Sweet Candy

"You're freezing! George, get the bathtub filling, hot!" the mother called out as she eased Candace's backpack off. The man rushed away.

"How did you get so dirty?" Marion asked quietly, plucking the twigs and leaves from her pink hair. Eyes lifted to look into Candace's. "Did you fall off your bicycle?"

The warmth and concern in the woman's voice knocked Candace's emotional stability from her, and she began to cry as the stress of fleeing for her life suddenly escaped.

Marion wrapped her arms around her, and Candace clung to her desperately as the tears flowed and she shook.

"Mom? What happened?"

Candace squeaked and jolted as she heard Greg's voice from the other side of the room.

"Go back to bed, Greg. Your friend had a little accident on her bicycle and got caught in the rain. I'll come see you in a moment," Marion said to her son.

Candace wiped at her blurry eyes to clear them, but she managed to catch Greg's expression of concern before he awkwardly turned in the doorway with his crutches. The moment he was gone, his father appeared in his place. "The bathtub is filling."

"Dear, put your dressing gown on the hook behind the door for after her bath," Marion said, and he disappeared again.

The mother undid Candace's shoelaces and tugged her sneakers off. Then she walked her across the room and into the hall where the bathroom was. Marion led her inside the small room, accepted her husband's dressing gown, gave him a little push to leave, and closed the door.

"Let's get you out of these wet clothes and see if you have any injuries worse than scratches," the mother said gently.

They peeled her wet clothes off, and Marion tut-tutted about the number of scratches they found, but none were serious. Candace was surprised at how at ease she felt with the woman, even naked.

Then she had Candace ease herself into the hot water. The bathtub was smaller than the one in her bathroom in the mansion, but the heat was welcome, and the company felt like maternal care, something she hadn't experienced for a very long time.

Candace suddenly realized this was the last night she would play her role. Tomorrow everyone would know she was a big fake. She'd be alone and hated, and that felt worse. Her tears started again.

"Hey, it's okay. You're going to be okay," Marion said.

"N-no, it's never going to be o-okay again," Candace gasped, and her sobs tore at her chest.

"Shhh, easy now. You're not alone," Marion said, and Candace shook her head as she sobbed.

"I'm so alone, and tomorrow... everyone will hate me!"

Marion knelt next to the tub and stroked Candace's hair as she made gentle sounds to calm her. "What's going to happen?" she asked softly.

Candace turned bleary eyes to the mother and tried to control her breathing. "A-all the p-people will know I-I've been f-faking." Her tears fell down her cheeks steadily as she gasped for breath.

Marion looked at her carefully but continued to hold her hand as she stroked her head. "What have you been faking, dear?"

"T-the b-b-brain damage!" Candace confessed and tried to hide her face from Marion.

Marion blinked in shock and paused for the briefest moment, but she remained calm. "Can you tell me why you did?"

Candace managed to turn her face back to Marion and wiped at her tears. "The nuh-night of the a-accident. I heard Daddy tell the doctor to leave the scars. He's always hated me. He wanted me out of his house." She looked into Marion's eyes. "I didn't know then what it was, but I already knew he was planning something... bad. He knew I was smart and was suspicious of me, so I had to go." She looked down at the water. "Faking the injury was all I could think of to ensure he couldn't send me away." She sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly to calm herself before continuing.

"Daddy still hates me, but now I just disgust him. He ignores me otherwise." Her eyes widened in awe. "It was the reaction of other people that surprised me. They were so kind. I wasn't expecting that." She looked at Marion again. "Before, I had no friends, I couldn't talk with people, and everyone treated me so coldly because I was a Tafferty. I was awkward and became defensive and hostile, but mostly, I was so lonely. Now, people open up to me and smile at me. I learned how to listen and how to communicate. I made friends." Her expression fell into despair. "No one will want to be friends now. No one will trust me."

Marion touched her arm. "I don't understand. Why did you want to stay in that home if he hated you?"

Candace wiped her face with the hot water in her hands. Then she looked at Marion.

"It took time, but I learned what Daddy's plan is. The employee pension fund. He's going to steal it. The plan is being migrated tomorrow, but he changed the numbers to make the money transfer to his offshore account instead. He's also going to transfer the company's liquid assets simultaneously to another offshore account of his as he's fleeing to French Polynesia. His lawyer and the sheriff are working with him for a cut." She locked eyes with Marion. "I have to stop him!"

