timing, generally. Either the woman wasn’t ready for us, or we weren’t ready for her.”
“We? Us? Has it always been we?”
He traced the wandering vein of gray in the marble counter top with his index finger. His gaze flicked to the dining room, where Justin was now painting. “Yes.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer right away. She could see he was struggling with something, but what? Why would two brothers choose to always share the same woman? She’d never met two men who’d done that. In fact, most of the men she’d dated, including her ex-fiancé, were very anti-sharing. “When we were younger, my brother and I went through some very painful experiences together. Those moments have influenced us.”
“Painful? As in...?”
“We were sexually molested. For several years.” He wasn’t looking her in the eye. She wanted to know why.
“By who? Who did that to you?” she pressed, feeling like she was finally getting close to the truth about the men she was struggling to understand. She’d known the kind, fun, goofy Justin and Cody for years. They were real. And yet those men seemed to so different from the men she’d met up in that barn loft.
“It doesn’t matter.” He jerked his gaze away from the counter, focusing on the dining room, where Justin as still painting. “It’s done, and we’ve put the past behind us as much as we can.”
Once again, she fought to understand. “Okay. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to prod. Have you told anyone?”
He shook his head. Not everything.
“But what if he does it again, to some other innocent boy? Did you go to the police? Have you tried to stop him?”
“No, we didn’t go to the police. But he can’t do it again. That’s not possible.”
“Why?” A sick feeling started bubbling inside her belly. She had no idea where it was coming from, but it was there and getting worse by the second.
A man had molested Cody and Justin.
That man had scarred them for life.
But they’d kept this horrific secret all this time. And by doing so, they’d protected someone who had hurt them.
What child would do that? Unless it was someone they respected and cared about...
Someone like her father.
Not their father, who was rotting in prison. No, if it had been him, they wouldn’t have hesitated to tell her. They’d talked about him a lot. He’d done some horrible things, but nothing like this.
Could it be her dad?
She cupped her hand over her mouth. Her hand started shaking. Then her whole body started trembling.
“Shit,” Cody said.
Justin came running. He took one look at Candi and snapped, “What did you say?” He squatted, dropping so his eyes were level with hers. “Candi? Honey?”
“It was my father, wasn’t it?” she whispered. “He was the one who hurt you.”
The look on Justin’s face said everything. He didn’t have to say a single word.
It seemed her father had kept a lot of secrets from her. Not just about a business he’d started, or money he’d set aside for her future. But also a terrible, dark secret.
Her father.
Her daddy.
The man who’d taught her how to fish.
And taken her camping.
And bought her a guitar and showed her how to waltz.
When she was little, she had thought she’d known him so well. The truth was, she hadn’t known him at all.
Cody gathered her hands into his. “You’ve always said such nice things about your father. Kind things.”
“We didn’t want you to find out,” Justin added. “We didn’t want to taint the good memories you have of him.”
Were those memories tainted? She didn’t know what she was feeling. Repulsion and shock. Disbelief.
It can’t be true.
But it has to be. They wouldn’t lie. Not about something like this.
But my father?
No. It isn’t possible.
They wouldn’t make this up.
What do I believe?
“Are you okay?” Cody asked, his expression darkening.
Justin glared at his brother. “Dammit, I told you not to say anything. Why’d you tell
“We? Us? Has it always been we?”
He traced the wandering vein of gray in the marble counter top with his index finger. His gaze flicked to the dining room, where Justin was now painting. “Yes.”
“Why?”
He didn’t answer right away. She could see he was struggling with something, but what? Why would two brothers choose to always share the same woman? She’d never met two men who’d done that. In fact, most of the men she’d dated, including her ex-fiancé, were very anti-sharing. “When we were younger, my brother and I went through some very painful experiences together. Those moments have influenced us.”
“Painful? As in...?”
“We were sexually molested. For several years.” He wasn’t looking her in the eye. She wanted to know why.
“By who? Who did that to you?” she pressed, feeling like she was finally getting close to the truth about the men she was struggling to understand. She’d known the kind, fun, goofy Justin and Cody for years. They were real. And yet those men seemed to so different from the men she’d met up in that barn loft.
“It doesn’t matter.” He jerked his gaze away from the counter, focusing on the dining room, where Justin as still painting. “It’s done, and we’ve put the past behind us as much as we can.”
Once again, she fought to understand. “Okay. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to prod. Have you told anyone?”
He shook his head. Not everything.
“But what if he does it again, to some other innocent boy? Did you go to the police? Have you tried to stop him?”
“No, we didn’t go to the police. But he can’t do it again. That’s not possible.”
“Why?” A sick feeling started bubbling inside her belly. She had no idea where it was coming from, but it was there and getting worse by the second.
A man had molested Cody and Justin.
That man had scarred them for life.
But they’d kept this horrific secret all this time. And by doing so, they’d protected someone who had hurt them.
What child would do that? Unless it was someone they respected and cared about...
Someone like her father.
Not their father, who was rotting in prison. No, if it had been him, they wouldn’t have hesitated to tell her. They’d talked about him a lot. He’d done some horrible things, but nothing like this.
Could it be her dad?
She cupped her hand over her mouth. Her hand started shaking. Then her whole body started trembling.
“Shit,” Cody said.
Justin came running. He took one look at Candi and snapped, “What did you say?” He squatted, dropping so his eyes were level with hers. “Candi? Honey?”
“It was my father, wasn’t it?” she whispered. “He was the one who hurt you.”
The look on Justin’s face said everything. He didn’t have to say a single word.
It seemed her father had kept a lot of secrets from her. Not just about a business he’d started, or money he’d set aside for her future. But also a terrible, dark secret.
Her father.
Her daddy.
The man who’d taught her how to fish.
And taken her camping.
And bought her a guitar and showed her how to waltz.
When she was little, she had thought she’d known him so well. The truth was, she hadn’t known him at all.
Cody gathered her hands into his. “You’ve always said such nice things about your father. Kind things.”
“We didn’t want you to find out,” Justin added. “We didn’t want to taint the good memories you have of him.”
Were those memories tainted? She didn’t know what she was feeling. Repulsion and shock. Disbelief.
It can’t be true.
But it has to be. They wouldn’t lie. Not about something like this.
But my father?
No. It isn’t possible.
They wouldn’t make this up.
What do I believe?
“Are you okay?” Cody asked, his expression darkening.
Justin glared at his brother. “Dammit, I told you not to say anything. Why’d you tell
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