“Son, please. I didn’t know anything for sure. All I know is there were rumors. Rumors are not facts.”
“And you never thought I should know? I’ve been walking around here oblivious.” I was ready to explode. I counted to ten, hoping it would calm me down a little bit. The last thing I wanted to do was disrespect the only woman who’d shown me maternal-like love. “I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me. Even if it was a rumor.”
Aunt Dot rocked back and forth, muttering prayers under her breath. “This is a mess. God doesn’t like mess.”
“I understand that, but don’t you think I should know who my father is?”
A tear fell from her eye. “Before your mother got pregnant, she was hanging around with a man who wasn’t from here. He lived on the other side of the state but he’d often come to Detroit, flashing his money around. Women would throw themselves at him. Your mother caught his eye. She was beautiful back then. I heard they had a short-lived affair.”
“He was married?”
She nodded. “It didn’t last long. He disappeared, and I never heard anything about him again. A couple of months later, she was engaged to your father. Then, you came.”
“Who is he? I want to reach out to him.”
My aunt squeezed her napkin. “You can’t.”
“Why?”
“He’s dead.”
My shoulders fell. Any hope of finding answers evaporated with those two words.He’s dead. There would be no resolution, no confirmations, no talks with the man who could’ve been my father. Still, I needed to know more. “What’s his name?”
My aunt swallowed visibly. “Parker Wells Sr.”
Later,I was neck-deep in information. I’d spent the rest of the afternoon researching Parker Wells Sr. Every article, every news clip. It was impossible to be a resident of Michigan and not know who the man was. Wellspring Water Corporation was one of the biggest water companies in the state. Shit, the country.
There was just one problem. From all accounts, he was a monster. In every aspect. According to one article, if he’d lived, he would’ve probably been prosecuted for various crimes, including conspiracy and corporate fraud. Another write-up mentioned it was his daughter who’d discovered his transgressions and had turned him in.
Mr. Wells’ shady business dealings were just the tip of the iceberg. His first wife had died under mysterious circumstances, then he’d gone on to marry multiple women. He was also well known for his indiscretions, and two of his four kids had been born to mistresses.And I might be his third.
When the man had died, his son, Parker Wells Jr., took over the company, and the estate had been split between his known kids. I’d just clicked on an article about his youngest son, who was now the Assistant City Planner for Wellspring, Michigan, when I heard a knock at the door.
The brunch with my aunt hadn’t ended so much as I’d left her sitting there alone. In hindsight, I realized how fucked up that was, but I needed to get away. It’d be just like Aunt Dot to give me a few hours before stopping by to check on me.
I closed my laptop and walked over to the door. When I peeked through the small window, I had to do a double take. Because it definitely wasn’t my aunt. I opened the door. “Hey.”
Dallas flashed a quick smile. “Sorry to just pop up on you. But can we talk?” I held the door open wider, allowing her to enter. She brushed past me. “Thanks for not slamming the door in my face.”
“Never.” I gestured toward my leather sofa. “Have a seat.”
Only she didn’t sit. She walked around the room, presumably checking my place out. Then, it dawned on me that she’d never been inside before. I wasn’t a person who had parties or game nights or anything else for that matter. So, there was never a reason for her to come to my house.
“Did you want something to drink?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, thanks. You have a nice home. I love the grays. Always so zen.”
I leaned against the kitchen island. “Thanks.”
“Listen, I won’t take up too much of your time, but I wanted to talk to you about today at the restaurant.”
The little interaction with Dallas today had felt like a reprieve, the light part of my dark day. Even though it had been weird. “Yeah, what was that about?”
“So, Maya is on the board of Color of Law. She approached me about possibly running for office in the near future.”
Impressed, I folded my arms over my chest. “Really? That’s pretty amazing.” I had no doubt Dallas had the knowledge and charisma to win any race she ran.
“It’s a big deal.”
