Page 38 of Flirty Thirty

They laugh at Cooper’s expense, though they really have no clue just how true that statement is. Jim takes a long look at Katie before turning to Claire and saying, “You be a good girl?”

“Daddy, font boofrom.”

“I gotta. Mommy needs some alone time.”

“Bur hafta timey oot.”

“I know.” Jim nods to me and my very lost expression. “Auntie Maya will let you, I’m sure.”

Cooper raises a brow at me, and boy am I grateful that I’m not the only one without the toddler dictionary.

Claire pats my brother’s cheeks, squishing them together so she can slap a sloppy kiss there. I cringe, thoughts of how I once caught that little girl licking the plunger drifting into my head. It’s surprising to me how Jim can be so liberal with that, yet he has to shave twice a day.

My gaze flicks to Cooper, and dare I say he looks almost sad as he watches the exchange. I saw the same expression in my eyes at my brother’s wedding. Even though he’s only younger than me by one year, it was a little disheartening that he found so much before I did. I was tempted to drink myself silly at the reception, and when I caught my reflection in the champagne glass, I ended up making a list of things I could dobecauseI was single. It made everything so much better.

But I understand longing for something you so desperately want, and someone else has.

I cuddle Chase up on my shoulder and sidestep my way to Cooper. My hand isn’t free to hold, but hopefully the comfort of my arm against his is enough.

Jim sets Claire on her feet, and she’s already off to destroy more things in the massive home. I’m grateful Cooper thought to close the downstairs, indoor pool off before they arrived.

They head out, both dragging their feet with—what I have to assume—exhaustion and not hesitation at leaving their children with me. Jim’s grabby hands don’t make it halfway down the drive before they’re on Katie’s ass. I hold back a laugh and bump the door closed with my hip. I really hope they get some sleep today and not just the non-sleeping kind.

When I turn around, Cooper’s arms are extended to me, his lips turned up in a wide grin. “I want the baby.”

I pull Chase closer to me. “Mine.”

He narrows his eyes. “Thought you didn’t like kids.”

“And that is why I get this one, you get that one.” I gesture to the two-year-old who has magically appeared wearing nothing but her diaper and princess sandals. Cooper tilts his head, an annoyed expression in his eyes that is so adorable it makes me chuckle at my evil behavior. But he accepts his challenge, turning toward the little hellion.

“You want to see a whole room of toys, Claire?”

My niece’s eyes turn into perfect circles, and she nods up-and-down up-and-down at Cooper.

That sexy smile is back. “Come on, I’ll show ya.”

He takes off at a jogging pace to the basement, ignoring the sitting room full of toys and opts for thegiantplayroom downstairs. Claire follows close behind while I grab the diaper bag and bring up the caboose. I can hear her ear-splitting squeals all the way down the stairs, and I shake my head in absolute awe that Chase snoozes right through it. This kid is going to have a hard time waking up to an alarm clock in his future.

When I step inside the entertainment room, Cooper is showing things off like Claire is on a game show and these are all her prizes, while Claire runs from play kitchen to dollhouse to six-foot stuffed dragons, screaming at the top of her little lungs. That girl… I can never tell if she’s throwing a fit or crazy happy—that noise is the only one she’s capable of.

She settles inside the play castle, knocking down all the things from their designated spot. Cooper watches like he doesn’t care that she’s basically playing Godzilla.

“She okay to do that?” I wave my hand over at Claire chucking a plastic cup across the room.

“She’s a kid.” Cooper leans against the wall and rolls his head toward me. “Of course she is.”

I hold back a laugh, and then take a spot in the comfy looking rocker in the corner. Well, so far she’s being okay—for Claire—but I guarantee a tantrum is coming soon. He’ll see… kids are not like the photos in picture frames for sale.

***

My head throbs, right between my eyebrows, as yet another blood-curdling shrill comes out of such a little mouth.

“Take him,” I plead, holding out the bomb I just detonated. “Please, dear god, make it stop.”

Cooper laughs from his spot on the floor, a red line staining his cheek—a battle scar from when he attempted to stop Claire from coloring all over the window with a red Sharpie she got from the office she wasn’t supposed to be in.

“You sure you want to trade?” he asks, eyebrow tilted in a very annoying look-who-has-the-bad-kid-now fashion.

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