Page 37 of The Billionaire Benefactor

Chapter 12

three weeks later

Jenny surveyed the family room and wiped her sweaty forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. Boxes were piled on every available surface. Her mother had the kids while she finished taping up boxes and separating out what was going to be donated, what was going in storage, and what would be moving on to the small house they’d be renting nearby. It wasn’t ideal, but it was all she could find or afford right now. It was a seller’s market, which meant she had multiple offers, but every house she liked turned into a bidding war. The idea of moving now only to move again later made her feel sick, but at this point, the only other option was moving in with her parents.

Her phone buzzed to life with a text. She couldn’t help but grin when she saw the name.

Roman:Hey, you home? Was going to stop in for one of my famous unannounced visits.

Though they talked most nights, she hadn’t seen Roman since the time Charles showed up with the ring. Charles hadn’t come by either, which she didn’t mind. Though part of her wished Roman would come back to church with her, she asked him not to, at least for now. When he’d left the service early, Jenny had to face all the questions, well-meaning and not, by herself. Maybe he could come back soon, but even going to church together felt like a step forward. One she wasn’t quite ready for yet.

She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush because of the way she lit up when Roman said he might stop by. Jenny wanted to take a shower and change if he was coming by.

She had tried to keep herself from checking his social media posts, interviews, and all of the Roman Bennett hoopla on the internet. Sometimes she got weak and found herself lost on his Instagram feed for hours. Waiting was hard. And she still didn’t know what should happen next or even what Roman wanted. Sometimes she couldn’t sleep, worrying and doubting. What if she was mistaking kindness for attraction? He helped lots of people. Jenny might be just another charity case. Maybe he had a savior complex and he was only interested because she was vulnerable.

Jenny:Be warned—if you stop, this time I might actually force you to work.

Roman:Is this the right number?

Roman:I was trying to reach Jenny, a woman who never needs help.

Jenny:Haha. It’s me. Maybe I’m just getting desperate.

Roman:Should I be offended you only want me to help when you’re desperate?

Jenny:It’s not personal!

Roman:Too bad. I was kind of hoping for something personal. ;)

Jenny pressed a hand to her flushed cheek. She was glad she was alone so that no one could see her goofy smile. Roman Bennett was sending her flirty texts.

Roman: Would you be mine? Could you be mine?

Her heart started pounding. She remembered him singing the song the last time he was here, off-key, but adorable. A moment later, a last text came through just as the doorbell rang. Tiny leapt at the door, barking.

Roman: Won’t you be my neighbor?

Roman stood on the other side of the door, looking huge and handsome. Her already-wild heart went crazy. She tried to contain the look on her face so it wouldn’t be so obvious to him how excited she was to see him. She held onto the doorframe to keep herself from leaping out and giving him a hug. She felt way too shy for that. Tiny did enough leaping for both of them.

“Hey, neighbor,” he said.

“Come on in, neighbor,” Jenny said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you about needing help.”

He followed her inside into the mess of boxes. The walls were bare, with mirrors and paintings and photographs stacked along the walls, waiting for bubble wrap and boxes. She led him to the couches. The love seat was covered with boxes, so they sat down on the couch, not quite at either end, but not close enough to touch. Jenny wished she’d left the love seat uncovered so that there would be no choice but to sit inches apart.

“I saw the SOLD sign out front. You worked fast,” he said. “I didn’t even know.”

Had she not told him? She traced back over their nightly conversations quickly. No, most of the things they talked about were getting-to-know-you kinds of questions: what movies they liked, memories from childhood, favorite foods. Their conversations skirted around a lot of the present and recent past. Which included things like moving, Hank, and anything to do with their relationship.

“Sorry,” she said. “I guess we were always talking about other things. It sold the first weekend. I don’t want to complain, but it made finding a new place really tough.”

“So, what’s the plan? Where are you moving to?”

“We’ll be renting for a few months, maybe up to a year. I couldn’t find anything I loved in our price range. Anything I liked got snatched up or there was a bidding war that forced the prices too high. The rental is not far, so Lucy and Matt can stay at their same schools when they start in a few weeks. Hopefully in a year or so the market will have shifted and I can find something we like and can afford.”

Roman nodded. “Well, what can I do? How can I help? I’m not going to miss the opportunity now that you’re finally admitting that you need help.”

Jenny blushed. “I was just kidding about that. Really. I’m just taping up boxes and stuff.”

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