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24. Jamison

"What do you mean you can't get in the car?"

Everyone had already left. Izzy and Liam rode ahead with Abe so they could make sure everything Izzy had set up earlier was still in place and that their people were in position.

Jamison understood this whole thing was an inconvenience, but she had no idea it was an all hands on deck type of thing, and she almost said they shouldn't go.

That is until Rowan asked Annabeth if she wanted to ride on his bike. Positively giddy over the idea, she'd all but dragged him out the door.

"My dress is too tight," she tried to explain to her father. "I need your help. Just pull me in."

Scrubbing a hand down his face, he looked tired already, and they hadn't even left yet. "Go change."

She glared at him across the hood. "This dress is just as hard to get off as it is to get on."

Simone stood on the porch, watching them. "What's going on?"

"I need help getting in, and Dad's being difficult," Jamison shouted back to her. "My dress is too tight."

"Can you even sit in a car looking like that?" Simone shouted back.

"I was thinking I would lie down in the back."

"Christ." Her father went to the rear door behind the driver's seat and wrenched it open. "Let's do this."

Scurrying to the opposite rear door, she opened it and leaned down to look at him, waiting. "How?"

"Can you lift your leg?"

"Not at all."

"How did you get downstairs?"

"I'm honestly not sure."

He pulled a burner phone from his pocket and made a call. "Get your ass out here."

Two seconds later, Selah came strolling down the front path, looking annoyingly comfortable in his sweats and flip-flops. "What's wrong?"

Their father nodded in her direction. "Help me get her in the backseat."

Selah halted when he saw her dress. "What in the ever-loving hell are you wearing?"

"A dress!"

"It doesn't matter," their father snapped, his limits reached. "Selah, grab her low and lift while I pull her through."

They didn't give her a countdown. Selah rushed forward like a damn linebacker and tossed her in as their father crawled onto the seat to snatch her flailing arms and drag her into the car.

"Give a warning next time!"

"You've put on some weight," Selah panted, trying to catch his breath. "Yeesh, Jamison."

"At least I didn't just eat two dozen chocolate chip cookies."

"I don't think you could in that outfit."

"Enough. Selah, stay by the phone." Trying to help her get settled, their father finally gave up when all she could do was lie on her side and pray that the dress didn't rip. "I might need your help getting her back to the house."

The doors slammed, and soon they were on their way, the car jostling her a bit as they hit the highway.

"You okay back there?"

"Yep."

"How are we going to get you out?"

That was a good question. Fairweathers didn't park in the public lot at Firewater, but in a private one hidden off the side of the town square. If they were careful, the two of them could probably handle it.

"We can do it."

"No, we can't." Her father tilted the rearview mirror to look at her. "Taylor is at the party, and I can call her to come help."

"I would rather die than let that woman see me helpless."

He frowned. "Why don't you like her?"

"Because she's trying to have sex with my dad."

Pressing his lips together, he returned his attention to the road. "I'm not."

"I know."

"I haven't touched a woman since your mother."

While that little nugget of information was more than she wanted, her heart broke for him. "I'm sorry."

"No one will ever compare to Laura Jean, so why bother, you know?"

The car rolled to a stop at the only red light between Haven House and Firewater, and he turned in his seat. "Do you want to hear a story about your mom?"

First, her winged eyeliner had been threatened by Liam, and now her dad was trying to double down on its destruction.

But she wanted to hear it. Needed that connection. Her nerves over the party were kicking up a notch, and a story about her mother would help.

"Sure."

"I don't know how old you were, but you were old enough to walk." The light turned green, and he faced forward. "Your mom had you upstairs at Haven, and she decided to take a shower while you napped on our bed. I was on my way back from Texas and less than a few minutes out."

"Why does this sound like the opening of a true crime podcast?"

The car turned again, meaning they were merging onto the beachfront highway leading into the Firewater development. "While she was in the shower, you woke up and, for whatever reason, decided to go rummaging through the paints she kept stored in the closet."

"Let me guess, I ate them."

"No, you stripped naked and painted yourself blue."

"What?"

Her father grinned, and she could see the rare appearance of his dimples in the mirror. "You painted yourself blue, and then Frankenstein walked your ass into the bathroom to scare the shit out of Laura Jean."

She smiled. Not over the story, but how easily he could get lost in the past. He was happy there. Everyone was happier there.

"I arrived just as your mom started screaming, and everyone ran upstairs to see what was happening," he went on. "We found you two naked and wet on the bathroom floor."

