Page 6 of The Billionaire Benefactor

Chapter 4

Jenny surveyed the house again as she wrapped up the vacuum cleaner cord. Roman and whoever he was bringing would be here any minute. She’d cleaned up the paint cans from painting the hallway earlier in the week, put away all the dishes she’d let pile up in the sink, and hidden the pile of clean laundry in her bedroom.

“Mommy, why are you cleaning?” Lucy stood in the hallway, watching.

Jenny smiled. “Do I not normally clean?”

“No. Can I play on the iPad?”

“It’s my turn on the iPad. She already got to use it this morning,” Matt said, grabbing the iPad from Lucy. He narrowed his eyes at his little sister, his tone harsher than it needed to be.

Lucy started in with a whine. “Hey! Mo-o-om—”

“No fighting about the iPad or no one gets to use it. It’s Matt’s turn—twenty minutes, okay? Lucy, why don’t you put something on Netflix.” Lucy went into the family room and started up the TV. “Matt?”

“Yeah?” He squared his shoulders off at her, looking angry. That had been his expression for the last few weeks. Jenny clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to snap. She’d read somewhere that when you most want to pull away from your child, that’s when you should draw closer. She wondered if that person ever dealt with an angry eight-year-old boy who’d just lost his father.

She put a hand on his shoulder and tried not to show the hurt on her face when he pulled away from her. “Yes ma’am, not yeah.”

“Yes, ma’am. What?”

“Do you think you could talk a little nicer to your sister?”

“She’s so annoying.”

“She’s your sister. I know she’s younger, but she looks up to you. It crushes her when you talk to her like that. I’m just asking you to think about your words. Be a little more patient. And don’t grab things from her hands. Even if it’s your turn.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. As he turned to head back to his room with the iPad in hand, she thought she caught an eye roll.

Jenny opened her mouth, debating. Pick your battles. Was this a battle to be picked? Was she sure that he rolled his eyes?

Not for the first time, Jenny felt a heavy sense that she was doing it all wrong. She blinked back tears. Parenting alone was so challenging. Several people had made remarks about that since Hank died, and she had to bite back remarks about the fact that she’d been doing it alone for six months or more. Denise urged Jenny to tell her parents at least, but she just wasn’t ready. It was painful and humiliating. Hank dying didn’t change much in her reality, except that now she was parenting alone with two grieving kids and a lot more responsibilities suddenly piled on.

The doorbell rang and her heart jumped. Tiny began his deep booming bark and ran for the door. Jenny smoothed a hand over her hair. She hated to admit that this was the first time she’d showered and put any effort into her appearance since the funeral. Roman had already seen her at her worst, so it probably didn’t matter. Today at least she had showered and put a little effort in.

Not that she really cared what some pro football player and his teammates thought of her…okay, she did care. She didn’t want to, but she did. It was Roman Bennett, her secret crush.

That wasn’t wrong, was it? At every step since Hank died she felt like she had to ask herself what she should be doing. Do widows wear makeup? Do they care about their clothes? Should she sing along with the radio? Should she smile and wave at carpool drop off like everything is normal? Should she look sad while sitting in church?

No matter what Jenny did, she felt like people were watching and judging. She knew it was probably paranoia, but it seemed like at every turn she was doing something wrong.

Was it wrong to have professional football players come help around the house?

She wasn’t sure, so hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. The doorbell rang again. She pulled Tiny’s collar back as she opened the door, making sure to get a good grip this time. He was big and seemed fierce, but he was really a big scaredy cat when push came to shove. When Jenny opened the door and Tiny saw three huge men towering there, Tiny ran behind Jenny’s legs to hide. She immediately lost her grip on his collar. The weight of his body pressing against the back of her knees knocked her out onto the porch and straight into Roman.

“Whoa!” Roman said as her face went into his chest. He staggered a step back and her arms went around his waist, trying to steady herself. His hands went around her back and a tremor coursed through her body. Time slowed to a stop.

Roman Bennett’s hands are on my back.I am hugging Roman Bennett.

He smelled amazing, like a warm and woodsy cologne. His chest was solid muscle, but somehow felt soft against her cheek. She wanted this moment to last forever at the same time as she wanted to run away and hide. Could she not just have a normal interaction with Roman?

Jenny tried to pull away but Tiny was still bumping into the back of her knees, like he could somehow hide his massive body behind her petite frame. Each time he moved, her body rocked into Roman’s. They were pressed together completely. She tried not to be distracted by the feel of his ab muscles beneath his T-shirt.

“Tiny! Inside!” Jenny yelled, swatting at him as best she could while her body was still pressed up against Roman. Tiny darted back into the house and Jenny jerked away from Roman, banging her arm into the doorway.

Jenny leaned against it, catching her breath and rubbing her arm. She knew she was blushing something fierce. Roman looked somewhere between horrified and embarrassed, but the two guys behind him were laughing.

“I’m so sorry,” she said when she’d caught her breath. “Tiny’s kind of a big scaredy cat.”

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