mrs. Cahill said she was coming over for a visit today; I really wanted to go and check up on my mom. She’d been acting really strange lately; she kept telling me everything was fine, but I knew her better than that. I stopped there before going shopping.

“Ma!” I called out when I walked into the house. I was going to have to talk to her about keeping the damn doors locked.

“In the kitchen.” she called back.

I walked in and took a seat at the island, “Hey Ma.”

She was standing at the sink, washing the dishes, “Hey Hunter. How’s my grandson doing?” She asked over her shoulder.

“You’d know if you came over to see him.” It came out harsher than I wanted it to but damn it, it was the truth.

“I know, I’m sorry. With Jason showing up, I’m all out of sorts. I don’t know how he found us after all these years, Hunter. Why now? Why, when things are great does he show back up?” she pleaded.

I took a deep breath, I knew this was what had been bothering her, and she hadn’t wanted to tell me over the phone because she knew I’d have been over here in a flash. “Ma, I don’t know. Try not to worry about it, ok? Mr. Cahill has it covered. I talked to him last night and they have someone watching each of our houses.”

She dried her hands with the dish towel and took a seat next to me. “I’m sorry that you have to go through all this bullshit now that you have your own family to take care of. Are you going to talk to MacKenzie about this?”

I stood and went to the fridge to grab two bottles of water, “No Ma, I’m not going to tell her until I don’t have a choice.”

She took the bottle I offered her, “I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

I really hoped I was doing the right thing. No! I knew I was; I wasn’t putting my family in the middle of this shit storm unless it was necessary. CC would understand why I hadn’t told her this was going on, if she didn’t I would have to make sure she did. She and Ryder were my life.

After Hunter came home from shopping, three hours later, Mom joined him in the kitchen to make dinner. We’d invited my dad to join us since he hadn’t had a chance to stop over because he’d been so busy with work. I asked Mom not to say anything to Hunter about my little melt down earlier, but I knew she would anyway.

I could hear them whispering in the kitchen, “So I think you need to gather everyone up and have a date night or something, Hunter. That girl in there is missing everyone. She’s so used to everyone coming and going all the time and she said she’s barely seen anyone.” Mom told him.

I heard the sink turn on and some pots and pans being banged around, then the stove clicking from the pilot light. “Yeah I know. Everyone’s trying to avoid her. I don’t think they mean it, but Kenzie’s starting to notice. Did she say something to you today?” Hunter asked, concern lingering in his voice.

I was staring at the TV mounted on the wall above the fireplace, but I could feel Mom’s eyes on me, so I made sure to keep my face neutral. I heard her sigh, “Yeah. She had a bit of a meltdown earlier. She’s ok now, but things are really bothering her. She sees more than we think she does.”

Hunter dropped something on the stove harder than he needed to, “Damn it.” He didn’t speak for a few minutes. “Alright, I’ll see if I can get everyone over here. I think she misses them, even when they pick on her.”

I heard a crackle of someone opening a can of soda, “It’s not just them, Hunter. She’s worried about you. She doesn’t see herself like she used to, she’s afraid that you’re going to run.”

Damn it Mom, I told you not to say anything!

Hunter cleared his throat; this was making him uncomfortable, “Mrs. Cahill…”

Mom cut him off, “Hunter please we’ve asked you to call us Elle and Andrew, or Mom and Dad.”

“Right, sorry, Elle. I told her last night, I don’t see those things. To me they are memories and reminders of what happened. She protected Ryder when she crashed. If it wasn’t for that…he probably wouldn’t be here right now.”

There was some rustling around and then Dad appeared in the doorway leading from the hallway. I put my finger up to my mouth to keep him quiet. He looked at me questioningly before coming over and bending down next to my recliner, “What’s going on?”

I missed Dad. I didn’t spend nearly enough time with him anymore. His hair was getting whiter on the sides, not that it looked bad but it was a sign of his age. He also had some serious bags under his eyes. “Mom is running her trap. I told her not to tell Hunter about my meltdown earlier.” I answered pouting my lips.

Dad chuckled lightly, “Wonder how long ‘til she notices I’m here?”

We both glanced over towards the kitchen and they were both still doing their thing in there. Ryder started fussing, “Well, someone noticed you were here, Poppy.” I winked at Dad.

“That’s my boy.” Dad stood up and went over to Ryder who was still in his swing.

Mom came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the black apron tied around her waist, “Oh, hi honey. When did you get here?”

Mom kissed Dad’s cheek and I groaned. “Please! Don’t do that shit.” I begged.

