Page 218 of Waiting For A Girl Like You
As everyone except Simone took off to eat, Liam and Jamison slipped outside to watch the kids play. Jamison had a worried look on her face, but before Ben could ask what was wrong, Simone beat him to it.
“What is with you two?” Simone demanded, returning to her spot on the sofa. She reached for Albie, but Ben shifted away, not yet ready to let go. “Y’all have been whispering to each other all day.”
Jamison exchanged a glance with Liam. “You tell them.”
“We’re planning to talk to Diego tomorrow,” Liam said, coming closer. “We’re asking him how he would feel about staying with us permanently. Not adoption—not yet. We think he needs more time to heal before we even bring that up.”
“I’ve been practicing my speech,” Jamison rushed out. “Simone, can I go over it with you later, and you can tell me if I’m being too pushy? I don’t want to be pushy. He can choose us or…not. But I know you’ll tell me the truth.”
Simone nodded, eyes softer than usual. “Of course, baby.”
“You’re going to do just fine,” Ben assured her, hating how nervous she looked. “And Diego is a great kid.”
Jamison positively bloomed with happiness. “He really is.”
Albie giggled at a row of pelicans flying low over the water, and Jamison crouched next to him. “Quick, count them, Albie.” She counted them down as Albie released grunts and oohs in time with the numbers. “Eight! That was eight.”
“Boo!” Albie squealed his nickname for Jamison and held out his arms for her. Ben let him go without hesitation, knowing Albie adored his aunt. “Boooo!”
“Yep, boo!” Jamison nuzzled his nose, making him laugh even harder. “I’m taking him in while Liam switches out with Holden so he can eat.”
“Simone and I can watch the kids,” Ben insisted. “All of you go in and get some food.”
He spoke too loudly.
“Food?” Xavier shouted from the beach. “The food’s ready!”
The kids charged up the steps, with Xavier leading the herd and Holden taking up the rear. The group passed in a flurry of cheers,invading the house with their demands to be fed. A crash and excited voices echoed off the high ceilings, bouncing around the space and coming outside.
“Yeesh, I guess they were hungry,” Holden said, walking by them on his way in. “I hope nothing’s broken.”
“I built this house to withstand hurricanes and children,” Ben told him, very much proud of that fact. “They could run amok anywhere and still be completely safe.”
As everyone went inside, he and Simone relaxed again on the sofa. But their peace was short-lived. Seconds later, Annabeth darted outside, tiptoe running over to them. “Now?”
Meeting her daughter’s excited gaze, Simone showed no reaction. “Now what?”
“Is he proposing today?” Annabeth propped her hands on her hips. “Tell me, Mother.”
“I don’t know why you’d think I’d know.”
Clucking her tongue, Annabeth aimed her stare at Ben. He hated when she did that. She looked so much like Simone when she was younger, and it felt like stepping back in time. “Ben. Do you know?”
He reminded himself to treat this like a negotiation. After all, Annabeth was the daughter of Simone and Devon Howard. She was the niece to Ty. There was no out-bullshitting this woman.
“I know…” He paused. “That you should probably be prepared.”
“Prepared?” She cocked her head to the side. “Should I paint my nails, Ben?”
Ah, hell.
“Yes?”
Annabeth did a little dance and dropped a kiss on his cheek before running back inside. “Thanks, Ben.”
Simone barely had enough time to give him a death glare before Rowan was coming their way. The dog he and Annabeth adopted trailed after him, and while Ben wasn’t much for dogs, he liked Bea and thought she looked damn cute dressed in her Christmas tutu.
“Did you tell her?” Rowan asked Simone. “She came in and kissed me so hard that Bea started barking because she thought I was getting assaulted.”
