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The dog’s eyes closed, and seconds later she was snoring in Leo’s arms, her little paws in the air, and even I had to admit she was cute. “I’m gonna call Gram and ask her to knit her a sweater so she doesn’t get too cold.” Belle and I both burst out laughing at the idea of Mom knitting something wearable. Ever since Belle had given birth to Leo, Mom had tried to learn how to knit and crochet. She’d failed epically but wouldn’t admit it to anyone.
“You do that, son,” Belle said, trying to get her laughter under control, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the first sweater she’d made Leo. One arm was higher than the other, and the front was longer than the back. Belle had refused to put it on Leo, but Ford hadn’t hesitated. He’d been Mom’s best friend for as long as I could remember, which had made it interesting when Belle and he had gotten together.
Leo pulled out his cell, jabbed at the screen, and walked away, murmuring to Mom on the other end of the line while still holding the dog with his other arm.
“Oh, man.” Belle shook her head and leaned back in the chair. “I dread to think what Mom will make.”
I snorted. “She’ll probably go and buy something and pretend she made it. Remember when she did that for the cake sale one year?” I slapped my palm on the table, causing it to vibrate. “She was all proud of the cupcakes she’d brought—”
“And she left the price label on them!” Belle bent over, laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. “I’ve never seen Mom go so red in my entire life!”
She was right, I hadn’t either, not even counting the time when she found out Belle and Ford had been sleeping together while he was supposed to be guarding her against the cartel. “She’ll never live that down,” I grunted, trying to get ahold of my laughter.
“Nope, she won’t.” Belle shook her head and grabbed another chip out of the bowl. “Amateur, everyone knows to put store-bought cupcakes into a box from home first.” She pointed at me with a raised brow. “That is how you work the system, little bro.”
“So, I take it you’ve done that too, huh?”
“Hell yeah, I have.” She pushed her chair back and rolled her eyes at me as if the suggestion she had wasn't ludicrous. “Ain’t no one got time for baking.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I think you meant to say: ‘I can’t bake.’”
“I can too!” Belle shouted, planting her hands on her hips and staring me down, exactly like she used to when we were kids. We both were in our thirties, but that didn’t mean anything when it came to how we behaved together. She’d always be my big sister, and also the biggest pain in my ass.
“Yeah?” I raised a brow, my mind already spinning with a challenge as I slowly stood. “Bet you a hundred bucks you can’t make cupcakes as good as the store.”
Belle extended her arm at lightning speed, offering me her hand. “Challenge accepted.”
I reached for her hand but stopped at the last second. “I get to buy the store cupcakes, and it’s a blind testing.” She nodded in agreement. “Two people of your choosing, two of mine.”
“It’s on like Donkey Kong,” she taunted, and finally, I placed my hand in hers, gave it one solid shake, then let go. “You’re so going down, little Asher.”
“That’s what she said,” I quipped back, snorting as she gagged. “That too,” I said, pointing at the action with a huge grin on my face.
“Ew! Stop it! You’re disgusting.”
I shrugged and stepped back, knowing I had to leave to get to the studio on time for my evening of clients. “Nope.” I popped the p. “That’s what your cupcakes will be.”
“Ohhhh, you’re so dead.” She growled and darted for me, but I managed to get away and to the front door before she could catch me. She was never good at being able to get me, and we both knew it.
“Lost again!” I shouted, flinging the door open and running to my car. “You’re used to that feeling, huh?” I was rubbing it in now, but I couldn’t help it when it came to Belle. She was the one person I didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing to.
“I’m gonna kill you,” Belle warned, standing in her doorway, but the smile on her face was a complete contradiction to the words she was saying. She loved me, and I had no doubt I was her favorite brother, even though Cade liked to think he was.
“You wouldn’t.” I opened the driver’s side door and stared over at her. “You love me way too much.”
She snorted. “Ain’t that the truth.” She waved her hand at me to shoo. “Now leave, my neighbors are probably ogling you.”
I flexed my muscles. “They can look all they want.” I posed another couple of times and pressed the tip of my finger to my bicep, wincing. “So hot, it burns.”
“That what you do in front of the mirror each morning, Asher?” Belle asked, leaning on her doorframe and grinning in amusement. “Do you speak positive quotes to your reflection too?”
“And what if I do?”
“I’m gonna be great today,” she mimicked, lifting her arm and flexing her bicep. “I look extra pretty today.”
I gasped, my hand flying to my chest. “How dare you.” I shook my head. “I’m pretty every damn day.”
“Sure, you are. That ‘beard’ is super pretty and delicate.” I ran my hands over my stubble, pretending to stroke it like it was a full beard and feeling like the old man who used to sit on the bench outside the MMA gym I trained at as a kid. I’d been trying to grow a full beard for a decade but never got much more than stubble. “Get out of here,” Belle said, pushing off the doorframe. “I need to go check on my new naked dog.”
