Chapter Seven
Olivia
Jenson hustles through the front doors of Union Bank with Kyle and Connor in tow. Both boys are wearing t-shirts and shorts and have adorable little backpacks over their shoulders.
“Hi.” Jenson flashes me a quick grin, and my toes curl. His whole face lights up with gratitude, and he looks so sexy in that suit. His hair’s combed back neatly, and his green eyes sparkle. “Can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Olive.”
“It’s no problem. I gave Vivian a heads-up, so she’s expecting my little banking helpers to be here for the afternoon.” I hold out my arms and both boys let me envelop them in a hug.
“Livia!” Kyle says, his eyes shining with joy. “I stole Connor’s bathing suit, and he screamed like he was being murdered! It was awesome!”
“Wow. That sounds…intense.” I glance up at Jenson, who mouths “little troublemaker” at me.
He ruffles Kyle’s hair. “But he won’t be doing anything like that in here, will you, Kyle?”
Kyle shakes his head. “Nope. We’ll be good. We want to learn how to make money!”
I point to the two extra chairs I’ve set up at my desk. “Okay—why don’t you both take a seat? You’ll each be on either side of me, and I’ll show you what I do here every day.”
Connor’s already sitting down. He tosses his backpack onto my desk. “Ready, Livia!”
Jenson’s gaze slides to mine. “Are you sure you can handle them and get anything done at the same time?”
I put my hand on his arm. “Don’t worry! We’ll be fine. Good luck this afternoon. I’m so excited to hear about how it all goes.”
He leans in close and whispers in my ear, “I’ll make it up to you.”
My heart melts as he kisses Kyle and Connor on their heads. “Be good for Olivia, boys.”
He shoots me a half-grin, and he’s gone.
I turn to Kyle and Connor. “Who wants to find out the best ways to save up money for something you really want?”
Two arms fly up in the air and wave at me excitedly.
I smile as I sit down in between the two boys and open up my laptop.
* * *
Keeping the attention of two very energetic five-year-olds is pretty much impossible. They sit politely for about ten minutes, and I give each of them a wallet. But Connor’s still mad about Kyle stealing his bathing suit, and he pokes Kyle behind my back, until finally, they end up chasing each other around my desk. I put a stop to the fun when Connor body-slides across my desk on his stomach in order to “take a short cut to get to Kyle.”
I’ve given up on getting any work done until I discover the magic of markers. I set up Kyle and Connor with paper and a multitude of colored markers. They immediately quiet and start coloring.
By the time Jenson returns to the bank later that afternoon, both boys are asleep with their heads in my lap and their exhausted bodies curled up in their chairs.
Jenson takes in the scene and runs his hand through his hair. “That bad, huh?”
“I admired you before for being an amazing father,” I say. “But now I think you and Meghan must be saints. I don’t know how you manage as single parents.”
He kneels down next to me. “It’s a challenge,” he admits, his eyes shifting to his sons both peacefully asleep. “It changes your entire life. But it’s all good—okay, most of it’s good,” he adds with a grin.
“How did everything go at the college?”
“Great.” He pulls at his tie. “I’m ready to change out of this suit. But I like the people I met. I have to admit, though, I’m looking forward to getting back to the football part of my job tomorrow.”
“I’m glad it went well.”
He tilts his head in the direction of his sons. “These little animals must have worn you out. How can I repay you?”
