“That’s quite a gal you got there, Coop!” Thaddeus bellowed with a smile, his brogue coming on thick, as it always did after a batch of good old Irish folk songs. “Now, woman,” he called out to his wife. “Where’s me pie?”
“On its way, me lad, on its way,” Olivia responded gaily. Everyone filed back to the table, catching their breath from the laughter, but Laney followed her hostess into the kitchen.
“Can I help you carry things out?”
“That would be delightful, dear. Where did you learn to play so well?”
“Oh, well…it was something my mother insisted on. But if she knew I had played anything other than classical—anything which held the faintest whiff of fun—I’m certain she would disapprove.” She smiled. “Not that I’m not grateful to her for the lessons. If I hadn’t learned classical, your husband would have had no one to show off with.”
Olivia chuckled, handing her two pies. “He is a horrible ham, isn’t he?”
“Yes. And quite charming, too. You’re a lucky woman.” She turned at the door, as she was about to back her way through. “And, by the way, I’m quite smitten with Cooper, too.” She gave Olivia a glowing smile, and entered the dining room to a round of applause supplied by those waiting for pie.
About halfway through dessert, Thaddeus hailed Laney again.
“So dear, Cooper never told me, how did you two meet?”
“Well, he was working on my sister’s murder case,” she said quietly.
She looked up to catch Cooper wincing, and noticed the other forks around the table paused in mid-air. Quick, alarmed glances were exchanged. Why was it that she kept feeling a beat behind? She looked around at each face, hoping to find some clue as to what she did wrong.
Thad choked down the rest of his bite. “He was working on your sister’s murder case?” His eyes flew to Cooper’s.
“Dad…” Cooper murmured.
Thad turned from him and reached across the table, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry about your sister,” he said sincerely, but then he turned and his voice changed to steel. “Cooper Andrew Sullivan! In the kitchen!”
Their eyes a matching liquid fire of blue, both men threw their napkins down on the table and pushed away, their chairs scraping on the hardwood.
Olivia bustled in with a second batch of whipped cream as they rushed past. “What?” She glanced at the watchful faces.
“Dad found out Cooper and Laney met on the job,” Bree said glumly.
“Oh!” Mrs. Sullivan exhaled, the bowl seeming to become heavy in her hands. She sank into her chair, putting an elbow on the table and her chin on her fist.
The shouting was quick and explosive and Laney recoiled in her high-backed chair. “Should I do something?” she asked Olivia, but the older woman only shook her head.
“It wouldn’t do any good.”
She looked around the table, but everyone was avoiding eye contact. Except for McKenzie, who looked back at her sympathetically. Her stomach turned to knots. The shouting continued, and increased in intensity, though Laney would have thought it impossible.
“What have I told you about acting responsibly on the job? Dammit, Cooper, you not only represent yourself there, you represent the whole Sullivan family!”
Cooper snorted. “I’ve done nothing to embarrass the family—”
“The hell you haven’t! Taking up with a woman whose case you’re working? What got into that thick head of yours, son? Are you sleeping with her?”
“Dammit, Dad, that’s none of your business and you know it!”
“Don’t you try to tell me what is my business and what’s not! And you bring her into my home—”
Laney couldn’t stand to listen to another word. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I need to get some air.” Before anyone could stop her, she was out the door.
Cooper and his dad were going at it when his mom barreled through the swinging door like a linebacker.
“What are you two idiots carrying on for? I swear, you are both enough to turn an old woman’s hair gray! As for you, Thaddeus Martin Sullivan, I will not have you being a hypocrite under my roof! And you, Cooper, that pretty, young thing you brought here this afternoon just took a hike, so if you have an ounce of brain left in your head, I suggest you get out of here and find her!” The poor woman ended her tirade with a fit of coughing, brought on by straining her vocal chords.
Without another word to his father, Cooper stormed through the swinging door, to catch his siblings all leaning back toward the table as if they hadn’t been listening in on the entire shouting match. “You get yourself an earful? I’m glad I could entertain you all!” He continued out the front door without a backward glance, but McKenzie bravely followed him through the door.
“Coop, she’s gone. I should have followed her. There’s no telling where she went now.”
“I know where she went,” Cooper said with a sigh. “I’m sorry I barked at you all,” he said without turning. “I would have been listening in, too.” He pulled out his keys and started for his car.
“Do you want any help?”
“Nah.”
“Are you sure? I really like her, Coop!” she blurted out.
Cooper turned around with a wry smile, “I knew you wouldn’t be the problem.” He glanced back up at the house to see his dad through the storm door, staring at him with his hands in his pockets and his jaw still tense. Without another word, he got into the Corvette and sped down the street.
Chapter Twenty-Six
He pulled the car alongside the curb, but he could see Laney wasn’t at Sidney’s grave site. An instant of sheer panic filled him.
He threw the car into reverse, squealing as he spun the car around to leave, and that’s when he saw her, up a hill on a bench. He parked the car and began to climb. As he drew nearer, he could hear the gentle murmur of her talking to a lone goose. The wind had picked up, carrying the noise to him, and, at the same time, muffling his footsteps so she didn’t seem to hear him coming at all. The goose strutted up to her, honking conversationally.
