Page 43 of Waiting For A Girl Like You
“How is Selah?” Vivian asked Simone. “He had the best smile when he was a little boy and was always so kind.” Her gaze drifted toward Ben. “So much so, it was hard to believe he was your child.”
“Selah is fine.” Ben crossed his arms, jaw ticking. “Cut the shit, Viv. What do you know?”
Vivian hesitated for a moment. “Simone, would you mind if my girls peeked at the conservatory? I think they’d enjoy it.”
Understanding immediately, Simone nodded. “It’s lovely this time of day, and all the new kittens should be out basking in the sun.”
“I’ll go with them,” Bianca said, rising from the table. The damn parrot flapped wildly as she stood, its wings knocking poor Jenny in the head. “Easy, Monty. And no terrorizing kittens.”
Simone led the McIntyre women out while Vivian remained engaged in her endless glaring contest with Ben.
“I know everything,” she said once the others were gone. “But I don’t want them to know. I don’t want them to even come close to understanding how evil and awful the Fairweathers can be or of what I had to endure before their father came into my life.”
The lines around Ben’s eyes softened a fraction. He looked tired. More tired than Rowan had seen him through this entire ordeal. “Goddamn it, Viv,” Ben said in a low voice. “Why did you have to show up today of all days?”
Rowan moved to intervene, but Josie beat him to it, seating herself next to Vivian. “How is Aiden?” she asked. “Is he doing well?”
It was the perfect pivot. Aiden and Vivian had the kind of relationship other couples could only dream of having. They adored each other and did everything together with their girls.
“He’s good.” Vivian was immensely proud of not only her daughters, but also of her husband. She gave Josie a bittersweet smile. “I was very sorry to hear about Miranda. She was such a brave soul.”
Both Josie and Ben stiffened. “Thank you,” Josie said finally. “She often said the same thing about you.”
Vivian gave a small laugh. “I still remember how Helen would throw those dreadful Christmas parties. Miranda and I would pretend Samuel was a fussy baby just so we could sneak off and hide from those insufferable assholes James and Helen called friends.”
Ben looked like he might actually smile. “You two disappeared so often at those things, I started wondering if my son had some kind of allergy to people.”
Josie snorted. “Samuel is kind of allergic to people, Ben.”
“You can blame me and Miranda for that,” Vivian replied. “We probably ruined him early on.”
A rare hush settled over the table until Rowan cleared his throat. “Aunt Viv, I don’t want my mom to worry—”
“Too late for that,” she interrupted.
“But I’m not leaving,” Rowan continued, taking Annabeth’s hand. “Ever.”
Vivian’s sharp gaze dropped to their joined hands. “I see.”
Josie looked impressed, while Ben let out one of those sighs that said he really didn’t want to be involved with this discussion.
“You know what?” Annabeth squeaked, wiggling her hand free of his grasp. “I think I’ll go check on the others. No offense, but I don’t trust that parrot around the cats.”
“No offense taken.” Vivian drummed her manicured nails against the ceramic coffee mug. “You’re right to be worried. Monty is a monster.”
Annabeth made a quick exit with Ben not far behind her. “Come on, Josie,” he said. “Let’s go check on the cats.”
Josie didn’t move. “Why me?”
Ben let out another one of his sighs. “Because Simone is probably in a full-blown panic over that damn bird, and she’ll expect me to do something about it, and I have no idea what the hell to do with a parrot. Just… come be my backup.”
Grumbling under her breath, Josie followed, patting Rowan’s shoulder on her way out.
Alone with this aunt, Rowan sat at the table. “Go ahead and say your piece.”
That was all the leeway Viv needed. “This is absurd. We were against you taking the job in the first place, thinking it was simply you being your usual rebel self, but you have no business being involved with these people.”
“These people were once your family.”
