Page 34 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
“What’s it about? You never said.”
“Behind-the-scenes vlog stuff. You’re the main show and I’d be the side show. I was gonna call itSpooky Scarybut now I’m not allowed to go anywhere unsupervised.” She made a face and rolled her eyes.
“Oh, wow, I wonder why. You’ve been nothing but responsible and mature since I’ve known you.”
“I understand why they said no. My dad explained it.” She pouted. “I’m not mad but I still don’t like it.”
“Much better.”
“They’re just sitting there. Someone could go with me through the house and stuff.”
“It might look like that’s what they’re doing, but I’m sure they’re working. Tell you what, if they say it’s okay, you can make your vlog with me.”
“Really?” Her face brightened like sunflowers turning toward the sun.
“Only if you agree to stay with me on my agenda.” Which included testing Hennessee House’s reactivity to moods at some point. “We go where I say.”
Rebel jumped up, sprinting back to the gazebo and returning moments later dragging Maverick by the hand.
“Lucky, tell my dad what you said.” She was nearly breathless with excitement. What a sweetheart—it truly didn’t take much to make her day.
“I saidif it’s okayshe can tag along with me today and film some of her show. I don’t mind.”
Maverick looked unsure. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“I have references available if you’re worried,” she teased. “You can call my former family. They’ll vouch for my nanny prowess.”
He laughed. “Ah, no. That’s not the issue. Rebel constantly being in the shot is. She won’t be in the show. She’ll be fully edited out before it airs.”
“How much footage do they need? Surely, they have enough for today by now. I mean, I already got hijacked. What more do they want from me? Should I hold a séance to try channeling the house directly?” she joked.
“Please, Dad? Pleeeeease?” Rebel begged, bouncing on her tiptoes.
Lucky almost laughed watching Maverick lose the battle against Rebel’s sweet little face. Helen of Troy had nothing on her.
“I’ll talk to them,” he said, finally. “No promises. Their answer is final. No appeals. Deal?”
“Deal!” They locked pinkies and Lucky about perished.
Stephen agreed to let Rebel film her vlogs as long as Maverick was an “on-site supervising producer,” aka if anything supernatural happened, he’d quickly get her out of the shot.
“I expect to see my name in the credits,” Maverick said to Rebel.
“You got it.”
In addition to that morning’s orchard stunt, Hennessee had reacted to happiness in the bathtub, curiosity in the sitting room, and…whatever she and Maverick felt in the bedroom. And when she was on the phone with him.Ahem. Her plan consisted of experimenting with different emotions in new locations. Rebel fit into that project quite nicely—Lucky couldn’t have planned it better herself.
She slid into nanny mode, altering her schedule the tiniest bit to make it fun for Rebel, who narrated and filmed as they assembled the pet house. Afterward, they placed small bowls of dry cat food in various spots around the orchard.
Maverick temporarily took over filming duties while Rebel used the small ladder, the entire top half of her body hidden by the tree, to fill up brown baskets with fresh oranges, plums, and figs for about an hour. Lucky held her steady, while singing along to the pop music she played for atmosphere.
Identified feeling(s): joy, excitement. No visible response.
Lucky’s lunch plans evolved to include her signature playtime menu she’d perfected with her previous family’s kids. She taught Rebel how to make sophisticated mimosas (Diet Sprite and fresh orange juice), experimental tea sandwiches, and homemade fruit popsicles using molds they found in the kitchen.
Identified feeling(s): nostalgia, amusement. No visible response.
They moved the furniture out of the way in the parlor room to film dance videos, which then turned into a cartwheel competition, resulting in Stephen’s veins popping out of his neck when he found out. Apparently, there were lamps in that room older than all of them.
