Sugar on Top (Sugar, Georgia Book 2) Page 26

  She hoped to God they’d just been kissing.

  “Oh, she’ll get to explain, all right.” Cal’s tone held very little promise of an actual dialogue happening anytime soon. “She’ll have a whole year of being locked in her room to tell me what the fuck she was thinking.”

  He moved. She did, too—blocking him again.

  “And then the next time, she might not call at all,” Glory reminded him gently, her heart aching for him. Cal had done the right thing, which she knew was hard for him, and it hadn’t worked out, and she wanted to tell him that she understood his anger, his frustration, wanted to ask Payton why she’d abused his trust like that, too. But going in there locked and loaded wouldn’t get him anywhere—except a fast track to weekend visitation.

  “I’ll try,” he grumbled and then shooed her with his hand.

  Cutting around her, he strode right past Deputy Gunther, through the entire Miss Peach court complete with tiaras, sashes, and escorts—who parted like the red sea—shoulder checking Brand Riggs hard enough that the kid stumbled backward, and past Jackson.

  “Good, you’re here.” Jackson took off his hat and even Glory felt sorry for him. He looked more stressed than Cal—and that was not a good sign. Neither were the plastic cups and empty bottles littering the course. “We need to talk.”

  “It’ll have to wait,” Cal said, not stopping until he was toe to toe with Payton.

  She was shivering, her dress was a disaster, and it was obvious by the streaked makeup she’d been crying. She also looked pathetically young and so, so lost. And just when Glory thought Cal was going to snap, he slipped his jacket off and wrapped it around his daughter, pulling her in for hug that made Glory choke up.

  He hadn’t been angry, he’d been terrified, Glory realized, watching as he held Payton tighter and tighter, rocking her back and forth as though she were still seven. And Payton allowed him to, burrowing even closer into the safety of her dad’s arms in a way that was so raw, so real, it drew Glory in. The moment was private, unconditional, and without waiver, and it made watching difficult.

  He kissed the top of her head and then pulled back, his eyes studying every inch of her, and when he seemed satisfied that she was okay, said, “Want to explain to me why you’re here and not at Kendra’s? We had a deal.”

  “I know,” Payton whispered.

  “Then what happened?” Cal scanned the crowd. “And where is Mason?”

  Payton looked at the grass and shrugged.

  “That’s it?” Cal voice was a little too controlled. “I trusted that prick to drive you to Kendra’s. You called me—from Kendra’s—to tell me you were safe. Then an hour later you call Glory, asking her to come and get you and I show up to what looks like a party. And all I get is a shrug?”

  “I called Glory because I knew that I’d messed up and that you’d flip out,” Payton said, sending Glory a betrayed look.

  Glory, feeling every bit the busted teen, shrugged herself.

  “Well, I’m here and you haven’t even seen the beginning of me flipping out!”

  Oh boy. There went any hope of a nice bonding moment. Cal’s voice was low and furious; Payton’s arms crossed with enough rebellious teen to have Glory rolling her eyes.

  “Fine, you don’t want to tell me what happened?” Cal turned to the group of teens a few feet away. Glory couldn’t see his face, but it must have been terrifying because the whole group took a collective step back. “Mason Simms, either show yourself now or I swear to God I will hunt you down myself. Your choice, but I’d suggest you take option one.”

  “Ohmigod,” Payton hissed, pulling Cal’s arm. “He isn’t here. He drove me to Kendra’s like he promised and then Brand picked me up and brought me here. Okay?”

  “No, it’s not okay. You got in the car of a boy I don’t know, who brought you to a party.” He kicked a red plastic cup and it narrowly missed Brand. Glory snagged an empty bottle of Jack Daniels that was within kicking reach, in case the cup had flown wide of its intended target. “Without asking me. Nothing about that is okay.”

  “Like you would’ve said yes,” Payton argued, her voice escalating.

  When Cal spoke, it went up another bazillion decibels. “Because a fourteen-year-old at a party with seniors where there is drinking is a stupid idea. What the hell were you thinking?”