Laughing along with him, she figured the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes were worth the smudge. "I love you."

His laughter softened, and his eyes met hers in the mirror. "Love you too, princess."

The car slowed to a stop, pulling over on the side of the road, and he rolled down the window. "Come look at her."

Evie waddled up to the car and stuck her head through the window. "That's sexy."

"Functionality wasn't something I thought of."

Her sister nodded at the red mark on her neck. "Liam?"

"Of course."

"Nice." She snapped a photo with her phone. "For Micah. He was screaming for a pic when I told him what you were wearing."

Evie's friend and former assistant had risen to the financial project lead at Fairweather's hotel division and rarely made it home for a visit anymore. He and his husband, who also worked for Fairweather, rotated between the Lauderdale and North Carolina offices, where they were spearheading the new Georgia build for the company. Eventually, once the project expanded enough to have Fairweather offices on site, Micah and Tommy would move to Darian and live happily as Evie's neighbors.

Holding one girl on each hip, Samuel stuck his big head through the front passenger window. "You look like an idiot."

Theo placed a hand over her father's mouth. "Hush. She purty."

"I would have to agree." Harper nodded in haughty approval. "You look very nice."

"I wook nice." Attempting to crawl her way through the window to get to her grandfather, Theo screeched when Samuel held her back. "I goes with Papa! I gots my tutu on!"

Samuel hauled the girls away, and Jamison leaned carefully up on one elbow to try to see the person standing just out of sight behind Evie. "Who's that?"

"Holden." Evie shifted nonchalantly so Holden wouldn't notice they were scoping him out. "Can you see him?"

All she could see was the top of the man's head. "No."

"Well, you will at the doctor's appointment tomorrow." Evie filled the window again. "Ben, are you coming? The appointment is at eight."

"I have a meeting," he said, texting someone. "But send the ultrasound video back with Jamison so Simone and I can see."

"I need you to text me the address of the doctor's office." Jamison frowned. "But I don't know to which phone."

"I'll send it to Liam, but then again, I don't know which phone to send the information from," Evie said and scrunched her nose. "This is all so confusing."

"Klausen is nabbing these people at an unbelievably fast rate. It's the first time he's ever been able to throw charges at Zanmi and make them stick." Her father finished up his text and set the phone down. "So, it won't be for forever, kid."

"Ben, because I love you, I'm going to be the one to break the news." Evie side shuffled to the passenger window. "Selah is going home tomorrow, whether or not you agree with it."

Jamison's eyes widened. The single most dominant personality trait of Benjamin Fairweather was his need to control. Everything and everyone. In business, it worked to his advantage, but in his personal life, not so much.

"Interesting," he said, already back on his phone. "Very interesting."

"Simone is recouping, and Selah feels like if Samuel and I can be here with our guards and security detail, he and Lenora can take Xavier home and do the same at their place," Evie said, nervously glancing at Jamison. "Samuel talked to Liam, who already has the ball rolling and can have everything ready by tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Even in the backseat, Jamison could see her father's jaw tick. "Good to hear the boys are all working together on this."

"And Josie is coming," Evie continued. "She's having a fit over not being down here."

His jaw ticked again. "I told her to stay put."

"Uh, she said if you said that, I'm supposed to tell you to kiss her ass." Evie held her hands up in surrender. "Her words, not mine."

"I get it, kid. Now, go back inside. The sun's setting."

Evie told them goodnight and waddled away. Jamison could hear her chatting with the mysterious Holden as she left.

"Are you going to let Josie come down?"

Her father barked out a laugh. "There is no letting Josie do anything. You don't know her all that well, but trying to control Josie is a bit like trying to control Simone."

"Oh."

"Exactly."

Jamison returned to a flat position, watching the ice cream sky pass by. Everyone always fussed over the sunset colors at Firewater Beach, claiming never to have seen such shades of purple, pink, and orange before.

But she had.

Once.

In a little beachside ice cream shop.

Or she thought it had been an ice cream shop.

It was the single memory she had of Laura Jean, and in it, the smell of sunscreen and the salty gulf tingled in her nose. She could recall being held while they caroused the many flavors under the glass display in the chilly, overly air-conditioned store. Jamison had always found it fitting that the colors of the ice cream that day matched the sky at her mother's beach. Created by her father and executed by her brother, who had done an incredible job, Firewater served as a memorial to Laura Jean.