“Well, Mr. Goose, I really messed things up this time. And everything seemed to be going so well, too. You know what I mean? I should have known it wouldn’t be easy.” She sighed and the goose came closer, honking consolingly. He crested the hill and the goose took notice, his mood turning hostile. Laney turned and saw him, but spun back around.
The closer Cooper got, the more aggressive the goose became, striding around to the side of the bench and sticking out his chest as if to bar the way.
“Hey there, fella,” Cooper said in as soothing a voice as he could muster. “I guess you are a fella,” he added. “I’m not gonna hurt her. I only want to talk to her.” She turned her head and their eyes locked. He was hit with a wave of emotion born from his love for her, a feeling that had become as familiar as his own heartbeat. The moment was broken by the goose charging. Cooper stepped back, throwing his arms out in front of him, and nearly toppling down the hill. Laney giggled, and he smiled, but then shifted his eyes back to the goose. “A little help here, Lane?” he asked nervously.
“Hey, Charlie.”
“You named him?”
“Do you want help or not?”
He looked back at the goose, which had begun hissing at him and flapping its enormous wings. The embattled policeman kept his mouth shut.
“Charlie, it’s okay. He’s all right. He won’t hurt us.” The goose turned to look at her. “Come on, pretty boy. It’s okay.”
The goose folded its wings back in place with dignity and turned from him to waddle back around to Laney.
He made a move to advance from the other side of the bench, but the goose paused to give him the evil eye once more. “Keep talking to him, Lane. It’s working.”
She cooed to the goose until he was at last able to sit down on the bench next to her, although her web-footed companion did not let him out of his sight for a second.
“Hey you stupid Feather Mattre
ss,” Cooper quipped in a relaxed tone, stretching his arm carefully over Laney’s shoulders. “Back off! She’s my girl. Aren’t you?” Cooper turned to her, his eyes searching, and she melted into his side.
“Oh, Cooper.” She sighed. “What are we going to do? Your dad hates me now.”
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“And I can’t stand the idea of the two of you fighting about me.”
“People fight, Lane. Believe me, it’s what we Sullivans do best. Did I ever tell you my uncle was a boxer in the Navy?”
She smiled a little. “I believe you’re trying to change the subject.”
“Yeah,” he said, kissing her temple. “How am I doing?”
She reached up to turn his head toward her and pressed her warm lips to his as the breeze beat against them. Within seconds, she had his heart pounding in his chest and a sweet thrill riding through him in waves. As her tongue sought, and teased, and probed all sense left his head in a rush and he drowned in that certain pleasure only they could create together. When they parted, he rested his forehead on hers, eyes closed. “Oh, God, Laney! The things you do to me.”
She laughed, and drew him in again, pulling her legs up and stretching them across his lap. Their lips found comfort again with their mingled breath, until Cooper felt a jab in his stomach. He opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with an angry goose. “Geez!” he cried, scrambling up on the bench and pushing the feathered beast away with his foot. Charlie responded by honking boisterously and spreading his wings again, which he was alarmed to see were every bit as long as the bench. He reached down and helped Laney to her feet as the goose rushed them with a whoosh of air that rivaled a helicopter’s. With a shout of distress coupled with hysterical laughter, they climbed on the back of the bench and hopped down, running pell-mell down the hill. At first, they didn’t notice the small crowd assembled at the bottom of the hill, waiting for them with more than a little amusement. Hands were ready to stop their momentum as they barreled down, the goose clamoring in their wake, until they all ended up in a heap of arms and legs and laughter.
“What are you all doing here?”
“We heard there was a cage match between Cooper Sullivan and Elmer the Angry Goose,” Benjamin quipped, pulling grass from Laney’s hair.
“Charlie,” Laney and Cooper answered at once.
“You named him?” Benjamin asked, incredulous.
They exchanged a glance, laughing.
Bree spoke up. “We wanted to make sure the two of you made up. Which we could see, you did,” she added suggestively.
Laney swatted Bree with good humor even as her face turned red. Olivia stepped forward, saving her further embarrassment. She stared at her group of dirty, laughing children. “I swear you’ve all got your Uncle Ollie’s crazy genes! Let’s go home. It’s getting cold out here.”
Cooper noted the obvious hole in the group, which was his father’s size. “Thanks, Mom,” he replied, standing up and wiping his hands on his shorts before offering McKenzie a hand up. “But I think Laney and I had better head home.”
His mom tried to make her smile mask her disappointment, but it wasn’t hard to miss behind her tired eyes. “Okay, Cooper. If that’s what you want.”
Benjamin helped Laney to her feet but the smile she was wearing dissolved with the exchange between mother and son. “Maybe we could go back for a little while,” she suggested lightly.
“No! I think we need to head back. Malibu’s a bit of a drive.” Even the pleading look in Laney’s eyes wouldn’t sway him.
