For decades, the fate of Wellspring, Michigan, has been tied to the Wells family’s fortunes—for better and worse. Their corporation keeps the small town afloat, despite the greed and corruption at its heart. But now, as the next generation comes into its own, a new day dawns . . . It’s been years since Bryson Wells cut all ties to his hometown and family, going so far as to change his name and delete his social media accounts. He’s built a profession and a life for himself away from his domineering father, but as the man’s death draws near, Bryson finds himself back in Wellspring—and face to face with the woman who has a hold on his heart . . . Jordan Clark’s life is not turning out quite as she planned. Instead of working towards her law degree, she’s in Wellspring caring for her ailing grandfather. Running into Bryson in the hospital brings back memories of the night their longtime friendship erupted into passion. The attraction between them has only gotten stronger. But Jordan will have to decide if Bryson’s love is real, or if he’s settling to get the family he’s always wanted. . .
Release date:
November 27, 2018
Publisher:
Dafina
Print pages:
242
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It had taken Bryson Wells years to find peace, to carve out his own path. Away from his father, away from Wellspring, Michigan, and Wellspring Water Corporation. And one text from his brother, Parker, had transported him back to the life he’d tried to put behind him. Sighing, he stared at his phone. The urge to ignore the text was fierce, but he couldn’t do that to his brother. Instead, he’d thought of a suitable lie. Work. If Parker understood anything, it was work. But when Bryson had opened up the Messenger app to send his reply, he couldn’t do it.
Parker Wells Jr. had done more for Bryson than anyone. He’d taken a lick for Bryson more times than Bryson could even count. As far as big brothers went, Parker was the best. So, he’d simply typed out “give me a few hours,” left work, and hopped on the I-10 to Santa Monica. Now, he was sitting in the restaurant at a luxury hotel waiting on his brother.
It had been several years since he’d seen his siblings, Parker and Brooklyn. By design. For his own sanity. Life in Wellspring, Michigan, had been a nightmare. One that still haunted him. And only because of Parker Wells Sr., his father. Senior, as they called him, was a monster, plain and simple, with no redeemable qualities.
Bryson knew early on that he wouldn’t survive another minute in that house with his father. He’d been subjected to horrors that made his skin crawl, beatings that seemed to last hours, verbal tirades that made his ears bleed. Even now, Bryson had sometimes awoken with a soundless scream in his heart, sweat seeping from his pores, sending silent prayers to God to help him forget.
A waitress smiled as she approached his table, and he greeted her in kind, ordering a cognac, neat. Several minutes later, Bryson was holding the balloon glass in his palm, letting it warm, before tasting it. Damn good.
He nodded to the waitress, signaling he was satisfied with the pour, and she strolled away. Bryson watched the sway of her hips as she departed, and wondered if he could go there. It had been a while since he’d had the company of a woman, and he was wound tight, ready to burst.
Over the past few years, Bryson had spent an inordinate amount of time throwing himself into work. When he’d left Wellspring, he’d given Senior the middle finger, throwing his acceptance letter to Michigan State University in his face and hightailing it out of the house.
Bryson could still hear the shrill shouts of his father as he walked out of that house once and for all. “You’ll be back. You’re nothing without me.” The last words from his father had stayed with him long after he’d hopped in a cab and left Wellspring with nothing but a small suitcase and the clothes on his back.
The satisfaction that he thought he would feel didn’t come, but it hadn’t dampened his resolve. He’d worked hard in high school, busted his ass to win a coveted scholarship to University of Southern California, far away from Michigan and Wellspring and Senior. Bryson had used Senior’s words as a stepping stone to get what he wanted. He majored in civil engineering and minored in construction planning and management, and had recently completed his graduate studies in planning. And he loved his work, he loved his life. I did damn good.
Still, Bryson found himself missing his siblings more and more as the days flew by. He was accomplished, and he yearned to share that with the people who’d loved him through the hardest time of his life. But he knew that stepping foot in that town would be a huge setback for him, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it yet.
Bryson sighed, and finished his glass of cognac. He glanced up, intent on waving the waitress back over to refill it, when he saw her.
He blinked. But when he opened his eyes, she was still there. Jordan Clark.
