Page 17 of Loving Vincent

“Who Jar?” Lola asked, then immediately forgot what she was asking as she continued to chatter about everything her brain could come up with. Vince, the house, the bedroom, her pajamas, the colour purple, Vince, and their upcoming shopping trip.

Jenna dressed her daughter in the only outfit she could find in a bag that Vince’s guy had packed the night before, a pair of stretchy-waisted jeans over top of Lola’s pull-ups and a T-shirt with a unicorn on it. She handed Lola a pair of socks and told her to put them on while she dressed herself. Jenna kept looking at her daughter as she pulled on the sweats that Vince had left on the dresser for her to use. She couldn’t quite believe that she had free and unlimited access to her child. It was like a miracle come true!

The custody battle had taken so much out of her, she almost didn’t realize just how much until this very moment. She wanted to weep in relief, but still felt some niggling doubt, which created fear in her heart. What if Zach found a way to take Lola back? He was manipulative, charismatic and without integrity. He was also law savvy. He was undoubtedly, at that very moment, trying to find a way of getting Lola back. Because without Lola he had no way of controlling Jenna. And the idea of trusting someone like Vince to help keep them safe felt impossible. What possible benefit would he have in procuring an instant family?

Vince was tough, sexy and scary. All the things that Jenna was not. He could have any woman he wanted at the snap of his fingers. She didn’t believe that his interest in her could hold for long. She needed to be ready to take care of herself and her daughter, the way she’d always done. All by herself.

“Are you ready to go yet, chicken?”

Jenna chuckled when she realized Lola was struggling diligently with putting on her sock. Though she wasn’t quite succeeding she was trying. Her tongue peeked out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated, and her mop of blond curls fell into her face as she leaned over to see what she was doing.

“Do you need help, baby?” Jenna asked, reaching a hand out for the sock.

“ ‘es pwease.” Lola handed her the sock and stuck her foot out.

When they were dressed they left the room together, Lola’s hand tucked in Jenna’s. They walked back down the hall toward the front room, following the sound of men’s voices.

“Until he’s taken care of, we’ll have to up security on the house. Don’t trust that fucker not to come after the girls.”

Jenna’s heart beat a little faster as she realized they were discussing Zach, and echoing her exact thoughts. Zach wouldn’t just give up with ex-wife and child without a fight.

“Please watch your language,” she said briskly rounding the corner. “There’s a child in the house now.”

They both turned to look at her. She blushed as Vince looked her up and down. She thought when she’d gotten dressed that no one in their right mind would find the giant T-shirt and sweatpants attractive but the warm glow in his eyes told her otherwise. He was looking at her as though he could see exactly what she looked like underneath the clothes.

Jared broke the intense moment by smacking Vince on the back of the head. “Yeah man, watch your language.”

Vince growled at him and stood up. “Take them to Redberry mall, keep an eye on anyone that comes near them and don’t let them out of your sight.” He opened his wallet and handed a card to Jared. “Make sure they get everything they need. Clothes, toys, toiletries, whatever. Don’t come back until they have enough to last at least a few weeks.”

Jenna bit the inside of her lips so she wouldn’t burst out with an exclamation about how she had her own money and didn’t need his. The reality of her situation is that she had $50 left in her grocery budget and $200 in savings, which was earmarked for her phone and power bills. She couldn’t afford new anything let alone an entire wardrobe. She would have to accept Vince’s generosity, since it seemed he wasn’t going to be letting her go home any time soon.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Jenna surprised both herself and Vince by asking the question that had been lurking in her mind. Why was he sending her shopping with his best friend, bodyguard, employee type person?

Vince’s eyes heated in pleasure at her question and she wished she could snatch it back. “I have to get to the job site, sweetheart. The project needs a firm hand.”

“And I’m crap at managing the sub-trades,” Jared added. “Vince can get those guys to do what he says the first time he says it.”

“Crap!” Lola yelled, tugging happily on Jenna’s hand.

Jenna raised an eyebrow at the guys. They both looked a little sheepish as Lola made her earlier point for her.

“Crap isn’t a swear word,” Jared defended himself.

Vince slapped him on the back of the head. “Don’t do it again, we’re a kid friendly household now.”

Jenna smothered a giggle and knelt next to Lola to help her with her coat and shoes.

As they were leaving, Lola held firmly in Jenna’s arms, Vince cupped the back of her neck and bent to place a quick hard kiss on her lips, lingering for just a second, as though breathing her in before backing away. “We’ll talk later,” he said gruffly.

Jenna resisted the urge to touch her tingling lips as they headed out toward Jared’s truck. She couldn’t wait for that conversation. She was starting to hope that it would be less words and more action.

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