Page 65 of Cultivating Caden
Chapter 17
“I thinka park is a fantastic idea. And this young man is interested?”
Dandrot closed one of the drawers of his desk, then opened the next one. He rooted around inside while talking with Quade.
“He is. He wants to make his life here, with us.”
Dandrot’s sapphire eyes gleamed. “With you, you mean.”
Quade’s cheeks warmed. “Yeah, with me.”
“How about if I clear out some room in the center of town? We’ll get rid of the empty lot we were going to use for a light pool and put the garden there instead. How does that sound?”
Thinking about it for a moment, Quade got an idea. The area in question ran the length of the street, almost four blocks. So much could be done with it. “What if we leave the light pool and open areas around it? I can ask Caden to design it so that he can incorporate both. It would look nice at night—maybe something for lovers to stroll through?”
“Brilliant. Yes, I like that idea.” He scribbled something on a scrap of paper, then held it up, squinting at what he’d written. He put it down, then looked in the desk drawer again.
“I’m glad you came to me. It’s good to see you happy, Quade. For a while I wasn’t sure you’d find yourself.” He slammed the drawer. “Where the hell did I leave my glasses?”
“The pair on top of your head, or are you looking for a different set?”
Reaching up, Dandrot’s fingers came into contact with a pair of black tortoiseshell glasses. “Well, damn. I must be getting old.”
“So you’re okay with Caden staying?” Quade’s stomach churned. Dandrot had final say on who stayed and who didn’t.
“What?” Dandrot looked up again. “Oh, yes, of course. If he makes you happy, then by all means.” Picking up a sheet of paper, Dandrot’s eyes darted side to side as he read. “And according to Ten, he has two friends who want to stay as well.” He peered up at Quade. “Humans?”
“Yeah. They’re his best friends, and they refused to leave him when we fought the Bogran. They’ve been there for him his whole life.”
“Then of course they can stay.” He put the paper down, flipped his glasses up, then folded his hands in front of him and stared at Quade. “So tell me about this Tree of Life business. Is it a threat to us?”
Knowing Dandrot would ferret out the truth, Quade jumped right into it. “Yes. I won’t lie. Whatever is after Caden might very well try to get him here. If you think it best that I take him away, I’ll do that.”
“What? Nonsense. Protecting the Tree is the sacred duty of all demihumans. If he dies, we all die. We need to double the guards to ensure our people don’t get hurt, but as far as Caden leaving? No, I want him to stay here, and I’m going to ask you to protect him.”
Like Quade wouldn’t. “You’ve got my word, sir.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“No, that’s about it.”
“All right. I’ve got to get back to work. Thank you for keeping me informed. If you need anything, have Jack call me or stop by again. It’s always nice to see you.”
“Thank you, Dandrot.”
Quade turned to leave, excited to be able to tell Caden he could stay. Just as he opened the door, he heard Dandrot mutter again about where he’d left his glasses. Quade shook his head and stepped out into the hall, a wide grin on his face.
He’d done everything he could to find ways to make Caden stay, and now he’d gotten permission for Matt and Kieran, which would make Caden happy. It was funny how rudderless Quade had been until he met Caden. He hated the life he was living, and the few bright spots he had—Ten, Jess, and a few other people—barely made up for it. Once Caden came into his life? Quade wanted to grab it with gusto. He wanted to make Caden happy, because seeing him smile was worth any effort.
“You’re in love.”
Quade knew the voice, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a shock to hear it. Why he didn’t smell the little brat coming was yet another mystery.
“If you don’t stop doing that, I’m going to have Caden use you as fertilizer for his garden.” He turned to find Ten standing there, holding out a blue raspberry popsicle. Quade snatched it, tore off the paper, and sucked the treat into his mouth. “This doesn’t get you off the hook.”
“I know. It’s just… I like seeing you happy too. Caden is a good man.” A sadness hung over Ten.
“What’s wrong, buddy?”
