Page 26 of Maldives & Mistletoe

THIRTEEN

Eve and Theo

EVE

“No, no, no, Cory,” Theo said, his laughter echoing through the hut as he chased the naked toddler across the floor. Eve could have stepped in to help her husband, but watching him try to get Cory into the bathtub was way more fun. And far more amusing. “You swam in the water yesterday, didn’t you? It’s the same thing, kid!”

“Nos, Uncle Theo, nos!”

And with that, Cory threw himself to the floor, and immediately rolled under the bed just out of his uncle’s reach. Eve listened as Theo tried to convince Cory to come out, and then when that didn’t work, he thought using bribery might change the kid’s mind.

“Uncle Theo will give you soda if you come out, Cory.”

“Nos!”

“We won’t tell Ma, either.”

“Nos!”

“Get out here right now, kid.”

“Nos!”

Eve let out a quiet laugh, but the second Theo’s head popped up and his narrowed gaze landed on her, she pretended like she hadn’t made a damn noise. He wouldn’t appreciate her amusement at his troubles.

“You’re still smiling, you know,” he told her, “I can see it.”

Was she?

Well, shit.

Eve tried to hide her smile by looking down at Joe as she ran a towel through his hair. A far easier child than his younger brother, Joe sat happily and quietly, all too willing to let his aunt get him ready for bed. He was easily pleased, and fine to follow the rules of his bedtime routine. Unlike his little brother.

“Ha!”

Theo’s triumphant exclamation brought Eve’s attention back to him just as he stood up from the floor with a wiggly, naked Cory in his arms. The kid kept his fight up all the way to the bathroom, never once letting his uncle think he truly had the upper hand on the child. And strangely enough, Eve knew that out of all the kids, Theo was most fond of Cory … even if he would never admit that out loud to her, or anyone else.

He never even considered playing favorites, and he never outwardly showed that he did have a favorite, but Eve knew her husband better than anyone. She could tell, even if he didn’t say it out loud.

Maybe it was the kid’s spirit.

Or his fight.

It could even be his attitude …

Whatever it was, she figured her husband found a lot of his own behavior and characteristics in the toddler and instead of getting annoyed with Cory, Theo just found himself amused by the boy’s antics. Like what might come next?

It could be anything.

Eve already had Joe in bed, read his story, and watched him fall asleep before Theo finally got Cory bathed, dried, gave him his bedtime snack, and got him into bed. She was resting in the hammock with her e-reader when her husband finally came to stand beside her. Glancing up at him, she couldn’t even hide her smile at the sight of his slightly tired eyes narrowing in on her.

“Is he finally asleep?”

Theo pressed his lips together. “Out like a light.”

“I bet all that running away from you tired him out.”

She couldn’t stop herself from teasing him just a bit. What was fun about indulging his sulking? She would much rather make him smile a bit, anyway.