Jenna pulled her hands from his, breaking their connection. He felt the loss of her touch like a thread snapping in his chest and shoved his hands into his pockets. The urge to touch her was almost uncontrollable.
Jenna’s hand went to her mouth, and he knew she was thinking about their kiss.
“I better go,” she said, clasping her hands.
“I’ll walk with you.”
She shook her head wearily. “There’s no need for that. I’m just going to stop by the bike shop and then head back to the carriage house. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ve already been to The Pedal today,” he said, watching her demeanor change from exhausted to spirited.
“Why?” she asked, her brown eyes full of fire.
“Your bike is at my office. I had it fixed.”
“You did?” She put her hands on her hips and released an audible breath. “I didn’t need you to do that.”
“I know.”
She glared at him. “All right. It looks like we’re going to your office.”
“Hello!” Mrs. G said. “Is everything all right? We were watching that odd white truck. My goodness! Wasn’t he out to lunch?”
Ben nodded to Mrs. G. He was sure she could sense the tension between the two of them. But the energy in the office shifted, and the tension melted away as Mrs. G left her desk and came to greet them.
“I hug everyone,” Mrs. G said, reaching toward Jenna. “I better just hug you now before these phones start ringing.”
Jenna looked a bit startled, but she embraced the tiny woman who was at least a good eight inches shorter than she was.
“I’m Rosemary Giacopazzi, Benjamin’s office manager.”
“Mrs. G, this is Jenna Lewis. She’s staying in the carriage house,” Ben said, trying to gauge Jenna’s response.
Jenna smiled. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said as Ben watched her fall under Mrs. G’s spell.
“You can call me Rosemary. Benjamin started calling me Mrs. G in third grade and hasn’t stopped.”
“Were you neighbors?”
“Heavens, no! I was his teacher.”
Jenna’s face lit up, and Ben held back a grin. It was hard to stay angry around Mrs. G. He grabbed a set of drawings and walked into the conference room while Mrs. G told Jenna about the time he used all the rulers to build a house for the class guinea pig.
“It had a pitched roof and everything. I thought he was going to cry when we had to take it all apart to do math. But you know Benjamin, he just smiled and said he’d make an even better one tomorrow. That boy, no matter how many times he had to take that house apart, he would be ready to rebuild the next day.”
Ben came out of the conference room with Jenna’s bike and met her gaze. The anger in her eyes had disappeared and was replaced with something softer.
“You know, Mrs. G, Jenna’s a teacher, too.”
That set off another conversation. Jenna spoke animatedly about her work. Mrs. G listened and asked questions, and soon the women were chatting like old friends. It gave Ben time to really observe Jenna. He’d spent time with her, sure, but there hadn’t been a time for him to watch the way she turned her head and nodded as she listened, or how her hands gestured when she wanted to emphasize a point.
He had watched her plenty in high school, and while he still saw many reminders of that young girl, seeing her as an accomplished woman took his breath away. Unable to take his eyes off of her, he didn’t notice that his phone had started chiming until everyone in the office was looking his way.
“That’s you,” Jenna said, the side of her mouth quirking into a smile.
“Right,” Ben said, fumbling with his phone.
“It must be time to get Kate,” Mrs. G said, shifting the attention away from Ben. “You better go. You know our girl doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
“You’re right about that,” Ben said, then turned to Jenna. “Would you like to come with me to pick up Kate?”
She nodded, and Ben worked to conceal his excitement. Had he been alone, he would have done a fist pump.
“See you tomorrow, Mrs. G,” he said, rolling Jenna’s bike out the door.
“It was so nice meeting you,” Jenna said as Mrs. G settled herself back behind her desk.
“Don’t be shy. You know where we are now, and I have missed talking shop. We should get lunch together soon.”
“I’d love that,” Jenna replied as Ben cast a grateful smile to his office manager.
Kate’s school was just across the street from Ben’s office. Within seconds of the crossing guard ushering them across the road, a bell rang, and a mass of excited children spilled out of the main doors. It was the last week of school, and there was a hum of excitement in the air as children ran to their parents, an extra spring in their step.
