Page 25 of The Other Brother

Cody takes his plate to the table and immediately digs through his dinner. It’s become a game for me to hide raisins in Cody’s meals—stashing them away in the middle of mashed potatoes, hiding them under carrots, or in one particularly inspired moment, grated into the sauce of the lasagna.

But tonight, just to mess with him, I haven’t put any raisins in. It’s hilarious to watch him pick apart his whole dinner looking for the absent raisin.

I’m doubled over on the other side of the table, silently laughing.

“Where is it?” His fork clangs down, one of his lips twitching as he takes in my laughing face.

“I didn’t put one in,” I recover enough to choke out my confession.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“You suck,” he says. But he chuckles, undoing his words.

Mel rolls her eyes at me. “For the right price, I might tell Cody what Kate’s nickname for you is.”

I stop laughing. “You wouldn’t.”

“I’m willing to hear what Cody offers, compared to your counteroffer.” Mel grins evilly.

I give her my death star laser glare. Unfortunately, it does not melt the smile off her face, which was the effect I was going for.

Cody leans back in his chair, his blue eyes scanning me contemplatively before turning back to Mel. “Dishes for a month.”

“What’s your counteroffer, Ryan?” Mel asks.

“I won’t share that video when you jumped into the pool and your bikini top came off.”

Mel sits up straighter. “You told me you’d deleted it!”

“The cloud is a great invention,” I reply nonchalantly.

She glares at me. Now that is definitely a melting substances glare. Maybe I should ask her for lessons.

“I’ll write you a song,” Cody offers.

“I won’t write you a song,” I reply.

“How is that a bribe?” Mel asks.

“I’m sparing you the trauma of listening to a song I made up. That’s got to be worth something.”

“Dishes for a month, a song about how great you are, and I’ll loan you my portable speaker anytime you want it.”

“If you tell him, I will resurrect my pet spider colony, but this time in your closet.”

Mel snorts. “Interesting how Cody understands the idea of bribing me, where you go for threats instead.”

I shrug. “I guess I’m more of a stick than a carrot type of guy.”

Cody laughs. I shoot him a curious look.

“I’m sure there’s some questionable way that statement can be interpreted,” he says.

“Man, you’ve been hanging out with me for way too long.” I grin at him.

He grins back.