Page 84 of Waiting For A Girl Like You (Haven House #4)
“She’s doing well at school, and you were right.
I had no idea Evie was a mathematical genius.
I’m proud that she’s majoring in accounting,” Ben told him, knowing damn well Samuel was aware of Evie’s major since he kept close tabs on her.
“A boyfriend—a first boyfriend—going into Political Science is a good meshing of the minds for her to explore.”
“Meshing of the minds.” Samuel looked appropriately disgusted by the term, and Ben couldn’t blame him. The whole meshing of the minds comment came off as pretentious, reminding him of something his shrink might say. “You sound like an asshole, Dad.”
“Yeah, I do.” With a sigh, Ben finished off his first beer of the night. “Now, let’s go. I want to get my vampire watching over with.”
Samuel smirked at him. “You know these things sparkle, right?”
“What things?”
“The vampires.”
Ben blinked at his son, who usually made more sense. “We’re watching a movie with sparkling vampires?”
“Not a movie, Dad. There are two movies, and she brought them both.” Samuel returned to the fridge to grab yet another beer to hand him. “That means we’re looking at about four and a half hours of sparkly vampires.”
“Sweet mother of Jesus.”
Jamison came bouncing in, her high ponytail swishing side to side.
She’d already changed into her light pink satin pajamas with black piping—a Christmas gift from the year before.
According to Simone, she wore the matching set all the time.
Ben had picked it out himself, thinking the bubblegum pink color would suit her style.
He’d bought Evie a light blue set and Annabeth one in purple because those three always did everything together.
“Why are you not in your pajamas?” Jamison whipped open the fridge and began piling up all the food Consuela had left. “Let’s go, people. Edward awaits.”
Ben arched an eyebrow. “Who is Edward?”
“My future husband,” Jamison said seriously. “He’s so—oh my God—perfect.”
Samuel snorted, and Ben gave him a light punch to the arm. “Edward is perfect, huh? We’ll see about that.”
Thirty minutes later, they were all piled on the couch as Jamison danced along to the opening credits. Her hands and arms flowed above her head in a move that oddly reminded Ben of her mother .
Thinking of Laura Jean had that familiar ache thumping around in his chest. She didn’t appear to him much anymore.
Those initial, quick glimpses in his dreams transformed into daytime chats and then full waking conversations through the years.
She would walk with him through life during the day, and then they would stay up all night talking about the past and how much they loved each other.
Yet, when the visions began to taper off into nothing, part of him was relieved, but the other part, the part that learned long ago to accept the magic of Laura Jean, was terrified that one day, his brain would erase her forever.
“When I marry my Edward, I want this song played as I walk down the aisle,” Jamison said, pausing her swaying to stick a finger in Samuel’s face. “Promise me.”
Eyes wide and beer halfway to his mouth, Samuel nodded. “Promise.”
“Jamison, if you bring home a sparkly vampire, we’re going to kick his ass,” Selah said with his eyes glued to the movie. “Just saying.”
Ben propped his arm on the back of the couch and settled in to watch. “Simone will take him down long before you do.”
“But you’ll protect him.” Jamison cuddled against his side. “Won’t you, Daddy?”
“Of course, princess.”
They focused on the movie, and surprisingly, Ben wasn’t bored. If anything, he was annoyed.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” Ben asked as Edward squirmed dramatically in biology class. “That guy’s a dick. I’m not protecting him.”
“Edward is mysterious and dreamy,” Selah scoffed. “How could you call him a dick?”
“Because he’s a dick.”
Jamison said nothing, utterly transfixed by the emo ginger vampire. No one spoke for the remainder of the movie, and by the time the credits rolled, all the snacks were gone.
“New Moon is next!” Jamison jumped up and crawled over to swap the DVDs. “This one is so depressing. I love it.”
Sitting on the floor for the entire movie, Samuel rolled to his feet. “I’m changing my clothes and putting another twelve-pack in the fridge. ”
“I told you to put on your pajamas already,” Jamison said as she waited for the DVD tray to pop out. “You don’t have to be cool all the time. We’re your family. It’s okay to act normal.”
“That boy ain’t never been normal,” Selah mumbled and got punched in the arm as Samuel passed him on the way to the out. “He’s abusive, yes. But never normal.”
Samuel returned wearing sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt. He handed out another round of cold beers and a Dr. Pepper for Jamison. “Is this normal enough for you, brat?”
