Defend Me: A Frazier Falls Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  I lined up the wheels so the stripes left behind were perfectly spaced and straight. I liked order in my life. The thought of Rose’s visit sent things into chaos. Lucy said her daughter was returning in two weeks, which meant she’d be back for nine or ten days. I resisted the urge to scowl. She would be with Carla, which meant I’d have to spend time with her acting cordial. I didn’t think I had it in me. I could simply remain silent, since that’s what she was used to, anyway.

  My pace picked up when I decided to use my silence against her. I settled into a contented rhythm in order to cut the grass, humming tunelessly along with the thrum of the engine as I worked.

  Fifteen minutes later, I’d sweated through my T-shirt. Despite knowing exactly how Lucy would react, I pulled it off with one fluid movement, relishing the feel of the sun on my back.

  “Now, that’s the spirit.” Lucy lifted her wine glass and shouted over the growl of the lawnmower.

  A flash of yellow drew my attention to the street when a cab pulled up in front of her house. She stood and squinted against the sun, watching the car in confusion. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting anyone.

  When an annoyingly familiar head of blond hair popped out of the rear passenger door, I turned the lawnmower around in an attempt to finish cutting the grass as quickly as possible.

  “God, Mom, am I glad to see you,” Rose called out to her mother loud enough to be heard over the roar of the lawnmower. I wished it could have been louder. Loud enough to drown her out completely.

  Of all the people I didn’t want to see, it was the woman now unabashedly staring at me.

  She frowned before her eyes widened in recognition.

  “Paxton?”

  I’d never wanted to be involved in a freak lawnmower accident more than in that moment.

  Chapter Four

  Rose

  The fact that my mom had hired someone to mow the lawn came as no surprise to me. After all, it’s not like I would have expected her to do it, with her perfectly dyed peroxide blonde hair, immaculate manicure, and obscenely high heels. The fact that the man in question was shirtless and undeniably a complete and utter babe wasn’t all that surprising either, considering the new lease on life that had filled Mom after months of grieving for Dad. She was allowed to have her eye-candy.

  What was the most surprising thing was that said eye-candy looked disturbingly familiar.

  My mind immediately went to Owen Cooper, but after gawking at the man for a few seconds, I realized that wasn’t quite right.

  “Paxton?” I called out again over the dull roar of the lawnmower. “Paxton Cooper? Is that you?”

  He ignored me and continued to cut the grass as if I hadn’t shown up at all. Maybe he hadn’t heard me.

  I grabbed my bag out of the trunk of the taxi before paying the fare and rushing up the stone steps to crush my mother in a massive hug. Now that the shock had worn off from me arriving two weeks early, she made a noise of delight and hugged me tighter in return.

  “Oh, Rosie, what a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting you until the twenty-first.”

  “Plans change, and I had vacation days stacked up. Figured I’d take an extra two weeks off. We haven’t had a chance to catch up in months.” I wasn’t ready to tell her I’d been dumped. I’d cried the entire flight and was out of tears for James Rivers.

  “Years, more like, given how hectic your schedule is. I haven’t seen you for longer than three consecutive days since your father died.”

  I felt a pang of guilt. It was my fault I hadn’t taken time off. I smiled, a little sadly. “I’m here now. Time to make up for all that.”

  Mom glanced at my bag as she raised a dubious eyebrow. “You packed rather light for a three-week trip.”

  “I may have left New York on short notice,” I said, laughing awkwardly. “Nick is going to send more stuff along for me, and I’ve ordered some new clothes that should arrive here tomorrow.”

  “It’s a wonder what you can do with the internet these days,” Mom remarked, genuinely astounded. “If you see something you like on a screen, all you have to do is click a button, and it’s there the next day, even here in Frazier Falls.”

  I made a face. “Actually, it takes two days to reach Frazier Falls. I ordered the clothes yesterday when I was waiting for a flight.”

  “You’ve been in the airport since yesterday? Honey, what happened?”