It couldn’t be a coincidence that Parker was in town, staying at the same hotel as Jordan. Bryson let his gaze wander over her form. Her curly mane was swept to the side, exposing her long neck. Her skin was sun-kissed, golden brown. Jordan wore a pale pink and white strapless dress that fell just above her knees and she carried a small clutch in her hand. Bryson shifted in his seat, unable to stop the groan that escaped. She was stunning, soft, regal. She was everything he remembered about her, and pink was definitely her color. Always had been.
At eleven years old, Senior had yanked Bryson out of his life with his mother in Detroit. After a nasty court battle for custody, his mother had packed him up, kissed him on his forehead, and told him to “be brave” before Senior had dragged him out of the only home he’d ever known. Bryson had known who his father was, had even spent time in Wellspring, mostly because of Brooklyn and Parker’s mother, Marie. But he’d never imagined or expected to live in Wellspring. In fact, it wasn’t until Marie died that Senior decided to pluck him out of his life.
Bryson had cried the entire trip, and the days after, until his first day of school. The playground had been filled with kids, playing and enjoying one another. Brooklyn had assured him that she wouldn’t leave him to fend for himself, but his sister had been called to the office during lunch and Bryson had to sit alone. It was Jordan who had joined him at the table that day, and handed him a piece of her apple. She had been one of his first friends in Wellspring. And although their lives were so far apart now, he would never forget that day. Bryson could never forget her.
Bryson smiled to himself when he thought of Jordan at eleven years old. She was an athlete, a star softball player in middle school and high school. But she was also smart and funny. And she’d loved pink, even back then. He was happy to see that hadn’t changed.
Jordan slid onto a barstool and smiled at the bartender. Bryson noted the wide grin on the bartender’s face, and narrowed his eyes on him. The man had to be at least fifty, probably married with a family. So why the hell is he flirting with Jordan? Bryson was just getting ready to find out when Parker walked into the restaurant.
His brother, dressed in a blue three-piece suit and no tie, walked right up to Jordan and pulled her into a hug. Bryson frowned. What the hell? Parker was grinning from ear to ear and Jordan was . . . Well, Jordan was her usual glowing self. And all of her black girl magic shined on his brother. His married brother, at that.
Bryson couldn’t help the surge of jealousy that filled him as he watched his older brother and Jordan interact on the other side of the bar. It definitely wasn’t a coincidence that they were staying at the same hotel. The only question he had now was why. Was it a tryst? Was his brother cheating on his new wife, Kennedi, already?
Bryson had learned early on that there weren’t many people more popular than Parker. His brother had been a football legend in the town, helping Wellspring High place in several divisions and even winning Most Valuable Player titles for three of his four years in high school. Parker was not only popular with the girls, but his stellar grades and community-minded personality made him a favorite with teachers and school administrators.
While Bryson could give Parker a run in academics any day of the week, he could admit that sports weren’t his thing. The only “sport” he’d excelled at was bowling, if that could even be considered a sport. That simple fact had been a bone of contention between Bryson and Senior often, and he had the scars to prove it. And women? Let’s just say Bryson wasn’t voted “Most Likely to Get a Date” in school. But he didn’t care about just any date, either. Back then, he’d only had eyes for Jordan. And judging by the way his body had responded to just the sight of her, he would say that hadn’t changed.
Bryson grumbled a curse under his breath when Parker leaned forward and whispered something to Jordan, which in turn, made her laugh out loud. It was a beautiful sound, melodic. And once again, it was reserved for Parker. Asshole.
A few more torturous moments of watching them, and Bryson wanted to break that shit up. He pulled his wallet out and grabbed a fifty-dollar bill, all the while cursing his brother to hell and back for being so damn charming all the time.
“Bryson.”
Bryson glanced up, surprised that Parker was now standing in front of him. “Parker.” He stood and gave Parker a tight man-hug.
“Good to see you, man,” Parker said.
“You, too.” For some reason, Bryson was overcome with emotion, but he swallowed it down and pulled back. “Have a seat.”
Parker took the seat opposite Bryson, a wide smile on his face. “I see you already started, huh?” Parker motioned to Bryson’s empty glass.
“Long day,” Bryson murmured.
Parker nodded. “I have a lot of those.”
“I bet.” The waitress approached again and took Parker’s order quickly before rushing away. “So how long have you known where I was?” Bryson asked.
Parker shrugged, tapping his finger on the table lightly. “Honestly, I’ve known for months where you were.”
“And you’re just now coming to see me?”