The second movie started, and everyone watched as Edward broke Bella’s heart. “Dang, check out my boy Jacob.” Selah pointed at the TV. “He’s looking as good as me with my shirt off.”
“I’m sorry, but who in this room actually has a six-pack?” Samuel raised his hand. “That’s right. Me. Not you.”
Ben chuckled to himself. Both his sons had the biggest egos, and deservedly so.
While he only passed along his height and maybe a few other fragments of his DNA, the remainder of their genetics—the pretty parts, if you asked Simone—were all their mothers’ doing.
Selah’s smile and kind eyes belonged to Simone.
The slope of Samuel’s nose and the way his brows knitted together when he was thinking was all Miranda.
Females flocked to them everywhere they went, and while Selah handled women with ease, Samuel kept them at arm’s length.
Ben thought it was because, at the heart of it, Samuel remained that awkward boy who never had friends growing up.
The one who would much rather sit quietly and fish with Abe, surf alone on a clear morning, or even argue with Evie over a chess game.
Selah lifted his shirt to roll his stomach in Samuel’s face. “I’m working on it.”
Jamison shushed her brothers. “We're getting to the part where we find out Jacob is a werewolf. Be quiet!”
And God help him, but Ben knew Jamison would give him the most trouble. Headstrong, fearless, and developing a level of sarcasm even he had trouble keeping up with, Ben knew his daughter’s upcoming teenage years would turn him into an old man.
“You don’t want a guy like Jacob?” he asked. “He’s tough and dependable—”
“It sounds like you’re describing a truck, Daddy.”
“I’m just saying. Don’t ignore the good guys. Not every boy you fall for needs to be mysterious and…” He waved vaguely at Edward. “Five hundred years old and full of angst.”
Jamison reared back in outrage. “Edward is one hundred and four.”
“Not the point, princess.”
She rolled her eyes so hard he thought they might get stuck. “I want popcorn.”
“Not it.” Samuel swung his head around to look at Selah. “I got her a drink.”
“And I paid for the place,” Ben added, propping his feet on the coffee table. “So, you’re up, Selah.”
Selah half fell off the couch, sliding to the floor as if he’d been asked to do something that could possibly kill him. “Fine, but I’m making it cheddar flavored.”
A round of boos went up, and as Selah evil-laughed his way to the kitchen, something through the open patio doors caught his attention.
“Who is that?”
“Consuela said her nieces might stop by with fresh linens.” Ben yawned and wondered what time it was. He’d never been on vacation where he relaxed enough to stop looking at the clock, which was a bit disorienting. “They’re using the entrance on the south side of the complex.”
“Hola!” Selah called out. “Tienes un buen culo!”
“For the love of God, Selah. Stop saying that.” Ben whacked a snickering Samuel on the back of the head for lying to his brother. “It does not mean, how are you doing ? Do not disrespect those girls.”
“Those fine girls,” Selah whispered. “Sammy, come look.”
Samuel didn’t appear even remotely interested. “No.”
Selah flapped his hand behind the curtain so the girls outside wouldn’t see. “Come here,” he hissed through clenched teeth as he smiled. “Now!”
The phone rang, and Jamison crawled over to answer it. “Evie! You’re back from your date? No way! Shut up!” She giggled and flopped down to talk. “Tell me everything.”
“Yeah, I’m not listening to this.” Samuel peeled himself off the couch to join Selah at the balcony door. “Good evening, ladies. ”
A string of rapid Spanish answered them, followed by feminine laughter. Ben watched his sons step through the patio doors, disappearing down the sloping yard toward one of the outer buildings.
“I hope they realize they’re still in their pajamas,” Ben grumbled once they vanished around the corner. “Not that they’re thinking with their brains right now.”
He finished the last of his beer and waited for Jamison to wrap up her call. But when Annabeth got on the phone, too, and the three of them started chatting together, he gave up.
“I think we lost the boys, so I’ll make the popcorn.”
Jamison gave him a thumbs-up and flashed her mouthful-of-metal smile, which made the heart in his chest go tight. He would do anything for his kids. Anything at all to make them happy. They could ask for a T-Rex, and he’d figure out how to get one, even if he had to open a Jurassic Park.
Not bothering with the lights, he allowed the full moon’s glow to guide him to the pantry. The balcony doors were open, and that floral night breeze had the sheer panels billowing about into the kitchen.
Finding the popcorn easily, he stuck the bag in the microwave and started it up. The second it was done, he poured it into a bowl, burning his fingers in the process. “Shit.”