“You’ll have to live with it,” Coop says. “I like her too much to let you scare me away.”
The big fireworks may have died, but his words light a sparkler in me. One of the big, long ones that lasts forever.
I’m torn between wanting to hug Coop (and then some) and wanting to strangle my menacing brothers. I watch them go silent as they get back into the movie, and then all three of them laugh again. An urgent sense ofwantfills me. Not just my feelings for Coop. I wantthemto get to know each other. To get along. I want my brothers to know all of the things that make Coop special, from the lengths he’s gone to for his mom to the small ways he’s looked afterme. And I want him to get to know them, too! They’re so much more than the brats they’re portraying themselves as. They have big hearts and care deeply about the people they love.
They would all love each other if they could get their machismo out of the way.
I walk the rest of the way into the room, catching more of the scene with every step. Coop’s thick, wavy brown hair sticks out at all angles while my brothers’ permanently windswept blond hair would make entire boybands jealous. But then my eyes rove around the big, cozy room, and I spot all of Mom’s favorite decorations, including a wooden Rudolph in one corner, her collection of Nativities on the mantle below the TV, and twinkle lights running along the ceiling and entry. I see candlesticks, nutcrackers, stockings, and pillows. And all of the regular pictures and paintings have been replaced with holiday ones—Joy to the World and Deck the Halls signs. Pictures of us in matching pajamas over the years.
And the Christmas tree …
All of her ornaments are on it, arranged as well as a man missing his better half possibly could.
This must have taken my familyhours.
My eyes grow warm and wet thinking of my dad and brothers decorating the house by themselves. Without Mom.
Withoutme.
I should have been here. I shouldn’t have stayed away. I rush my brothers, throwing myself onto Logan, then Lucas.
“You doofuses!” I say, tears welling in my eyes and laughing at their stupid matching onesie pajamas. “I missed you!”
“Get off of him!” Lucas yells, pushing me off Coop. I almost fall to my butt, but Coop throws an arm around my waist and catches me.
“Don’t push her!” he says.
Lucas punches Coop’s arm. “Don’t touch her!”
“Don’t spill the candy, you bozos!” Logan sets the dish on the coffee table. And then he slugs Coop’s other arm. “And don’t touch her.”
I laugh, and Coop gives my waist a squeeze that makes my stomach flutter.
“You smell nice,” he mumbles in my ear.
Logan shoves me to my feet as Lucas makes a ruckus behind me.
“Don’t smell her!” Lucas says. I turn in time to see him elbow Coop in the gut, causing Coop to wince. “And she doesn’t smell good. She has road trip stink.”
Logan looks at me, and I’m aware I never washed my face last night. My waterproof mascara has probably caked my eyelashes together and left flecks all around my eyes. “What happened to you? You look like you were rode hard and put away wet.”
Coop punches Logan’s thigh. “Don’t talk about her like that!”
Lucas flicks Coop’s ear. “Don’t punch him!”
Coop gives me a tight-lipped smile that screams “it’s been a long morning.” I hold back a smile. Because the way they’re fighting sets off a new wave of fireworks. They’re fighting with Coop the way they fight witheach other.
They don’t know it yet, but they’re going to be best friends.
“You need a shower,” Lucas says. “Youbothdo.”
“You can go first,” I tell Coop. I take the curved seat on the sectional, separated from Coop by an arm rest and one annoying brother.
“Not gonna happen. The Bash Brothers here have informed me that if I need to use any facilities, it’ll be with an escort.”
“Dudes!” I say.
Logan shrugs. “We said he could go outside.”