"How?" Marion asked in surprise.

"I have proof. I'm going to make sure he gets caught. I'm going to protect the workers and the company. Only I can do it." Her expression fell. "But once I do, everyone will know I was lying about being mentally disabled."

Her tears returned as she imagined how cold her life would become. She put her hands over her face as going back to how it was before wasn't something she could accept.

"It's true. People will be surprised and disappointed. Some may react badly to being fooled. But most will come around if you can protect the people and the company. Especially if you sincerely apologize for the necessity," Marion said gently.

Candace looked at Marion through her fingers.

"I don't hate you, and you told me," Marion said with a smile.

Candace shook her head. "I've barely spoken to you. Others, I've been lying to for two years," she said glumly.

"It won't be easy. Apologize. Be patient. Understand their hurt feelings, and some will surprise you. Treasure those and accept that some may not be strong enough to get past it," Marion said.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

Marion frowned at the interruption and faced the door. "Do not open that door unless you are ready to meet your maker," she said sternly.

"Sorry, dear, but the news is reporting that our guest is missing from the hospital, and there's been some very disturbing news about her... otherbray."

Marion rolled her eyes and glanced back at Candace, who was watching her with worried eyes. "We'll keep you here tonight. We won't tell anyone where you are." Candace relaxed. "We should find out what this news is about your brother."

"He tried to run me over with his car. He crashed into the neighbor's pool house, but I managed to get away after I fell off my bike. He was drunk, but the sheriff won't charge him, just like the night I was hurt. Kal doesn't have to take responsibility for anything he does," Candace said bitterly.

"Why would he try to kill you?" Marion asked in shock.

Candace turned glassy eyes toward the woman. "He blames me for our mother's death, just like Daddy does."

Marion rocked back. "That wasn't your fault!" she exclaimed. "How could anyone be so stupid and cruel as to blame the baby for birth complications?"

Candace's emotions were overwhelmed once more by Marion's outpouring of compassion, and she burst into tears. She squeaked when the woman kissed her forehead, then they hugged over the lip of the tub, Candace's head cradled against the mother's chest.

"I'm sorry you had these troubles. Please know you are amongst friends now," Marion said kindly, and Candace clung a little tighter as she sniffed.

The voice came through the door once more. "Should I be calling someone?"

"George Hughes! You will do nothing of the sort! Just wait until I come out!" Marion scolded.

"Oh, okay."

Marion took Candace's face in her hands and gently moved back so she could look into her eyes. "You relax and warm up in the tub, and when you're ready, there's a towel there to dry off. I don't have any clothes for you—"

"My backpack," Candace said.

"Ah. I'll get that for you. There's also a robe you can wear." She pointed to the towel and robe. "Take the time you need. I'll wash and dry your wet clothes."

Marion gathered the wet items of clothing on the floor, stood up, and looked back at Candace with a warm smile before she slipped out of the bathroom. Seconds later, the door opened enough to set the backpack on the floor. Then Candace was alone in the warm room.

She felt herself truly relaxing for the first time since she could remember.

Her eyes moved to take in the pictures on the walls and the homey touches. The warmth of the décor and the heat of the water soon had her relaxed, and her eyes grew heavy. She was in no danger of slipping under the water as the tub was too small for her long frame, so she rested her head back and closed her eyes.

She felt... safe.

Chapter 10

Greg was sitting on the edge of the couch with his leg stretched out before him as he watched his parents discussing something quietly.

"You know, I'm an adult now. I can be included in adult conversations," he said with a little frustration.

They gave him a guilty look then his mother nodded and came over to sit next to him as his father sat on the edge of his favorite chair.

"Candace needs our help," his mother began.

"Didn't the news say she's missing from the hospital?" Greg asked.

His mom nodded. "She needed to slip out as she has something important she needs to do tomorrow."

Greg was confused as he couldn't think of anything Candy might do that would make his mother act like this.

"I'm going to tell you something, and I need you to remain calm and thoughtful," she said.

Greg's eyebrows were rising as the situation just got weirder.

"Candace isn't mentally challenged."

