Page 39 of Bragg's Match

“No time. Busy day. Need to get going.”

I hand her a mug of coffee. “Here you go.”

She downs half the mug in one go. As usual. I’ve learned to melt an ice cube in her coffee. I’m not having her burn her esophagus. I don’t care if she says the heat doesn’t bother her. I’m not chancing it.

“Exactly what I needed.”

“You’re welcome.”

She rolls her eyes. “Thank you for the coffee, Brody.”

I hand her a plate of eggs and bacon.

“I don’t have time to eat.”

I nudge her toward the table. “We have time. The pottery is already loaded in the truck.”

Her mouth gapes open. “The pottery is already loaded in the truck?”

“You heard me. I loaded the pottery last night.” I nudge her toward a bar stool. “Sit. Eat. You need your strength for today.”

She digs into her food. “Done. Done. Still to do,” she mutters as she scrolls through the to-do lists on her phone.

I snatch her phone from her.

“Give it back.”

I shove it in my back pocket. “No. After you finish eating your breakfast you can have your phone.”

“You’re not my dad.”

“Damn straight I’m not.” My feelings for Soleil are not paternal. “Eat.”

“You’re supposed to be a dork. Not bossy.”

I grin. “Don’t worry. I can be both.”

I watch as she inhales the food off the plate. I debate giving her seconds but she holds out her hand and wiggles her fingers at me. “Phone. Now. Don’t make me hurt you.”

“I’d love to see you try,” I mumble as I place the phone in her hand.

While she reviews her lists for the day, I put away her plate and fill a to-go mug with coffee for her.

“Ready?” I ask as I hand her the mug.

She narrows her eyes at me. “Why are you being nice to me?”

I lock my body before I flinch at her question. I’m always nice to her. I make her coffee every morning. I also have breakfast ready for her most mornings. I mow the lawn. I even cleaned out the gutters.

The only thing I don’t do for her is clean the inside of the house. I would. Despite what my brother Elder thinks, I’m not opposed to cleaning. But the first – and last – time I cleaned, she complained my vacuuming was not up to snuff. Apparently, you need to leave lines in the carpet.

“I’m always nice.” Especially to her.

She snorts. “And you didn’t prank me by dressing up as a ghost either.”

I’ll never admit this out loud but dressing up as a ghost to scare Soleil in order to ‘save’ her from said ghost wasn’t my best idea ever. Don’t tell my brothers. I’d never hear the end of it.

“I can be niceandpull a prank.”

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