by Tara Brown
His brother and sisters were obvious. They all resembled their dad.
Their mom came down the stairs after a minute. She was crying and hugging and loving everyone up. She was Nanny to the kids and they attacked her as much as they did Coop. She made a super-excited face like she was sharing a secret with them. “If you go upstairs very quietly, you might find something interesting up there.”
The kids squealed and raced up the huge wooden stairs.
Coop laughed. “Go easy on them, they're city kids.”
I stood and looked at them all, not sure what to do. The blonde gave me a look. “John.”
He took a breath. “This is Evie. Evie, this is Maria, my eldest sister. Louise, my second-eldest sister. Rachel, the middle child. Brant, my brother.”
“Oh.” I was wide-eyed and terrified. I waved softly. “Hi.”
They all spoke at once, dragging me to them, hugging, and talking over each other. I opened my mouth to get at least one answer out, but they were savages.
The girls were pulling at my hair, and the brother was trying to tell me a story about when they were ten and eight. I was lost in it.
Coop started to laugh. He fought them off and grabbed my hand. He pulled me to his side and wrapped an arm around me. “Easy, guys. Jeeze. You act like I never bring girls home.”
The brunette, Louise, gave him a sarcastic look. “Yeah, the last one was in middle school.”
“It's not like there haven’t been girls, I just didn't bring ‘em home. Maybe it's you I don’t want anyone meeting.”
They attacked again. I backed away as he was assaulted by all four of them. Their dad came and stood next to me. “You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?”
“That’s a firm no, sir.”
Their mom carried over a tray of snacks which broke up the wrestling. I couldn’t be sure, but I guessed Louise was winning the fight when it ended.
I gazed up at the stairs but Suzanne interrupted my mommy-worrying, “Evie here is your age, Rachel.”
“Oh.” Rachel winked at me. “Nicely done. A little Demi Moore action there, huh?”
“Yeah.” I laughed, but it was a sound I’d never heard come out of my mouth before.
Coop stuffed a piece of pickled herring into his mouth. “Rachel, you're just jealous I found her first.”
Rachel laughed. “I switched teams again since you’ve been gone. I'm seeing someone of the male persuasion, thank you very much. His name is Oscar and he is lovely.”
Coop gave her a blank stare. “What happened to Katrina? She was hot.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. He flashed me a grin. “She was. What’s hotter than a hot lesbian?”
Rachel smiled sweetly. “Two hot guys kissing.” She held her knuckles out for me to pound. Thankfully, Luce had taught me that one. I pounded them instead of patting the top.
Coop rolled his eyes. “You learned that like a week ago.” He turned to Rachel, giving her the same smile back. “Oscar sounds like he might be just your type then. What kind of name is Oscar? He's gonna hit on me like that guy you dated in college.”
Rachel laughed but Brant seemed uncomfortable. “He hit on me too.”
Suzanne who gave me a bogus smile until it looked like her cheeks had frozen up.
The night was long and overwhelming.
On my eighth yawn after eating more than I had in weeks, Coop steered me toward the upstairs. “Night everyone!”
By everyone, he meant everyone. The entire family stayed over in their family bedrooms. The lodge was huge and I understood why.
The family was more of a herd.
I kissed the kids goodnight and went back into the room I was sharing with Coop. He was on the bed in his boxers and a tee shirt. I suddenly realized how much I adored Coop. He was safe and comfortable. I could imagine him in a coffeehouse or a bookstore.
I pushed the thoughts away and sat on the bed next to him. I smiled and resumed our conversation from the living room with his sisters. “What do you mean, you’ve never watched The Bodyguard?”
“I don’t watch movies with Whitney Houston in them.”
I pushed his face away from mine. “Ewww. Those pickled herring fillets still stink and she’s dead. Do not speak ill of the dead.”
“I'm not. I just don’t like singsong chick flicks.”
I pushed his face harder. “Dude, your breath stinks.”