He frowned at his mom as that made no sense. "What?"

"She's been acting since the night of the accident," his mom explained.

Greg shook his head, and his mind immediately went to Crystal's betrayal, his rage surging. "Like her sister!" he snarled.

"No! Not anything like that!" his mother snapped, and he looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected anger.

"Candace didn't do it out of selfish reasons. She did it because of something her father was doing. She needed to prevent him from kicking her out of the house, so she made herself a legal dependant. It doesn't sound like she had a very happy home life with her father and brother hating her. She must be a very strong person to willingly stay in that environment," she insisted.

"Shouldn't we contact the hospital?" George asked.

"No! No one tells anyone about Candace being here. Tonight, we're giving her sanctuary in our home. Tomorrow will be a day of reckoning," the mother said fiercely and locked eyes with her husband until he nodded. Then she looked at Greg, and he had to agree as well. He couldn't remember seeing his mother this passionate about something before.

"Do you trust me?" she asked Greg point blank.

"Yes!" he said immediately. His mother never lied to him, and she had much better instincts about people than he did. Now, he wished he'd convinced Crystal to spend time around her so his mom could have warned him about her selfishness.

Granted, he'd been willfully blind around the beautiful woman.

He was still confused by Candy's—Candace's behavior, but his mom's bullshit radar was legendary. He could trust in that. He sighed. "Where is she going to sleep?" he asked.

His mom smiled proudly at him, and that felt good.

"Could she sleep in your bed?" she asked, and he gaped at her in surprise. "Not with you! You'd sleep out here on your father's recliner, of course!" she finished quickly.

His dad chuckled like he knew what he was thinking. Greg flashed him an annoyed glance, which made his dad smile wider.

"George set another place setting for dinner."

"That's Greg's job!" the father grumbled.

"Not while he's using crutches," Marion smirked.

"In my day, we worked through broken bones! Milked the cows, brought in the crops, mended the fences, all while hobbling around without a good leg to stand on," George lamented dramatically.

His wife rolled her eyes. "You've never broken a bone in your life! And the closest you came to cows in your city-boy childhood were the ones printed on your milk cartons, and the only crops were the Wheaties in your cereal bowl. You know I was the one who grew up on a farm, George Winston Hughes."

"Oh, oh. Mom's using your full name, Dad. You'd better give in now and save yourself," Greg said with a grin.

George huffed and ruffled Greg's hair on his way to the kitchen to get a set of flatware for their guest.

His mother fixed her eye on Greg. "I changed your sheets this morning. You haven't made a mess of your room since you got home, have you?"

Greg pretended to be hurt by the accusation. "How could I have done such a thing in the two hours we've been home?"

She snorted. "You've made messes in less time."

Feigning upset, Greg sighed. "You've cut me to the quick, Mother! Now, if you don't mind, I will take my leave to return to my bed chamber to ensure I've hidden all my girly magazines." His acting was rewarded with an amused snort from his mom, and his pretend indignant expression slipped into a smile.

Greg carefully eased himself up on his right leg and got his crutches into position. His mom hovered nearby to ensure he didn't fall.

He glanced over at her. "I'm being really careful. Once I get the hang of these things, I'll pick up my pace and race around the house on them."

Marion rolled her eyes but continued to smile. She placed a hand on his arm. "I know how you need to be active, but you also need to heal. It will be frustrating for you to be restricted like this."

"Yeah, I'm already feeling it," he agreed with a frown.

"Patience. I know you can endure this," his mom said, looking into his eyes. He just nodded.

She continued. "Also, do your best to keep an open mind for Candace. What she's endured in that home was terrible. We're going to be supportive as she's going to need friends more than ever once people learn she's been pretending to be mentally disabled."

Greg nodded. "That still blows my mind," he said quietly but nodded to his mother before awkwardly going down the hall to his bedroom. He glanced at the bathroom door on his way by, and his mind flashed to the moment he met Candy outside the washroom at her home. He wasn't sure how much of that encounter was real now, which didn't feel good.

He entered his room and looked around. He'd only been kidding about the girly magazines, as that's what the Internet was for, right? He was a little anxious about having the woman in his room. The first time Crystal visited, she made a comment about a sock she spotted under his bed being his sex sock. She'd had to explain what that was to him, which made him a little ill and dimmed their excitement that day. He ensured he picked up his discarded clothing from that day onwards.

