McElroy's was a small neighborhood bar with wood paneling and dim lighting. There were no TVs blaring out sporting events, but there were a couple of tables with chess and checkers built in, as well as a dartboard on one wall. The bar was full, but we snagged a table toward the back.

We ordered drinks from the waitress, who also set down a bowl of party mix in the center of the table. The atmosphere in the bar was one of happy excitement that the weekend had arrived. I wished I could feel that happy, that I could just be having drinks with a good-looking guy in a different city than I was normally in, but that wasn't the case.

"How's your sister doing?" Kade asked.

"She's worrying and trying to figure out how much she can control from Carmel." I gave him a thoughtful look. "What about you? You've been quiet since we found the money and you spoke to your mother."

"I'm…confused."

"Join the club."

"I know why my mother took the money and didn't ask questions. We were very poor after my dad died. She was working two jobs, and neither paid more than minimum wage. She was doing her best, but she'd gone from having a husband who took care of her to having to take care of herself and a small child. I was four years old when he died."

"That must have been difficult. What was your dad like? Do you remember him?"

"I have some memories, but I'm not sure they're mine or if I just heard so many stories about him that I made them memories."

I knew exactly how that felt. I'd done the same with my mom.

"I remember him being big and strong," Kade continued, as he sipped his beer. "He used to take me to Central Park on the subway. When I got too tired to walk, he'd put me on his shoulders and say, 'How's the view up there?' I'd say it was great. He told me it's always good to get a different perspective."

"That's a nice memory. And it sounds like it's yours."

"He also used to cook breakfast on Sunday mornings. He'd tell my mother to sleep in while he whipped up chocolate chip pancakes and a huge platter of bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese mixed in. Sunday was our day for breakfast and the park. I didn't see a lot of him during the week. He worked long hours. After he died, my mom had to go to work. There were a few relatives around who would babysit but no one had extra money to help. I'm sure when that cash started arriving, my mom thought it was a gift from God. She wasn't going to question her good fortune."