Cook Brothers: The Whole Flipping Family

by BJ Harvey

  “The size of something anyway,” Jax mutters, grinning.

  With my palm pressed to her lower back, I urge April forward to a smiling Ezra as Cohen steps up to take his shot, probably because he’s trying to get a head start on the rest of us but also because he’s the one brother who already knows her—before me, in fact.

  “This is my best friend, Ezra. Ez, this is—”

  “The woman who has dazzled our Jamie,” he says, landing me in it. Why did I think this was a good idea again?

  “He’s dazzled by me, is he?” she says with a giggle, rubbing her fingers up and down over my hip. It’s such a reassuring, intimate gesture that’s just for us, that I really couldn’t care less what shit the guys try to pull tonight. I’m the one with April on my arm, and that’s where she’ll stay if I have anything to do with it.

  She grins up at me before returning her gaze to Ez. “That’s good to know because he’s kind of made a good impression on me too.”

  “Kind of?” Ezra asks with a laugh.

  “Yeah. He’s also good at getting under my skin, so I guess I’m happy with dazzling him in return.”

  “Now that we’ve all met her, do you think we can make tonight’s bet so we can see if she can hit a ball?” Cohen asks, coming toward us with a smirk before pulling April in for a hug.

  He leaves his arm hanging loosely around her shoulders before addressing me. “No growling for me, James? Not scared I’ll steal your girl?”

  I hear April’s breath catch, her eyes glued on me. She may not be sure of my feelings on this thing between us, but I’m sure enough for the both of us.

  Besides… “She already knew you and didn’t ask you out, and vice versa, so out of all these fuckers, you’re the safest bet.”

  That earns me an indignant chorus of “hey!” from the rest of the group. Cohen’s eyes shine with approval and April ducks her head, a wry smile curving her lips and a gratifying pink tinge on her cheeks.

  Fuck. I’m starting to sound like a girl.

  “Maybe ’cause you’re acting like one,” Ezra murmurs from beside me.

  My head snaps his way. “What?”

  “You forget I know you sometimes better than you know yourself.” He claps me on the back. “You’re right, you are, but you deserve a woman who treats you well, who kisses you without giving a shit, and who holds on tight in the face of his boys who she knows has his back and will have hers if this goes the distance.”

  “Who are you and where is my best friend?”

  “Ha fucking ha.”

  I shoot him a smirk.

  “Hey, lovely. Does the swear jar apply at the driving range?” I call out, April’s heat soon cloaking my side as she returns her arm around my back.

  “Yep. If my little terror is going to college, he’s gonna need all the help he can get.”

  “How much is it again?” Ezra asks her, pulling out his wallet.

  “I’m sure it’s two dollars a curse word,” I say as April snorts.

  “Fuck!” he mutters.

  “Might as well give me ten and put yourself in credit, Ez. Sounds like you’re gonna need it,” Jamie adds.

  He hands out a ten-dollar bill to April, who grabs it and shoves it in the back pocket of her skin-tight jeans that have been giving me ideas since she turned up on my doorstep in them.

  “Are we playing or what?” Cohen says, holding out a driver for April.

  “What’s the bet, first?” I ask, Ez, April and I moving towards my brothers.

  “Well, the way Jamie swears, he’s gonna need all the money he can get. So how about this. The loser has to buy dinner after every golf night until auction day?” Bryant suggests, earning a round of nods from the group.

  “April, since you’re the new girl, you’re up first,” Jax says.

  I chuckle under my breath as she walks to Cohen and takes the club from him.

  “Do we get to choose the color of our own balls?” she asks. That has Jax, Bryant, and Cohen’s eyes bugging out as Ezra and I burst out laughing.

  “Let me guess; you’re picking blue,” I say with a knowing grin.

  “Oh, you do know me well,” she says with a wink. She bends at the waist, places the ball on the tee then straightens and adjusts her grip and stance until she’s ready to go. “I had to do it. You know how much I like blue balls.”

