Renee placed her finger on his lips. “How about instead you take me to get my car now, and I’ll follow you back here?”
“Works for me,” he said, standing. He extended his hand to her.
Renee took it and stood, going easily into his arms.
“Does this mean that you’re going to be my girl again?” Patrick asked, raising his eyebrows up and down.
Renee couldn’t answer him right away because she was too busy giggling. She nodded her answer.
Chapter Twenty-Five
A week before Christmas, Patrick and his aunt Bernice walked into the small conference room at the law offices of Jeremiah Green, the estate lawyer their father had hired for the reading of the will.
“Before we get started, I’m going to give your brother a few more minutes to show up,” the attorney said.
“Robert agreed to come?” Bernice asked.
“Yes, he said that he would be here,” Jeremiah answered.
Seconds later, they heard footsteps outside the conference room door. It opened and Robert walked into the room. “Good morning. Sorry I’m late.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Dunlap. Have a seat so we can begin.”
Robert sat down across from Patrick and Bernice looking down and not meeting their eyes.
Mr. Green cleared his throat. “I called you all here today for the reading of James Dunlap’s last will and testament.”
He opened the file folder, flipped through the pages, and started reading. Patrick watched as his brother’s facial expressions change as directives were given per their father’s wishes. Patrick had been appointed the executor of their father’s estate, and when he looked in his brother’s direction, he had nothing to say. As the attorney continued to read, tears streamed down Robert’s cheeks.
“I, James Alexander Dunlap, being of sound mind and body, hereby bequeath my company It’s A Stretch to my sons, Robert Allen and Patrick Ezell Dunlap, to be shared equally. The funds in my checking and savings accounts, as well as the certified deposits held at Seaway Bank and Trust, the contents of safe deposit box nine-three-nine, also at Seaway, are also to be shared equally. The building and contents of the home at 418 Hillside Drive are to go to Patrick Ezell.”
Patrick closed his eyes as the lawyer continued to read the legal document. He could envision his father smiling and that made him feel good. He always knew he’d had a father with great compassion and integrity. Listening to the will being read proved it. After everything his brother had done, his father was still generous, treating them both as equals. The only thing Robert didn’t get a part of was the family home.
Bernice opened her purse and handed Patrick the small silver key. “You’ll need this to open the safety deposit box, Pat,” she said.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Patrick said, taking it from her.
Once the will was read and everyone had signed the appropriate papers, both Robert and Patrick shook the attorney’s hand. “Thanks so much for everything,” Patrick said.
“Wait,” Bernice said. “We have one more piece of business that we have to attend to before we leave,” she explained.
“Mr. Green, can I speak to you in the outer office?” she asked.
“Sure, Bernice.” They walked out, leaving Robert and Patrick in the conference room.
Robert was quiet and reserved, which Patrick attributed to how they ended up in that situation. It was time that they talk about the events of the last month, so they could make a fresh new start in their relationship.
A slight knock on the door announced Mitchell Sykes’s arrival before he walked into the room.
“What are you doing here, Mitchell?” Patrick asked.
Aunt Bernice entered the room behind Sykes and took the same seat she had before. Not only was Mitchell a good friend of their father, but he’d been working with him since the late 1970s, when he started his business.
Patrick got up and walked over to him. “Thanks for coming, Mr. Sykes.” The two men shook hands. “But I’m not sure why you’re here,” Patrick said.
“I’m here on behalf of your aunt and your father.” He extended his hand to Robert as well.
Patrick’s brother accepted the handshake. “Good to see you, Mr. Sykes,” Robert said before reclaiming his seat.
Patrick went back to his chair, his eyes on Robert, who clearly had no idea what was about to go down either.
Patrick glanced over at his aunt, who sat quietly. “Auntie, what is this about?”
Mitchell placed his briefcase on the table and opened it. He removed a stack of papers, then took a gold pen from the inside pocket of his suit coat.
Bernice reached over and patted Patrick’s hand. “Listen, a long time ago, your father and I invested in some things together. I wanted you and your brother to have his half to do with what you wish.”
Patrick’s eyes narrowed. “I thought the estate attorney would handle that type of business.” He glanced at Mitchell.
“I asked Mitchell to do this for me,” Bernice responded.
“I handle estate business as well, Patrick. I’ve worked with your father and Bernice on these investments for years.”
His mind racing, Patrick didn’t know exactly what this meant, so he was ready to hear what the lawyer had to say. “Okay, Mitchell, we’re listening.”
“Robert and Patrick, you have quite a large inheritance.”
Stunned and speechless, Patrick slid down in his chair.
He glanced at his Aunt Bernice.
“You deserve this,” she said.
“Why didn’t you say something to me about this before?”
“Your father told me to do things this way. I’m following his express orders.”
“James came to see me a few months ago so that we could draw up this document. He told me to present this to you once the will had been read.” Mr. Sykes removed a letter and a large white envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Patrick.