Despite the end of the school day chaos, Jenna was at ease.
“Have you ever considered giving up life on the road for this?” Ben asked, gesturing to the teachers who were talking to parents and directing children toward the correct carpools.
“Several of my Gwyer colleagues have left to do just this.”
This was the second time Ben asked about the traveling aspect of her job. But this time, she hadn’t given her canned response.
Did she want to settle down? Was a life like that even possible for someone like her?
Before either of them could say another word, their attention was drawn to a boisterous voice.
“Daddy!” Kate called out, running toward them, backpack swinging behind her. “Jenna!” Kate added, then turned to her father. “Jenna’s here!”
They laughed at Kate’s sweet enthusiasm.
Kate looked at her father and then to Jenna. She gave them what could only be described as a Zoe expression which was a cross between “I told you so” and “thank goodness you finally figured it out” look.
“How was your day, Jellybean?”
Kate prattled on about a picture she’d made in art class as Jenna went to retrieve her bike from where they had left it leaning on a nearby tree, and the trio headed toward home. The walk up Baneberry Drive was starting to feel familiar and a sense of contentment set in as she listened to Kate and Ben chat.
Soon enough, Kate was running ahead of them. Ben and Jenna trailed behind, Jenna pushing her bike and Ben carrying Kate’s backpack. They walked in a comfortable silence as Kate skipped from tree to tree, stopping every so often to grab a low-hanging leaf.
“Thank you for having my bike fixed. It was very kind of you.” She couldn’t stay angry with him. She would be lying to herself if she thought she didn’t have feelings for him and, while that scared her, she didn’t know how to stop it. She didn’t know if she wanted to stop it.
It wasn’t like she was a spinster. She would date if she happened to meet a man she was attracted to and even sleep with him if that was what she needed. But before any feelings could develop, she’d end the relationship. She never invited anyone to her home, and it was easy enough to block a phone number if a suitor became overly persistent.
She had crafted a life where there was little risk of having to worry about a jilted lover. And there was always Nick, who wanted nothing from her. This arrangement had worked for nearly a decade. But now she could see everything was different when it came to Ben.
“You’re welcome,” he said, his voice sounding relaxed as they watched Kate move from tree to tree. “Any news on your car?”
“The mechanic said they’d bring it to the house today after they replaced the tires. Isn’t that kind of them? I’d forgotten how friendly Kansans could be.”
He nodded, and they lapsed back into silence for a few beats.
“I saw my mother today,” she began. “It was our first group therapy session, and it was pretty crazy sitting next to her after not seeing her for fourteen years.”
She was surprised at how freeing it felt to tell him that. Despite all her reservations regarding Ben and all the mixed signals he was throwing
her way, she wanted to tell him about her mother. She needed to tell him. A desire she didn’t quite understand. She was so used to lying about her past, but she couldn’t do that with him.
Jenna looked up, making sure Kate wasn’t within earshot. “The day after Mother’s Day, I learned she’d been at a women’s shelter and had threatened to take her life.”
Ben was quiet a beat. She thought she’d said too much until he met her gaze and nodded solemnly.
“But I think she’s going to be okay. She’s left her boyfriend, and I hope it’s for good. They’d been together since I was quite young and had a very tumultuous relationship. She was no saint, but he was truly a terrible person.”
“Are you her only child?” Ben asked.
“Yes, she had me very young, and I never knew my father.”
“Did he pass away?”
“No, well, I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
“My mother doesn’t know who my father is,” Jenna said as the familiar threads of shame weaved their way into her heart. She knew this shame. It had been her companion for as long as she could remember. But instead of resigning herself to it and masking it with another lie, she continued. “All I know is that back in Alabama—that’s where she’s from—she was a troubled, promiscuous teenager and ran with a rough crowd. She had the kind of family that didn’t tolerate that sort of behavior. They’re wealthy society types, very concerned with appearances. So when her father found out she was pregnant, he sent her to Kansas to live with an aunt. That’s my Aunt Ginny. She was technically my great aunt. I lived with her until she passed away.”