  Her words came out as an overwhelming shout as the sound of the lawnmower was cut off. I was immediately reminded that Paxton was there and turned to face him.

  “Paxton, sweetheart,” Mom simpered, “come over here. Can you believe Rosie came home early to surprise me?”

  “Mom, stop calling me Rosie. I’m an adult.”

  He looked at the two of us for a moment, then indicated with a wave of his hand that he was going to put the lawnmower away in the shed.

  I glanced at my mom. “When did he get so buff?” For a second, a long time ago, I had a secret crush on Paxton, the boy. But wow, he’d grown up to become quite a good looking man.

  “Oh, that’s right. You haven’t seen him since before you left for college, have you?”

  I shook my head.

  “He was a bit of a late-bloomer compared to his older brothers, but maybe that’s because he was a much smaller baby. Either way, when he returned, he was the spitting image of his mom poured into his brothers’ bodies. Although, I must admit, he’s possibly even more handsome than all the other Coopers.” She lifted her shoulders. “I might be biased.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “How often does he cut the grass for you?”

  “He doesn’t only mow the lawn, Rose. He’s such an angel. He’s been helping me with everything since your father died. I mean, he pretty much helps out everyone in town, but he has a soft spot for me. He spoils me too much … not that I’m complaining.” She seemed incredibly pleased with this fact.

  I couldn’t imagine gawkish, silent Paxton Cooper being capable of helping anyone, much less my mom. I’d never heard him string more than a few words together, and even then, it’d seemed like it pained him to do so.

  And yet, the grown-up him looked a world away from how he had looked as a teenager. Maybe he had finally figured out that normal people conversed with one another.

  With what looked like obvious reluctance, the man in question walked over to join us after he had put away the lawnmower. His gaze swept over me quickly before he turned his attention to my mom. I became acutely aware that I was still wearing my backless blue dress and heels, which was entirely inappropriate attire for having flown all the way from New York.

  “Paxton, you remember my daughter Rose,” my mother said excitedly. “Sure, you do. You went to school together.”

  “I was in the year below,” I said. “It’s not as if we had classes together.”

  Clearly, Paxton had never gotten around to telling my mom that I incessantly teased him all the way through middle school, and he no doubt hated me. Then again, I couldn’t imagine him speaking for long enough to tell her anything.

  He inclined his head in lieu of an answer, which pissed me off for some reason.

  “Oh, before I forget, I made you an Asian stir fry,” my mom said. “I know how much you like it. I’ll go and grab it from the kitchen. Be a love and keep him company while I’m gone, Rosie.”

  She gave me a not-so-subtle look that screamed he is definitely dating material. It made me want to laugh because the last thing Nick said before I left was the best way to get over one man was to get under another. Having hours to think about James and my relationship, I realized we hadn’t really had one. He was always gone, and I was the on-call friend with benefits.

  When she left, I eyed him critically. He had filled out his tall frame. He was all taut muscles and broad shoulders. The fact that he was still shirtless with the sunlight accentuating his abs drove home the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous and front-cover worthy.

  And his face … he’d always had b
eautiful eyes. As a middle-schooler, a boy having beautiful eyes was a reason to tease him, rather than adore him. I had done both.

  A classic five o’clock shadow covered his perfect jawline while his thick hair was pushed back to keep it out of his eyes. Thirty-two-year-old Paxton Cooper was quite possibly the most handsome man I had ever met in my life.

  James who? I couldn’t help but ask. Although my heart still hurt at the betrayal, my mind was firmly in the “move on” camp. Wasn’t that what James had done? Life was short, and I certainly wasn’t going to waste more time on a man who didn’t love me.

  Paxton’s face was expressionless as he muttered, “Are you done?”

  My eyes widened in shock. Not only had he spoken, but presumably, he meant to insult my obvious ogling.

  “What do you mean by that?” I fired back.

