Page 2 of Sins of the Father

I confronted him once and told him to leave my mother alone. That only resulted in my mother staying with him for a week.

And when I graduated from college as valedictorian, the job market was shaky. No matter how much I excelled, I didn’t know the right people in the right places.

My mother worked her magic on him, and one day, he paid me a surprise visit.

His friend owned a national insurance company, and there was an opening in the finance department. It was entry-level, and I would have to interview, but he could arrange it.

At first, I told him no. I didn’t want anything from him. But that night, Quinn got her acceptance letter to college and wasn’t sure how she was going to pay for it. I opened all my mail, and several student loan payments were due.

So I caved. Over the years, I worked my way up the ladder and am their youngest VP ever, but no matter how much I tell myself I earned my position, I’ll never forgive myself for letting Maximillion help me.

Nor does he let me forget it.

And every relationship I attempt never lasts. I question every move I make. I don’t want to disrespect any woman or treat her in any capacity my father would. So I hesitate when I shouldn’t and say all the wrong things.

But I also don’t trust love. It’s what my mother claims makes her his doormat, and if love is so powerful, it’ll make you lose your self-respect, then I don’t want any part of it.

At least, that’s what I tell myself. But then I lay down to go to sleep and close my eyes. And the one thing you can’t do is lie to yourself.

To get through the loneliness, I tell myself I just haven’t found the right girl. But the voice in my head says,If your own father doesn’t love you, how can anyone else?

1

Harper

“Jamie,I told you to get married in New York, not Chicago,” I whine into the phone.

“Sorry to disrupt your life, but Quinn wanted to get married there. Besides, now that I’ve positioned the managers in New York to run things, Quinn and I are moving back. As soon as our honeymoon is over, we’re permanently staying in Chicago.”

My heart drops. “What? You can’t do that!”

“I’ve been telling you this for the last year. It shouldn’t be a big shock.”

“No. You cannot move right now.”

“Harper, do you want to tell me why you suddenly have a problem with my wife and I moving? You backpacked Europe for the last few years and didn’t seem to care about my whereabouts.”

“Soon-to-be wife. And while I love you and Quinn both, Hope and I have a bond. I’m her favorite aunt, and she isn’t even one year old yet. You are not allowed to drag her away from me.”

“So, I know you’re older and all—”

“Only by a year.”

“I love how now that you’re thirty-five, you don’t like being older than me but still want to boss me around.”

“Did you have to remind me of my age?”

His voice lowers. “Less than five years to go until you’re forty.”

“Stop it!”

Jamison chuckles. “Why don’t you move to Chicago? We have room for you until you find a place.”

“Chicago over New York? Are you crazy?”

“You shouldn’t knock it before you try it. Besides, what else do you have going on that you couldn’t move?”

Nothing. I’m a thirty-five, unemployed, I-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-myself loser right now.

---