just don’t like him.”
“Duly noted,” Mikey said, gesturing for him to hurry up before the boys helped themselves to her snacks.
Chapter 35
“Stop being such a big baby and get out here!”
“No!” came the response that had Sebastian narrowing his eyes on their tent as he debated the best way to get the little brat out when Jonathan took care of it for him.
He watched as his brother walked over to the tent, pulled back the flaps and threw something inside. Whatever he did was met with stunned silence that quickly morphed into a surprised gasp, a rustling in the tent and Mikey crawling out the back, quickly racing around to the front, muttering, “I really hate him,” as she raced toward him so that she could jump in his arms.
Once he had his arms around her, Sebastian glanced back in time to watch as his brother leaned inside the tent, grabbed something and–
“I really do hate him,” Mikey mumbled as they watched the snake that Jonathan tossed into their tent wrap itself around his arm.
“Isn’t he cute?” Jonathan asked as he held up his arm to give them a better look at the snake.
“I know you do,” Sebastian said to Mikey even as he resigned himself to snake duty tonight, knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to go back inside until he checked for snakes every hour on the hour. But that was fine, Sebastian decided as he tightened his grip around her and moved to join the rest of his family.
“I don’t want to go,” Mikey grumbled as she laid her head against his shoulder.
“I know you don’t,” Sebastian said, biting back a smile that he knew she wouldn’t appreciate at the moment. “Would it help if I told you that it will be over before you know it?”
“No, because I know you’d be lying to me,” Mikey said only to gesture for him to put her down.
After making sure that Jonathan wasn’t planning on sneaking up behind her and scaring her with that snake, he placed her on the ground and–
Sighed, just freaking sighed when she tried to make a run for it. Before she managed to make it two feet, he grabbed her by the arm, yanked her back, and after another sigh, picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, wondering why she was being such a big baby about this.
“Just so you know, we are no longer speaking,” Mikey grumbled as she settled more comfortably over his shoulder.
“I already figured that out,” Sebastian said absently as he made his way down to the pond.
“If I drown–”
“I thought you weren’t talking to me,” Sebastian said, mostly because she wasn’t going to drown.
“I’m not.”
“Then what are you doing?
“Trying to give my last will and testament, but some big jerk keeps interrupting me!” Mikey snapped, making his lips twitch only to clear her throat and say, “Now, where was I?”
“You were professing your undying love for me!” Jonathan yelled as he ran past them.
“You know that I’m going to need help getting rid of his body one day, right?”
“I already have the perfect spot picked out,” Sebastian told her as he carefully made his way down the narrow path that led to the pond.
“You’re a good friend.”
“I’m the best,” Sebastian said absently as he took in the last two boats and–
“Damn it,” he said, sighing heavily as he watched his brother quickly climb into the boat with Cole, Joshua, and Mathew.
“What is it?” Mikey asked as his attention went to the last boat.
“It’s going to be a long day,” he said when he spotted Braxton standing by the last boat, looking just as unhappy as Sebastian was about the boating arrangements.
“Because of my drowning?” Mikey asked, making him roll his eyes as he glanced out at the pond to find his father and uncles already fishing.
“You’re not going to drown,” Sebastian told her as he considered going to see what his mother was up to only to decide against it knowing that she would be pissed if she found out that they ditched Braxton.
“How do you know?” Mikey asked as he reluctantly headed toward the boat.
“Because you can swim?” Sebastian pointed out, already regretting his decision to leave his iPad behind.
“I really can’t though,” Mikey mumbled sadly, making him frown.
“What are you talking about? You grew up on the beach,” he reminded her as he headed for the last dock where the jerk that they were going to be stuck with all day was waiting