Free Hometown Star by Joleen James Page B

and grief.
    “Were they lovers?” Star asked. “Your dad and Patsy?”
    “I guess you could say that.” Cade sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you, Star. It’s all in the past now, remember? Why rehash it?”
    “Brad said you called Patsy a tramp. Explain that to me, O’Brien.”
    He could hear the hurt in her voice, see the pain on her face. He was back to square one with her. Damn. “Brad needs to keep his mouth shut.” Cade’s hands curled into fists. “After my mom died, my dad became friendly with Patsy.”
    “That doesn’t make her a tramp,” Star said defensively. “They were adults. Adults have relationships.”
    Cade exhaled. “I had a hard time when my mom died. My dad took her death hard. He pulled away from us. I was twelve years old. I needed him and I didn’t understand why he wasn’t available to me. One day when he left the house, I followed him. I caught my dad with Patsy at her place. After that, the rest of my world fell apart. My dad spent all his time with her; at least it seemed that way to me. I needed him. Ron needed him. He only needed Patsy.”
    “I never saw your dad with Patsy,” Star said.
    “He didn’t go over there when Patsy had you and your sisters, but believe me they still snuck around.”
    Star shook her head. “You hated Patsy, didn’t you? You hated her for stealing a piece of your dad.”
    “Pretty much.” He was in so deep now, it didn’t matter if he told her everything. “I didn’t understand. I thought she was taking my dad away from me. And later, when I learned he was letting her live on our land, in our mobile home, rent free in exchange for her services—well, let’s just say I had a hard time getting past that.”
    “Her services?” Star said, the words bitter, angry. She stood. “She worked for your family after your mother died. Come to this century, O’Brien. So what if she was living there rent free? So what if they didn’t get married? We can’t begin to guess the dynamics of their relationship. Maybe you are the reason they didn’t marry. No one knows better than me how angry you were.” Star’s eyes widened. “I get it now. The harassment, it wasn’t about me at all. You couldn’t strike out at your dad or Patsy, so you took your anger out on me. Everything’s so clear now.”
    Cade stood so he could look into Star’s eyes. Shame washed over him. “Every time I looked at you, or your mother or sisters, I got angry. Your sisters were too young for me to bother with, but not you. You were a walking, talking reminder of the woman my dad was sleeping with. The more I picked on you, the more you looked at me like I was nothing, like you were better than I was. I had so much anger and no way to channel it. I wanted you to leave. All of you. Especially Patsy. I know I was wrong. I don’t even have any defense. I was a screwed up kid, but Star, I’m not that kid anymore. You have to know how sorry I am.”
    “You keep saying that, yet, you’re still angry with Patsy—a dead woman,” Star said sadly. “I can hear the anger in your words, see it on your face. You haven’t let the anger go. It’s still inside you and no apology to me is going to make it go away.”
    “Star—”
    “Stop talking. I don’t want to hear any more.” Star pivoted and walked away, her back ramrod stiff. She didn’t say goodbye, not even to Brad who watched them from the back door.
    “Way to go, Dad,” Brad said after Star disappeared around the corner of the house. Brad went back inside, letting the door bang shut behind him.
    Cade sucked in air. He wished he could just let Star go, but he couldn’t. He’d brought her here. Now he’d hurt her again by venting his feelings. When would he ever learn? How would he make her understand that the past didn’t matter? He understood his dad’s feelings for Patsy. He had the same feelings for Star.
    For the first time, he understood wanting someone so much.
    He wanted to smooth things over