Page 32 of Max Bannon

He grinned. “It’s alittlefunny.”

I tried not to laugh.

Tried really hard.

But as he headed to the kitchen, already reaching for a skillet like he’d lived here forever, I let the smile creep across my lips.

Because maybe it was a disaster. Maybe it was embarrassing and awkward, and that's not how I imagined this morning going.

But it was alsoreal.

And real—with Max?

Was starting to feel pretty perfect.

I don’t know what surprised me more—that my dad and brother actually came inside without making a big deal, or that Max looked completely unbothered by the fact that he’d just been caught in my bed.

He was at the stove now, sleeves pushed up, cracking eggs like a pro while chatting with my dad like they were old hunting buddies.

I hovered awkwardly by the coffee pot, very aware that I still hadn’t brushed my hair and that my brother wasabsolutelypretending not to make eye contact with me.

“So, Navy SEAL, huh?” Dad said as he pulled out a chair. “That means you’re the kind of guy who can kill a man with a spoon?”

Max smiled. “Only if the situation really calls for it.”

Dad didn’t blink. “Let’s keep it to spatulas this morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jake choked on his coffee.

I shot Max a look as I mouthedStop helping.

He just winked.

I busied myself with slicing fruit, trying not to burst into flames from secondhand embarrassment.

“So,” Dad said, leaning back. “How long have you two been… uh… friendly?”

I dropped a strawberry.

Max didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve been friendly since the moment I found her lost on the side of the mountain.”

“That true?” Dad asked, eyes flicking to me.

I nodded, cheeks still hot. “I took a wrong turn. Or six.”

Jake finally found his voice. “And somehow ended up living in his house?”

Max grinned as he plated the eggs. “Best accidental roommate I’ve ever had.”

“That makes it sound so casual,” I muttered under my breath.

Max leaned over, placing a plate in front of me. “It stopped being casual the second you smiled at me.”

Jake groaned audibly. “I’m leaving. I can’t listen to this.”

Dad raised an eyebrow, but I caught the twitch of a smile hiding behind his coffee cup.

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