Yep, besotted. Fit him perfectly. What kind of a man called himself besotted? He was so in over his head.
~ * ~
Jake watched as his brother—half-brother—walked up the cobblestone path to his aunt’s house. He and his mama had been staying with his mama’s sister for the last six month or so. Before that they’d stayed at his uncle’s house. He’d say one thing about their family, they were always there for each other. One side of his family, anyway.
But, he needed to find them a place to stay of their own soon. He’d needed the help taking care of his mother while she recovered from her cancer surgery and treatments. She seemed to finally be getting back to normal. Whatever normal would be like after living through what she had in the last few years.
Besides working in a restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Jake had taken every odd job he could find the last few years to bring in extra money after he’d been forced to sell their building on Main Street. The profit from the sale of the building had mostly gone to pay off medical bills. His mom now worked part time at her sister’s flower shop. He felt like it was time to move on. He’d saved up a tiny bit of money, and hoped to be able to find them a small place of their own. He still didn’t want his mother living alone.
The knock on the front door brought him back out of his thoughts. His brother was tenacious, he’d give him that.
“I’ll get the door.” His mother got up off the sofa, crossed over to the front door, and opened it. Sunshine spilled into the front hallway. “Hello, Mr. Campbell.”
“Please. Call me Owen.”
“Okay, Owen. Come inside.”
Jake watched his brother walk into the front room. He didn’t know why Owen stuck around. Jake had made it pretty clear that he didn’t need a brother barging into his life.
“Jake, good to see you again.” Owen held out his hand.
Jake reluctantly took his brother’s hand. His brother had a firm handshake. A businesslike handshake on smooth hands that had probably never seen five minutes of any kind of manual labor.
Jake’s mother motioned for both of the men to sit down. Jake sat on the sofa next to his mother. Owen took the overstuffed chair across from them.
“Let me get right to the point.” Owen leaned forward in his chair. “Jake has made it clear that he wants nothing from our father. I understand that. My—our—father was heartless in denying Jake’s existence. But, the fact remains, we are brothers whether Father acknowledged him or not.”
Jake started to interrupt Owen right there, but his brother held up a hand to stop him.
“Please, let me finish.”
Jake gritted his teeth but did as Owen asked.
“I’ve bought back your building on Main Street. I’ve set up an escrow account for taxes on it for the next ten years. You can open up your restaurant again and live upstairs if you’d like.”
“We don’t need charity. I already told you no.” Jake tried to control his temper. His brother was a hard-headed fool and was just not getting the picture.
“It’s not charity. You are as much Father’s son as I am. I’m sorry he wouldn’t acknowledge you, but it doesn’t change the facts. You are just as entitled to his inheritance as I am.”
“Don’t want it.”
“Jake.” His mother’s voice was soft but strong.
He turned to face her.
“I think we should listen to Owen’s offer. His father knew you were his son. He did. When I found out I was pregnant, I told him about you. He offered me money to just… go away. I turned him down and never contacted him again. But it doesn’t mean that you’re not his son, and aren’t due something from the man. You are his flesh and blood.”
“I don’t need his money.”
“Jake, sometimes you can be so stubborn. I know you’re angry that he never got to know you. Pretended you didn’t exist. But you are letting your pride get in the way of a good opportunity.”
“But—”
His mother reached a hand over and touched his leg. “I would love to have the building back. It means so much to me. It’s been in my family for generations. I love every single thing about it. The floors, the windows, the location on Main Street. My family history is so entwined in that building. I’m strong enough to run the restaurant again. This is something I would love to do.”
Jake looked at his mama, then over at Owen, who’d been smart enough to keep quiet while his mama talked.
His mother touched his face and smiled at him. “You are a proud man. I understand that. But just because Stephen Campbell chose to not claim you as his son doesn’t make it so. I was angry with the man for years and years. But cancer gives you a new perspective on life. I’m no longer angry, but Stephen did owe you, Jake. He should have taken responsibility for his actions. Owen wants to make up for that. Let’s take Owen up on his offer. Open up the restaurant again. I loved it so.”