Logan Kade (Fallen Crest #5.5)(87)

Mason cut in, “With good reason.”

“—but she’s better now, and we’re back. We’ve been back, and I’ve done what you both wanted.” He held a hand toward me. “I stayed away because that’s what you wanted. I can’t do that anymore.”

“Why not?”

I kept quiet. Analise hurt Sam and while Sam was my family, she was Mason’s soulmate. This was his fight, more than mine, but only by a little.

James didn’t answer, not at first. He focused on Mason, his jaw clenched and his Adam’s apple moved up and down.

Shit. This was it. This was the favor he was calling in, and then he said, “Because we set a date.”

Mason closed his eyes, leaning back on his feet, away from the desk. His arms fell down, going to his side, and he let out a defeated sigh, half turning away.

I frowned. “A date for the wedding?”

Mason said, “That’s the favor.” He looked back and glared at James, speaking to me, “He’s going to make us be his groomsmen. Aren’t you?”

“What favor?” I snorted. “Rankin still went after Taylor.”

“That was a miscommunication, and you know it. He was told to stay away from my sons. The girl should’ve been included, yes. That was a misfortunate mistake, but I still reached out and took some highly unethical and illegal risks for my sons. So, yes, I’m going to be a bastard father to you, too, because I’m still holding you both to the favor I did do for you.” He paused, then continued, “I know I’ve not been a great father to the two of you, and I know you might not realize it, but I’ve been trying to make things right. I love Analise, and I’ve been at her side. I’ll be a devoted husband, and now it’s time for me to be a devoted father to you guys.” He stood up. “It’s time you for guys to let me be that father to you again.”

He was right about one thing. We’d been shutting him out since high school, since he brought that woman into our home, but he was wrong about one thing, too.

I shook my head. “I’ll be your groomsman. That’s the favor I owe you for helping us with Rankin. You did that for Taylor, so I owe you.” I paused before adding, “But that’s all I owe you. You’ve been less of a father to me than Helen’s been a mother to me. Mason got the happy family experience for a little bit. It was already falling apart by the time I knew what was going on, so no. I don’t owe you the chance to be a dad. No child will ever owe a parent their own obligation. You cannot demand to be let in. It doesn’t work that way.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I knew what that text said. Taylor was done with her own father/daughter/new girlfriend dinner. She was ready to be picked up. I sent her a text back. I was heading over soon before I put my phone away and locked gazes with my father one more time. I shook my head. “I can’t speak for Mason, but that’s my deal. I’ll be your groomsman, but nothing else.”

I said to Mason, “I gotta go. I need to pick up Taylor.”

He nodded. “See you at the house later?”

I nodded back and left. I was at the door when James called after me, “Logan.”

I paused, glancing back.

He said, “I won’t demand to be your father, but I think you do owe me a chance to be your father again.”

He already knew my answer. I opened the door to go.

“Logan.”

I was half out the door. I didn’t look back, but I did stop.

He said to my back, “I’d really like to meet Taylor one day. I’d like to meet the girl that you fell in love with.”

I looked now and said simply, “No” before I left, and I didn’t spare him another thought. As far as I was concerned, we were even now, if a son could ever be ‘even’ with his own father…





TAYLOR


Professor Gayle was dating my dad.

“Call me Carol. You must.”

She had insisted with a warm smile and a glow on her face. She was my professor. She was the reason behind Jeremy’s insistence I join the Honors Study Group, and she was now my dad’s girlfriend. I looked between the two as they stood side by side, both waiting for my reaction. And what that was...I had no idea.

I said to my dad, “I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”

He was wearing a Cain University staff shirt, tucked into jeans, and loafers. His hair was combed in place, and he seemed worried, gauging my reaction. When he called and said he was bringing someone home for me to meet, I joked to Logan that I was going to meet the girlfriend. The joke was on me.

I blinked a few times.

My dad rubbed the side of his face, his eyes darting from Carol to myself. “Yeah. Uh, well, you know how these things happen sometimes.” He coughed. “Logan Kade, honey. Logan Kade.”

My neck grew warm registering his hidden meaning. We had a similar meeting like this a month ago. My dad was not happy to find out that Logan Kade was not only my boyfriend, but the one who tackled the guy who tried to shoot me.

Rankin went to prison. Word trickled down from his boss that he was supposed to stay away from the Kades. There’d been no mention of me, and hoping to get back into his boss’ good graces, he wanted to take me out. It was supposed to be a way to get back at Delray. He thought his boss would reward him and not turn his back on him, which is what happened. The attack on me was his third strike. He had enough on his record to be sent away for half his life, and we were told by a detective that he had no allies on the inside.