  And when she swings and whacks the ball farther than I’ve ever seen a woman hit before, the only sound in the group is her satisfied giggle, proving one thing for sure.

  April Williams is one of a fucking kind.

  15

  April

  On the way home from the driving range, I’m buzzing from not only coming third out of all of the guys but from how easy it was to join their little tradition. There was none of the awkwardness or even a warming-up period. Straight away, it was like I was one of them. Jamie also didn’t act any differently, and his little growls were a mix of both amusing and arousing.

  “I had a lot of fun,” I announce, reaching over and lacing my fingers with his.

  “I could tell.” His voice is so warm I want to bathe in it—definitely a contrast from his big, gruff intensity that keeps me guessing.

  “Was I gloating? I have been known to be a bit competitive.”

  “It wasn’t your competitiveness that I was noticing,” he says, low and a little raspy, a tone that also sounds very good on him.

  I shift in my seat to watch him as he drives. “And what exactly were you noticing?”

  What is it about this man that has me ready to jump him every single second I’m within launching distance? It’s not just the fact I haven’t been touched by a man in near-on six years; it’s him. I’ve been on dates. I even had a few lackluster attempts at a kiss goodnight afterward, but no one has set me on fire from a simple look, or smartass remark rolling off his tongue.

  Jamie’s lips curve up, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in that way I like. “You know damn well what was distracting me,” he says with a deep chuckle. “The bending, the shaking, the hair flipping. Then there was the touching and the wandering hands…”

  I pull my arm free and hold my hands up in surrender. “Hey. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I only grabbed Jaxon’s ass that one time.”

  His eyes damn near bug out of his head. “What?” he splutters as he turns the truck into a road that snakes around the lakefront. Finding a parking spot, he pulls to a stop and shuts the engine off. Then he moves, unhooking my seatbelt and hauling me over until I’m in his lap. He reaches down and pulls the lever to lower his seat back.

  “Now,” he says, rubbing his hands over my shoulders and down my arms in a very measured, and controlled way that has me squirming, “let’s go back to you grabbing an ass that wasn’t mine…”

  He dips his head and brings his lips to the bare skin of my neck, then drags the top of his tongue slowly up to my jaw then to the corner of my mouth.

  “I mean, it was a nice ass. Good genes must run in your family. I’ve only felt two out of the four brothers though, so to be absolutely sure I’d have to—”

  He swallows the rest of my words, his tongue spearing between my lips, his hand fisting my ponytail, holding me in place as he kisses the ever-loving shit out of me. All I can do is hold on for dear life and take what he’s giving me, my moans vibrating between us. My body shifts to autopilot, my legs dropping to either side of him, my hips grinding down on his.

  “Fuck you can kiss,” he rasps.

  “You’ve said that before,” I pant, heaving in air.

  “At least I’ve learned a new way to deal with your sass.”

  My brows lift up, a startled laugh escaping. “Is that right?”

  He leans in for another kiss, this one soft and slow and light, his mouth curved into a smile. “Yep. Only a little more enjoyable than our usual back and forth.”

  I jerk my head, my eyes widening. “Only a little?”

  His grin widens. “Well, once we get to the sta
ge of even more physical ways to shut you up, I’m guessing I’ll like those a fuck of a lot more.”

  I look out the window, biting my lip to hide my smile. “Another dollar,” I murmur. “Best idea ever telling Ax to give you the swear jar.”

  “I knew it,” he rasps, his hands running over my shoulders in a soothing rhythm.

  Filled with an overwhelming need to be closer, I lean in and rest my head on his shoulders. His arms wrap around me.

  “I thought we’d take that walk we talked about,” he says quietly.

  I burrow in, smoothing my hand over his chest. “I’m happy to stay right where I am.”

  His arms flex, and I guess I’ve surprised him. “Then we’ll stay here.”

  We sit there, me making myself at home in his lap with absolutely no desire to move.

  “This feels good,” he murmurs as if thinking out loud.

  I let that wash over me because he’s not wrong, it does feel good, but more importantly, it feels right.