“Well, never mind.” Olivia seemed to be aware Laney was feeling awful about the whole tiff. “I’m certain we’ll get to see each other soon.” She gave Laney a hug. “They’re both stubborn fools,” Cooper overheard his mother whisper in her ear. “But they’ll come around eventually.” She gave Laney a smile as she pulled away. “It was so very nice to meet you, and it was a delight to have you as our guest today.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Sullivan, for everything. The food was delicious and the singing was great, and...” She faltered, perhaps remembering what had happened next. “Well, thank you for welcoming me into your home, all of you,” she added, glancing around at the assembled group. “I had a wonderful time.”
“Nice meeting you, Laney.” Ben was the first to step forward and kiss her cheek. “I hope you’ll be by again soon. Take care of this buffoon,” he said, taking a few imaginary shots at his brother before hugging him, too.
Goodbyes were exchanged all around and the group started trudging up the block together. Mrs. Sullivan hovered in the wings until the last of the group was gone. Laney seemed to sense she had something more to say to Cooper. “I’ll be waiting in the car. Take your time.”
Cooper’s jaw became set. “Now, Cooper,” his mother began, laughing, “you know that look never phased me.”
He glanced over her shoulder at his siblings walking down the street, catching Kenzie kicking Bree in the derrière for some comment, and then he peered down at his mom, placing his hands on her shoulders. His voice was tight. “He was out of line, Mom. I pulled myself off the case when I realized I was developing feelings for Laney.”
“But you know how he is, Cooper. He just…wants so much for you.”
“The best thing for me is sitting right down there in that car, Mom.”
“I’m glad you see that, too. She’s a great girl. You do what you have to do to make this thing work out for both of you.”
He hugged her, a little choked up. “You’re the best!”
She pulled away and pinched his cheek. “And don’t you forget it.” She glanced down for a minute at her feet, but then looked him in the eye. “I swore I’d never tell anybody this, but I’m tired of carrying this around.” She took a deep breath and Cooper was suddenly nervous.
“The reason this upsets your dad so much is because he lived it himself. Your father always says we met at a dance, and we did. What he doesn’t say is he was responding to an assault charge at the time. A boy tried to get fresh with me, and I decked him.” Cooper laughed at the image, and Olivia joined in for a minute. “Believe me, it wasn’t funny at the time. The boy wanted to file assault charges against me, but by the time your father was through with him, not only did he not want to press charges, he was begging me not to. You see, after your dad found out why I had punched the S.O.B., excuse my French, he was so mad he gave the guy a lecture on how gentlemen behave, and, I think, threatened him. In any case, your father and I both kind of had the eye for each other from that point on. I brought cookies to him at the precinct house to thank him for his help the next day. But he didn’t ask me out right away, because of having met me in a professional capacity. Things were much stricter then. To tell you the truth, he was kind of embarrassed by our whole relationship at first.” She smiled. “But he got over it. He still never talks about it, though. So I never have either.” She paused, gazing at him earnestly. “Please, don’t stay mad too long.”
He smiled. “You know I never do.”
“You’re right. You’re a good boy, Cooper.” She gave him another quick squeeze, then turned to go.
“You want a ride, Momma?”
“No, the exercise will do me good. But Cooper, can I ask you a question?” He nodded. “Kenzie said the man who killed Laney’s sister is after her, too. Is that true?”
“Yes. But I served a search warrant on his place today and I have enough evidence to arrest him. There’s an All Points Bulletin out on him, so I’m sure they’ll be bringing him in any time now.”
Mrs. Sullivan’s eyes drifted down to the car. “You take care of her,” and then they returned to his face, gazing on it lovingly, “and yourself, too.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a mock salute, and a final kiss goodbye. “Thanks for telling me about you and Dad.”
She gave him one last hug, then, turned to traipse after the others.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The sun set like a bro
ken yolk on the horizon, spilling its yellow-orange glow into the sea. Cooper and Laney sat out on the deck drinking wine and watching as the tide came in and the fading light turned the sand to sparkling glass. Each was reflecting silently about their day, having discussed the ups and downs on the ride home.
Cooper set his glass down on the porch rail. He took Laney’s hands in his. “I have something to tell you, and it’s kind of one of those good thing/bad thing types of discussions.”
“Okay. I could tell that something was bugging you. What is it?” Her voice quivered but he plunged ahead.
“The good thing is, babe…we have the guy who was after you. He fled to Buenos Aires, but he’s in custody now.”
“You’re kidding! That’s fantastic!” Her smile faded as she watched his face. “So why are you not happy?”
“Oh, I am. Believe me, I am. It’s just…the reason I know all this is because…this morning when I left, I went to ask a judge for a search warrant…for Steve Bertrand’s condo.”
“Steve? But I told you he couldn’t—”
“We found surveillance equipment in his closet.”
She stared at him for a moment, then countered with, “Of course you did. Steve works for a security company—”
THE HEART TEACHES BEST (REAL ROMANCE COLLECTION Book 2) Page 18