Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)(67)

 

Cade parked Tina's car behind a black sedan. She'd been opposed to carrying guns for her job, even though she was licensed to do so. At that moment, she wished she'd brought the standard issue Glock sitting inside the hotel's safe. Still, her mind tried to calm her down. A black car parked on Gram's driveway was no cause for alarm, she told herself.

 

Laughter trilled inside the house as soon as she entered. Gram's laughter. Cade sagged against the door as soon as she recognized it. The living room was clear and the continuous laugh came from the kitchen.

 

"Gram," she called out.

 

"We're in here," Cade received as a response.

 

"We?" Cade whispered to herself. Gram was known to have visitors every now and then but she always preferred to entertain in her living room, where the seats were more comfortable compared to the hard plastic pre-war era chairs in the kitchen.

 

When she walked into the bright kitchen, Gram was seated on one of the chairs, and the man who stood pouring coffee for her surprised Cade.

 

"Mac? What are you doing here?" Cade almost yelled, but she reconsidered given that she was at her grandmother's home.

 

Mac adjusted the knot of his tie and placed the coffee pot on the table. "Let me get you a cup," he said, and walked over to the cupboards to fetch a mug for Cade.

 

Arms crossed over her chest, Cade stayed at the threshold. A number of different scenarios had played in her head while she had driven to New Jersey, but this wasn't one of them.

 

"What are you doing here, Mac?" When she didn't get a response from him, she turned to her grandmother, "Why is he here, Gram?"

 

Her grandmother got up from her chair and lifted her cup and saucer. "Why don't I let you two talk in here? I'll be in the living room watching my show." The older woman walked past Cade and simply tapped her granddaughter's arm. Cade mouthed a "why" and a "what's going on" but Gram shook her head and left the kitchen.

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

Mac placed the empty mug on the table and poured coffee into it. "How do you like your coffee?" he asked. He wasn't smiling or frowning. There was no hint of any emotion on his face.

 

Had Cade dreamt that she'd heard laughter from Nan earlier? That would have meant some kind of emotion coming from Mac too. Mac had an obvious dislike for Cade, and she couldn't tell why. She understood that he had only accepted her to work for his company because of Gram's request. Mac wasn't stupid, either. Cade could tell that since the beginning, he had known that Cade had an ulterior motive as to why she'd joined Mackinley Securities. Perhaps now that she had recently agreed to marry Jax, Mac wanted a piece of the pie too.

 

"Just tell me why you're here, then leave," Cade bit out.

 

Mac stared at her for a moment, then sat on the chair. "Please, sit with me."

 

Cade didn't move.

 

Mac pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly. That was about as emotional as Cade had seen him since meeting the man.

 

"Irene is sick. She has cancer and the doctors have given her six months to live," he said in one breath, without looking at Cade.

 

Her heart wrenched. Irene was a sweet, thoughtful woman whom Cade had thought to be too good for Mac. She took the chair across from Mac but kept her hands on her lap.

 

"When did you … "

 

"We found out two weeks ago." Mac stirred sugar into his coffee, still unable to look Cade in the eyes. "She has Non-Hodgkin lymphoma."

 

Cade couldn't resist. She reached out a hand across the table, but stopped short inches from Mac's. "I'm sorry to hear that Mac. Irene is … she's been so kind and sweet to me." A single tear rolled down her cheek. "If there is something I can do … "

 

Mac shook his head. What could anyone do? The disease had one of the highest fatality rates.

 

"At first she didn't want any sort of treatment. She didn't think there would be any chance of survival." He cupped his hands over his face, and in front of a surprised Cade, Mac wept.

 

Cade got on her feet and embraced the man. She knew he had no one else but Irene. They'd never had children. His only sister had passed away when they were little, and his parents were long gone too. He had only Irene.

 

"Look at me getting all … " He swiped tears off his face. "This isn't me at all."

 

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of emotion, Mac. Irene is a wonderful woman. And she's a fighter." Cade tapped his shoulder. She dragged the other chair around the table and sat close to him. "What can I help with?" If she told Jax, they could put their heads together and come up with a solution, even a temporary one, as long as they could make Irene comfortable.