  “I was with my ex-husband for three years from start to finish.” I don’t lift my head, but I do hold my breath as I wait for any kind of reaction from Jamie. I don’t expect his cheek resting against my hair or his palm running up and down my back in slow, soothing sweeps.

  “It was good—well, I thought it was—in the beginning. We met when I was twenty-two, and he was twenty-five. I was fresh out of college, and he was working as a salesman, selling automotive parts. It involved some travel in the beginning, but when we got married, bought the house and got pregnant, he started going away more and for longer.”

  A contented sigh escapes my lips. Jamie’s touch is the perfect balm to help me get through this story. ”Betty and I had always been close but when I had to go on bedrest for the last few weeks of the pregnancy, and with Patrick not around, she was my rock. She was even there when Ax was born, stepping in for her son who got stuck in Iowa—or so we thought. He came home a week later acting like nothing had changed and that he hadn’t just missed the birth of his son.”

  Jamie’s hand stills on my back, his legs tensing beneath me. His heartbeat under my hand speeds up, and it hits me that he’s getting mad, not at me but for me.

  I rub my cheek against his shoulder and tilt my chin up to kiss his jaw before settling back in the crook of his neck. “It’s okay. I had Bets, and I had Ax.”

  “He doesn’t sound like much of a man. Definitely not one who deserves a family like yours.”

  I snort at the irony of that statement because I haven’t even told him the worst part. “Maybe hold that thought until I get to the end of the story.”

  His fingers flex against my skin as he takes a big, slow breath and lets it out, his body relaxing beneath me again. “Go on, lovely. I’ve got you.”

  Yeah, you do. The only thing that would make me feel any more comfortable would be if we were lying down, our legs tangled together.

  “He never really bonded with Ax. I know some men struggle with babies because they’re so dependent on their mothers in those first six weeks, but I soon realized Patrick had checked out before Ax was born. Even when I tried to get him involved, he wasn’t interested.” I take a deep breath before finishing. “In the end, it came out that he had been cheating on me with an eighteen-year-old receptionist in Des Moines for nine months and had also been hiding a gambling problem. So not only did I kick out a husband, Betty cut her only son out of her life, and had to move in with me to help keep a roof over our heads.”

  Jamie tightens his arms around me, one hand coming to the side of my face and tilting it up as he kisses me. He rests his lips against mine and seems to breathe me in. “You’re fucking amazing, and thank you for sharing that with me.”

  All of the tension leeches from me at his words, my body melting against his.

  He pulls back just enough for me to focus on him. “And my assertion stands. He definitely didn’t deserve you—probably never did.” He’s not wrong there. “I hate that you and Betty had to go through that. But since it means circumstances led to you being here in my arms, it means I’m the lucky son of a bitch in this scenario.”

  “I dunno,” I say quietly. “I’m feeling pretty damn lucky right about now.”

  I wrap my fingers around his shoulders and lift myself up. His head drops back. I hover over him, my body plastered to his from chest to hips. My hands slide up to cup both sides of his face.

  “Just so you know,” I say, lowering my forehead to his. “You’re not the only one. Who would’ve thought I’d end up in a truck, steaming up the windows with my ignorant drunk neighbor?”

  He chuckles against my lips, and it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

  “So, about that walk?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Fuck the walk. I’m happy where I am.”

  “Okay,” I say, settling back down against his chest, the two of us lying there in comfortable silence.

  Until my phone rings from the passenger side of the truck.

  I sit up and—with Jamie’s help—shuffle off his lap, reaching for my purse. Pulling out my mobile, I see Home flashing on the screen.

  “Hello?” I say, taking the call and letting Jamie tug me back into his side.

  “Mommy?” a very sleepy Axel replies.

  “Hey, baby. What’s wrong?”

  “I had a dream and woke up.”

  “What did you dream about?” I say, a huge yawn catching me by surprise.

  “I was building LEGO, then the LEGO turned into a big house, so I had some pizza then kept working, and I made you a giant bedroom with a huge tub for you to have baths in, and then I lost you ’cause the room was so big.”

