Page 27 of The Fear
But no one else would hire her. She’d tried to get on in the cafeteria at the hospital but that stupid Genny Hiller had probably blocked her application or something. Those Hillers had never liked her. Or her friends. She had friends from high school who worked at the hospital. Her friend Mandy had said Jessica wouldn’t have liked working there anyway. Not with that Aubrey woman there and that Dr. Alvaro always in and out keeping a close eye on her husband in case he decided to stray or something.
Oh, Jessicawished.Except that guy had five kids now. She wasn’t interested in ever being a stepmother. Not for a minute.
Two kids were more than enough.
But Billy was there.
And he was waiting for her now.
Jessica greeted the last man she’d dated with a smile…
18
She just didn’tstop.
Jessica had called him a dozen times since Friday night. Making demands—and whining. About taking care of the kids all the time. She’d ruined Saturday and Sunday for him, too.
Brenton hadn’t gotten a straight answer out of Jessica, just more whining and pouting about how expensive good childcare was. But at least she’d promised to bring the kids to him every morning. He’d feed them and drop Wynnie off at school and he’d found someone to watch BJ now during the day, too. It hadn’t been that hard—it was part of being a damned parent. She’d wanted the kids so much, now that they actually had them, she barely wanted to show up. And the kids had to go back to her tomorrow. It made him sick to even think about it.
Why didn’t she just give him the kids and go screw whoever she wanted to next? It would make it easier on all of them.
Except… then she wouldn’t be sticking it to him if he had the kids all the time and she didn’t. Sometimes, he was convinced her screwing him over was more important to her than BJ and Wynnie ever could be.
“I hope we get there early,” Wynnie said, bouncing in her car seat behind him. “I like school now.”
She hadn’t. Not before. This new teacher had made the difference. “Why?”
“Because if you tell Mith Hanan that you didn’t eat breakfast, she’ll give you her apple from her lunch. I really like apples. Mommy never buys apples.”
“You’re eating your teacher’s lunch?” This teacher would think Brenton was starving his kid or something. Hell.
“Just sometimes. When Mommy doesn’t have time to feed us breakfast or nothing.”
“How often is that?”
“Four. No five. She gave me an apple five times. And a banana two times. She says fruit is good for you.”
“Does she give food to other kids?”
“Sometimes. She has Mither Sandoval bring her fruit sometimes. As presents. I think he likes her. Maybe they are boyfriend and girlfriend? Cayson and Julie are boyfriend and girlfriend. Mommy has a new boyfriend too.Billy.I donotlike him. Billy has mean eyes and he scares my brother. I want a boyfriend, Daddy. Then he can beat upBilly.When can I have one?”
“When you’re eighty-three.” He pulled into the Value Elementary parking lot and parked.
There was a new boyfriend now? Hell, that was like the sixth in less than eighteen months. Each one was more of a loser than the last.
His fear for his kids deepened every day.
He followed Wynnie down the hall, BJ riding on his hip. His kid was afraid of his own shadow lately. Clingy, when he didn’t use to be. It was like holding a damned baby monkey at times. Somehow, Brenton would have to get to the bottom ofthatsoon, too.
Wynnie pushed open the door to the kindergarten classroom.
And thereshewas.
He’d met her before, of course. This was a small town, and people knew everybody. Now, Brenton took a moment to study her.
Ms. Hananlookedlike a fresh-faced kindergarten teacher. Young. Very young. Sweet looking, really. Beautiful, in that kind of kid-sister way.
She was cute, wholesome—not the kind of woman he’d ever been attracted to before. But that was before the whole Jessica thing. Now…hell, he’d give his left leg for a decent woman like this one to look at him now.