Samuel would do the same amazing job in Georgia. Within a year or two, it would be as lovely as Firewater. "What do you think about Samuel designing a place for me close to them in Georgia?"

Her father had been bugging her to build in Firewater, or at one of their many Texas developments. He wanted her to set some "roots" down anywhere that wasn't Haven.

"I think that's an awesome idea."

"I guess it's time to start planning for my future instead of just winging it."

"Ninety percent of the world just wings it," he told her. "Even me,"

"But I think I also want something here."

"What about Parkland?" he asked. "It's sitting vacant, and Samuel doesn't want it, so I'm only holding on to it for you."

"You would sell Parkland Grounds?"

"I would set it on fire if I could." He pulled into the private lot, and the tall, thick hedges blocked her view. "That place holds nothing but bad memories for me."

"Same as Haven House."

He parked and shifted to look at her. "The only reason Haven still stands is because of Simone and the twins. If it were up to me, I would've bulldozed it to the ground years ago."

"I just had a vision of you driving a bulldozer with Simone standing in front of it."

"She would do it," he said, opening his door. "Are you ready to get out?"

They would have to call Liam, and he hopefully wouldn't bring Izzy with him. She might be warming to the woman, but not enough to let her see her like this.

As she got her phone out to message him, the car door at her feet opened.

"Oh, my, but don't you look fabulous."

"Hillary!"

"I texted for reinforcements." Her father got out and came around to open the door at her head. "If anyone can get us out of this mess, Hillary can."

Her father's former assistant was a miracle worker. Having been with him since the beginning, Hillary knew how to manage a Fairweather better than anyone.

"Come on, Brandon. Help a lady out," Hillary said to her husband. "Ben, you push, and we'll pull, but everyone be careful of those sheer panels."

Under Hillary's direction, Jamison found herself standing unscathed seconds later. "Whew."

Hillary surveyed her. "You look absolutely amazing."

"As do you."

Tall, slim, and dressed in a white suit, Hillary tucked a strand of perfectly styled blonde hair behind a diamond studded ear. "I'm pretending to be an angel."

Her father grunted. "If you fall in those heels, you'll break a hip."

"Always a killjoy, Ben," Hillary shot back, taking Jamison's hand. "By the way, the owner of Anderson Foods grocery chain is in attendance tonight. I've already done recon, and left my barely adequate replacement with him, but Anderson Foods would be an excellent wholesaler when you expand on the restaurant section."

"You're amazing," Jamison whispered out the side of her mouth.

"She is amazing, but she seems to have forgotten she no longer works for me," her father reminded Hillary. "And I need to stay with Jamison until we find Liam."

Hillary scoffed. "I have Liam waiting at the end of the hedge." She gestured to the lone figure standing in the shadows of the building a few yards away. "Now go, I want to gossip with my favorite girl."

Her father rolled his eyes and walked ahead with Brandon, stopping for a moment to speak to Liam before disappearing around the corner.

"I think your father would rather set himself on fire than listen when someone suggests he do something."

Jamison loved Hillary. The woman reminded her so much of Simone. No nonsense, and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

But never in a million, billion years would she dare make the comparison out loud to either woman. From what she gathered, Simone didn't care for Hillary, and the feeling seemed to be mutual. There was a story there, but she'd never been brave enough to ask.

Jamison teetered on her heels as they continued down the stone path. "I thought you weren't moving in until next week."

Based in Texas for most of her career with Fairweather, Hillary and Brandon had finally given up life in Houston to become boring Florida retirees. However, according to Hillary, the extravagant Firewater home they now lived in made up for their "old people" status.

"When I heard about all the nonsense going on, I couldn't stay away."

"They won't tell me anything," Jamison complained. "Liam won't tell me anything."

"He's punishing you, just like you're punishing him with that dress."

"I want him back, Hillary."

Smiling at Liam ahead, Hillary shrugged. "Why wouldn't you? He's gorgeous, smart, and his father is still handsome, so you know he'll age well."

"Oh my God. Please don't start in on how attractive you think his dad is again. I don't think I can take it tonight."

"Trust me, it'll matter one day." Hillary slowed their progress. "And I have no doubt that Liam will take you back, but honey, he's going to make you work for it."

"Evie said a million blowjobs can't fix this."

"I agree with Evie. You have a war ahead of you, my dear. One that might take more than a few rounds on your knees."

Squaring her shoulders, Jamison saluted her. "I think I can handle it."

