Part-Time Wife Read Online Free PDF Page B

inactive life-style gave her an advantage.
    Her gaze locked with Ben's. A flicker of uncertainty flashed through his eyes. She thought he might be a little afraid of winning. That would give him more power than most children would find comfortable. At least she liked to think so.
    "C.J., you say go," she said, and shifted on the carpet. Ben would probably go for the quick kill. If she could hold on during that, she might have a chance. If she could win, she would make it look hard, so Ben could save face.
    Ah, the complications of dealing with a houseful of men, she thought. She leaned forward so she could have the maximum leverage and sucked in a breath.
    "Go!" C.J. yelled.

----
    Chapter 3
    « ^ »
    J ill thought she'd prepared herself for the assault, but when it came, Ben nearly drove her hand into the table. She managed to keep him from slamming it down, but barely. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.
    She didn't look at him or either of the other boys. She focused all her attention on her arm, willing it to be strong.
    She finally managed to get their hands back in an upright position. She pressed hard, and he gave. She risked glancing at him. She saw the panic on his face. He was about to be humiliated in front of his brothers.
    Her heart went out to this stubborn, proud, over-weight boy who probably endured the taunts of his classmates and the lack of confidence that went with not fitting in. She was torn between wanting to make him feel better and needing to establish a presence in the house. As she'd decided, if she could win, she would. But she wouldn't make it look easy.
    Her arm was shaking, but not as badly as Ben's. They knelt there, with their arms perpendicular to the table.
    "You gonna beat 'im, Jill?" Danny asked, earning a glare from his oldest brother.
    "I'm trying," she said through gritted teeth. She moved slightly to the left, forcing his wrist down.
    C.J. laughed. "Come on, Ben. She's just a girl."
    "Then you try it," Ben complained. "She's stronger than she looks."
    "Lesson number one," Jill said. "Never underestimate the power of a woman."
    With that she pressed the back of his hand down onto the wood. Both C.J. and Danny cheered. Ben released her fingers and rubbed his wrist as if it hurt.
    "I thought I'd win for sure," he said, then smiled sheepishly. In that moment, he looked exactly like his father. He was going to be a heartbreaker when he grew up, she thought. He leaned over, grabbed the remote control, turned off the television, then handed the clicker to her.
    "Haynes men keep their word," he said simply.
    He sounded so serious. The words were those of a mature man, not a twelve-year-old boy. But the way he said them, she believed him.
    "You're being very gracious," she said. She was surprised. She'd thought he would be a sore loser. One point for him, she thought, deciding that if he really cooperated with her today, she would let him watch a little TV tonight. She'd learned early on it paid to compromise.
    "Okay, why don't the three of you give me the nickel tour."
    Danny frowned. "We get a nickel if we give you a tour?"
    "No, stupid. It's just an expression."
    Apparently Ben's magnanimous attitude didn't extend to his brothers. "No name-calling, please." She stood up and placed her hand on Danny's shoulder. "But Ben is right. 'Nickel tour' is just an expression. It means to give someone a quick tour. Not a lot of details."
    "Oh, okay."
    C.J. looked at her and grinned. "Are you sure you want to see the rest of the house?"
    She glanced at the piles of laundry by the door to the garage, then at the dishes in the kitchen. "Sure. How bad can it be?"
    The three boys laughed together.
    Fifteen minutes later, Jill didn't feel like laughing. She wanted to turn tail and run. She didn't understand how people could live under these conditions. It didn't make sense. Didn't anyone notice that virtually every possession was out of the cupboards, closets and drawers and on the floor?
    She