Can't Stop the Feeling (Whispering Bay Romance 6)

She smiled. “What did I ever do to deserve such a sweet boy like you?” In that moment, she looked young and almost carefree. He wished she could look like that all the time.

That night he made a vow that his mother would never have to worry about anything ever again. He studied hard, made straight As and began doing most of the housework and the cooking. After Jake was born he learned to change a diaper and how to rock a baby to sleep. When he was fourteen, he got a job at Hopalinka’s only diner, washing dishes and taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms, or anything else that needed to be done. He gave his mom all his paychecks and between the two of them and some government assistance, they somehow made ends meet.

He graduated high school top of his class, getting a free ride to any of the state colleges of his choice, but scholarship money wasn’t going to put food on the table for his mom and Jake. So he put off college and joined the army and sent her every spare nickel he could.

After his stint in the military, he used the scholarship he’d earned at the University of Miami. Between the GI Bill, the scholarship, and the money he made working as a bouncer, he was still able to send her money. What he hadn’t been able to help her with was Jake. Despite Mom’s best efforts, Jake had grown up wild. He’d cut class, smoked weed and by the time he was twelve, he was stealing cars. Ben had hoped that a stint in Florida’s juvie system would knock the stupid of out of his little brother, but it had done the opposite.

Ben scrubbed the memories from his head. He couldn’t do anything to help his brother now, but he sure as hell was going to make certain that his niece never followed in her father’s footsteps.

He hated seeing the worry lines on his mom’s forehead. “If you don’t like any of the houses we can look somewhere else.”

“It’s not that I don’t like them. It’s just…so much money.”

If he told his mother how much money he made last year she probably wouldn’t believe him. He gently plucked the brochure from her hands. “Just think about it, Mom. You want to do what’s best for Rachel, right?”

Before she could answer, the front door opened, and Rachel and Greta came in from their walk on the beach.

“Grandma! Uncle Ben! Look what I found!” Rachel ran to the couch and plopped down next to Mom. She opened her hand to reveal a small starfish. “It’s a fish star!”

“Oh my,” Mom said. “It certainly is.” Her dark brown eyes glowed with happiness as she scooped her granddaughter into a spontaneous hug.

“Rachel, you need to clean up before you get sand everywhere,” Greta scolded. She glanced at her watch. “It’s nearly three o’clock. We need to change if we’re going to make the preschool open house in time.”

“School?” Mom glanced up at Ben. “But she’s only four!”

“Oh, yes, preschool,” Greta said. “And the child is almost five. She really should have started preschool two years ago. She’ll be behind but there’s not much we can do at this point. Naturally, this local preschool isn’t nearly up to the quality of the one she’ll be attending in Miami, but while we’re here over the next few weeks, it will be a good way to accustom her to playing with other children. A skill, I’m afraid, she’s sorely lacking.”

“That’s enough,” Ben said, giving Greta a look that made her press her lips together tightly. Note to self: talk to the nanny about her fucking attitude.

He playfully ruffled the top of his niece’s head. “Why don’t you go upstairs with Greta and change out of your bathing suit? We’re going to visit your new school and afterwards we’ll get hamburgers.”

“And milkshakes?” she asked hopefully.

“And French fries, too.”

“Yay!” She dashed up the stairs with Greta behind her admonishing her not to run.

“I don’t like that woman,” Mom grumbled.

“I agree. But she came highly recommended.”

“By who? Stalin?” She looked down at her hands. “I don’t need her, Ben. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my own granddaughter.”

He hadn’t meant to imply anything to the contrary. He knew this was a sore spot for Mom. Despite reassurances from every mental health and drug addiction counselor they’d talked to, she still blamed herself for what happened to Jake. “You’re a fantastic grandmother, and Rachel is lucky to have you. But isn’t it nice to have someone who can help you with the everyday stuff? So that you can enjoy yourself every once in a while.”

“And do what?”

“I don’t know. The stuff women do. Shop. Go out to lunch.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Shop and go out to lunch? Is that what you want me to do all day?”

“After you mop all the floors and sweep out the chimney,” he said with a straight face.

“Ha-ha.”

“I just want you to be able to relax. If you don’t like Greta, we can fire her and hire someone else when we get back to Miami.”

“I never said I’d move to Miami. You know how much I hate big cities.”