Bryson couldn’t help the tinge of hypocritical hurt that had settled in at Parker’s admission. Sure, Bryson had done a lot to hide his whereabouts from his family, but the knowledge that his brother had known where he was for a while and never attempted to come see him still stung.
“Trust me, brother, I wanted to. But you don’t answer your phone or call, and I’m not too keen on forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do. Good job, by the way, of hiding your tracks.”
Bryson had enrolled at MIT for undergrad, and had even flown to Cambridge as if he was really going to attend the prestigious university. Then, he’d changed his last name and moved to California. He didn’t want to sever all ties to his siblings, so he’d given them a Google Plus number to reach him.
“How did you find me?”
“Carter’s business partner, Martin, helped me.”
Bryson knew that Carter was Brooklyn’s husband. He’d yet to meet the man, but Bryson had Googled him. Everything he’d read about him led him to believe she was in good hands. Which is what mattered to him at the end of the day.
With a new drink now on the table, Bryson took a sip and allowed himself a glance over to Jordan. She still sat at the bar, head down, her barely touched drink next to her.
“I get it,” Parker said, drawing Bryson’s attention back to him. “If you remember, Cali was my goal for awhile, too.”
Bryson did remember. He also remembered that he and Brooklyn were the reasons Parker never made the move. “I know. For what it’s worth, you would love it here.”
His brother chuckled. “Looks like the California sun is treating you well. I’m proud of you.”
Smiling, Bryson thanked Parker. High praise from Parker made him feel good. “What brings you here?”
“Jackson Clark got married today here.”
Ah, that explains it. “Really?”
“Yeah, his daughter Jordan is sitting over there at the bar.” Parker turned and pointed to Jordan. “I know you remember her. Y’all were cool back in the day.”
Bryson cleared his throat and tried to pretend he hadn’t noticed her. “Oh right. That’s her? I didn’t even recognize her,” he lied.
Parker smirked at him, almost as if he wanted to cry foul on Bryson’s statement. “Yeah, she’s all grown up. Beautiful woman.”
“I’m sure not as beautiful as your wife,” Bryson said.
“You’re right about that, brother,” Parker agreed, a smile on his face. “And now she’s even more beautiful now that she’s pregnant.”
“Wow, congrats, big brother. I’m happy for you. I know you’ll be a good father.”
They fell silent for a moment, before Parker said, “I want you to meet Kennedi. She’s in our room, freshening up. The reception is in one of the ballrooms. They should be getting started there soon, after pictures and everything.”
“When are you leaving?” Bryson asked.
“Tomorrow morning. I have a fund-raising event to attend tomorrow evening.” Parker looked outside. “It’s beautiful out here. Weather’s nice, not like the snow and ice in Wellspring.”
Bryson glanced at the beach. March in Santa Monica was usually rainy, but it was sunny and warm. Perfect day for a wedding on the beach. “Was the wedding outside?”
Parker shook his head. “No. Apparently, Jackson’s new wife is from this area and didn’t want to chance the weather.”
“Makes sense. Where’s Brooklyn? Why didn’t she come?”
Parker explained that Brooklyn was in Detroit celebrating Carter’s stepfather’s sixtieth birthday.
Every so often, Brooklyn would send Bryson a selfie making a funny face or a picture of her and the crew shooting pool at Brook’s Pub. And although he rarely replied back, he appreciated her attempts to stay in touch.
Hearing from Parker that his sister was happy felt good, but to see the proof of it in her eyes was even better. After her wedding, she’d sent Bryson a file with tons of wedding pictures. His sister was a beautiful, vibrant bride, and her love for Carter was plain to see.
If anyone deserved happiness, it was Brooklyn. She was giving and sweet and funny. Senior had tried to dull her light many times, from shipping her off to boarding school for three years to yanking her out of boarding school just when she’d found her footing in Massachusetts, to announcing her engagement to Sterling King without her knowledge.
Bryson studied Parker. His brother was happy, too. And Bryson wanted to thank Kennedi personally for making that happen. Still doesn’t change the fact that Parker was flirting with Jordan, but he’s not dead and he does have eyes.
“I want you to come home,” Parker said.
Bryson stretched his neck. He knew it was coming, but he’d hoped they’d be able to talk about other things before he had to tell him no. “That’s not going to happen.”
Parker leaned forward. “Look, Senior is not going to survive this.”