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he walked away and picked up his T-shirt from where it lay abandoned on the grass. He then sat on the edge of my mom’s outdoor couch and pulled out his cell phone. He proceeded to scroll through it as if he were checking his emails or social media.

  I couldn’t decide whether those three words were all he had, or if he was deliberately ignoring me. I walked over to his side, putting my hand in front of his cell phone screen so he couldn’t see it. “Aren’t you even going to say hello?”

  He glanced up at me, his face still devoid of emotion, but he said nothing.

  “God, you’re so weird,” I said, frustrated, before pulling my hand away and heading inside the house.

  When I passed Mom in the hallway, she looked stricken. “Why have you left Paxton alone?”

  “I’m tired, Mom. I went through a horrible break up, and I’m not in the mood to talk to old friends yet.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. In fact, the only part that was truly a lie was the friend part.

  She looked at me sympathetically. “Let me see him off, and you can tell me all about it.”

  When I reached my childhood bedroom, I collapsed onto my mattress in relief. Even though I had desperately wanted to leave Frazier Falls, I still loved this house. So many good memories had been created here with my family.

  Exhaustion overwhelmed me, but my desire to get out of my clothes and into something clean was stronger. I quickly stripped off the dress and ran a brush through my hair before I headed for a shower. The hot water raced over my skin, clearing away the hurt seeping from my pores. But it felt different, and I had to wonder if my hurt was now because of Paxton’s complete dismissal. I stayed in the shower for far longer than was required, probably hoping that I could scrub away all the painful memories, both past and present.

  Eventually, I had to get out. Toweling myself dry, I located an old, oversized T-shirt and some shorts I hadn’t worn since I was seventeen. I was somewhat satisfied that they still fit me. A little horrified that Mom had kept them, along with my Dalmatian pajamas and my posters of the cast of Glee.

  I found Mom in the kitchen, pouring another glass of wine. Wordlessly she passed it over to me before pouring a new one for herself.

  “Thanks,” I said, appreciating the gesture.

  She glanced at my clothes. “You’d never have been caught dead in public wearing a T-shirt like that back in high school.”

  I laughed. “No, but I wore them around the house.” I looked down at my Lady Gaga T-shirt. “I’ll have new clothes tomorrow, so for now, this is okay.”

  “What happened with your boyfriend?”

  I lifted my shoulders in a shrug, hoping my indifference would limit the conversation. “I thought things were going well. I thought wrong.”

  “I take it he broke up with you?” She reached out her hand and cupped my cheek in the way moms do when they think their daughter is headed for a meltdown.

  I shook my head. “No, I broke up with him. I found him cheating on me, though he claimed we were never exclusive. Lying bastard. I was always exclusive.”

  “This is why you need an honest, straight-forward kind of man, not any of these smarmy city-slicker types. Like, oh, I don’t know …”

  “Don’t you dare say Paxton, Mom.”

  She looked offended. “What’s wrong with him?”

  “Nothing. I need a break from guys for a while. You understand that, right?” I wasn’t going to tell her that Paxton and I were like putting a cat and bird in a cage. While I might find him reasonably attractive, we weren’t a good match.

  She pouted. “What about your plus-one for Carla’s wedding?”

  “I’ll invite Nick. He’ll be ecstatic to finally visit my hometown.”

  “Is he handsome?” Mom asked, her pink slicked lips growing wide with a smile.

  “Yes,” I laughed, “and decidedly gay.”

  “Hmm, I’ve always wondered about Carla’s brother, you know. Maybe we could try setting them up at the wedding. Rich is a good-looking man.”

  “Oh, give it a rest. I can’t imagine how horrified Rich would be if you did that.”

  “We won’t know unless we try.”

  It wasn’t actually a terrible idea. If Rich wasn’t straight, what was the harm? I’d have to ask Carla. I didn’t know, and I wasn’t one to assume everyone I knew was straight these days, especially given the industry I worked in.

