Page 83 of Waiting For A Girl Like You (Haven House #4)

“ Y ou’re doing it wrong!”

Ben sat grinning on the villa’s long leather couch, watching as Jamison attempted to teach Samuel and Selah some dance that involved Single Ladies.

“Jamison, I know I’m pretty like Beyoncé,” Selah huffed, bent in half with his hands braced on his knees. “But I’ve fully accepted that I cannot dance like the woman.”

Red-faced and soaked in sweat, Samuel collapsed onto the floor. “I’m out. I can’t ‘ oh, oh, oh ’ anymore.”

“It’s not that hard,” Jamison huffed with exasperation. “You guys just need to practice.”

An evening breeze floated in through the open patio doors.

Cool and crisp, it brought the scent of flowers into the room.

“We can always switch to a movie, but your sister gets to pick which one,” Ben said as the wind ruffled his hair.

The floral scent was familiar, but it disappeared before his brain could fully recognize it.

“Although I will say, I’m fine watching this all night. ”

Jamison beamed excitedly, a mouth full of braces nearly overtaking her entire face. “Twilight?”

The boys groaned in unison. Even Ben winced. He’d avoided this moment for as long as he could, and it was finally catching up with him.

“Haven’t you seen that one a few times? ”

The smile on his daughter’s face dimmed, her eyes narrowing on him. “I’ve seen Twilight seventy-seven times and New Moon sixty-two times. Why is that important?”

Selah flopped down onto the floor to lie next to Samuel. “I’ve seen it once. That was enough.”

“When?” Samuel lifted his head to look at his brother. “And with who?”

Selah grinned. “No clue when, but it was with Marcie Colson.”

“The cute blonde from Alpha Delta Pi?” Samuel’s head dropped again. “So, you didn’t actually watch it.”

“All I’m gonna say is that Twilight was on, but my eyes were occupied with something far more attractive. And nude.”

“Ewwwww.” Jamison plopped down onto the couch, nudging Selah’s head with her bare foot. “Stop talking about naked girls.”

Ben had thought the age difference might be a problem.

This whole trip had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, and he’d initially been worried that two college boys and a middle school girl wouldn’t have much in common.

But his kids surprised him. Selah and Samuel managed to keep things PG-rated for the most part and indulged Jamison every chance they could.

Including doing highly intricate choreography to her favorite songs.

However, he secretly hoped they would draw the line at a vampire-werewolf movie marathon.

The phone on the end table rang, and Ben resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The call was either Simone or Josie checking in. Or Hillary. Again.

Jamison crawled over and picked it up. “Hi, Simone! Yes! We went to the market today and bought food for Consuela to cook. And I went shopping! I got you a purse. It’s leather and green. You’ll love it.”

She paused to inhale more oxygen. “Who’s Consuela?

She’s the cook Daddy hired. She comes three times a day and cleans up after…

no, ma’am. We’re not making a mess for her.

Tomorrow? Oh! The boys are going to teach me how to surf.

Yes, ma’am. I’ll listen. I won’t go too far.

Yes, ma’am. I know I don’t know everything.

Lifeguards? Um… I think so? Yes, ma’am. Selah? He’s right here.”

“Tell her I’m asleep,” Selah mouthed, eyes closed.

Jamison covered the receiver. “She says she can hear you, and it’s rude to lie to your mother. ”

“Amateur,” Ben whispered. Simone could hear a pin drop three counties over. Selah should have known to keep his mouth shut. “I thought I taught you better than that.”

“Hi, Evie!” Jamison squealed. “Oh my God, this place is so cool!”

Hearing that Evie was on the phone had Samuel going weirdly still, and Ben fought the urge to say something. He continued to hope they’d outgrow their animosity toward each other, but maybe he was asking for the impossible.

“I wish you were here,” Jamison said, still rattling off at top speed. “There are so many cute guys. If you had come and worn that hot pink bikini from last summer, they would have been all over you.”

Midway through lifting himself off the floor, Samuel face-planted into a throw pillow. “I need a beer.”

Selah patted him on the back. “I’ll get it.”

“No, I got it.” Samuel pushed up to stand. “Who wants one?”

“Me.” Ben raised a hand. “And make sure we have plenty in the fridge. I feel like we’re in for a long night of vampires and werewolves.”

The boys were halfway to the kitchen when Jamison shrieked, “You went on a date?! Three dates?! Eeek! We’ve only been gone for a week! What’s his name?!”

Since Evie never mentioned guys, Ben was intrigued and slid down the couch to learn more. Life had been tough on the kid, and he was glad to hear she was finding her footing at college.