Dad, laughing at my reaction, picked up Ryder as Hunter came over to help me to the kitchen table. Mom pulled out the chair and Hunter sat me down. Damn, I can’t wait to be able to do shit on my own! I really needed to pee, but I didn’t want to have to ask anyone.
Oh well, guess I’m waiting until after dinner.

Mom dished the salad in my bowl. Hunter was getting Ryder’s chair from the living room so he could join us for dinner, and Dad was shoveling food onto his plate. Now if the rest of the crew were here, I’d be a happy girl.

After everyone was situated and eating, Hunter announced, “I’m going to have everyone over Saturday night for dinner, CC. Is that ok with you?”

I glanced over at Mom and gave her an
‘I know you told him’
look and said, “Yeah, sounds good to me, if it’s not too much trouble. The girls can hang out with the babies and you guys can do what you want in the man cave.”

Hunter had converted half of the basement into his man cave; it was all decked out with New York Giants memorabilia. I had to give it to him, the cave was pretty awesome. The bottom half of the walls were painted blue, the top half grey with a red strip in the center. He had a few jerseys that he’d had signed, framed and hung along the back wall. There were also a few helmets, signed as well, that were placed on each side of the two windows. We were able to find a Giants rug that was checkered red and blue with the NY logo on it. Then there was the TV, Hunter had to have the 70-inch. He just couldn’t settle for a normal TV like any other person. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the surround sound, I swear that the neighbors three houses down could hear when the Giants or even the Yankees were on. We also had a black leather sectional, pool table and a mini bar down there as well.

“Baby girl, why don’t you let me and your mom take Ryder for the night or even just a few hours if you aren’t ready to leave him yet?” Dad said, smiling at Mom. Damn those two and their silent conversations. Yeah, I could read Hunter like a book most of the time, but my parents had it down to a science.

I looked over at Hunter; I’d be ok for a few hours, but overnight? I’m not so sure. “What do you think?” I asked him.

“Let them keep him overnight.” Hunter reached over with his hand under the table and squeezed the inside of my thigh.

With my face starting to flush I answered, “Okay, but if I can’t handle it, I’m coming to get him.”

Mom smiled at Dad, then to me, “You have your key baby girl.”

The rest of the evening I had a smile on my face, finally things were starting to get back to normal, or as normal as it could get with a new baby.

After we finished up dinner, CC and her mom were upstairs bathing Ryder before they put him down for bed. Andrew, it still felt wrong to call him that, was in the kitchen helping me load the dishwasher.

I was placing a cup in the rack when he asked, “How’s she really doing?”

I shrugged, “I thought she was doing ok until Elle told me she fell apart this afternoon.

He nodded, “Yeah, MacKenzie told me she’d asked her mother not to say anything to you, but I know my wife. She’ll do whatever she has to do to make her family happy.”

I put the last plate in the dishwasher, there was so much I wanted to talk about with him but I didn’t want to do it in the house with CC here.

Andrew cleared his throat, “I have to hand it to you Hunter. I admire you; I think if one of my boys were in this situation, they’d have run for the hills. You two are still so young and have your whole lives in front you. Not many can hang in there.”

That meant a lot, coming from the man standing before me. I’d never had a real father figure in my life; the closest I’d had was my grandfather. After the shit that went down with Jason, Mom had moved us in with my grandparents in the Tennessee Valley Mountains. I’d looked up to him and learned a lot from him. He was a great man. He passed away due to lung cancer the year we moved to Jersey and my grandmother joined him within a few days. Mom said she’d died of a broken heart, since she was healthy before she passed. Mom never went back there; I on the other hand, try to get up there whenever the house isn’t being rented out. Mom didn’t have the heart to sell it and it’s not like we needed the money since they’d set Jaylinn and I up with a trust fund, so she hired a realtor and rented it out. When I’d taken CC away with me last year, I knew that was the place I would bring her. Some of my greatest memories took place in that house.

I was a lucky son of a bitch to have had these people in my life. “Thanks Andrew. I told you when I asked for her hand in marriage, that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her, and I meant it.”

He let out a deep breath, “I know you did son.”

I finished wiping down the counters and sent a group text to Mason, Hailey, Jaylinn, Cooper, Chloe and Jackson.

Group 9:20p.m. : Get together at our house tomorrow at 3. No deep shit, all fun

Mason 9:22 p.m.: K

Jaylinn 9:24 p.m.: sounds good. Coop and I will be there

Jackson 9:28 p.m.: We need to find a sitter

Me 9:29 p.m.: Check with ur mom. Hails ?

Hailey 9:36 p.m.: Yeah yeah I’ll be there

I was really starting to worry about Hailey; I’m going to have to pull Mason aside tomorrow and figure out what the fuck’s going on.