Page 31 of Caden the CEO
“Did I spill the beans?” Saveth asked Caden, who shook his head with a smile.
“Kind of, but I wanted it to be a surprise, so this still works,” he answered, wrapping his arm around Dru’s waist.
“You wanted what to be a surprise? Tell me something, because I’m about to burst.”
Saveth chuckled. “I’ll let you two talk, and we can discuss things a bit more after the auction.”
“Sounds good, Sav,” Caden agreed before she walked away.
“Well?” Dru questioned, rocking from her heels to her toes in anticipation of what he was about to say.
“I went to school with Sav’s brother, so we know each other from around the way. I mentioned my girl being an artist and how much I’d appreciate it if she took a look at some of her work, and she agreed. If she likes it, she’s willing to buy it and add it to her collection, include you in her next artist spotlight, and if your art is received well, set up an auction for you.
“That’s also why I said I didn’t want you to work unless you wanted to. You said if you could, you’d go back to school and get your degree and pursue your art. You have the time and opportunity to do that now, sweetheart. The world is literally yours.”
This time, Dru was unable to hold her tears in. A hug turned into Caden picking her up so he could hold her close. He sat down on the nearest bench and held her while she composed herself. She was literally speechless yet overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Getting used to being treated so well was still an adjustment for her, but if that was the biggest battle of her day, Dru was more than okay with that.
As nervous asDru was about meeting Caden’s family, they welcomed her in with open arms. The day started with church and a message that felt like God was speaking directly to her through Bishop Patterson. Then, they went to Caden’s parents’ house and had been there for the last three hours. Dinner was already prepared and warm, so when they arrived, his mother made her way to the kitchen to set the table. Though Dru offered to help, Candace insisted she rest, because her first visit would be the only one that she’d be considered a guest. And as well as they were getting along, Dru was already looking forward to coming back.
Caden’s father, Nikolai, looked like an older version of him. He was quiet and serious yet had his playful moments. He tookthe time to welcome her into the family, give her his number, and make her promise to call him if Caden ever hurt her and made her cry. That alone softened her heart and turned it to mush.
Niko was lively and hilarious, mostly because everything he said was serious yet still funny. He was a bit more wired than his older brother, and she was sure he was a charming ladies’ man, but other than that, he was cool as hell.
Lorenzo had joined them as well, and Dru was as comfortable with him as she always was.
But Candace? Candace was touching a place in Dru’s heart that had never been touched. A soft, warm, nurturing space that had yearned to be filled over the years. From her heart to her natural affection, to the way she talked to Dru with kindness, warmth, and respect . . . all combining to give her an experience with a woman—a mother—that she wished she could have had with her own mother.
All day, Dru had thoroughly enjoyed being around Caden’s family. She thought she’d make it through the day without getting in her feelings until Candace asked her to come to her she-shed while the guys were outside drinking and smoking.
“I hope you don’t mind me stealing you away for a while,” Candace said, turning on the TV. She had a nice setup, with a large gray sofa and orange accent chairs. There was a bar, basket of snacks, and mini fridge on one side of the wall, and a set of wall shelves with her puzzles and crocheted items and materials on the other.
“Not at all. You have puzzles which I love, snacks, and you’re putting it on Lifetime Movie Network. You’re speaking my language.”
Candace laughed. “Well, help yourself to anything I have in here, and if you have a particular taste for something, one of the boys will get it.”
That command confirmed Caden being a giver and server was authentically in his blood.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m still full from dinner, so I think I’ll be good with just some chips.”
Candace found a movie and waited until they were both comfortable to say, “Cade didn’t tell me all your business, but he did tell me that you have a very toxic situation with your mother. That you don’t really have a relationship with her at all.”
Dru nodded her agreement. “Well, I’m your mama now. I’ve always wanted a daughter, and I promised myself I’d have a close relationship with my sons’ wives to fill that lack. You coming around, . . . you’re giving me the daughter I never had,andI get to love on you a little extra hard because of what you lack.
“So though I hope you and Cade get married, give me grandbabies, and have a long life together, from this day forward, regardless of what happens between the two of you, you and your sister are now mine.”
Dru’s head hung as her eyes watered. She’d never been emotional in a good way. Most times when she cried, it was because of sadness, anger, or frustration. Being around Caden, and now his mother, had changed that.
“We can go slow until you get comfortable with me, but I’m ya mama now,” Candace continued. “I got you, and I love you already. You’re safe here, baby, and your sister will be too.”
That broke the dam. Her tears started, and they did not let up. Candace sat next to her and pulled her into her arms, and that only made her cry harder. Because the sad truth was, Tina had never held, hugged, or comforted either of her daughters a day in her life. The more Candace held her and hummed, alternating between praying and affirming that she’d done nothing wrong and deserved all the love in the world, the more she cried. But eventually, her tears stopped, and she rested inthe weight of Candace’s embrace, feeling just as safe there as she did in Caden’s arms.
“Can you handle it?Or shall I?” Caden asked Lorenzo.
“I got it. Just say the word.”
Thinking over the situation, Caden didn’t respond right away. Word on the street was Galloway had gone to the grocery store, The Lucky Lounge, and had even been driving by Tina’s house in search of Dru. Apparently, Galloway expected a payment from Dru when the thirty-day mark hit, regardless of the fact that Caden had paid him.
Because Caden had never trusted Tina and was only sparing her life because she shared the same DNA as the woman he was falling in love with, he’d put guards on her house and Marilyn’s. Always subtle and unseen, Tina had no idea the guard drove by her house every hour, and she also didn’t know there wasa guard watching her mother’s house to make sure she never approached her youngest daughter again.