“Your mother wasn’t with you when you lived with your aunt?”
“No, she left when I was very small. It was just me and Aunt Ginny.”
The sound of footsteps coming toward them got louder, and Jenna glanced up to see a frustrated Kate running toward them.
“Are you two pretending to be banana slugs?”
“What?” they asked in unison.
“A banana slug. You know, the slowest mollusk in the world.”
“I thought the sloth was the slowest creature,” Jenna replied, sharing a look with Ben.
“That’s the slowest mammal,” Kate answered.
“Is that so?” Ben replied.
“Yes, I learned it at school.”
Just then, a light bulb seemed to go off in Kate’s head, and she turned to Jenna. “Jenna, can we play school with your books and letters when we get home?”
“Jellybean, I’m not sure that will work,” Ben said, then turned to Jenna. “You don’t have to work with Kate today. I know you’ve had a long day.”
She met Ben’s gaze, and it wasn’t aloof or severe, but the one of the boy she had known in high school. That kind boy was in there, or at least a part of that boy still was.
“I can’t think of anything that would make me happier,” she replied, shifting her gaze from Ben and watching Kate burst into a toothy grin.
“Can I have the keys, Daddy? I want to open the door and get ready to play school with Jenna.”
Ben barely had the keys out of his pocket before Kate grabbed them. “I’m going to beat you home, banana slugs,” she called out, laughing and skipping the last half block home.
“We’ll be right behind you, Jellybean,” he answered.
Jenna smiled as Kate sprinted toward the Tudor but froze when something warm slid over her hand. Her pulse quickened. Ben had shifted his hand from where it had been resting on the bike’s crossbar and wrapped around her hand holding the grip. His touch triggered every memory of their time in the creek—his body pressed protectively into hers and his warm, steady hands.
She didn’t move. It was like being caught between two worlds. She stared at Ben’s hand. It was much larger than hers, but they fit together. Ben started to pull back, a tiny movement, but she noticed it immediately. Jenna flicked her gaze to meet his. Uncertainty flashed in his eyes.
She didn’t know what she was doing in Langley Park. She didn’t know what she was doing with this man she’d never forgotten. But what she knew for certain was that she didn’t want him to pull his hand away. Without breaking eye contact, she shifted her fingers and laced them with his and watched as the boyish smile she remembered stretched across his face.
15
Jenna spent the next hour working with Kate. Ben wasn’t hovering around them as he did during their first tutoring session. She’d heard him going up and down the stairs, the telltale top stair giving a gentle squeak each time he passed. She’d caught a glimpse of him carrying a laundry basket and bit back a chuckle thinking of him folding Kate’s little socks.
Kate didn’t want to play hide-and-seek when they finished and had instead requested a game of crazy eights. Ben set a pot of water to boil and joined them at the table, dealing out three hands.
At the tender age of six, Kate had all the makings of a card shark, eyeing both Ben and Jenna sharply when they played a card she didn’t like. It didn’t take long before Jenna racked up the requisite fifty points and was deemed the loser by a cheering Kate.
“I don’t know where she gets her competitive streak,” he remarked with a glint in his eye while Kate did a victory dance around the kitchen table.
But before Jenna could respond, the timer went off near the stove, and Ben left the table to quiet the beeping.
“Remember, Jellybean, winners clean up,” Ben said as he poured the spaghetti into the colander.
“Is Jenna going to eat dinner with us, Daddy?” Kate asked, slipping the cards back into the worn box.
“I better not,” Jenna said, looking down at her fingers. Barely an hour ago, they’d been laced with Ben’s. “The mechanics should be dropping off my car soon, and I’d hate to interrupt your meal.”
She glanced at Ben. His hair was a bit disheveled. He’d slung a dishtowel over his shoulder and was mixing the pasta with the sauce.