  “Oh,” I say, biting my lip. “It must’ve been big then.”

  “Yeah. So, I woke up and you weren’t home yet, so Gran said I can stay in your bed until you get home, but she didn’t say I had to sleep so I…”

  “Axel,” I say softly. “Does Gran know you’re calling me?”

  There’s a rustling down the phone, and my shoulders shake as Jamie quietly laughs behind me, his tender lips kissing the back of my neck.

  “Noooo…” my son whispers. I can’t stop myself from grinning now, my most common reaction to Axel’s antics.

  “Are you hiding under the covers?” I ask.

  “Maybe…”

  “Are you gonna go to sleep anytime soon?”

  “Probably not,” he sighs.

  “Should Mommy cuddle you when I get home then?”

  “I think so. That might help me sleep.”

  “Would closing your eyes and actually trying to sleep help you sleep?” I ask. Jamie is laughing harder now.

  “Probably. But I’d rather wait for you. Then you can tell me all about your play date with Jamie.”

  I giggle this time, Axel’s untainted innocence is so damn cute it almost makes up for the times he has me wanting to tear my hair out. Almost.

  “How about I tell you about my play date tomorrow morning?” I ask.

  Axel gasps in my ear. “Oh no, is it a sleepover play date? Kids at school have those, and they say they get to stay up late and eat junk food. You can’t do that without me, Mommy. That sounds like so much fun.”

  That’s when Jamie absolutely loses it, and I struggle to not giggle my ass off. I sit up and turn around to see him covering his mouth, his eyes dancing as he shakes his head, having obviously heard what Axel said.

  “Ooh, I know. He can come have a sleepover here, and then I can have junk food too,” Ax continues.

  “If there’s any sleepover with you,” Jamie murmurs, his mouth right by my ear, “it’s not junk food I’ll be eating.”

  Holy fuck!

  I struggle to regulate my breathing after that, almost dropping the phone from my hand and definitely liking Jamie’s type of sleepover.

  “Mommy? Are you there?”

  Needing distance from Jamie to clear my head, I slide over to the passenger side. ”Yeah, baby. How about you snuggle down on my bed and I’ll
be home soon?”

  “How long is soon? ’Cause that could mean five minutes in kid time or hours in Mommy time.”

  This kid! “How about thirty minutes?”

  “Is that half an hour?”

  “It is, clever boy. Now I’m going to go now so that Jamie can drop me home and I can come steal cuddles from you. Is that okay?”

  “Okay, Mommy. Love you forever.”

  “You’re killing me, kid.”

  “I know,” he says, like it’s no big deal. “Bye, Mommy.”

  “Bye, Ax. Love you to the moon and back,” I say, ending the call and snapping my head toward Jamie. My narrowed gaze is met with his sexy-as-fuck smirk.

  “You stay over there!” I warn, pointing my finger his way. He slowly moves toward me until my hand is flat against his chest, right over his racing heart. “What will you do if I ignore you?”

  My gaze drops to his mouth, and knowing just how good it feels—and how good he is at using it—makes me regret not being able to have any kind of sleepover with him tonight.

  His eyes soften when I meet them again, and I know he understands. Reaching out, he places his hand behind my neck and gently pulls me forward, planting a soft, open-mouthed kiss on my lips. He touches the tip of his tongue to mine before pulling away and holding his forehead to mine. “Let’s get you home to your boy.”

  “You’re a good man, Jamie Cook,” I say, feeling happier and lighter than I have in a long time.

  “You don’t know how much I was looking forward to staying up late and having junk food with you.”

  “Liar,” I say with a startled laugh.

  “Yep. But we would’ve stayed up late, and it would’ve been a lot of fun.”

  “Rain check?” I ask, earning a knowing smirk from the man beside me.

  “You can bet your ass I’ll be cashing that one in.”

  “Not if I cash it in first,” I mutter, and we both laugh.

  16

  April

  April: So that rain check we took last night…

  Jamie: You mean when your son cock-blocked me?