“Once you open the letter, I’ll give you the contents of this envelope,” Mitchell said.
Patrick silently perused the note. He looked over at his brother.
“What’s the matter, Pat?” Robert wanted to know.
Dropping the letter and watching it land on the table, Patrick sat up in his chair and leaned toward his brother. “It says that we’re now equal partners with Aunt Bernice in the Dunlap Investment Corporation.”
Robert picked up the piece of paper and scanned it. His mouth dropped open in disbelief. “Auntie, I thought Dunlap Investments was your firm.”
“It is, but we started that business together after your father got the limo company up and running. He wanted me to have something of my own, but I needed help, so he became my silent partner,” Bernice explained.
Patrick knew his aunt was quite wealthy, but had never asked any questions about it. “I had no idea.”
“Me either,” Robert said.
Bernice stood and leaned over the table, extending her hand to Robert first, and then Patrick. “Welcome aboard, partners.”
* * * * *
After all the business had been completed, Patrick dropped off his aunt at home. He and Robert still needed to talk though, so he called and asked to meet him at a nearby restaurant. While Patrick waited for Robert to pull into the parking lot, he went back over all the things he’d learned earlier. His father was truly an honorable man who’d left a legacy that neither Patrick nor his brother had earned. All they had to do was to keep it alive and continue the work he’d started. Not many children had parents who could set them up financially for life. He felt eternally blessed that James Dunlap was his father, mentor, leader, and friend.
Patrick was relieved that Robert had come to the reading of their father’s will, but he wasn’t one hundred percent sure that his brother was going to do right by his inheritance. Patri
ck couldn’t tell his brother how to spend his money, but he did have a say in how their business would be run going forward. Coming to an understanding now would save them both heartache in the end. He just needed to talk to Robert one-on-one to find out what his thoughts were.
Robert’s gray Mercedes Benz came to a stop in the empty space right next to him. They both got out of their cars and walked inside the restaurant together.
Patrick typically didn’t care for buffets, but the restaurant did have a private section where they could sit without having a lot of people around.
Placing his white napkin in his lap, Patrick started the conversation. “Rob, I wanted to talk to you about what happened with Pop.”
Robert dropped his head. “It was my fault, Pat. I killed Pop,” Robert said, his voice cracking as he spoke.
Patrick shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”
“I was wrong, Pat. I was dead wrong and it cost us our father, his life.”
“Rob, Pop had a bad heart.”
Tears glazed Robert’s eyes as he shook his head, then looked up at Patrick. “When I came to the attorney’s office today, I figured because of the way I treated him that you’d be given everything. That me being there was just a formality.”
“You belonged there just as much as I did,” Patrick responded.
“I had no idea that Pop was going to leave anything for me in his will. Especially not half the company.”
“But he did. That should tell you something about him,” Patrick said before taking a sip of water.
“I had been acting a fool for a while. Pop had spoken to me on several occasions about settling down way before you returned.”
Patrick knew all about that. “When he asked me to come back to help out, it pissed you off, right?”
Robert nodded. “Yeah, because the good son was coming back to save the day from the bad seed. You would come and take over, and I didn’t appreciate it. I felt like a failure.”
“Rob, you know you weren’t being a leader. You were being irresponsible and not for the first time. Back in the day, Momma always took up for you, made excuses for you. Most of the time, Pop would let it go. Once she died, he didn’t let you get away with anything anymore.”
“No, he didn’t, and he was always riding me about one thing or another. I got tired of it. I thought that he was picking on me because he could. That there was no good reason.”
“He just wanted to help make you a better man, Rob,” Patrick responded.
“I understand that now. I had a responsibility to the family to keep the business growing. I didn’t do that.”
“Well, you’ve got another chance now,” Patrick said, a smile growing on his face.
“Yes, I do.”
“I think we need to come up with new plans for the business. There are so many car services, Uber and the like. If we’re going to survive, we have got to come up with a strategy,” Patrick said.
Robert nodded and then they were both quiet.
For several minutes both men concentrated on their food, then Robert’s fork hit his plate with a clang. Patrick’s head shot up.
“I’m so sorry, lil’ bruh. For real, I’m really, really sorry. I just wish I had the chance to tell Pop that.”
“Rob, he knew you loved him. You didn’t get the chance to speak to him, but you can still make him proud by honoring his legacy,” Patrick said, reaching over and grabbing his brother’s hand. “We’ve got to stick together and work as a unit. There’s so much more responsibility now. Pop always made sure that Aunt Bernice was taking care of, so we’ve got to do it too,” Patrick said.
“He made sure that she didn’t want for anything,” Robert said, picking up his fork.
“She told me that he had always been her protector, but would challenge her to make herself strong. I believe he wanted our relationship to be like theirs, not like his and Uncle John’s,” Patrick said, lifting his water glass to his lips.
