Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)(13)

 

Cadence had to know. According to her grandmother, Mac and her father had been best friends, army pals. They'd dated two best friends-Irene, Mac's wife, and Mila, Cade's mother. Cade had met Irene numerous times. The woman had a nurturing nature. She would have made a good mother if Mac and Irene had ever had kids. Irene took to Cade right away, however, because of the true nature of her move to Vancouver, Cade realized it wouldn't have been ideal to get too close to the woman if later on she ended up breaking her heart. Such actions had made Mac wary of Cade and before she could fix it, Mac made sure Cade was never too close to him and Irene. The man clearly had trust issues.

 

After receiving the much excited Juliette, and taking the overnight bag her friend had packed for her, Cade found Harley in her bedroom, lying still on her back, staring at the ceiling. Without hesitation, Cade lay beside Harley, and propped one arm over her forehead.

 

"Don't you sometimes wish we lived different lives?" Harley asked quietly.

 

Cade sighed before replying. "You have no idea." A few minutes passed before either one said anything. "How are you feeling?" Cade glanced at her.

 

The girl shrugged.

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

"Your dad called earlier, but you were resting. He was very … concerned," Cade said.

 

Harley tilted her head and leaned it on Cade's shoulder. "You mean he was pissed off at Fiona?" Cade chose not to answer, and ignored-only this once-the words she thought a little girl like Harley should not be using. "I don't blame him, though. My mother can be quite irritating."

 

"Does she always talk to you that way?" Cade's voice was full of concern. She didn't mind letting Harley know that.

 

"Not always, but most of the time. I hope she doesn't make me live with her again." Harley pushed a heavy breath out of her mouth. "Fiona gets very upset when she's having man problems. I didn't think her new marriage would last very long, but I also didn't expect it to be this short," Harley explained.

 

For a young girl, she had experienced and seen more than some adults would ever have in all their lives. The burden was too heavy on Harley, but she had found strength from her Nan. With her gone, she was lost. Her father had tried to guide her, but it wouldn't be enough. Harley placed an arm over her new protector's stomach. Cade, in turn, put her arm over the girl's arm. Cade was there for her. She would find strength through Cade. The two fell asleep holding each other, both feeling, hoping.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Cade was definitely avoiding him. Since coming home from LA, Jax had only seen glimpses of her for weeks. His place was enormous, but it wasn't big enough to lose anyone. He initially reasoned that Cade was watching over Harley. Jax spotted the both of them throughout the house, whispering and laughing, always in and out during the day for excursions in the city. Then, he blamed his lack of free time. With a tour coming up, his schedule had filled up quickly. Tina was constantly on his tail, spouting off the most recent addition to his schedule.

 

At one point, he asked Tina to clear an afternoon so he could spend time with Harley, and hopefully, Cade as well. He planned a drive to the sea wall and perhaps have a quiet dinner. But Cade had an emergency. She had been quick to let Zee know and a replacement was readily found.

 

The drive he had in mind was not the same as he thought it would be, but it was a delightful surprise to Jax. Harley was overjoyed she was spending time with her father. Jax felt a pang of regret for not making more time for her, while secretly wishing he could have some alone time with Cade again.

 

The city was active as usual. He liked that Canadians were respectful enough to leave him alone. There were glances thrown his way, and it was hard not to see some on-lookers taking photos with their cellphones, but no one approached him for anything. It also helped to have two hulking, intimidating bodyguards around them.  

 

Harley, still high on her times with Cade, had been unusually talkative. Her stories comprised of detailed events of her visits to the museum with her bodyguard, shopping for toys, and just goofing around the house. Harley blurted out that she and Cade were planning to paint her bedroom a different colour. Jax wasn't surprised to hear it, but he was envious that his own daughter was more comfortable making such decisions and plans with a near stranger than her own father. Then again, she should consider him as a stranger as well since he had only been back to her life a short time. Harley had been closed off and distant with him from the very beginning of her stay, but acted quite the opposite with Cade.