“To shower?” I ask, my words as cold as frostbite.
“He could use the hose.” Lucas looks past me to the TV, where the wet bandits are taking paint cans to the face. Lucas snickers.
“That’s, what, concussion number four?” Coop asks.
“No, six?” Lucas says.
“You don’t know if slipping on the ice would give him a concussion,” Logan says, grabbing the chocolate Smarties and throwing the last handful into his mouth.
Coop peeks past Logan at me, but Logan shoulder-checks him.
“No looking.”
Coop looks down at his lap, grinning.
“No smiling.” Lucas slaps Coop’s leg.
“Hey! I’m watching a funny movie! I’m allowed to smile.”
“Not that smile, you’re not. Eyes on the screen, bubs.”
Coop rolls his lips together, and by the way he’s holding his body so tightly, I think he’s trying not to laugh.
I smile and fling my legs across the arm rest so they’re practically in Logan’s face.
“Ew,” Logan says. “Get your stinky feet off me.” He knocks my feet away.
Anger flashes across Coop’s face, and he shoves Logan. “Don’t hit her.”
“Don’t hithim,” Lucas says, pushing Coop.
I laugh, watching Tweedle Dumb, Tweedle Dumber, and Tweedle Dead Sexy get into a push fight over me.
“Coop, you can go shower. I’ll stay here with the boys.”
“Hear that?” Lucas snorts. “She’ll stay here with theboys. What does that say about you, Coop?”
He pushes off my brothers to stand. “It says I’m a man, Lukie.”
Lucas tries to kick Coop, but he skirts past my brother too fast. Coop rounds the sectional and leans down to kiss my cheek before my brothers can stop him. “Good morning, Sugar Plum,” he says softly.
“NO CANOODLING!” my brothers yell.
I pull up the collar of my pajama top to cover my smile.
Twenty minutes (and probably three concussions for Marv and Harry) later, my brothers and I are laughing at the TV.
“I forgot to ask how Christmas Adam was last night,” I say, picking out the pink Smarties, which taste the best even though they’re all the same flavor.
“It was canceled,” Lucas says. “Everyone’s at Uncle Paul’s, but the roads were too bad to drive on.”
“So Mom’s whole family is still in town?”
Lucas nods. “If the roads are good enough, we’re planning to try again on Boxing Day.”
Lucas pushes me with his foot. “You can’t skip out this time.”
I eat another pink Smartie. “That’s okay. I think I can handle going.”