“Go wash your hands, Bean,” Ben instructed his daughter. “You should stay,” he added with a boyish grin and handed her three plates.
She set down her bag and gave him a little nod. As Jenna reached for the plates, her fingertips brushed past Ben’s. A surge of electricity shot through her hands. Butterflies erupted into flight inside her belly.
Get. It. Together.
She bit her lip, and Ben’s gaze lingered on her mouth. It was too much. He was too much. She turned away and took a steadying breath.
Kate tugged on the hem of her skirt and was quick to school her on how to set the table. The precocious six-year-old gestured for Jenna to take the seat next to her father as she chattered on about the last week of school, and soon they were all enjoying good old spaghetti.
Ben shook his head and smiled, reminding his daughter to breathe and chew with her mouth closed.
“Jenna, you’re lucky Daddy made spaghetti. He tried to make a whole chicken once, and it caught on fire. We had to go to Park Tavern for dinner that night.”
“It didn’t catch on fire,” Ben said, a slight blush on his cheeks.
Jenna tried to stifle a laugh.
“Daddy, it was all black and tiny.”
Ben shook his head. “I set the heat too high and then forgot to turn on the timer.”
“The chicken was all smoky and stuck to the pot. The fire alarm went off, remember, Daddy?”
Jenna and Kate were laughing as Ben feigned horror, and then he laughed with them. “It was pretty bad. I just threw the whole thing, pan and all, in the trash.”
“You certainly get points for trying,” Jenna said, reaching over to touch Ben’s arm. But she stopped herself and pulled her hand away awkwardly.
Kate took a sip of milk and narrowed her gaze. “Jenna, how long are you going to live with us?”
She was caught off guard by Kate’s question, and Ben looked perplexed as well. It was the first time Jenna had seen Ben at a loss for words with his daughter.
“That’s a good question,” she answered,
watching Ben from the corner of her eye. “My mom is in the hospital, so I’m here until she gets better. Is that all right with you?”
Kate chewed on a bite of pasta. “Is Grandpa Neil your mom’s doctor?”
“I don’t think so,” Jenna said, looking to Ben.
“My stepdad’s a surgeon at Midwest,” he said, then turned to Kate. “Jenna’s mom has a different doctor, Bean.”
Kate nodded, and Jenna could almost see the wheels turning in the little girl’s head.
“Jenna,” Kate began, “can we keep playing school? I like playing school with you.”
“You know what, Kate? I love playing school with you, too. How about if we play school a little bit every day?” She turned to Ben. “It would be best if I could work with Kate for an hour every day, Monday through Friday.”
He nodded. “During the summer, Kate spends the mornings at the Langley Park Community Center’s day camp and then she’s with my mom in the afternoons. Could you do this time, right before dinner?”
“Please say yes, Jenna!” Kate jumped up and threw herself into Jenna’s arms.
“Okay, then! We’ll play school every day before dinner.”
Jenna had to work to keep her face neutral, but inside she was doing cartwheels. She was going to get to spend a little bit of each day with these two people. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.
“Do you want to come jump rope with me, Jenna?”
“Jellybean, Jenna and I are still eating. Bring your plate to the sink, and then you can jump rope in the backyard.”
“Will you watch me jump, Jenna?” Kate asked, balancing her glass and fork on her plate.
“Absolutely.”
As Kate walked past them, she reached over and touched her father’s face. “Daddy, you’re messy.”
Jenna looked over at Ben and had to bite her lip to keep from chuckling. “Kate’s right. You’ve got a little sauce on your cheek.”
Ben blushed and dabbed at his cheek with his napkin, but he missed the sauce completely.
“No, there,” she said, trying to direct him toward the offending sauce.
After watching Ben wipe without success, she leaned in, and, with the pad of her thumb, wiped the small bit of sauce off his face. He was warm, and his beard stubble tickled her finger. She could barely register the faint sound of Kate singing a jump rope chant as time seemed to slow down. She started to pull back, but Ben put his hand on hers, keeping it in place.
The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5) Page 12