“I thought you might say that so we have something we want to bring to you, see what you think.” Stoney grins.
“Okay what is it?” I ask.
“What do you think of putting the money into a safe haven for spouses and children who’ve suffered at the hands of abuse? I overheard Rachel and Harley talking about it earlier this week. They want to open a place that will take women and children who need a place to go. Harley thought it shouldn’t be for just women and children but for men too.”
Fuck me. I love those two women.
They’ve suffered so much from abuse. Rachel at the hands of her mother and the man she’d been with before coming home. Harley’s grandfather abused her and then she was raped by women both physically and mentally.
“Let the women have it. They can take the tainted money and put it to use for their safe haven,” I say, causing Stoney to grin. “You knew I’d agree to this didn’t you?”
“I know you, Cane. Raised you from the time you were eight. You might not be mine but you’re still a son to me. Same as Horse is to me. You ask him and he’ll say you’re his brother not his cousin,” Stoney nods.
Well fuck me.
Nodding, I give him a grin.
He’s right, Horse has always stated I was more his brother rather than his cousin. We might have quite a few years between us but he’s always been there for me.
“We done?” I ask more than ready to get back to Parker and our girl.
Stoney grins knowingly and nods. He’s been where I am.
Standing up, I let the past go and head for the woman who is not only my present but my future.
Chapter Eleven
Parker
After Cane left the room, I laid down and stared into the side of the playpen. I love watching my little girl sleep. At the apartment, I didn’t have a TV, so I always had to find ways to entertain her and in doing so I came up with our stories.
Staring at her, I could think of so many stories. Some even for adults to read. I always wanted to be a writer but it never panned out. My brother thought of it as a stupid idea. One pointless and unnecessary since I needed to do things for him.
A thought comes to mind and I sit up on Cane’s bed. Last night, I spotted a notebook on Cane’s desk over in the corner. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I used it.
At least I hope not.
I climb off the bed and walk over to the desk. I lift the notebook off the desk, flip through the pages to find it blank of writing. I sigh a little, knowing it doesn’t have anything in it so I don’t feel like I’m invading his privacy. I grab a pen and head back to sit in the middle of the bed.
Opening the book to the first page, I begin to write. I didn’t know what it would be titled but I started it off about a woman meeting the man of her dreams. How they met in line at a grocery store, the guy stands behind her admiring the woman in front of him.
I’m entranced with my words as I write them, I don’t even know how much time passes when I feel Cane’s lips against the side of my neck.
“What are you doing, lil mama?” he asks gently.
“Um, nothing,” I say, glancing at him. I’m embarrassed by the fact he caught me writing.
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” he states, nodding to the notebook in my lap.
“Oh, um, um, I . . .”
Cane grins and slides the notebook out of my fingers and looks down to read the first couple lines then lifts his head to look at me. “Lil mama, this is good.”
“You . . . think so?” I murmur breathlessly with wide eyes.
“Yeah, Parker, I wouldn’t lie to you, this reminds me of how Horse and Kenny met,” Cane states, nodding.
“Really?” I murmur. “I don’t even know who Horse and Kenny are.”
“You’d never know it from this little bit. When you meet Kenny, lil mama, ask her. She’ll tell you, they didn’t have it easy and still don’t sometimes. You ask her and she’ll tell you what the two of them went through,” he declares, meeting my gaze.
“Um, okay.”
“Trust me, baby. When you hear their story, you’ll think it was from a book, but it’s their life.” I’m afraid to find out now. From the way he made that sound I’m not sure I want to know. “You about ready to eat some dinner and then we hand Miss Piper over to Rachel for the rest of the evening.”
My heart begins to beat wildly against my chest. I glance to where my daughter now stands in the playpen. She must have just gotten up from her afternoon nap which is normally anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half long.
Wow, I didn’t even realize it had been that long. I thought it was maybe thirty minutes or so.
Now it’s time to eat and hand my daughter off to a woman I’ve only spoken a few words with, but I trust Cane. Besides Rachel is Stoney’s ol’ lady and I