"That's my girl." They continued walking again. "Not to change the subject, but I do have a question for you. Why is my replacement allowed to openly pursue your father as she is? If Taylor can't control herself, Samuel needs to put her back on his team, or you need to step in."

"Trust me, I want to." With Hillary, she could be open and honest. "Taylor even got snarky with Simone in the kitchen the other morning."

"Well, that's just stupid, and if she's foolish enough to provoke Simone Howard, then Taylor deserves what she gets."

"It was like she was testing her limits. It didn't sit right with me."

"What I'm about to say does not reach your father." Hillary slowed their pace again. "And I am telling you this as the new head of PR, not as his daughter."

"That can't be good."

"Gossip concerning Taylor and Ben is building steam. Fast. Someone whispered in my ear recently about how they are secretly getting married because Taylor is pregnant with his child."

It was a good thing Hillary was holding her arm, or else she would have tripped and fallen face first on the ground. "You're kidding."

"The source was reliable, and it will upset Ben," Hillary replied. "Actually, it'll infuriate him, and not just at the audacity of the rumor—we've dealt with worse—but it will remind him of the same gossip that floated around about your mother." She smiled softly, fond of Laura Jean. "Although those were certainly true."

Taylor was out. Even transferring her back to Samuel was keeping her too close. Maybe they could send her to North Carolina or return her to Lauderdale.

"People will think it's a repeat performance," Jamison spat out. "I knew I didn't like her for a reason."

"I'm not implying that Taylor started the rumor," Hillary said as they neared Liam. "Just that you must be the one to end it."

"Thanks for letting me know."

Dramatic as ever, Hillary gave Liam a nod when they reached him and handed off Jamison as if she were handing off a bride on her wedding day. "Good to see you, boy."

"It's good to be seen, Hillary." He always played along with her antics. "What were you two talking about?"

"Oh, just of lying whores and how blowjobs can't always win wars," Hillary replied, amused with herself. "Now, tell me everything. I have the stats on guards and system upgrades. I've also pulled the expenditure lists for everything you're planning to do, but I want the nitty gritty. How are you going to wipe Zanmi and this Sinclair person out?"

Liam didn't address the offhanded comments, and patiently indulged her with information.

"That's not all of it," Hillary said at the end of his rundown. "If you're keeping your cards close to your chest, it must be for a good reason, and I won't pry." She pointed her finger in his face. "But where is your father in all this? I'm surprised Will Cohen is not right in the thick of it."

Liam gave her a boyish grin. "He's well past being in the thick of it. My parents would be here already if not for him trying to get something for Rowan."

"The plot thickens." Hillary laid a hand on Liam's cheek. "Make sure he comes by to see me. I enjoy looking at his face."

"It's not at all awkward that you find my dad hot, Hillary."

She gave his cheek a pat. "At least I have taste."

And in true Hillary fashion, she left without another word.

"Let's try out the earpiece." Liam extracted his arm and took a few steps back. "Can you hear me clearly?"

Jamison nodded, her nerves shooting into hyper-drive. "Is Annabeth doing okay?"

"A little anxious, but she and Rowan found a spot to hang out," he said, returning to her side. "You've got thirty minutes."

"Or less," she exhaled, peering around the hedges at the party. Over a hundred people were scattered in groups across the promenade, with even more in the hosting shops or crowded outside the winery. Some wore elaborate costumes, while others donned less theatrical attire. "But I don't want to leave Annabeth behind."

Music blasted out of nowhere, and she launched into Liam. "What the hell?"

"It's the DJ gearing up, Jamison." He rubbed her back. "If you don't think you can handle this—"

"I can do it."

"We can do it."

They entered the fray, and Liam kept his hand wrapped low around her waist. "Who was the lying whore you and Hillary were discussing?"

Unable to take her eyes off the crowd, Jamison spotted Annabeth leaning against a wall with Rowan. "Taylor," she whispered. "There's a rumor going around that she and my dad are having an affair, and they're getting married because Taylor's pregnant."

"Yeah, I noticed she was a little touchy with Ben in the kitchen. She kept putting her hand on his arm, or leaning just the right way so she could give him an eyeful of cleavage."

She waved at Annabeth. "It's so gross."

"And the thing about the blowjobs?"

"Evie and Hillary don't think I can win you back by giving out an endless number of blowjobs."

"I'm not saying they're wrong, but I'm not saying they're right." Liam slid her hair back from her shoulder to reveal the red mark he left earlier to the world. "We should test the theory."

"Yeah, I thought you might say that."

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