Page 70 of I'd Never Date my Best Friend's Brother

“Good night, nugget,” Penny and Liam shout.

“Why are you going to bed, Melia?” Lucas asks, following Jamie to the stairs. “Don’t you want to play anymore?”

I walk over to Lucas and kiss his sweet head. “She’s just sleepy. It’s past her bedtime.”

“Oh,” he responds. Then he yells at his cousin. “Hey John. Do you want to play hide and seek?”

“And they’re off,” I mutter, chuckling to myself at how quickly they bounce back.

John, Mark, and Liam go hide while Sarah and Lucas count. “Seven, eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here we come!”

“Where are we going, Lucas?” Sarah asks.

“To find them.”

“Oh.” Sarah follows her brother and laughs. Tex and Snoopy are close behind. She’s getting the hang of the games but she’s still a bit young to fully understand what’s happening.

I look at the TV and see that they aren’t anywhere near Sean’s category yet. I roll my shoulders and then my head, trying to relieve some of the tightness that is gathering. I hate how long these shows are, but I’d never forgive myself if they won and I missed it.

Sean has won many awards, but he has never been nominated for Best Actor in a movie based on his wife’s book and screenplay.

Yes, Jessica wrote a romantic comedy. I couldn’t believe it myself. I kept asking her if someone was going to die at some point and she yelled at me.

Seriously, though, she writes thrillers! People usually die in them, but no one dies in this one. It even has a happily ever after and everything.

I loved it! But not as much as Sean did when he found out what she did for him. I love watching my older brother get all soft and gooey where his wife is concerned. It’s pretty stinking cute.

Jessica used her and Sean’s story as her inspiration. It was actually very sweet. She only told me and her editor that she was writing it and didn’t let Sean know until after it was in print. She wanted it to be a surprise.

When the book was finally released she came out as a debut novelist under a new pen name: Jessica Stewart. The book was on the best seller’s list for over six months and at number one for two of them.

Once Sean read it, he started pitching it as a movie idea. A producer he worked with before, who trusted Sean’s judgment, and here we are. Watching the Golden Globes.

It’s a little surreal to be honest, and kind of like we’ve come full circle. If not for Sean concocting the “Find Jessica A Man Plan”, it’s possible we wouldn’t be here.

Except for Liam and Penny that is, I’m pretty sure their story would’ve turned out exactly the same.

I catch Liam and Penny out of the corner of my eye as they head over to me on the couch. I can’t stop my lips from lifting at how exhausted they look.

“Are you finally tired, big boy?” I joke with my little brother as he sits next to me and I hook my arm through his.

“It helps that I work with kids every day.” He grins. “Though they don’t quite wear me out like this crew.”

“I don’t think your boss would be happy if you were running around acting like a kid with the kids.” I gently nudge him.

“You’d be surprised with what Patrick is okay with.” Penny chuckles before she yells at the five menaces. “Okay everyone, time to build a fort!”

“Are you serious?” I grumble and both her and Liam laugh at me.

“You just wait and see what this does.” Penny winks. “I promise the next time you are watching any of the boys, you will be building a fort too!

“They’ll be passed out in thirty minutes,” Liam adds.

“As long as you don’t block the TV, then we’re good.” I shrug, craving some quiet to hear what’s being said on the television.

Forty-five minutes later, all five kids and the two dogs are laying quietly in the ‘fort’, while the four adults are sitting enjoying a few adult beverages as we all chit-chat during the commercials.

The Golden Globe theme music starts to play and Ricky Gervais is standing behind the podium. We were all surprised to see that he was hosting this year—especially after the last time—but here he is, and he’s still funny.

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