Several months ago, Senior suffered a severe heart attack and had been comatose, kept alive by a machine. “Good.” That one word was all Bryson could muster for the man that made his life hell. Senior didn’t deserve his concern after the way he’d treated him. Hell, he didn’t deserve anything from any of his children. Bryson wasn’t the only one who’d suffered.
“I know how you feel, brother,” Parker said. “Trust me, we’ve all been through the ringer when it comes to Senior. But even if he were to live, he’ll be going to jail.”
“I heard.” Bryson knew of the scandal that had rocked Wellspring after Senior had his heart attack. Corruption, deceit, lies . . . all in a day’s work for Senior. Bryson was just glad it had finally caught up to his father.
The news that Senior had been indicted on multiple charges, even while in a coma, had been music to his ears. Senior had forged his first wife’s will and conspired with others to grab land from Wellspring residents and others in surrounding counties. Several of Senior’s friends and longtime associates had been arrested as well. Although his father would never stand trial for the many crimes he’d committed, Bryson took solace in knowing that Senior wouldn’t be able to worm his way out of trouble like he’d done for years.
“It’s been crazy, Bryson. But things are turning around in Wellspring. I have control of the company. We’re cleaning house, getting rid of all of the Senior loyalists. The entire town is brighter without Senior’s reign. Many who moved away are returning to town.”
Dead or alive, Senior’s horrible treatment of Bryson had made an indelible mark on him, one that wouldn’t soon be forgotten. “I hear you, Parker. And I believe you. I’m happy that things are turning around. But . . . I can’t do it, man. I can’t come back there.”
“I told you Brooklyn thinks Senior is holding out for his kids.”
Bryson frowned. “Seriously, Parker. You really think Senior is holding out for me?”
“At first, I wasn’t sure I agreed with her, but he’s holding on for something.”
“Maybe it was Veronica.” A few months ago, Parker had told Bryson about a long-lost sister who’d been living in Indiana.
“That doesn’t explain why he’s still alive. Veronica has been to see him, several times.”
“I don’t know, Parker. You know as well as I do that Senior didn’t care about me. He only brought me to live with him because he could and he had some warped idea in his head that I could make you fall in line.”
Parker sighed, and Bryson knew he’d hit a nerve. Senior had tried to pit Parker against Bryson from the moment he’d stepped foot in the big house for the first time. “Except, he never succeeded with that,” Parker said through clenched teeth.
“Not because he didn’t try.”
“No, because we didn’t let him.”
Bryson swallowed hard. “I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for being the brother you were to me. You protected me more often than not.”
“That’s not necessary. It’s what I do.”
“It’s who you are. And I’m glad that you’ve finally done something for you. Look at you . . . married? And happy?”
“Look at you, little brother.” Parker pointed at him. “You’re doing your thing. Everything you’ve accomplished since you left Wellspring is all you. You didn’t need Senior’s money or his name to get where you are.”
“Thanks for that. It means a lot coming from you.”
“It’s not too late to show him that he was wrong about you.”
Bryson shook his head. “Nah, I don’t need to. I know it, and that’s all that matters.”
“You’re right. You don’t have anything to prove to him. But you’re still a Wells. Together, we can take Wellspring Water Corp. to new heights. Your background in planning and environmental science is the key to our continued success.”
Parker had done his homework. Bryson had concentrated on environmental and civil engineering topics in his studies, from maintaining air quality to providing safe drinking water. Parker wasn’t wrong, and Bryson knew he could make a difference in Wellspring. But going back there wasn’t safe for him, and he needed to maintain his peace.
“Just think about it.” Parker finished his drink. “I won’t push you. I just wanted you to know that I need you on our team. More importantly, I miss you. You’re my brother, and family is everything.”
Except for Senior. “I’ll think about it.”
Parker stood. “How long can you stay? I want you to meet Kennedi.”
Bryson smiled at his brother. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Give me a few minutes.”
Bryson watched Parker head off in the direction of the elevators and stood. Now or never. He dropped a fifty-dollar bill on the table to settle the bill and walked over to the bar. Jordan was still sitting there, looking lovely as a summer day.
He’d kept an eye on her throughout his conversation with Parker, letting his eyes wander over her petite frame periodically. She hadn’t moved much since she’d arrived. Jordan looked like she had the world on her shoulders, and he wanted to help ease her burden in some way.
Leaning against th. . .
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