Miles scratched at the back of his neck.“Since…now.”The side-eye he directed at Hayes was anything but subtle.
“Yeah.Now seems like a good time.”Hayes grinned.“So talk already.”
Braden gave each of them another glare but stayed quiet.
“I’m guessing it has something to do with the woman Delilah was talking about—Cody’s mom.”Miles’s guess was surprisingly insightful.“Also, I’m guessing this woman’s name isn’t Cody’s mom?”
Hayes’s brows rose.“The humming has to do with a woman?”
Well, hell.“Can you both just…stop?”He wiped at the sweat on his forehead with the back of his forearm.
“We can.”Hayes cocked his head to one side.“Sure.”
“But what’s the fun in that?”Miles started laughing.
“No fun at all.”Hayes burst out laughing, then.
Damn it all, he was laughing, too.He couldn’t help it.It’d been a while since he and his brothers did this—acted like brothers.When they were kids, sure.Nothing had been off-limits—from bad haircuts to their current crushes.They’d teased one another mercilessly.They were brothers, and at the end of the day, they’d been raised knowing that family came first.It was the one unshakable bond that would keep them together through the ups and downs of life.
“Braden…” Miles was wiping tears from his eyes as he spoke.“Fess up.Mom’s not here.Neither is Rylee.”
“And?Does that mean you’ll keep your mouth shut when Mom or Rylee or both of them are around?”Braden shook his head.Sometimes his brother had a real problem with discretion.
“He has a point.”Hayes pointed at Miles.“You can’t keep a secret to save your life.”
“Hey, I’m offended.”Miles actually did look insulted before he frowned at Hayes and said, “For someone who’s wanting answers, you’re not helping here.”
Hayes tugged at his collar.“Right.”
Braden had to laugh at the two of them.“I’ll say one thing, you’re all gettin’ way ahead of yourselves.”There was nothing going on between him and Maggie—and nothing was going to happen between them.If he had to tell himself that fifty times a day, he would.He couldn’t afford to think about anything else.That included Maggie Cooper, her green-green eyes, long curly hair and sweet-and-sexy smile.
Perfect.He ran his hand over his face and looked at his brothers.
Miles and Hayes were both watching him.
“Nope.”Miles crossed his arms over his chest.“You’re… Something is up.You’re humming.”
“And spacing out.”Hayes pointed at him.“You are acting…weird.”
It was Braden’s turn to be offended.“Have I slacked off?Screwed up somewhere?”He hadn’t.He knew he hadn’t.
“No, but…” Hayes turned to Miles.
Miles hesitated, then said, “You’re awful determined to convince us you don’t like… Cody’s mom.”
Hayes nodded.“Exactly.”
“Or maybe you all are determined to make this into something.When it’s not.”He sighed.“I’ve spent all of two hours with Maggie.Other than that she’s a single mom—and a good one—I don’t know enough about her to have formed much of an opinion of her—or like her.”Which wasn’t exactly the truth.He’d developed an awful lot of opinions about Maggie.That was concerning.
“Maggie.Cody’s mom’s name is Maggie.”Hayes sounded downright triumphant.
“That’s what I heard.”Miles looked equally pleased.
Braden swallowed down an irritated groan.“Did either of you hear a word I just said?”
“You said something about how she’s a good mom.”Hayes glanced at Miles.“You heard that, too?”
“Yep.”Miles tucked his thumbs into his belt loops.“She’s a pretty, single—good—mom.”
