and the two in his. He lifts his cookies to his nose and sniffs, then grabs my hand with the cookie in it and smells that as well. He very carefully nibbles on his cookie. Immediately, his nose crinkles.
Before I can do anything, he snatches the half-eaten cookie out of my hand and takes a tiny bite of it as well. Meanwhile, Asher and Cage stoically bite and swallow their cookies.
“Well?” Evie offers Asher and Cage more cookies. “What do you think? Can’t eat just one, right?”
“Did Evie put you up to this?” Brody stays by my side and whispers as he holds me tight against him.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper back.
He discreetly places his cookies on the counter and takes a bite of mine. It takes a second for his eyes to close as the buttery treat melts in his mouth. My baked goods are a thousand times better than anything I made for dinner. Baking is my superpower.
“Best damn cookie I’ve ever tasted.” Brody’s grip around my waist tightens. “What do you think, guys?”
Asher and Cage glance up. Their mouths twist as they struggle to swallow the foul salty-peppery mix with the added bonus of far too much baking powder.
“It’s something.” Asher manages to speak while Cage stares at the rest of his cookie. I can practically see the gears turning in his head.
“What the fuck is this?” Cage’s eyes narrow to thin slits as his attention shifts to Evie.
Evie innocently takes another cookie from the bottom of the tray. It has to be her fourth or fifth, not that I’m counting, and pops the whole cookie into her mouth. She closes her eyes as if she’s found bliss.
“So delicious.”
Cage glances at his second, untouched, cookie.
“They pranked us.” Asher points to Brody, who shoves the last of my cookie into his mouth. “Were you in on this?”
“In on what?” Brody licks his fingers, making a smacking sound. “Best damn cookie on the planet.”
“Not cool, bro. You gotta stand with your brothers. Can’t let the chicks win.” Cage’s eyes narrow. He looks at his cookie then shifts his attention to the stack of cookies on the table.
Abbie leans back in her chair, arms loosely folded over her chest; a smile lingers in her eyes as she takes us all in. I want to know what she sees; what vision swirls in her head. To be honest, I want more of this in my life; this feeling of belonging and being a part of something greater than myself. Having family I can lean on and turn to when things feel down.
Not that Uncle Mark isn’t amazing, but we don’t share this unbreakable bond.
Cage and Asher stomp over to the table. They look at each other, then attack the stack of cookies, breaking each cookie in half before moving onto the next. The frosting disguises the flecks of cayenne pepper in the dough, but not when the cookies are broken in half.
Asher finally reaches one of the good cookies and gives a shout when he notices the difference.
“Here!” He shoves one of the halves toward Cage, then bites into the other piece. Immediately, he closes his eyes as the cookie melts in his mouth. “Holy fucking shit, but that’s good.” When he opens his eyes, his attention lands on Evie. “I’m not putting this on Grace. You did this.” Evie giggles, then gasps as Asher reaches for her. Their scuffle is short-lived, with Evie losing as he flings her over his shoulder. He grabs a few more cookies in his free hand, then heads for the door. “Excuse us.”
“Where is he taking her?” I keep my voice low as Asher marches out with Evie kicking and screaming but not really putting up much of a fight.
“My guess is the barn.”
“The barn?”
“It’s where the rope is.”
“Why would he need…” I glance into Brody’s smoldering gaze and decide that’s a question I don’t want an answer to, at least not just yet. It shouldn’t surprise me Asher and Brody share the same desire for dominance during sex.
“These are fucking amazing!” Cage occupies Evie’s vacant seat. He demolishes the pile of cookies, breaking each one open to keep or discard.
Abbie chuckles, mirth filling her face, as Cage goes to town.
“How are you feeling?” Brody nuzzles my neck. “Ready to get out of here?” Before I can answer, Brody makes an announcement to the room. “I’m taking my girl home. Catch you on the flip side.”
“Thanks for dinner, and watch your back.”