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

Jenna twisted in her seat to see Ben and Rachel approaching their table. “Jenna!” Rachel ran to her. “I’ve seen Annie five times more!”

“Make that six,” Ben said dryly. He wore shorts and sneakers and his baseball cap was on backward, making him look younger. And incredibly hot. She ignored the way her girl parts sighed.

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Jenna confessed to Rachel. “I’ve probably seen it a hundred times.”

“Wow!”

Ben seemed friendly but impersonal. “Hello, Jenna.” He bent down to kiss his mother on the cheek. “Ready to go, Mom?”

“We’re goin’ to see a fish show,” Rachel said, then frowned. “No, not fish, because dolphins aren’t fish, right, Grandma?”

“That’s right, honey,” said Pat.

“Sounds like fun,” Jenna said, trying to ignore how clumsy the whole situation felt. She and Ben had already said their goodbyes, but she should have expected that she’d run into him before they left for Miami.

The door to The Bistro opened once again. Aunt Viola and a group of seniors came power walking into the café.

“I better go say hello to my aunt.” Jenna stood to greet Viola, but before she could do that, Viola spotted her first, and arms pumping, speed walked her way over to the table.

“Jenna! I was just leading my Saturday morning yoga group in a sunrise power walk. Gorgeous weather we’re having, isn’t it?” She glanced curiously at Pat, then smiled at Ben. “Good morning, Ben the lawyer. Interesting meeting last night, wasn’t it?” She sought out the hickey on Jenna’s neck and smiled.

Yeah, thanks for telling mom about that! But Jenna could never be cross with Viola. Besides, the hickey was now public knowledge. She’d just have to own it and move on.

Ben introduced his mother and Rachel to her aunt. Rachel smiled shyly.

“Aren’t you the cutest thing?” Viola gushed. “Nice to meet you, Pat. You’re not from here, are you?” she asked Ben’s mom.

“I live in Hopalinka. But I’ll be moving to Miami soon.”

“Too bad.” Viola turned and gave Jenna a bright smile. “We’re still on for the game tonight, right? We’re ordering pizza from Tiny’s and watching the big FSU-Miami showdown,” she explained to Ben. Before Jenna could even nod, Viola snapped her fingers. “Say! Why don’t you all join us?”

Rachel piped up first. “Pizza? Really?”

“Absolutely. I insist that you all come. The more the merrier!”

“I wish I could,” Pat said, “but I just promised my old boss I’d work a few hours tonight. But, Ben, you and Rachel should go. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

“Yes, Uncle Ben, please!” Rachel pleaded. “Can we go?”

Ben caught Jenna’s gaze. They were trapped. And they both knew it.

“Sure,” he said. “Thank you. We’d love to come.”

Chapter Eighteen

Viola Pantini lived on Seville Street, just a few blocks from Ben’s rented beach house. No need to take the car out for such a short trip, so they were walking. Or rather, he was walking. Rachel alternated between skipping and crawling along like a snail. Every once in a while, she’d spot something like a leaf or a bug that held her fascination, then she’d pick up the pace again.

“Can I be Annie for Halloween?” she asked.

“Sure, you can be anything you want.”

She nodded happily. “I need a red wig.”

“Okay.” He’d put Gavin on that ASAP.

“Maybe you can be the Daddy Warbucks.”

“All right.”