Page 40 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“C’mon,” I pushed. “What’s the harm?”

Jaxon leaned back, clearly giving in despite himself. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He stood up, a hint of defiance in his posture as he struck a ridiculous pose, one arm flexed in the air. His expression was a mix of humor and mock intensity, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s… something,” I said, trying to hide my amusement.

Colt, still laughing, chimed in. “All right, my turn!”

He struck a dramatic pose, one hand behind his head and the other flexing a bicep. “Behold, the December spread. Rugged yet approachable, right?”

Jaxon groaned. “You look like you’re auditioning for a bad cologne ad.”

“Eau de Hose,” Ryan quipped, smirking as he sipped his hot chocolate.

Colt ignored them, transitioning into another pose. This one involved him pretending to hold a firehose, jaw set in an exaggerated heroic expression. “How about this? Classic, dependable, ready to save the day.”

“You look constipated,” Jaxon deadpanned.

Ryan nearly choked on his drink as Colt turned to glare at him, the playful rivalry between them igniting as Jaxon’s earlier pose lingered in the air.

“Don’t be jealous of my range, Jax,” Colt teased, flicking his eyes toward Jaxon.

“Jealous? Ofthat?” Jaxon scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. “Please.”

“Oh, I’d like to see you do better,” Colt shot back, waving him forward like a gladiator summoning his opponent to the arena.

Jaxon hesitated, clearly reluctant, but the playful challenge in the room was too much to ignore. Slowly, he stood, running a hand through his hair and straightening his shirt. “Fine. But I’m not doing anything ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? We’ll see about that.” Colt grinned mischievously, almost daring Jaxon to defy him as he took his place on the rug in front of us.

To my surprise—and I really shouldn’t have been surprised, given the man’s easy confidence—Jaxon’s pose was actually really good.

He stood tall, arms crossed over his broad chest, his jaw set in that familiar, brooding way he had, with just enough of a smirk to make it look like he’d stepped straight out of an action movie.

The room fell silent for a moment, everyone staring at him, probably waiting for him to break character. But Jaxon remained still, unwavering.

Finally, Colt groaned dramatically, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Okay, that was unfair. You didn’t even try and it’s already calendar-worthy.”

“Natural talent,” Jaxon said, his voice tinged with smugness as he stepped back to join us.

“Whatever,” Colt muttered, shooting a sidelong glance at Ryan. “Ryan, you’re up. Don’t let me down.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow, glancing up from his mug. “I’m not doing this.”

“Oh, come on,” I nudged him with a grin. “Just one pose. For the sake of competition.”

Ryan sighed heavily, putting his mug down with a resigned look. “Fine. But don’t expect anything fancy.”

With that, Ryan walked to the center of the room, pausing for a moment, clearly gathering his thoughts. And then he struck a surprisingly goofy pose.

He mimed holding a cat in one arm, pointing dramatically into the distance with the other. His face was set in an expression of over-the-top urgency, like he was on a mission to save the world from some sort of disaster.

“Rescuing kittens from trees,” Ryan said dryly, voice dripping with sarcasm.

I burst out laughing, nearly spilling Biscuit off my lap as he tried to wriggle free. Even Jaxon cracked a smile, and Colt shook his head with an exaggerated sigh.

“All right, you win,” he said, his voice dripping with mock exasperation. “That was solid.”

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