Robert pushed his plate forward and clasped his hands together. “On my way over here, I was thinking about how much I’ve been acting like Uncle John. Early on, he used Pop’s business for illegal activities, jeopardizing everything Pop had worked for.”
“He told me that losing his relationship with his brother hurt him to his core,” Patrick said.
“Yeah, then, years later, I used the business for my own gain and pleasure, and even though it wasn’t drugs, it was just as dangerous.”
Patrick nodded. “You’re right. We could have easily lost the business.”
“No need to worry anymore, lil’ bruh. I’m going to do better. I’ve been given another chance and I’m not going to waste it,” Robert said before his eyes met Patrick’s. “But before we move forward, I need your forgiveness. I need to hear you say it.”
Patrick got up from his seat and his brother did the same. He walked around to the other side of the table and they embraced each other. “Of course I forgive you. It’s what Pop would have wanted. We’ll work side by side in our business and take it to the next level.”
“Thank you, man. I’ll never forget this second chance.”
Patrick released his brother and they both re-took their seats.
To hear the sincerity in Robert’s voice was a blessing, and Patrick believed that his brother meant every word. To be able to forgive and be forgiven was liberating. Patrick started to feel whole again. He and his brother reconciling brought relief to his heart. His life was finally coming together.
* * * * *
Renee waited patiently to hear from Patrick after the reading of his father’s will. She hoped that his brother showed up for the meeting, because when he’d disappeared after their father’s service, Patrick hadn’t heard from him. All she wanted was for Patrick to be settled in his spirit concerning his family.
Showering him with love and affection had been her number one goal for the past few nights. Their closeness and intimacy had helped her as well. Her mother had always told her that forgiveness was for both sides. Renee felt good about where her relationship with Patrick was going. She knew she would always be more careful in sizing people up and making judgments about them before getting to know them. In the end, that’s what had happened between her and Patrick.
She needed to get started with her day, so she turned her attention to the long list of emails in her inbox, most of them from the team she’d pulled together for the creative newsroom. So far everything had been going well, and most importantly, Julia was keeping her distance and meeting her deadlines. Evidently the conversation Priscilla had with her after Renee left was working.
Renee had just hit the reply button on an email when she heard her cell phone buzzing. Unzipping her bag quickly, she pulled it out and saw that it was Patrick.
Pressing the button to answer, she said, “Is everything okay?”
“It couldn’t be better, baby. Couldn’t be better,” Patrick said.
Renee could hear the relief in his voice. “So your brother showed up and everything went okay?”
“It was life-changing for us both.”
“Well, all right then. Good, baby. That’s really good. I’m sure your father would be proud.”
“Babe, my dad gave us a surprise as well.”
“What happened?”
“Me and Rob are now partners with my aunt in her firm.”
“How? Did she offer a partnership to you?”
“No, it turns out my father was her silent partner and now it’s been passed down to us.”
Renee couldn’t believe her ears. “How do you feel about it? Having both this responsibility and ownership of the car service?
“We’re going to be extremely busy, but I’m confident in my abilities. Rob said that he’s going to work to make Pop proud, so I’ll do what I promised Pop before he died.”
“Of course you
will, and you’re going to take it to another level. It will continue to be a Dunlap legacy,” Renee said. She was determined to help him make It’s A Stretch one of the top transportation companies in the Chicago area. If he needed her for the venture, she’d be more than willing to help.
There was a moment of silence.
“Renee?”
“Yes, Patrick?” she said, smiling at the way he said her name.
“I love you, baby. I really do.”
“I love you too.”
“I’m going to do something about it soon. You just wait and see.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Christmas had come and gone and Renee had been so busy she didn’t even know her name. Working with her team on the creative newsroom and tying up loose ends with the gala right around the corner had worn her out. To make matters worse, her sister Jennifer had had a scare with her pregnancy that had thankfully resolved.
The one bright spot was that her relationship with Patrick had evolved into something even stronger than she could have ever imagined. He was so supportive and kept texting her to check on her and her family, people he hadn’t even met yet. She’d wanted him to meet them way before now, but with the recent emergency, she didn’t want to take the focus from Jennifer. Everybody was so excited when everything had checked out okay and she was back home.
This New Year’s Eve charity event would be different from all the others the McClendons had sponsored. Her brother-in-law Simeon had asked if he and her sister Jennifer could celebrate their one-year anniversary at the gala. Her parents had agreed that it would be great for the occasion. Simeon had also asked that it be a surprise, which meant that Renee had to make sure everything was seamless and ready to go.
* * * * *
The day of the gala, Renee snuck into the ballroom just as Aprile Goode was setting up the anniversary cake. She’d chosen Aprile because she was a friend of Jennifer’s and a very talented baker. The voluptuous, brown-skinned beauty was aspiring to open her own bakery in Gary, Indiana.
As she entered the room, Renee could smell the delicious buttercream icing, the fragrance getting stronger the closer she got to the table.
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