Page 4 of Waiting For A Girl Like You
“I’m hot,” CeCe whined while Laura Jean scolded Evie. “There’s no air conditioning out here.”
“Me, too,” Annabeth chimed in. “I want to go inside.”
The two leaned on one another, fanning their faces dramatically. “Can we be done?” they begged together. “Please.”
And there went the lesson, which was fine. The temperature had reached hotter-than-hell levels, and Devon half expected the water he was using for the experiment to start boiling soon.
“Girls, come sit with me in the shade.” Simone patted the rocking chair next to her. “We can listen from here.”
Hand in hand, Annabeth and CeCe ran over. The girls were as close as sisters, forever together. Reaching the house, they bypassed the side steps and flopped onto the porch in an awkward belly-roll move.
Finished with lecturing her daughter, Laura Jean spun Evie around. “She’s sorry for the disruption, Devon. Please continue.”
“As I was saying, air can move objects.” He silently counted those left. It was easy to lose a kid or two in this group. “Where’s Abe?”
“Here.” Abe’s voice came from above, and all eyes rolled upward to the branches of the cypress tree. “Waiting was boring.”
Wondering how in the hell his son got up there so fast, Devon schooled his features. He had to be stern with Abe, but it was hard. “Abraham, come down.”
Abe continued to climb. “I think I can make it to the top.”
The higher Abe climbed, the higher Devon’s heart hitched in his throat. “I was about to break out the popsicles, but if you’re up there, you won’t get one.”
Ruled by his love of sugar, Abe scurried down and was on the ground in seconds. “Can I have grape?”
Devon grinned. “Only if I can have the cherry.”
“Mama!” Abe sprinted toward Simone. “Popsicles!”
Simone stood, ushering CeCe, Annabeth, and Abe inside to grab them for everyone.
“I want a blue one.” Evie raised her hand, the squabble with Samuel forgotten. Taking Toby by the wrist, she raised his hand too. “And Toby wants a green one.”
“Oh, I want a purple one,” Livy said. “Or maybe green. Or maybe both?”
“I’m so hot. I want two.” Selah wiped some sweat from his brow. “And I don’t care what color they are.”
“I want a blue one.” Samuel sneered at Evie. “And I’m taller, so I can reach the box and eat them all first.”
Evie took a step in Samuel’s direction, but Jamison let out a blood-curdling scream, stopping her in her tracks.
“Oh, she’s so hot in this thing.” Laura Jean fumbled with the latches on the carrier. “Selah, will you help me get her out?”
Selah tried one side. Laura Jean, the other. When neither succeeded, Samuel stepped in and popped the carrier’s latch, freeing Jamison from her baby prison.
“Thank you, Sammy.” Laura Jean held Jamison high, making her youngest coo in delight. “Jamison is lucky to have big brotherslike you two.”
“Selah and I are definitely the superior older siblings here.” Samuel propped an arm on Selah’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t you agree, Evie?”
“What are you doing?” Selah whispered out the side of his mouth. “Trying to get hit?”
Turning red, Evie stayed next to Toby while Livy diffused the situation. Haven House’s ownlittle mamaknew how to handle every kid here. “Samuel, you might be the tallest, but I’m the fastest.”
“Samuel is not the tallest!” Selah gasped at the insinuation. “I am.”
Devon shook his head and flattened down his stepson’s curls. The poor kid had yet to figure out how he wanted to wear it, and it stuck up in every direction. “Now, you’re the same height.”
“The fastest?” Samuel arched an eyebrow at Livy, unable to resist a challenge. “Ready?”
