Page 156 of Somebody's Watching Me
Her reaction was not what he expected. “It’s just fifty dollars.”
“You cannot pay the kids to behave.”
“Why not?”
“Benjamin!”
“Here’s the thing.” He pressed his lips together, thinking twice about telling her the truth, but gave in almost immediately. “Selah was in the room, and I had to give him fifty because he claimed to be Samuel’s witness. Then Toby crawled out from whatever hiding spot he has behind the library desk, and I promised him fifty to help keep this a secret from SiSi.”
“Ben, that’s not ok—“
“And I had to give Evie fifty since she’s half in on the deal. Oh, and Livy was listening in, so she got fifty. Maybe I should give the twins and CeCe fifty? I mean, it’s only fair, and I don’t want to hear them all fight.”
Laura Jean whooped with laughter. “Fairweather, you are one of the savviest businessmen in the southern United States.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Tell that to the Houston Chronicle.”
“Their reporter took up way too much of my time,” he grumbled, poking her in the ribs to make her laugh harder. “But what’s your point?”
“My point is that you’re brilliant, yet a bunch of kids just hustled you.”
“Them hustling me only gives us hope for their futures.”
Her laughter eased as an owl hooted from a tree nearby, the damn thing growing louder when its mate didn’t return the call right away.
“Jamison with an i. I like that.”
He yawned, running fingers up and down her spine. “What?”
“I want to name our baby Jamison, but with an i instead of an e. I had a dream after the hurricane about a pretty woman who had that name and it stuck with me.”
He forced her to look at him. “Are you pregnant?”
“No, but I will be soon.” A breeze floated through, tossing the strands of her light blonde hair about. “I can feel her already.”
“Her?”
“It’ll be a girl.”
She sounded so sure.
But Laura Jean always did.
“And if it’s a boy?”
“Then you can pick the name.”
His heart did a somersault in his chest. He had never been allowed to have any input on the names of his children. Miranda named Samuel after her father, and Simone, with Laura Jean, chose the name Selah.
“I like Oliver.” The movement in his chest halted, bracing itself for when she laughed at him. “I’ve always been partial to that name for a boy.”
“Ollie,” she said, resting her chin on his chest. “We’ll call him Ollie for short.”
“You like it?”
“I do. Oliver Fairweather sounds very distinguished, but you’re going to give me a girl first.”
