9
Coop watched his mom and Mac talk and laugh while they planted some bright red flowers along the edge of the house. He hadn’t brought a girl home here since high school, and even with them, he’d never felt a sense of belonging the way he did when he saw Mac with his parents.
She belonged here. With him.
“So you gonna tell me why you’re really here, or should I guess?”
He looked over at his dad. “I told you why.”
“No, you told me what you wanted your mother and I to hear. I’m asking for the truth.”
“What makes you think I haven’t been truthful?”
“Fatherly instinct.” His dad set down the piece of wood he’d been cutting and turned to him. “Son, other than holidays, you haven’t come home to stay for more than a few hours since you were still active duty. And you haven’t been able to take your eyes off your girl for more than a minute or two at a time.”
Shit.Coop thought he was being careful about that. Not wanting his dad to worry, he went with the lesser of two evils.
“You know me. I’ve always been a sucker for a pretty girl.”
His dad laughed. “Yes, that is true.”
“So is this.” He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I like her, Dad. A lot. We’ve been partners and friends a long time, and recently we’ve become…”
“More than that?”
Coop grinned. “Yeah. A lot more.”
“I’m happy for you, son. I truly am.”
“But?”
“But there’s still something you’re not telling me.”
“Dad, I’d rather not—”
“I can see the concern shining in those eyes of yours.” The intuitive man cut him off. “Now, I could be way off base, and if I am, feel free to tell me. But I think Mac’s in trouble, and I think you brought her here to keep her safe.”
How does he do that?Coop didn’t bother to deny it.
“You always have been able to see right through me.”
His dad smiled smugly. “One of the many gifts God bestowed upon me.”
“You’re right, Dad.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “Someone from Mac’s past is trying to get to her. We thought we knew who it was, but it turns out we were wrong.”
“So you two came here to hide out.”
“Basically. But don’t worry. I wouldn’t have come here if I thought it would put you and Mom in harm’s way. The danger to her seems to be centered in New Jersey, where Mac lived as a teenager after her parents died.”
“What does she think about being here?”
“She thinks we’d be fine staying in Dallas, but until we figure out who our target is, I didn’t want to take any chances.” He glanced out the barn window at the two women. “Not with her.”
“You in love with her?”
Coop’s gaze shot back to his dad’s. “I…we’re partners. We’ve always got each other’s backs, and—”
“That’s not what I asked, son.”
