Read Online Part-Time Wife by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Mallery
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hook sank in deep.
She stood up and put away the rest of the groceries. She glanced at the clock, then made a batch of quick bread. The timer on the oven would turn the heat off at the right time, so it wouldn't overcook. Then she grabbed her purse and keys and headed out to the garage.
Five minutes later she pulled up in front of the school. She joined a long line of cars filled with mothers waiting for their children.
She watched the smiling kids run toward their parents. There hadn't been a lot of laughter in her house when she was growing up. Before the divorce, her parents had fought constantly. After the divorce, they'd spent their time thinking up ways to torment each other. Usually she was the preferred method, each parent playing her against the other. Once she'd grown up and escaped, she'd been willing to do anything to belong to a family, even turn a blind eye to Aaron's real motive for marrying her.
Before she could question her gullibility, she glanced up and saw two boys racing toward the vehicle. They were laughing, and she couldn't help but smile back.
She unlocked the car and they tumbled inside. Danny took the front seat. C.J. had had it that morning.
"How was your day?" she asked and waited until they'd put on their seat belts before starting the engine.
"Great," C.J. said. "I've got to do a science project."
"Wonderful," she thought, fighting back a groan. She had a mental picture of a pudding-filled volcano exploding in her freshly cleaned kitchen.
"What about you, Danny?"
Craig's youngest frowned. "I wanna play Pee-Wee ball, but Daddy won't practice with me. He said he would this weekend, but he was gone."
"Your father is working on something special right now. It's important for him to be gone. But he thinks about you and misses you. As soon as he can, he'll start spending more time at home." She paused, wondering if either boy would ask how she knew this bit of in formation. She didn't, exactly. She was assuming. Because Craig was a decent guy and he genuinely seemed to care about his kids.
"You don't have to practice," C.J. said. "Everyone gets on a team."
"I know." Danny blew his bangs out of his eyes. "But I don't want to be on a baby team. I wanna be good."
"Not a problem," Jill said, glancing at him. "We'll help you."
Danny made a face that said he wasn't impressed with the offer.
"I'll have you know that I'm a very good Pee-Wee ball player," she said.
C.J. looked at her and grinned. "You're lying. You've never played Pee-Wee ball."
"Well, I could if I wanted to."
Danny laughed. "You're too big."
"There's a first," she said. "Okay, maybe I haven't played Pee-Wee ball, but I can still help. Your brothers can, too. You'll see, Danny. You'll do great."
"I'll help the kid out," C.J. said. "But Ben won't. He just watches TV or plays video games after school."
Jill didn't like the sound of that. Children needed to get outside and run around. When she'd been a child, she'd often escaped outside to get away from her parents. There, in a tree house, she'd been able to pretend she was somewhere else – in a place where people cared about each other.
She turned the corner and stopped behind the school bus. It turned on its flashing red lights as children began to step down. Ben was one of the last ones off. None of the other children spoke to him as they walked away in groups of twos and threes.
Jill stared at the boy. He had his father's good looks, but he needed to lose weight. His whole body shook when he walked. She frowned, wondering if she was qualified to deal with this problem. Then she realized Ben didn't have anyone else right now. She was going to have to do her best and pray that it was enough.
When he was in the car, she signaled and pulled away from the curb.
"How was your day?" she asked brightly, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.
He looked out the side window and didn't meet her gaze. "Dumb."
"Okay." She thought for a moment, trying to plan the afternoon. It
She stood up and put away the rest of the groceries. She glanced at the clock, then made a batch of quick bread. The timer on the oven would turn the heat off at the right time, so it wouldn't overcook. Then she grabbed her purse and keys and headed out to the garage.
Five minutes later she pulled up in front of the school. She joined a long line of cars filled with mothers waiting for their children.
She watched the smiling kids run toward their parents. There hadn't been a lot of laughter in her house when she was growing up. Before the divorce, her parents had fought constantly. After the divorce, they'd spent their time thinking up ways to torment each other. Usually she was the preferred method, each parent playing her against the other. Once she'd grown up and escaped, she'd been willing to do anything to belong to a family, even turn a blind eye to Aaron's real motive for marrying her.
Before she could question her gullibility, she glanced up and saw two boys racing toward the vehicle. They were laughing, and she couldn't help but smile back.
She unlocked the car and they tumbled inside. Danny took the front seat. C.J. had had it that morning.
"How was your day?" she asked and waited until they'd put on their seat belts before starting the engine.
"Great," C.J. said. "I've got to do a science project."
"Wonderful," she thought, fighting back a groan. She had a mental picture of a pudding-filled volcano exploding in her freshly cleaned kitchen.
"What about you, Danny?"
Craig's youngest frowned. "I wanna play Pee-Wee ball, but Daddy won't practice with me. He said he would this weekend, but he was gone."
"Your father is working on something special right now. It's important for him to be gone. But he thinks about you and misses you. As soon as he can, he'll start spending more time at home." She paused, wondering if either boy would ask how she knew this bit of in formation. She didn't, exactly. She was assuming. Because Craig was a decent guy and he genuinely seemed to care about his kids.
"You don't have to practice," C.J. said. "Everyone gets on a team."
"I know." Danny blew his bangs out of his eyes. "But I don't want to be on a baby team. I wanna be good."
"Not a problem," Jill said, glancing at him. "We'll help you."
Danny made a face that said he wasn't impressed with the offer.
"I'll have you know that I'm a very good Pee-Wee ball player," she said.
C.J. looked at her and grinned. "You're lying. You've never played Pee-Wee ball."
"Well, I could if I wanted to."
Danny laughed. "You're too big."
"There's a first," she said. "Okay, maybe I haven't played Pee-Wee ball, but I can still help. Your brothers can, too. You'll see, Danny. You'll do great."
"I'll help the kid out," C.J. said. "But Ben won't. He just watches TV or plays video games after school."
Jill didn't like the sound of that. Children needed to get outside and run around. When she'd been a child, she'd often escaped outside to get away from her parents. There, in a tree house, she'd been able to pretend she was somewhere else – in a place where people cared about each other.
She turned the corner and stopped behind the school bus. It turned on its flashing red lights as children began to step down. Ben was one of the last ones off. None of the other children spoke to him as they walked away in groups of twos and threes.
Jill stared at the boy. He had his father's good looks, but he needed to lose weight. His whole body shook when he walked. She frowned, wondering if she was qualified to deal with this problem. Then she realized Ben didn't have anyone else right now. She was going to have to do her best and pray that it was enough.
When he was in the car, she signaled and pulled away from the curb.
"How was your day?" she asked brightly, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.
He looked out the side window and didn't meet her gaze. "Dumb."
"Okay." She thought for a moment, trying to plan the afternoon. It
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