“You sound like Luce. I flossed and brushed. What more do you want?”
“Sleep on the floor.”
He landed in, blasting me with fishy breath. I tickled him in the ribs, on the off chance he was ticklish. I never expected what I got. He started flopping about the bed and making a girlie giggle.
It made me giggle back and tickle harder.
“St-st-stop, Evie!” He was getting angry. I dug my fingers in harder. He cried out. “Your fingers, stop. They're skinny. They're taking the meat right off the bones. Please. I'll breathe the other way!”
I stopped and he moved over, still huffing and puffing. He lay on his back. “I hate being tickled.”
“Me too.” I tapped my fingers against the bed. “But for real, you could’ve said I was a protection detail like The Bodyguard. We didn’t have to be dating.”
He cocked an eyebrow at me. I held up a finger and wiggled it at him. He turned his face back up to the ceiling. “You’re mean.”
“Whatever.” I giggled. “You stink.”
“My dad is a smart man. He would’ve seen me being your bodyguard, and he would’ve given me supreme shit.”
“Is being a bodyguard beneath you?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“Then why would he care?”
He turned his head a little. “He would’ve seen how I care about you and the kids and know how dangerous it was to work for you. It's why I never told him you were anything but my girlfriend.”
My insides froze. “But you always say we could never do anything but screw around.”
“My words are always trying to keep you at arm’s length. But if it were up to me, we'd be something else. In a different world we'd be together." He sounded sad and sure, a crushing combination.
I didn’t say those hurtful words were always making me hate him. I just left it at that. Maybe I could tell how he felt, if I was being honest. But he was right, feelings were dangerous.
He closed his eyes and I lay there watching him. He was too perfect. Thank God for that mouth of his. Smart-mouthed half the time and smelling like herring the other half. It truly was the only thing saving him from me becoming attached.
18
The End of Walls
Rachel winked at me. “He cheats.”
“I know. It's all about the win with him.”
Coop gave us both a scowl. “Hate the game, ladies, not me.”
Brant and his wife simultaneously rolled their eyes. Coop laid down a straight, jack high. He winked at me, beaming.
I laid a straight flush, ace high and winked back. His jaw dropped. “You cheated.”
“I cheated?” I folded my arms, and in the same stunned voice exclaimed, “You counted cards when we played blackjack.” I pointed. “You lose, face it. Pay up.”
He looked at his mom, but his sister, who was gutting herself laughing, spoke, “Oh no, you don’t. Don’t you dare try to get her to save your little losing ass. In the kitchen and make us some dessert.”
She put her knuckles out. I pounded them and smirked. “Don’t mind him, hating us and not the game.”
Brant chuckled. “Oh, Evie. I think I love you.”
“Yes,” his wife agreed. “A woman who puts Coop in his place, what a sight for sore eyes you are.”
Jules came down the stairs and climbed into the seat with me. She snuggled up. “Mom, Mitch said Daddy didn’t love us.” The whole room sort of froze, not sure what to say or do.
“Oh uhm.” I opened my mouth to speak but Coop picked her up.
"Hey, I knew your dad w
ell. He loved you guys tons. More than anything in the whole world. He talked about you all the time. It was kinda annoying if I'm being totally honest. On and on and on about Jules and Mitch the wonder kids.”
She smiled. “Can you come tell Mitch? He doesn’t believe me.”
"Yeah, for sure I can.” He turned to me. “Maybe your mom can get everyone dessert while I do that.”
I whispered so Jules wouldn't hear me, “Cheeky bastard.” I knew he was grinning ear to ear as he climbed the stairs.
Suzanne was watching me from the corner. I got up and went into the kitchen. Brant's wife, Sarah, followed me in. She was pretty and younger, maybe Coop's age. I opened the fridge to see what we had.
Sarah spoke in a sympathetic tone, “She hated me too. Hated. Brant met me at a bar. I was nineteen and not Suzanne's choice for a wife.”
