“Yellow?” Mac’s brows turned inward. “Can you even really call that a stop light?”
His shoulders shook. “Probably not.”
She matched his silent laughter, and Coop found himself more than a little relieved to see some humor filling her eyes again. It had been too damn long.
He pulled into the driveway next to his childhood home and put the truck in park. Turning to her he asked, “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be, I suppose.”
“Come on. I’m sure Mom’s already spotted us.” Coop opened the driver’s side door, adding over his shoulder, “Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to warn you. My parents are huggers.”
Without waiting for a response, he got out of the truck and shut the door before walking around to help her down.
“I can get myself out, you know.”
“I know. But one, I like helping you, and two…my momma catches me making you get out without an offered hand, she’ll tan my hide.”
“You’re thirty-one years old.”
“Doesn’t matter. Not to my mom, anyway.”
He’d no more said the words when a happy, pleasant voice came from his parents’ quaint front porch.
“There’s my boy!”
Coop turned to see his mom coming down the sidewalk to greet them. “Hey, mom.”
“Don’t you hey, mom, me. Get over here and give me a hug.”
He slid a look to Mac and winked. “Told ya.” Coop made it all of two feet before his mom pulled him in for a big bear hug.
“What a nice surprise.” She held him close and patted his back. “What brings you out this way?”
Stepping out of her loving embrace, he played it casual. “The team has some time off, and I finally convinced my partner to come see how the other half live. I hope it’s okay if we stay a few days.”
“Of course it is.” She stepped around him. “You must be McKenna. It is so good to finally meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Cooper.” Mac returned his mother’s hug.
“Please. Mrs. Cooper was my mother-in-law. Call me Cheryl.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
His mom looked back at Coop, her blue eyes gleaming. “Gorgeousandshe has manners. I like that.”
“Of course she has manners. She was a Ranger, too, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right.” She gave Mac a grin. “You’re such a cute, tiny thing. It’s hard to picture you as a tough-as-nails soldier like my boy, here.”
Coop snorted. “Trust me, Mom.” He put his arm around his partner’s shoulders. “Mac’s as tough as they come.”
“I suppose she’d have to be to put up with you all this time.”
Mac burst out laughing as Coop clutched his chest and feigned insult. “Taken down by my own mother.”
“Seems like she knows you pretty well,” Mac teased.
To him, his mother ordered, “Grab your things and come inside. You can put them in your old room and then go out to the barn to get your father. I was about to make some lunch. Maybe Mac wouldn’t mind pitching in a hand?”