  Silence exploded off both of them, so heavy with anger and disappointment Glory could hardly move.

  “I don’t know,” Payton yelled. “That a really cute senior wanted to take me to a party and hang out with me. Me.” Payton pressed a palm to her chest, and Glory felt the pressure in her own. Tawny had done such a number on her over the years, and Payton was desperately trying to find her worth. “And I knew you’d take one look at him and say no. It wouldn’t matter what I thought or how I felt; you would just tell me how it was going to be.”

  “So you decided to break every rule in one night to prove me wrong?”

  Wrong thing to say, Glory thought. And Payton must have agreed because she dug her hands into her hips and gave Cal a look that singed his soul.

  “That is so you! I have worked hard, all summer, to do the right thing and you never noticed. Not once. I was always home by curfew, missed out on parties that my whole team went to because you said no, that’s it, just no with no other reason except you said so. I picked the right dress—”

  “There was another dress?”

  “Yes, and it was awesome. Just ask Mom.” Glory didn’t think the teen was helping herself any, but stayed quiet. It wasn’t her place to step in. This was between father and daughter, Glory reminded herself, and she didn’t have a lot of experience in that department. “But Glory told me that the blue one would match my eyes even though I knew she was just trying to get me to buy the longer dress because even she knew you’d freak.”

  Cal’s eyes slid to Glory. They were tired and lost, and for a brief second she saw something soften there, something that reached out to her and begged her to have his back. So she took a step closer, showing him that he had this. But if not, she was there for him. He just had to say the word.

  “I even picked the right escort so you’d feel comfortable saying yes,” Payton said. “Just like Glory said.”

  Oh boy. Cal’s gaze slid to Glory’s once more, and she’d bet it was the same look he’d just given the teens because she took a step back. “You told her to pick a guy that I would say yes to?”

  “Yes,” Glory swallowed. “But I meant that she should date sweet guys, ones you’d approve of. Not use a sweet one as a cover.”

  Another torturous silence stretched out, only this time she was in the hot seat. “Wait? You helped her pick her dress? How long did you know she was going to enter?”

  “I told her that if you didn’t sign the application, she couldn’t enter.”

  “How long, Glory?” He’d never called her anything but Boots and other nicknames, and hearing her given name from him for the first time wasn’t exactly how she’d dreamed it would sound.

  “The day we were appointed co-commissioners.”

  He gave a dismissive nod, one that her father had given her before. It was cold and devoid of any emotion and final in its delivery. It was his way of telling her she didn’t matter anymore—at least not in this moment.

  “Cal,” Jackson said, and his tone set off every alarm in Glory’s body. “I hate to interrupt, but there is more going on here than a simple trespassing violation.” He turned a sympathetic gaze to Payton. “You want to tell them kiddo, or should I?”

  She was back to shrugging.

  “Apparently the pre-party started when someone hacked the alarm code to the Falcon’s Nest and they raided the bar,” Jackson began. “The rest of the kids are saying that Payton let them in.”

  “What?” Cal exploded. “You broke into someone’s place of business and stole alcohol? Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?”

  “I didn’t know that they were going to do that,” Payto
n cried. “Someone said they heard the ballroom was haunted and it would be cool to get in and see.” Someone was undoubtedly Brand Riggs. “So I told them I knew the code, but I swear that I thought we were just going to walk around.”

  And kiss. Payton thought some really cute and cool boy was going to take her inside and give her her very first kiss. She probably thought it was going to be wonderful and romantic and change her life. Glory could only imagine how heartbroken she’d been to discover Brand had used her.

  “So when they went to the bar, I called Glory.”

  “That was good, Payton, calling for help when it got out of hand,” Glory said, cringing when Cal sent her a betrayed look

  “Where did you get the code from?” he asked.

  It was only the second time during this entire conversation that Payton looked Glory’s way—and she knew the second she saw the girl’s guilty eyes that this was not going to end well. For either of them.