  “On that incredibly disturbing note,” I joked, downing my wine in the process, “I’m going to get some sleep. I haven’t been in a bed in forty-eight hours. I need to crash.”

  Mom smiled as I left the kitchen and made for the stairs. “Sleep well, Rosie.”

  When I reached my bedroom, she called up to me, “And maybe consider meeting with Paxton for a coffee while you’re here. It wouldn’t hurt.”

  I answered the suggestion by closing my door rather loudly.

  “Wouldn’t hurt my ass,” I grumbled as I burrowed under the soft duvet. “It’d be like sitting with a rock to discuss world hunger. Nothing would get said, and everyone would still starve.”

  Chapter Five

  Paxton

  I thought about Rose again, and I didn’t want to. Her showing up when she did threw me off. Carla and Owen’s wedding was still three weeks away. Why on earth had she taken that much time off work?

  Being curious about her even to that degree was going too far, so I shrugged the matter off and focused on Rich.

  We were drinking in Reilly’s; our siblings were on dates with their significant others. It still felt strange to be missing both of my brothers on a Friday night. We’d spent them together for so long now that I’d forgotten what it felt like to not have them around.

  I stared up at the message of the day. John Reilly spread his Zen from a chalkboard. Today’s saying was one from someone named Tosso. Any time not spent on love is wasted. I was ready to waste some time.

  “Is tonight a beer or a spirits night, Pax?” Rich murmured into his empty glass.

  “Well, you’re already on your third vodka, so I’d wager spirits.”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “As if that matters. It’s not as fun to drink without the group here.”

  “I’m so glad you hate my company so much.”

  “Hey, you know that you completely buckle if you have to start and lead a conversation. It’s not my fault that you’re not a talker.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I thought controlling a conversation was your strength?”

  “I’m allowed an off-day once in a while. I think I’d rather listen to people speak than do the gabbing myself tonight.”

  Behind the bar, Ruth McCall laughed.

  “Rich, you’re not in the mood to talk? You haven’t shut up since you beat the gizzard out of Owen right over there a few months ago.” She nodded to where the fight between Owen and Rich had taken place. A fight that could and did change the trajectory of all their lives.

  “I’d rather forget that night, but my sister won’t let me.” He lifted his glass. “Another please, Ruthie, but can you add some cranberry juice?”

  She shook her head as she laughed. “Remember to p
ace yourself.”

  “Since when do you drink vodka cranberries?” I asked. “I thought only Owen tossed down the girlie stuff.”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? They’ve grown on me.”

  “I’m not touching that sugary crap. Could I have a whiskey, Ruthie?”

  She beamed at me. “You bet. On the rocks?”

  I considered the question. “No. Make it neat, and a double.”

  “Should I be concerned about you pacing yourself?”

  “Rich is a lightweight. I’m not.”

  “Fair point.” She lifted the Bushmills bottle and let it waterfall into the tumbler below.

  Rich rested his head on one fist, elbow glued to the bar, looking at me curiously.

  “What happened?”

  “Why do you think something happened?”

  “I don’t know. You seem off.”

  I supposed I couldn’t be all that surprised by Rich noticing I was out of sorts. He’d become like the fourth brother in the Cooper family.

  Sighing, I downed some of my whiskey before telling him, “Rose is back in town.”

  “Well, you knew that would be inevitable given the fact that my sister is the one getting married, and they were best friends.”

  “Yeah, but what made her come back two weeks early? Lucy told me she wasn’t due home until the twenty-first.”

  “What’s your beef with Rose?”

  “Let’s say we have a long, braided history of dislike for one another.”

  “Can’t you avoid her as much as possible?” he asked. “I mean, we have tons of work to do right now. It shouldn’t be too difficult to stay away from her until a few days before the wedding.”

  “I already ran into her.”

  Rich frowned. “You want me to hold her down so you can yank her ponytails?”

  I chuckled at his childish comeback because that’s where he and Rosie left it back in middle school. “She seemed surprised that I’d actually grown up. But then I ignored her.”