Read Online The Cowboy's Healing Ways (Cooper Creek) by Brenda Minton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brenda Minton
Ads: Link
questioning look that she didn’t seem inclined to notice.
And he wasn’t inclined to let it go, not when she looked about ready to jump out of her skin.
“Who is it?”
“No one,” she whispered and looked away.
He had half a notion to pull the truck over but thought it would push her to the point of jumping and running. Instead he gave it a minute, let her settle down, and then he tried again.
“Laura, if it was no one, you wouldn’t have that look on your face. I’m asking because maybe I can help.”
She glanced at the phone again and he thought she might be about to toss it out the window. Instead she shoved it in her purse. He kept his eyes on the road but glanced her way from time to time.
“It’s my stepbrother.”
“Have you talked to him?”
A quick nod. “Yes. He needs money. I told him I don’t have money so he’s on his own.”
“Has he threatened you?”
“Not really. He asked how Abigail is doing in foster care and told me he’d heard that her foster family is real nice.”
Jesse gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “That isn’t a threat, but it does sound like he’s trying to make you think he knows where she is for some reason.”
“I know. So on top of not having her with me, now I’m worried every second of every day that he’ll do something to her.”
All of his life, Jesse had been pegged as the calm one in the Cooper household. He knew how to let things roll off his back. He could handle pressure in the emergency room of a hospital or in the middle of a Cooper-brother fight. He’d always taken that calm for granted and thought it was as natural as breathing. Until that moment. Looking at Laura, her face awash in fear for her daughter, he lost control.
“We’ll take care of this.” Now he wanted to pull over and do more than talk. He wanted to pull the woman he’d hired as a housekeeper into his arms and make her feel safe.
Messed up, that’s what this situation had become. He’d done a good deed for his grandmother and the ball kept rolling.
“I’m fine, Jesse. I can handle it.”
Because that’s what she did, he thought. She handled her life, her problems, her fears. Alone.
“Laura, you have people who can help. It’s your choice. Hide your fear. Hide what’s going on. Or let the Coopers do what they do best.”
“What’s that?”
“We circle the wagons. And it’s a good feeling, to have the family circle the wagons around you.” He glanced at the clock on the dash of the truck. “As a matter of fact, Mom called earlier and said we should stop by for supper. We’re going to be a little early, but that’s okay. We’ll get this figured out.”
She sniffled and glanced away. He let her have the moment to pull it together because he remembered what this felt like, to suddenly have people he could count on. He’d fought it for a while, thinking he still had to take care of himself. Then he’d given in and let the Coopers be his family.
They’d do the same with Laura because that’s who the Coopers were.
Chapter Seven
S omehow Laura fell asleep. When she woke up they were driving up a tree-lined drive. Ahead of them she could see a two-story brick home, Georgian-style with a covered front porch flanked by shrubs. Jesse pulled the truck into a parking space in front of the two-story multicar garage.
“Here we are.” He shot her a cautious look. “Good nap?”
She nodded and continued to stare at the house because it was easier than looking at Jesse. Not that he wasn’t easy on the eyes. He was her boss and a decent man who didn’t mind helping out a woman in need. Caring came easy for him. She didn’t want to confuse caring with any other emotion, even attraction.
“Yes, good nap.” She looked at her watch. “We’re a few hours early for supper.”
“I know. I thought I’d show you around. And I know the best way to get your mind off your troubles.”
“What would that be?”
He smiled that megawatt smile that
And he wasn’t inclined to let it go, not when she looked about ready to jump out of her skin.
“Who is it?”
“No one,” she whispered and looked away.
He had half a notion to pull the truck over but thought it would push her to the point of jumping and running. Instead he gave it a minute, let her settle down, and then he tried again.
“Laura, if it was no one, you wouldn’t have that look on your face. I’m asking because maybe I can help.”
She glanced at the phone again and he thought she might be about to toss it out the window. Instead she shoved it in her purse. He kept his eyes on the road but glanced her way from time to time.
“It’s my stepbrother.”
“Have you talked to him?”
A quick nod. “Yes. He needs money. I told him I don’t have money so he’s on his own.”
“Has he threatened you?”
“Not really. He asked how Abigail is doing in foster care and told me he’d heard that her foster family is real nice.”
Jesse gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “That isn’t a threat, but it does sound like he’s trying to make you think he knows where she is for some reason.”
“I know. So on top of not having her with me, now I’m worried every second of every day that he’ll do something to her.”
All of his life, Jesse had been pegged as the calm one in the Cooper household. He knew how to let things roll off his back. He could handle pressure in the emergency room of a hospital or in the middle of a Cooper-brother fight. He’d always taken that calm for granted and thought it was as natural as breathing. Until that moment. Looking at Laura, her face awash in fear for her daughter, he lost control.
“We’ll take care of this.” Now he wanted to pull over and do more than talk. He wanted to pull the woman he’d hired as a housekeeper into his arms and make her feel safe.
Messed up, that’s what this situation had become. He’d done a good deed for his grandmother and the ball kept rolling.
“I’m fine, Jesse. I can handle it.”
Because that’s what she did, he thought. She handled her life, her problems, her fears. Alone.
“Laura, you have people who can help. It’s your choice. Hide your fear. Hide what’s going on. Or let the Coopers do what they do best.”
“What’s that?”
“We circle the wagons. And it’s a good feeling, to have the family circle the wagons around you.” He glanced at the clock on the dash of the truck. “As a matter of fact, Mom called earlier and said we should stop by for supper. We’re going to be a little early, but that’s okay. We’ll get this figured out.”
She sniffled and glanced away. He let her have the moment to pull it together because he remembered what this felt like, to suddenly have people he could count on. He’d fought it for a while, thinking he still had to take care of himself. Then he’d given in and let the Coopers be his family.
They’d do the same with Laura because that’s who the Coopers were.
Chapter Seven
S omehow Laura fell asleep. When she woke up they were driving up a tree-lined drive. Ahead of them she could see a two-story brick home, Georgian-style with a covered front porch flanked by shrubs. Jesse pulled the truck into a parking space in front of the two-story multicar garage.
“Here we are.” He shot her a cautious look. “Good nap?”
She nodded and continued to stare at the house because it was easier than looking at Jesse. Not that he wasn’t easy on the eyes. He was her boss and a decent man who didn’t mind helping out a woman in need. Caring came easy for him. She didn’t want to confuse caring with any other emotion, even attraction.
“Yes, good nap.” She looked at her watch. “We’re a few hours early for supper.”
“I know. I thought I’d show you around. And I know the best way to get your mind off your troubles.”
“What would that be?”
He smiled that megawatt smile that
Similar Books
