Page 56 of Extra Witchy

“How so?” he asked, as a bad feeling trickled in like slow-drip coffee.

“Her father is from a…prominent family.” Based on her hesitation, he suspected Junie had almost used a different word. “His wife has since passed away, and he’s become nostalgic in his old age after receiving an unfavorable diagnosis. He wants to meet LeLe before it’s too late. She also has three half siblings she could get to know, and…”

“And?” he prompted.

This was a hell of a lot to take in. If he felt overwhelmed, God only knew how Leanne would react. But like Junie said, this was a now-or-never decision, most likely. Depending on how dire the old dickbag’s situation was, the meeting might not keep until after the election.

“There could be multiple benefits,” she finally said.

“Like, inheritance? If I’m reading between the lines right.”

Junie didn’t meet his look, busy tracing patterns on the table. “Pretty much.”

“If you expect Leanne to fall in line with some asshole’s plan for money, you don’t know her at all. And if you don’t tell her why you kept her dad’s identity a secret in the first place because you’re hoping for a payout…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence.

Junie’s gaze snapped up, as she choked on a swig of lime tea. “What are you saying?Idon’t want anything from that rat bastard. But sheishis child, which means she’s entitled to anything he wants to give her. It might come in handy later. They say it takes money to get anywhere in politics.”

He clenched a fist, trying to keep hold of the fraying reins of his temper. “I doubt Leanne will want anything from this man. But…you should tell her. Not because she might get something, but because she has a right to decide.”

“Do you have any advice as to how I should put it?” Vulnerable eyes stared across the table, begging for guidance.

Somehow this woman still isn’t a grown-up.It was like time stopped when she met the wrong person as a kid, and she never ceased looking for someone to take care of her. An unsettling realization to have about his mother-in-law.

“I wouldn’t tell her that he asked you to have an abortion. That’s too hurtful even if it’s true. I guess I’d just say you were ashamed because he was married.”

Her shoulders rounded slightly. “Maybe it doesn’t matter, but in the beginning, I didn’t know. I call it an affair now because that’s what it was, but at the time, I thought I was so cool, dating an older guy. I got pregnant thinking it would make him stay. But there were too many restrictions, times I couldn’t get in touch with him, and then…”

“You found out.”

“Yeah.” Junie sighed and lowered her head, the perfect picture of injured innocence. “I think you’re right. I’ll lay it out, bare bones, and she can take it from there.”

Yeah, I definitely did the right thing, even if Leanne gets mad. She didn’t need to hear the unfiltered version. It’s bullshit for Junie to expect Leanne to comfortherin a situation like this.

“Can I give you one more piece of advice?” Trev asked.

Leanne’s mom nodded. “Please do.”

“I know you want a better relationship with her, but you can’t just…insist on it. You weren’t around when she needed you most, and now that she’s grown, she gets to choose how often she seesyou.”

“Whew. No punches pulled.” Junie stood abruptly. “I appreciate your time. I’ll give you a heads-up before I talk to LeLe. I’m really, truly glad she has someone like you watching her back. I wish I’d been that lucky.”

Funny, once, he’d have said he hated confrontation, but before anyone—even her mom—upset his wife, they had to deal with him first.

Chapter 19

Four days later, Leanne sat in her car numbly staring at the steering wheel.

The day had started so well, then Junie messaged unexpectedly, asking her to meet up. That never boded well. Then Trev gave her a heads-up that Junie had news about her bio-dad, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about him screening Junie’s content. On one hand, she’d liked it because it meant he cared enough to try and protect her, but it also felt like maybe he’d crossed a line. Yet she wasn’tsureif she thought so, as she wasn’t the most experienced in such matters. Maybe it was normal for partners to get involved under those circumstances?

In the end, it had helped that she’d known what to expect heading to the meeting, as Trev had outlined his discussion with Junie already. It didn’t take long for her mom to sum it all up. She’d been young, and she’d had a torrid affair with a married witch from a prominent witch family. Apparently, Leanne had two half brothers and a half sister somewhere out there, not that she was in any hurry to meet these new relations. If her so-called father had cared about her genuinely, he wouldn’t have waited until he was dying to look for Junie and Leanne.

“What, does he need a kidney or half my liver?” she’d asked. “None of his other kids are a match, is that it?”

“LeLe, please. It’s fine if you don’t want to meet him, but it’s not like that. He just wants to see your face before it’s too late.”

“It was too late when he let you walk thirty-eight years ago.”

And despite letting the news sink in, her fundamental opinion hadn’t changed. She’d never had a father before, and she didn’t need one now. It felt like the height of selfishness to ask her to invest her time, energy, and emotions into someone who was likely dying and was looking to expiate some sin at the end of his time on earth, if one subscribed to that view of the afterlife. Which she didn’t.

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