Read Online The Cowboy's Healing Ways (Cooper Creek) by Brenda Minton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brenda Minton
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Abigail sobbed into her shoulder.
Laura looked to Annie for an answer because she wouldn’t give her daughter false hope. All too often things didn’t work out as she planned.
Annie brushed Abigail’s dark hair back from her face. “Soon means as soon as I can make it happen, Abigail. I hope by the end of summer.”
Months. Laura closed her eyes at the reality of not weeks but months. She wanted weeks. She needed weeks. Or even days. Abigail moved in her arms. She looked down to see Annie taking her daughter from her lap.
“Time to go, Abigail. Your mommy has a lot to do to get that room ready for you. And I think you’re going to eat pizza this evening and play miniature golf. Won’t that be fun?”
Abigail didn’t nod; instead she shook her head vehemently.
“I want to go with my mommy.”
“I know.” Laura whispered the words that came out hoarse as her throat tightened.
Annie held Abigail tight. “Let your mommy kiss you goodbye, sweetie.”
Laura leaned to kiss her daughter. “Be brave, Abigail. I love you.”
She ran from the room, from her daughter’s heartache, from her own pain, from the tears falling down her cheeks. She ran out the door and straight into the arms of Jesse Cooper.
* * *
Jesse had watched the scene unfold inside the building where Laura said goodbye to her daughter. He’d watched her tears, the heartbreak of her daughter. He had gotten out of the truck to open her door when she ran straight into his arms.
He moved her to the side of the truck away from the window, out of view of those inside, and he held her as she cried. She leaned into his shoulder, sobs shaking her thin body. He brushed his hands down her back and held her close.
“Shh, it’s going to work out,” he whispered close to her ear.
She shook her head. “No, it won’t. How can it work out when it could be months before I get her back? What if she doesn’t want to come back with me by then? What if she can’t forgive me for doing this to her?”
“You didn’t do this to her and she knows that. She loves you.”
She continued to cry, wiping at her face with the back of her hand. “I wanted to take her, Jesse. I wanted to grab her up and run from that building with her.”
“I don’t blame you.” He leaned close to her face, brushing a light kiss across her brow. And then he pulled back, before someone saw and got the wrong idea.
Before he got wrong ideas. And that would be too easy with Laura in his arms. That realization took him by surprise.
“We should go before she comes out.” Laura put more distance between them. She trembled and hugged herself tight. “I’m so sorry for that.”
“Don’t be.” He opened his door. “Can you climb through to your side?”
“I think so.”
He stood back as she climbed in and then slid across to the passenger seat. Inside the building the caseworker had stood but she still held Abigail in her arms.
“Where to now?” Laura’s eyes were still on the building they were backing away from.
“I ran errands while you were visiting Abigail. We can go home, unless you have something you need to do in Tulsa.”
She looked down at her phone as if she had something on her mind, and then she shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He glanced both ways, waited for a few cars to speed past and then pulled onto the road.
“It won’t be long and you’ll have her home with you.” He offered the assurance that he knew sounded like empty words when her heart had to be breaking.”
“I know.” She let out a deep sigh. “It’s been so long. I know it isn’t her entire childhood, but at this point it feels as if it is.”
“I’m sure it does.”
She let out a shaky breath and smiled at him with tears still hovering in her eyes. “Let’s talk about you.”
He grinned at that. “Sure, why not?”
Before she could ask questions, her phone rang. She glanced at it and shook her head. Jesse shot her a
Laura looked to Annie for an answer because she wouldn’t give her daughter false hope. All too often things didn’t work out as she planned.
Annie brushed Abigail’s dark hair back from her face. “Soon means as soon as I can make it happen, Abigail. I hope by the end of summer.”
Months. Laura closed her eyes at the reality of not weeks but months. She wanted weeks. She needed weeks. Or even days. Abigail moved in her arms. She looked down to see Annie taking her daughter from her lap.
“Time to go, Abigail. Your mommy has a lot to do to get that room ready for you. And I think you’re going to eat pizza this evening and play miniature golf. Won’t that be fun?”
Abigail didn’t nod; instead she shook her head vehemently.
“I want to go with my mommy.”
“I know.” Laura whispered the words that came out hoarse as her throat tightened.
Annie held Abigail tight. “Let your mommy kiss you goodbye, sweetie.”
Laura leaned to kiss her daughter. “Be brave, Abigail. I love you.”
She ran from the room, from her daughter’s heartache, from her own pain, from the tears falling down her cheeks. She ran out the door and straight into the arms of Jesse Cooper.
* * *
Jesse had watched the scene unfold inside the building where Laura said goodbye to her daughter. He’d watched her tears, the heartbreak of her daughter. He had gotten out of the truck to open her door when she ran straight into his arms.
He moved her to the side of the truck away from the window, out of view of those inside, and he held her as she cried. She leaned into his shoulder, sobs shaking her thin body. He brushed his hands down her back and held her close.
“Shh, it’s going to work out,” he whispered close to her ear.
She shook her head. “No, it won’t. How can it work out when it could be months before I get her back? What if she doesn’t want to come back with me by then? What if she can’t forgive me for doing this to her?”
“You didn’t do this to her and she knows that. She loves you.”
She continued to cry, wiping at her face with the back of her hand. “I wanted to take her, Jesse. I wanted to grab her up and run from that building with her.”
“I don’t blame you.” He leaned close to her face, brushing a light kiss across her brow. And then he pulled back, before someone saw and got the wrong idea.
Before he got wrong ideas. And that would be too easy with Laura in his arms. That realization took him by surprise.
“We should go before she comes out.” Laura put more distance between them. She trembled and hugged herself tight. “I’m so sorry for that.”
“Don’t be.” He opened his door. “Can you climb through to your side?”
“I think so.”
He stood back as she climbed in and then slid across to the passenger seat. Inside the building the caseworker had stood but she still held Abigail in her arms.
“Where to now?” Laura’s eyes were still on the building they were backing away from.
“I ran errands while you were visiting Abigail. We can go home, unless you have something you need to do in Tulsa.”
She looked down at her phone as if she had something on her mind, and then she shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He glanced both ways, waited for a few cars to speed past and then pulled onto the road.
“It won’t be long and you’ll have her home with you.” He offered the assurance that he knew sounded like empty words when her heart had to be breaking.”
“I know.” She let out a deep sigh. “It’s been so long. I know it isn’t her entire childhood, but at this point it feels as if it is.”
“I’m sure it does.”
She let out a shaky breath and smiled at him with tears still hovering in her eyes. “Let’s talk about you.”
He grinned at that. “Sure, why not?”
Before she could ask questions, her phone rang. She glanced at it and shook her head. Jesse shot her a
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