Thinking about his ex-girlfriend fouled his mood, so he pushed her from his mind only to have Candace take her place. He remembered what she'd said to him the last time they met in the hospital. She'd wanted him to be her boyfriend. Was that real, or was it more Tafferty manipulation?

He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. He'd been right about one thing. He needed time to get over Crystal's betrayal. It still felt too raw.

But now Crystal's older sister would be sleeping in his bed. He was a little uneasy about that but trusted his mother's intuition.

He opened his eyes and turned to the doorway.

Blue eyes watched him nervously, hopefully, and maybe a little desperately.

Candace's pink hair was still damp, and she was wrapped up in his dad's dressing gown, which was just a little disturbing.

One thing he couldn't ignore was how truly lovely she was. The scars faded from his sight as he drank in her beauty. How could anyone want to hurt her? Still, his heart reminded him he'd been fooled by a pretty face before. He looked away as his chest tightened up at the memory.

"I'm sorry."

Greg almost didn't hear Candace's apology, as it was so quiet.

He looked at her again and saw the shame on her downturned face. He moved closer, and her face tipped further down.

Before he could stop himself, he reached out and touched her chin, gently lifting her face until he looked into her eyes again. A hint of hope was showing in them again. "I-I'm not upset with you. I was just remembering Crystal's betrayal. Mom tells me you've been pretending to be something you're not ever since your accident. She tells me you had a good, non-selfish reason which justified it. I-I haven't had an excellent record when it comes to believing Tafferty women, but I do trust mom's judgment, and she's in your corner. So... I am as well."

Candace burst into a wide smile as a tear rolled down her cheek.

He automatically cupped her cheek and wiped the tear away. Then his eyes widened as he realized what he'd just done. He pulled his hand back as his face got hot.

"Sorry! I-I think dinner's ready. You'll join us?" he said, looking everywhere but at Candace. His face felt hot.

"Yes."

He glanced at her and noticed she had a backpack. "You can put your bag in here as you'll be in my bed tonight—I-I mean, I'll be sleeping on the recliner!" Greg blurted as his face got closer to igniting.

Candace giggled as she watched him with twinkling eyes.

He moved back slightly to let her enter.

"I need to get dressed," she said quietly.

Greg nodded and gestured to the hall. "We'll be in the dining room." Then he made a hasty exit, hearing the door close behind him only when he was almost to the washroom.

His mom looked up when he appeared at the entrance, raising her eyebrows as she took in his blush.

"She's too pretty," Greg mumbled before he could think.

Marion smiled at her son. "I don't know about too pretty, but she is quite lovely."

Greg felt his leg ache and winced slightly, but his mom caught it.

"Take your seat. Dinner is ready," she said as she gently patted his arm.

He nodded and eased himself down onto his chair. He immediately felt better.

"Is it time for your next pill?" Marion asked.

"I'll hold off until after dinner. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay awake," Greg admitted, feeling his fatigue creeping up on him.

His mom ran her fingers through his hair affectionately, then returned to the kitchen.

His dad entered the dining room and took his seat as he grinned at Greg. "Quite the pretty houseguest we have. I'm sure you'll be a gentleman while she's with us," he teased quietly with a grin.

Greg glanced toward the doorway before sending a glare at his father. "Of course."

"Stop teasing Greg," Marion said as she entered carrying their plates. She set them down and gave her husband a stern look before returning to the kitchen.

Candace appeared in the doorway with a timid expression. Greg turned his head, and his face froze as she looked sexy in the tight pink t-shirt and mid-thigh skirt she was now wearing. His mouth worked, but no sound came from it until he cleared his throat and gave himself a mental shake.

"P-please table a seat—I mean, take a seat," Greg said, gesturing to the chair across from him.

She smiled at him and moved to sit down. Greg glanced at his father, whose face was also a little red from how her breasts stretched the shirt and her amazingly long legs.

His mom entered carrying the remaining plates, and her eyes quickly drank in the expressions on the men's faces and the reason for it settling into the chair across from Greg. She set a plate before Candace, then put her own plate down before addressing their guest.