Page 36 of Her Greatest Adventure

“Where is your better half? And your little man? I miss them.”

My brother lights up the way he only does at the mention of his wife and son. Pure love seeps from his every pore. “Liam managed to wrangle her into sleeping with him for his nap. They’re in my old room, so he refused to sleep alone. You know how he is with sleeping anywhere but his crib.”

Memories of the late nights I’ve spent babysitting my nephew flood my mind. He’s never liked to sleep much, but put him on your chest while watching a show and he’d be out like a light every damn time.

“Don’t be picking on your son, Maddox Hutton. I remember you refusing to sleep worth a shit when you were a toddler,” Mom half-heartedly scolds.

“Adalyn was the only one of you that slept well. She was our reward for all the trouble you and Noah caused us. Like the universe was issuing us an apology,” Dad adds.

I stick my tongue out at Dox as he rolls his eyes at Dad. “Hear that, asshole? I think that was confirmation that I am indeed the favourite child.”

“Dad didn’t say that,” he grunts.

“He didn’t have to say it word for word. Read between the lines.”

“Maybe you need to stop reading between so many lines. You’re beginning to sound like a conspiracy theorist.”

“You’re so dramatic. I don’t know how Braxton deals with you.”

“My dazzling personality, obviously.”

I snort loudly. “Now who sounds like a conspiracy theorist?”

“It’s not fair to start arguments when you’re too far away for me to toss you in the pool.”

“Aw, are you scared I’ll win if you don’t cheat?”

He snorts. “I don’t cheat.”

“Yes you do!”

“Nope.”

“What do you call shutting me up by dumping me in the pool or stealing my stuff, then? Tell him, Cooper. You know I’m right. Maddox is a dirty cheat.”

The laugh that escapes the man at my side makes my toes curl, and I pull my feet as far into the couch as I can, hoping he can’t see.

“I plead the fifth,” he says.

I scowl at him. “You can’t plead the fifth. This isn’t a courtroom.”

He meets my stare, curving a brow in answer. “Are you going to make me say otherwise?”

“Yes. I damn well will,” I huff.

“How do you plan on doing that?”

An idea takes root in my head. A terrible one, really.

I straighten my shoulders and shift toward him, pressing the side of my body harder against his. Our knees knock as I bat my eyes at him, trying not to take a big sniff of his cologne.

“Is it time yet?” I ask him.

“Time for what?”

When his brows furrow in confusion, I make a show of accidentally dropping my phone on the cushion beside him. I flash a dimpled smile at him while reaching across his lap and covering the back of my phone with my hand.

His breath hitches at the feel of my body over his lap, but I think he may stop breathing entirely when I lean my cheek close to his chest and peek at him through my fluttering lashes.

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