  “I saw Miss Glory punch it in the other day when she was locking up after a Miss Peach rehearsal. I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry doesn’t cut it this time,” Cal said. “You broke so many laws, I don’t even know…that’s it. I don’t even know. What to say. What to do. I just don’t know anything anymore.”

  He sounded as lost as Payton, who started crying. Cal didn’t move to console her. Not an inch.

  Glory wasn’t her mom, and she doubted she was even her dad’s girlfriend at this point, but she couldn’t stand there and watch Payton cry. She moved a little closer and wrapped an arm around her slim shoulders, and the girl immediately crumbled into Glory’s side.

  “Hang on, don’t go all end of the world,” Jackson said gently. “We can work this out. In fact, the owners are willing to drop all the charges as long as the damages are paid for.”

  “Can’t do that.” Cal crossed his arms.

  “You sure?” Jackson asked.

  “Daddy?” Payton whispered.

  “I want to fix this, baby, I do. But you made this mess by lying and you need to find a way to make it right. Me bailing you out will only encourage more of this.” He gestured to the party.

  What he didn’t see was that this wasn’t about Payton or some party. This was about the last fifteen years. Cal had been cleaning up people’s messes from the day his parents died and left him two brothers to raise. Then his wife walked out, leaving behind a pile of guilt and sorrow—and mistrust. All of which placed a pretty hefty burden on Cal’s shoulders.

  “Cal,” Jackson said quietly. “You do realize that I’ll have to take Payton in. She’ll have a record.”

  Glory could see him struggle between bailing Payton out or punishing her for lying. In the end, his anger won out. “She should have thought about that before she broke in and helped steal someone’s property.”

  “I’ll just call Mom,” Payton said. “She’ll come get me.”

  Direct hit. Cal’s face went slack and Glory knew that his entire world had just drifted off course, but rather than changing his mind, he said, “That’s your decision.” He leaned down and kissed Payton’s forehead, “Love you, kiddo,” then walked back to his truck, letting Jackson know he’d meet him at the station.

  “Don’t leave without me,” Glory said to Jackson. “If he won’t come back, I’ll go with you to the station so Payton doesn’t have to ride by herself.”

  Jackson nodded and Glory took off toward the truck. She found Cal leaning against the cab, arms bracing his weight, head hung.

  Glory didn’t know what to do, how to fix this. She understood he felt betrayed by his daughter, but he’d let Payton down, too. She was intruding in a situation that didn’t involve her, yet if she didn’t, a lot more could be lost than a few hundred bucks in alcohol.

  “You knew,” was all he said. “You knew what I was going through with Tawny and Payton and you didn’t say a goddamned word.”

  “When Payton came to me about Miss Peach, I didn’t really know how against it you were,” she said then cringed. “Okay, I knew you wouldn’t like the idea of her entering, but I didn’t think it was my place to get involved.”

  At that, he turned to face her, his gaze so cold it chilled her all the way through. “But you did.”

  It was the sad truth and now she was terrified that she’d hurt him. Which was the last thing she’d ever want to do. She had tried so hard to stay detached, to not care, but Cal and his daughter had pulled her in, and she was not only involved, but invested fully. This was it for her. This was her chance to have the kind of family and life she’d dreamed of.

  “You took her application, coached her into how to win me over, got me to extend the deadline. Shit, Boots.” The way he said her nickname, as though it hurt him deeply, made her throat burn. “You encouraged my own daughter to manipulate me to get her way and then took her side.”

  That was the opposite of what she’d set out to do, but Glory could understand how he saw it that way. She’d been trying to help and instead she’d hurt him. “I’m not proud of my decision. I should have told you and I am so sorry now that I didn’t.”

  “Was it all some kind of game?” he asked quietly.

  “No. Of course not.” Her time with Cal had been more real than any relationship she’d ever had. “Payton wanted this so bad, I wanted to help her, and I thought that if you read her application, you’d see how much it meant to her.”

