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Mom lifted her oven mitts to her face and smiled as she looked between the two of us. “Aw, Madi. After the way Cole used to chase you around the garden for kisses when you were kids, I knew it was only a matter of time before he finally caught you.”

“Mom!” I groaned. “I have a boyfriend.”

She swatted my comment away with one of her floral oven mitts. “You’re young. You’ll have plenty of boyfriends. I can’t wait to talk with your mother, Cole. Judy will be so excited.”

I could already see the pair of them gossiping over coffee. Our mothers had been best friends for as long as I could remember. I think the two of them had been planning mine and Cole’s eventual marriage since we were five. Mom was probably more disappointed than I was when Cole and I had stopped being friends. The realization we were in this contest together was probably the best news she’d received all year.

“I can’t wait to tell Mom either,” Cole said with a big smile. “I just need to remember to get her to sign the release form for the contest. I’m always hopeless at that stuff. You should get your mom to sign yours now…” he said, turning to me.

I frowned at him, and my mouth fell open a little with shock. It was like he had read my mind. Ever since Angus mentioned the forms, I’d been considering telling him that my mom had refused to let me be involved. There would have been no arguing around that. But how did Cole know that’s what I was planning?

“Good idea, Cole,” Mom said. “Go get your form now, Madi.” She was looking at me with such enthusiasm that I knew I couldn’t say no.

Once Mom had scrawled her signature at the bottom of the paper, Cole swiftly stole it off the bench top before I could grab it.

“I’m helping Angus collect them,” he said, with a knowing smile. “I’ll take this for you and give it to him.”

I folded my arms across my chest, scowling. “Thanks, you really don’t have to do that.”

“Oh, I insist. We wouldn’t want it getting lost.”

Seriously, how did this boy know me so well?

Mom kept smiling between the two of us like we were a love story in the making. She was seriously delusional though, because there was absolutely no romance between Cole and me.

“Are those cookies I smell?” a voice called down the stairs.

“Yes, Lucas, there are cookies here for you,” Mom shouted back, suddenly remembering the cookies and placing the plate on the bench in front of us. “Come and get them!’

I quickly stole two cookies off the plate before Lucas arrived. Between my brother and Cole, I felt sure they’d be gone in the blink of an eye. I would’ve taken more if Cole hadn’t been watching. It was bad enough he’d called me a pig once today. I didn’t need to hear it a second time.

Lucas bounded into the kitchen and grinned when he saw Cole sitting there. Lucas was a year younger than us, but he was already about the same size as Cole. They were both huge, and now they were together in our kitchen it made the room feel unusually small.

“Hey, man,” Lucas said, taking the seat next to Cole. “It’s good to see you over here.”

“It’s good to be here,” Cole replied with a smile.

“You’re not trying to cheat the competition and get in with my sister beforehand are you?”

Cole laughed. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

“Nah, Madi’s worth a million of those other girls. She’s the one who needs impressing.”

My cheeks warmed at Lucas’ words. Since when was my not-so-little brother so protective?

“True,” Cole agreed. “You off to training?” He nodded at the hockey jersey Lucas was wearing. His entire life revolved around ice hockey, and I rarely saw him because of it. Our school didn’t have a team, so he played for a local club.

“Always,” Lucas replied, and it wasn’t far from the truth. Even when he didn’t have practice, it seemed like Lucas was training in some way or another. He was probably going to go pro one day.

I sometimes wished I were as talented as Lucas at something. The only thing I even came close to being good at was art. But I didn’t show anyone my work. It felt strange to share something so personal with others.

I let out a sad sigh as I watched the two boys devour all the cookies. I was right to take a few for myself, as it didn’t take them long. There really was nothing worse than having to share baked goods.

“I left a few extra in the oven for you,” Mom whispered to me.

I smiled up at her, my heart lifting. “You are most definitely the best person in the world.”

“Yes, I know,” she replied with a grin before turning to Lucas. “Get your things together, we’re leaving for practice in five minutes.”