Page 62 of Broken Daddy

“You’re a business owner, Nathan. You know I can’t just loan the team out for free. Especially since we’re related. It all has to appear aboveboard, or you’ll just be digging yourself—and me—a deeper hole.”

I hate that he’s right.

I also hate the liberties he’s taking after suddenly discovering we’re brothers.

“We might be related, but I owe you nothing.”

“Exactly. Just asIoweyounothing.” Jenson’s cool gaze sweeps over me. “You’re not used to accepting help, are you?” he asks drily. There’s something smug about his attitude.

Trying to turn the tables and tamp down my frustration, I cross my arms. “Just what makes you think this team of yours can get my situation under control?”

He shrugs. “We had a similar issue last year. Company employee who stepped over a line. Several women came forward and accused him of harassment.”

A dim lightbulb goes off in my mind…I vaguely recall something in the papers about that. Wasn’t it the founder’s son, too? Even more scandalous.

This has me looking at Jenson a little more closely. “And Dupont Analytics just bounced right back from it, hmm?”

A small smile spreads across his face. He’s caught me; he knows that at the very least, I kept and read his business card if I know his company’s name.

“It took a little time, but the way we handled it—and wehandledit—Dupont Analytics came out clean in the end. After all, you shouldn’t be faulted for one bad apple. And it sounds like this financial adviser you’ve got ready to fight a legal battle is definitely a bad apple.”

I let out a huff of agreement. Once, I would’ve considered Nash a loyal employee. Someone who helped me build Ironside from the ground up. Where did that go wrong? Is the company too big now for loyalty?

Silence sinks in around us as I consider his offer. To my frustration, I can’t find anything at fault with it. My own PR team is scrambling, never having had to deal with something like this before. They handle marketing, mostly, and making sure I look presentable when I go out to major events. But with investors ready to break down the door and get their money back, the team has been in a panic.

I’m still not ready to accept Jenson’s help, though, so instead I ask, “Let me guess, you got started in the analytics business thanks to Dad.”

His eyes go wide. He actually looks so baffled, I momentarily regret mentioning our father.

“Wha—? Dad was an analyst?”

Now it’s my turn to be surprised. Isn’t this the kid our dad left us for? A part of the whole new life he wanted?

“You didn’t know that,” I rumble. Chris must not have mentioned it. Had they even discussed Dad yet? Or was Chris being careful about welcoming our half brother in with open arms?

“Yeah. Out here, actually. Didn’t own his own company, but he made it pretty high up and was heading a department.”

Jenson is quiet for a few long moments. Then he offers up, “We didn’t live in a city. He was a wastewater plant technician.”

That nearly knocks me off my feet.

I stare at him, trying to reconcile the man I once knew—the one who wore suits to work every day—with a blue-collar version of my father. Wearing a uniform, doing equipment maintenance, checking fluid levels, and logging results.

“I…”

I’m truly at a loss for words. Jenson, as if the floodgates have now opened, blurts out more information. “He was an alcoholic, too. It’s what did him in, in the end.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all.” It comes out flat, emotionless. “It was an issue with us, too. He used to hide it well, though.” Shaking my head, I settle onto a lounge chair, elbows braced on my knees.

“So, yeah. He had nothing to do with where my life stands now. Actually, he nearly ruined it.” He laughs ruefully. I can’t help the urge to know more.

“How?”

“My wife. We grew up together as best friends. Dad was a mess, of course, and he just didn’t set a good example. For relationships,” he explains tightly. I wonder if, like Chris, he’s gone to therapy. He doesn’t seem comfortable discussing these intimate details of his life, and I can’t blame him. Getting me to talk about my dad is like pulling teeth.

“Anyway. My wife, Mel, left town pretty quickly, right before college. Dad had already passed away. I didn’t know how to handle things in a healthy way, so I shut down. Focused on work. When Mel showed up in Boston, working at Dupont, I was closed off. I almost lost her. Again.”

My heart aches with the thought of what Jenson must’ve gone through. Dad was a monster hidden in plain sight here. Did he get worse when he took off to Boston and left Mom for Jenson’s mother?

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