  “What about how much I meant to you?” he said quietly, the rawness in his voice telling her that he was questioning everything, stripping apart every moment they shared. And that, more than anything, created an ache so deep in her chest she was afraid to speak for fear that she would lose it all. “You tell me that you want more, that you want to see where this leads, and the whole fucking time you were lying to me. About my kid.”

  “I never lied. I just didn’t tell you about the pageant.” Even to her that reasoning sounded like a big pile of BS. “Everything else was real. You mean so much to me.” He meant everything to her. “And I do want more.” Be brave, say it. “I want it all. With you. I love you, Cal.”

  He closed his eyes and rested his head back against the truck. Not the reaction she’d been hoping for. “I told you, Payton comes first always.”

  “Never once have I asked for it to be any different,” she said, looking up into his eyes and terrified by what she saw looking back. “But don’t use her as an excuse to end this. She deserves more than that and so do we.”

  “I’m not using her as an excuse,” he said. “And I deserve more than all of this.” He flapped his hand to encompass the party, the cops, the situation, and most important, her. Which burned.

  “This is life, Cal. Sometimes it gets messy, but don’t give up because you’re afraid to get dirty.”

  “I haven’t ever given up a day in my life.”

  Glory let out a humorless laugh. Cal had given up on his own life the day his parents died, substituting his happiness and his needs for his family’s, stubbornly protecting himself from more loss. Glory knew because she’d done the same thing when she found herself sitting on the steps of town hall and knew her life would never be the same. But he wasn’t ready to face that truth yet.

  “Good, because what we have is special and I think you know that. Just like I think that I’m not in this alone. You care about me, Cal. It might not be love yet, but you’re on your way and I made a mistake not telling you, something that won’t ever happen again. I love you,” she repeated shakily, taking a step forward, grateful when he didn’t jump in his truck and burn rubber out of there.

  “You keep saying that.” She was pretty sure by his tone that he wished she’d stop. “But if this is what your love feels like, I don’t want it.”

  “That’s not fair,” she said, struggling to hold it together. Her heart felt as though it was cracking and it hurt so badly that breathing became impossible and anything other than searing pain nonexistent. “I know you’re hurt and I know I messed up, we both have, but I know we can fix this.
What we have is worth fixing.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t want one more relationship to fix.”

  “You mean you don’t want me,” she asked, putting her hand to her chest to make sure it was still intact, because she felt like it’d been run over by a tractor.

  “I don’t know what I want anymore…” He trailed off, but it was clear that he didn’t want her. “I don’t think my family could survive any more of your love.”

  Glory took a staggering step back, his words replaying over and over on a paralyzing loop. All she did was love completely and somehow her world always fell apart, shattered and scattering, leaving her alone to absorb the blame.

  Suddenly it seemed like the ground was swallowing her whole while the sky was pressing her down, making her small and insignificant and so terrifyingly alone that she stopped breathing. Couldn’t. Everyone she’d ever loved had left her, thrown her heart back in her face as though it wasn’t enough. As though it were toxic.

  And for one small, incredibly stupid moment tonight, Glory had convinced herself that, for Cal, she was enough. Her love was enough. That to him, she was special. Someone to be treasured. Someone to fight for.

  But she wasn’t. That much was clear. And she was tired of not being enough; tired of always being alone; tired of being the only one willing to fight.

  Just so damn tired.

  Chapter 20

  The good people of Sugar waited until after Pastor Linden’s Sunday sermon, which ironically dealt with the teachings of Sodom and Gomorrah, to spread the news about what was being called the Miss Im-Peach-ment Kerfuffle. Payton had been stripped of her title, the rest of the Miss Peach court was under review from the council, and Glory received a request from the hospital’s board to appear before them first thing Monday morning.

  If that wasn’t enough to signal the second coming of Glory Gloria Mann, then the photo of her on Facebook holding an empty bottle of Jack—thank you, Brand Riggs—solidified her biggest fears.