I bit my lip. I wanted to say what a judgmental bitch Suzanne was, but I didn’t. One day, I too would be watching my own son find a girl, and I’d no longer be the woman in his life that loved him the most.
“I just wanted you to know that I understand how it feels. She'll either warm up or give up.”
“Which did you get?” Not that it mattered. I wouldn’t actually be around as a girlfriend. When the whole thing was over, Coop and I would be reassigned.
Sarah leaned a little farther back, making sure we were totally alone. “Gave up. She has never accepted me.”
“She is a tough nut, huh?”
“If her daughters get husbands, Suzy doesn’t care, but the wives, whew—tough nut is not even the word.” She shrugged. “How did you and Coop meet anyway?”
“My ex-husband's work.”
We had worked out a story, but the lie felt weird as it slipped from my mouth, “He was having affairs and carrying on. Coop and I had met a few times. Finally, he let it slip about James. I did some digging and discovered James had been 'letting it slip' all over town.”
She grimaced.
“Yeah.” I pulled the eggs and milk out and decided to make the one dessert I knew the recipe to off by heart. I started the kettle to boil and began mixing the ingredients. “He later died in a car accident, with one of his mistresses, my dear friend. When it was time for the funeral, Coop was there. It's been half a year almost and he's just always there.” The lie started to feel less like a lie.
Sarah looked wounded. “That’s so sad. Those poor kids.”
“James was never much of a father. Coop has been the friend they need. They both adore him and look up to him, and he has such a way with kids. I don’t trust people easily but I do him.”
She hugged me tightly, startling me. “I’m so sorry for everything you've been through. You must have been so hurt and angry when he died.”
I accidentally laughed awkwardly. “I like where I am now. James and I got pregnant and had the shotgun wedding, and we never had the chance to be in love. When I found out about the affairs, I was about to divorce him but he died.”
She pulled back and winked at me. “You didn’t have anything to do with his accident, did ya?”
“What? No.” I sounded guilty because I was, and it wasn’t an accident when I claimed his life.
“I’m kidding. That would’ve been cruel, killing him off. You can only do that when you don’t have kids.” She winked. I laughed again and pulled back to finish making the dessert.
She leaned on the counter. “What are you making?”
“Half-hour pudding. It's an English dessert.” I smiled inside; it was one of my mom's favorites, of course.
I put it in the oven as she walked out of the kitchen. I knew she had been sent in as the recon team. She was to gain the information the other family members wanted but didn’t have.
Coop came into the kitchen just as she left, and leaned against the counter. “Done already?”
I gave him a crooked look. “How's Jules?”
“Fine.” He smiled. “Her new friends upstairs have her distracted. Mitch and I had a short conversation about the things he was told because he’s a big boy and he can cope with them, where she can't.”
“I wish I'd just kept my mouth shut. I was so pissed that James was the dead hero and I would always be the asshole and him the martyr, regardless of what either of us did.”
He folded his arms over his thick chest. “Evie, you fucked up—”
I was about to slap him when Suzanne walked into the kitchen. I pasted a smile on my face and patted his arm. “Twenty minutes, take it out regardless of how it looks, serve hot with ice cream.”
I walked past him to the stairs. I went to the small room Mitch was hiding in. He was playing Minecraft, as per the usual. I lay on the bed with him, nudging him. “Hi.”
He gave me a sideways glance. “Hi.”
I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him into me. “How's it going?”
“Good.”
He still wanted to play, but I forced a hug out of him. “You'll always be my baby. You know that, right? No matter how old you get, or how many times you get married, you'll always be my baby.”
“I'm never getting married. I'm gonna be like Coop.”
A sigh slipped from my lips. “Fine, then I guess you'll be my baby always.”
He wasn’t the huggable little boy anymore. The double digits had been hard for us before James acted like a fucker and then died, and died again, and of course, died for real. Mitch was pulling away from me.
