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I rise from my chair. “Thanks, Coach. I appreciate it.”
He grunts. “And stay away from Harper’s sister.”
I open my mouth and snap it shut again. The more I argue, the more convinced he’ll be that something’s going on between Jackie and me, which isn’t true, nor will it ever be. Even if I want it to be.
Chapter 20
Brotherly Love
Jackie
I’m humming in Donny’s kitchen while I plate a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and bare pancakes for him. He’s an early riser despite the fact he returned from his latest road trip late last night—like two-o’clock-in-the-morning late—and I figure the least I can do is provide him with fuel. I’m sure he’s starving because he’s always starving, which explains why I’m here, cooking to tunes and taking sips of my fresh-squeezed OJ.
Straight from a shower, Donny waltzes in and gulps half the contents of my orange juice.
“Hey, get your own!” I yelp.
“It’s only a sip,” he protests.
“Interesting definition of ‘sip,’” I hmph.
Without a word, he fetches the glass pitcher from the fridge and tops me off. Then snickers as he takes another healthy swallow.
“Pour your own, you brat.” I muss his still-damp, neatly swept-back hair.
“Hey!”
“What? Don’t tell me you have a date this morning.”
“No, I don’t have a date,” he scoffs.
“Now there’s a surprise,” I retort dryly as I slide his plate onto the counter.
He plops down on a barstool and digs in while I slather butter on a pancake, fold it like a burrito, and take a bite of fresh, hot goodness that makes me moan.
He points at me with his fork. “Have a little pancake with your butter.”
I dip it in a plate of maple syrup. “Everyone knows pancakes—and bread—exist merely as butter delivery systems.”
Shaking his head, he forks a wad of eggs into his mouth and chews. “What are you up to today?” His words are muffled by the mouthful of food, but somehow I understand them.
“Brandon asked me to run an errand this morning, but the place doesn’t open till ten, so I get to hang out here and harass you.” I offer a fake smile.
“Oh joy,” he mutters.
“You just let me know if I’m cramping your style.” He shakes his head and chuckles. “Good road trip, huh?”
For this team, it was an excellent road trip, but my brother seems underwhelmed. “Yep.”
“Then why aren’t you jumping up and down on the counter and celebrating?”
He glances up at me. “Uh, because I’m running on fumes here?”
I flap my hand at him. “Four hours is plenty of shut-eye for you. Besides, you’ve got a whole three days to rest up.”
He snorts and munches on a piece of bacon.
Leaning my forearms on the counter, I lace my fingers together. “Seriously, aren’t you a little stoked about how well you guys did? You’re the talk of the sports world.” This elicits another snort. “Okay, so the hockey sports world.”
