Page 16 of A Very Miller-Cooper Life

Instead of addressing Nana, Mrs. Miller looked at us. “Just get outside, please.” She stomped away, huffing with every step she took.

Nana continued to laugh, barely pushing her words out between chuckles. “You girls have fun with that. I know I’ll be enjoyingmyvacation right here away from her.”

“Have fun,” Charlie said before giving her nana one more hug. “Call us if you need anything,please.”

Nana stopped laughing and glared at Charlie. “Stop your worrying. I’m fine. It’s you two I’m worried about.” She waved her hand in the direction of the door. “Having to deal with that thing all week.”

“Don’t worry about us either,” I said with a laugh. “We’re going to have a great time.”At least, I hope so.

***

The house we rented was huge and only a few minutes from the parks. Still, after enduring a whole plane ride with Charlie’s mom, it didn’t seem big enough.

I walked up the stairs and down the hall to the bedroom that was the farthest away from all the others and frowned when I found that Jamie and Ethan’s bags were already sitting on the bed.Damn them for getting here before us.

“Jamie, could you please come here?” I yelled through the house, trying my best to do my sweet voice.

“What’s up?” Jamie asked when he found me in the hallway outside of his claimed bedroom.

“We have a problem.” I pointed toward the open doorway. “I want this room.”

Jamie smirked. “Sounds like a personal problem. It’s already taken. You know what they say—the early bird—”

“What they say is that I had to deal with your mother the whole way down here, so I deserve the room that is farthest away from hers.”

Jamie crossed his arms in front of his chest, but the smirk remained on his face. “Is that so? Have you forgotten that I live fifteen minutes away from her? I’d say I deal with her much more than you do.”

Two can play this game.I crossed my arms in front of my chest as well and took a step closer to him. “Have you forgotten that youchoseto live there?”

“This is true.” Jamie nodded as if he was actually considering my point. “You know what else is true, though? The fact that you have three children so you should probably be in a room that is close to theirs and this room isn’t close to any of the others.”

“Dude. That’s evenmorereason for me and Charlie to get this room. We deal with those crazy little people every day. This is vacation. Someone else can deal with them.”

Jamie tapped his chin. “You make a good point, but there’s gotta be something in it for me. What will you give me for the room?”

“The guarantee that I’ll be far enough away that you won’t have to listen to me having sex with your sister.”

Jamie wrinkled his face in disgust the way I was hoping he would. “First of all, ew. Second of all, it doesn’t matter if you’re all the way down here. Youdoremember Christmas a few years ago, don’t you?”

I smiled thinking back on that night. “How could I forget? One of the best orgasms of my life.”

“You’re missing my point. My point is that’s not good enough. I need something else.”

“Fine. I brought edibles along to help us deal with your mom. I even baked somespecialbrownies. If you give us this room, you can have some.”

“I feel like you were already planning on sharing those with me.”

“Iwas, but now they come at a price.”

Jamie gritted his teeth. “You don’t fight fair.”

I couldn’t help but smile even wider at him. “I know.”

Jamie groaned and threw his arms in the air in defeat. “Fine. You can have this room as long as we don’t get stuck in the one closest to the triplets. I love my nieces and nephew, but I don’t want to get woken up by them super early. This is my vacation too.”

I held my hand out toward him. “Deal. I’ll put them right in the middle of your parents and my parents. That will make everyone happy.”

Jamie grabbed my hand and shook it. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

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