But before he could reach Jamison, the boys were there. Flying over the back of the couch, Selah landed with a hard bounce onto the spot next to his sister. Samuel was no better. Tripping over himself, he nearly took out a lamp rushing around the edge of the couch to loom over Jamison.

“Where’d she meet him? Does he have a job? Is he ugly? I bet he’s ugly,” Samuel whispered, looking strangely blotchy. “Get his name.”

“First and last.” Selah snatched a piece of paper off the coffee table. “And the proper spelling.”

Samuel nodded solemnly. “And his date of birth. We’ll need that for a background check.”

“Social security number,” Selah added, nudging Jamison. “And his mother’s maiden name.”

Jamison scrunched her nose at their behavior. “His name is Brett?”

“Brett?” Samuel snarled, the rash on his neck gaining speed. “What kind of stupid name is Brett?”

“You have classes with him?” Jamison shoved Selah away when he leaned over to eavesdrop. “Oh, he’s a political science major? That sounds cool.”

“That sounds boring.” Samuel kneeled before Jamison and spoke clearly so Evie could hear him. “People who major in Political Science are losers.”

“Evie said you’re the loser,” Jamison told him. “Now go away.”

Samuel didn’t move. Neither did Selah.

“Dad!” Jamison whined. “Make them leave me alone.”

Rising from the couch, Ben stretched and made his way to the kitchen. “Come on, guys. Let’s get our drinks.”

Selah followed immediately, but Samuel took his sweet time. Popping the caps off their first round, Ben handed his middle child a beer when he finally joined them. “What’s going on with you?”

Instead of answering, Samuel chugged the entire beer.

“Nothing.”

Ben wanted to call bullshit, but Samuel had a prickly temper, much like his own, and it was best to let it go. “So, how are we getting out of Twilight?”

“We could go somewhere,” Selah suggested. “There’s a quiet bar down the street with smoking hot waitresses.”

Samuel snagged another beer from the fridge. “I’m good with that. Definitely in the mood for hard liquor tonight.”

Ben heaved out a sigh at his two short-sighted sons. “We are not taking Jamison into a bar.”

“Then let’s take her shopping,” Samuel said. “Nothing makes Jamison happier than trying to spend several thousand dollars in a single night.”

Selah smirked. “And it makes her tired. So tired, she won’t want to have a movie marathon.”

“Shopping it is.” Tapping the neck of his bottle against his sons’ bottles, Ben raised a toast to them. “We have a plan.”

A loud boom of thunder came directly after his statement, followed promptly by torrential rain pounding on the villa’s roof. “Never mind.” Ben took a long pull from his beer. “Any other ideas? ”

“Okay,” Jamison shouted from the living room. “I’m off the phone and putting on my pajamas. You guys have to put yours on, too. That way, we can watch the movies in a row and straight until dawn.”

Selah groaned. “When did this become a slumber party?”

“Do we have food?” Samuel went for the fridge. “I’m getting drunk if I’m watching teenage vampires, and food will be mandatory.”

“Consuela left a bunch of stuff,” Ben said, bending down to peer into the fridge with Samuel. “There are dips, beef for nachos with all the fixings, and she pre-made empanadas.”

“God bless Consuela.” Selah finished off his beer and smacked the bottle on the granite countertop. “Let’s put on our pajamas and start this vampire slumber party. Sammy, do I get to braid your hair?”

Samuel shut the fridge door without looking at him. “If you touch me, I will break your hand.”

“If you do, I’ll tell Evie, and she’ll come here to defend my honor.”

“You’re so not funny.” Samuel looked almost serious, like the threat of Evie coming to Mexico was worse than a vampire slumber party. “At all.”

Selah blew his brother a kiss as he left the kitchen, and Ben eyeballed his broodiest kid. Not that he faulted Samuel for the bad attitude. He could remember behaving the same way at his age.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” Samuel opened his third beer, somehow having already downed the second one before anyone realized it. “Hearing about Evie—”

Ben wanted to roll his eyes but wouldn’t, sparing them yet another battle regarding Evie. “I know you hate her.”

“I don’t.” The words came out in a rush, and Samuel focused on opening the bottle. “I don’t hate her. I worry about her.”

Samuel stumbled over the last part, revealing the piece of himself people were never allowed to see.

Miranda would say that their son was a sensitive soul, and Ben would forever agree with that fact.

Samuel's tough attitude stemmed from learning that, as a Fairweather, it was best to harden one's heart, because when you allowed it to show, the world wasn’t always kind.