Page 13 of Side Hustle
“I’m sure, honey. We started dating and I was a desperate single mom already who didn’t feel like she had much to offer. I fell for him, not realizing he was also dating Faye at the same time.” Polly glanced up at me at the mention of my mom. “As soon as I told him I was pregnant, he told me he’d already bought a ring for Faye. I was so angry I just left town with your sister. Figured I’d have this baby on my own too. To hell with father figures. Who needs ’em?”
Well, that sounded a lot more like the Polly we all knew.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? I would have kept quiet about it.” Lucy had tears in her eyes. Roxy swiped one away that escaped and kissed her mommy on the cheek.
Hazel leaned into my side and I heard her sniffle against my arm. Oh, God. A crying Hazel holding a tiny newborn. I could smell the baby powder from here. I wanted to smash someone’s face in and the girls wanted a cry fest.
“He threatened me to keep quiet and I believed him.” Polly shrugged. “By the time you were born and we came back to Auburn Hill, the only place I knew like the back of my hand, I claimed the father was someone out of town. Benji left me alone, so I figured I’d keep the paternity quiet to keep the peace. The more I saw of him, the more I didn’t want him as an influence in your life anyway.”
I huffed. She was right there. I’d had to grow up with him as my dad and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. No dad was better than that guy.
“You called him Benji?” Lucy cringed and then shot her mom a watery smile.
Polly sputtered out a laugh and the two leaned closer for a hug. Roxy squealed, being in the middle of a nana-mommy sandwich and the rest of the crew blew out relieved breaths. As soon as Lucy let go of her mom, she put Roxy in Polly’s lap and leaped to her feet.
“Rip.” She stood right in front of me, looking into my eyes with new purpose.
I studied her face as she studied mine, feeling everyone’s eyes on us. Her bottom lip was fuller than her top, a girl version of the mouth I saw in the mirror every day. I’d never noticed the similarity before. We both must have felt it at the same time. That pull recognizing a blood relative. We both leaned in and met in a tight hug. I grew up an only child, wishing desperately for someone to play with or just someone to share the burden of my childhood.
And here she was.
“Hey, sis,” I answered, holding her even tighter.
I wasn’t an overly emotional person by nature, but something about the ready acceptance of Lucy’s hug made my vision blur. When she pulled back, her hands went to my cheeks to study me some more, and I took comfort in seeing her own eyes misted over.
“I’ve always wanted a brother,” she said softly. “I couldn’t have picked a better one myself.”
Ah shit, there went my eyes again. Hazel let out a sob and Lenora had to pull her away from my side into a comforting hug. Lucy grinned, breaking the tension, and plucked Heston out of Hazel’s wobbling arms. Bain helped Polly to stand on her own two feet and we all filed back into the living room. I remained standing while the others sat to continue chatting.
A heavy weight sat on my shoulders and pacing it out wasn’t working. My father’s misdeeds were an emotional weight I couldn’t ignore any longer. If it had just been me, I could have let it linger for years while I wallowed in it, never addressing the issue. But something about my conversation with Hazel on the boat had started the ball rolling. My life was in motion now, that push I’d so desperately wanted having come and gone. The only thing left was to keep it in motion. And for my new sister, I could go through with it.
“I hate to trample on your father before you’ve even had a chance to digest everything, Lucy, but this can’t wait. Benjamin Bennett is an asshole. And he’s a criminal.” Everyone stopped talking and stared at me, probably amazed I’d strung multiple sentences together at one time. “I’m tired of watching him get away with everything for years. I’ve already decided to get to the bottom of his criminal activity and out him for the asshole he is. It’s going to get ugly and your name might be dragged through the mud.”
Polly gasped and looked ready to take a nosedive to the floor again. Finnie grabbed something out of her purse and waved it around under Polly’s nose until she blinked her eyes wide open.
“What kind of ugly are you talking about?” Bain asked, his jaw tight.
“I think I found hard evidence to prove he’s been cheating the town out of money. We know he’s cheated on my mom. He doesn’t deserve to be this town’s mayor and I’m ready to tell the truth about him now. His day of reckoning has come.”
Lucy sucked in a deep breath, her eyes hardening into a fierce mama bear as she held both her children to her side. “He’s only my biological donor. He doesn’t get the honor of being called my father. Do what you need to do and we’ll help you. Besides, I’m not afraid of a little mud. I own a spank bank in a small town, remember?”
She winked and I smiled back, immensely pleased she was on board with my hazy plan.
“Holy crap. Y’all have the same smirk!” Hazel’s jaw dropped open and she pointed at us both.
Heads swiveled and the rest of the party was spent examining Lucy and me for similarities, along with lathering Roxy and Heston with all the aunt and uncle love they could stand. I didn’t particularly enjoy the attention, but for each and every smile it put on Lucy’s face, I’d deal with it. Eventually Heston woke up enough to realize he was hungry and Bain shooed us out so his wife could breastfeed his son.
“Don’t forget you’re all doing the run next weekend!” Hazel called to the whole group. We all groaned in response. Every year she conned us into running the 5k race for testicular cancer awareness. It was for a good cause, so we always said yes, but damn. Couldn’t they raise money with an ice cream eating contest instead?
On the way out the door, Jayden clapped me on the back. “You ever thought of becoming the mayor in your dad’s place?”
I frowned, the idea so ridiculous I didn’t know what to say.
“Yeah, you’d be good at it,” Titus piped up, having overheard Jayden.
Hazel appeared at my side with a wide grin. “Maybe that’s the whole problem. They voted in the wrong Bennett for mayor.”
My heart lurched at the confidence in her voice. Confidence in me.
