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“Great. Thanks, Ty.” Kenzie rolled her eyes. “Now he’s back to marathons again.” She looked at Becca. “Prepare yourself. The early morning runs. The obsession with times. And the worst part, the laundry. You can’t wash that kind of stink out.”
“I forbid it.” Becca held a stern look on Tyler.
“Do you now?”
A tiny grin peeked from the corner of her mouth.
Tyler smiled like a champion. “We’ll negotiate later.”
The blush on Becca’s face tattled on exactly what Tyler meant. Also just like his father.
Jackson passed back through the doors, Reid right behind him. Both carried mugs of fresh coffee. Reid handed one cup to Jade and the other to his dad. Connor traded his empty mug for the fresh one and then patted Reid’s shoulders. “Here’s a good one. Way to show your uncle how it’s done, son.”
Reid grinned and walked away. Helen eyed him as he moved, because there was a glint in that kid’s eye—not one that was common for that particular boy.
They chatted about nothing in particular, enjoying the frosty view and the piney mountain air for several minutes before Connor discovered what his son had been up to.
Connor lifted his mug to take a drink and stopped with a jerk. “What the—” He looked straight at Reid, brows pulled down, and then at Jackson. “What did you do?”
“What is it?” Jade took the mug and looked at the contents. And then shrieked while flinging it away.
A full mug of fresh coffee went flying . . . right in Connor’s face.
“Oh my gosh! Connor. I’m so sorry!” Jade set her own mug on the deck rail and covered her mouth with both hands.
Using the sleeve of his black sweatshirt, Connor wiped his dripping wet face. Once his eyes were clear, he picked the large plastic spider that was now hanging from one of the pull strings of his hoodie, held it out, and pinned a glare on Jackson. He shook his head, his expression dark. And then . . . then he burst out laughing.
Jackson lifted his mug toward Reid, a silent salute to their prank, and the rest of the Murphys erupted with laughter as well.
“You are not allowed to corrupt my son,” Connor said between chuckles. He pulled Jade in close against him and then looked at Reid. “I can’t believe you would be in on this. You scared Jade to death.”
Reid crossed his arms and leaned against the house, his expression smug as you please. “You did that, Dad. Not me. But the coffee in your face was pretty epic. We didn’t plan that part.” Then he studied Jade for a moment, and his smirk sobered. “You’re not mad, right, Jade? I wasn’t aiming for—”
Jade pulled away from Connor and looked at Reid, humor brimming in her eyes as she laughed silently. “Not mad at all. That was, as you said, epic. Connor only warned me about Jackson.”
Jackson puffed out his chest. “The master isstillin the house. Well done, my young apprentice. Next we’ll cover all the amazingly disgusting things you can do with a candy bar.”
A collective groan lifted from the group.
“Well . . .” Megan smiled, stepped toward Jade, and gripped her arm. “You know what they say—the couple who can stay together through coffee in the face will stay together through anything.”
“Who says that?” Audrey gave her friend ayou’re ridiculouslook. “No one says that, Meg.”
“Megan does,” Brandon deadpanned. “It makes her feel better about it.”
Still grinning, Jade turned to Brandon, clearly no longer intimidated by the Murphy men. “About what?”
“About tossing coffee in my face.” Brandon tipped his mug to his lips, as if that little announcement was the stuff of everyday occurrences.
“What?” Audrey squealed. “You didn’t.”
“I absolutely did.” Megan lifted her chin and pinned her sassy look on her husband. “And he absolutely deserved it. I’m still not sorry. And also, you laughed.”
“Did not.” The way the corner of Brandon’s mouth poked upward proclaimed the opposite.
Helen stepped back while the kids continued their banter, thoroughly amused to watch her most serious son and his slightly silly wife balance each other out. They were adorable. All of them, actually.
A pair of strong arms slipped around her. Sighing, she leaned back as Kevin tugged her in close. “Quite a crowd we have gathered here, beautiful.”