“The town we’re moving to is all about hockey.”
He looked up. “Really?”
“All about it. One year they won some hockey town competition.”
He started to lighten up a bit. “So can I get there before the season gets too far into it? It's almost October. I don’t want to miss it.”
“Yes, we’re leaving tomorrow for our new home. Same setup as last time. Grandma, Fitz, Luce, and Jack are there. We’ll meet them at the new house.”
“Are we driving?”
"No." I explained, “Not the whole way.” I actually had no idea how it was happening and I wasn't going to ask Coop.
I sensed Mitch relaxing. “So we'll stay at this town?”
“We will. We’ll live there for a long time.”
He appeared to be mulling it over and he grinned. “Can I finish playing?”
“Oh.” I feigned a hurt look. “You mean you want me to leave?”
“Yup.”
"Yes, brat.” I kissed him and got up. I went to the bedroom Coop and I were sharing and climbed into the bed. I wanted to stew over the thing he'd said, but he was right. I wanted to think about dozens of things, but I didn’t. I fell asleep right away. The house had a vibe that made me feel safe and exhausted.
When I woke, it was light outside and Coop was passed out next to me. He had no shirt on again. I turned to climb out of bed, but he grabbed me and pulled me back down. His eyes were bright and clear. “I need to finish what I was saying last night.”
I pulled away but he held me tightly. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
He shuffled over, pinning me to the bed. “You never let me finish. My mom interrupted us.”
He hovered over me, pressing my body into the bed.
“By all means, continue lecturing me, oh wise master of child rearing,” I mocked. “For your information, I know I suck at parenting. You know, when I first told people I was pregnant, they all gave me a horrified look and said, ‘You? You're having a baby?’ No one thought I could do it, and I get that I'm not great at it, but I’m trying my hardest.”
“Stop.” He gave me his face that usually meant something truly awful lingered just on the tip of his tongue. “I meant what I said: you fucked up. But what I never got to say was I would have made the same choice. I'm not judging you, I'm agreeing. Your kids deserve the truth, maybe not when they're so young, but they do. Mitch should never go his entire life believing James was something he wasn’t. Neither child should see you as the bad guy in this. You never made James do any of the things he
did. I don’t think you need to tell them everything, but what you told Mitch was totally acceptable. He needs to see the story, even if it was just a glimpse into the way it was. Your delivery sucked and that was where you fucked up, but I would’ve made the same choice as you.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I think you are a great mom and those haters don’t know you as well as they think they do.”
“That was nice, Coop.”
“Yeah, if you had given me half a second to finish, instead of running to Mitch's room and hiding, I would’ve probably gotten laid last night, wouldn’t I?”
“Gross.” I shoved him off me. “We're in your parents’ house for starters—gross. Secondly, we're not really dating. You do see that, right?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “What?” He laid the playful tone on extra thick.
“Anyway.” I shook my head. “We need to leave today. How are we getting there?”
He gave me a sly smile. “The best way ever.”
"Fine, keep your secrets. What time are we leaving, sir?” I mocked him.
He gave me a cocky grin. “You’re going to get it, Evie, and I guarantee you're going to like it.”
I grabbed my sweater and jeans and walked to the bathroom. “We'll see.”
“It's better than nope. I'll take ‘we'll see.’”
We all stood in the front porch an hour later. Coop's father hugged me, muttering, “Stay safe, Evie.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Rachel caught what I'd said. She was plainly a bit stunned by my calling their father “sir.” She hugged me next. “Have a safe trip and when you guys are home, make sure you call.”
I gave her a funny look. “Thanks.”
Coop rolled his eyes. “You all know I'll call on the next birthday.”
His mom hugged him again. “When are you coming back?”
He glanced at me. I offered, “When we can.”
Suzanne hated that I answered. I could see it on her face. She hugged me with wooden arms. “Take care of my boy.”