Cooper
HC Heroes Series/ Book 5
A Harland County Spinoff Series
by Donna Michaels
NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author
COOPER
HC Heroes Series/Book 5
Copyright © 2020 Donna Michaels
Cover Art by Donna Michaels © 2020
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author—except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web. For information, please contact the author via email at [email protected]
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
About this Book
Cooper Thompson was a take-it-on-the-chin type of guy. An attitude that had served him well as a Navy SEAL and now as an agent in his buddy's security and protection agency, but a few years back, it had faltered when he'd discovered the reason behind his adoption. A good portion of his self-worth had disappeared...along with his fiancée. Done with serious relationships, he sticks with the fun-seekers and steers clear of all others-especially the one with a sweet soul, long, silky blonde hair, startling blue eyes...and is the sister of one of his military brothers. Looking twice at the innocent girl he'd watched grow into a gorgeous woman is pure stupidity. She has always been forbidden fruit—one he very much wanted to taste.
Life for Abby Sharp is going well. Her brother survived active duty and lives close by. She owns a beauty salon that is just this side of successful and she's surrounded by good friends. There is only one thing left on her bucket list: To kiss Cooper Thompson in the rain. She's always had a crush on the guy, and since his arrival in town, she's discovered that not only has it not gone away, it intensified. But, even though Cooper is a former SEAL, and her brother is former Delta, they still invoked the military brother code and never messed with family. Which is too bad because there's rain in the forecast, and her body is on high alert.
Discovering Abby's bucket list proves too much for Cooper's resolve and soon he's sharing more than kisses in the rain with the tempting woman. Still determined to stay on the light and casual road, he reluctantly agrees to keep their 'friendly' situation from her brother. After all, it's just a temporary fun walk on the wild side.
But when her life is in danger, Cooper suddenly realizes his feelings for her are way more than 'just for fun' and he'll risk everything to save her.
Thanks for reading,
~Donna
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com
Author’s Note
Visit www.donnamichaelsauthor.com for more titles and release dates.
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Dedication
To the readers waiting for Abby to get her HEA! And to all the HC Heroes fans for your continued support!
As always, to my editing team for putting up with my crazy schedule!
To my husband and family for your unending support!
♥
Table of Contents
About this Book
Author’s Note
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Also by Donna Michaels
Connect with Donna Online
About the Author
Chapter One
If Cooper Thompson had a dime for every time he’d gotten himself in this type of situation, he’d be a rich man. If he had a dime for every time it worked…he’d have fifty cents.
Having just finished an impromptu breakfast at Annie’s Dinner with his former SEAL team leader and local sheriff, Chief Petty Officer Gabe Bryson, Cooper was crossing the parking lot to walk to work down the street when he saw a guy manhandling one of the waitresses. The staggering jerk was arguing that he was perfectly fine to drive and yelling at her to get in his car.
No way could he walk away and let the drunk bastard drive, and he especially couldn’t let the piece of crap abuse the woman.
Cooper just wasn’t wired that way. “Calm down, man.”
“Mind your own damn business, asshole.” The jerk glared at him through bloodshot eyes, his lips thinned, his body swaying in a typical demeanor Cooper had seen too often. It was barely seven in the morning, why was the guy drunk? “This is between me and my fucking girlfriend.”
He glanced at the woman, who instantly averted her gaze.
Damn…Cooper knew immediately he was wasting his time. She was going to refuse his help. He could tell.
But he had to try.
Ignoring the jerk, he focused on the woman as they stood near the back of a beat-up Chevy. “Are you okay, miss?”
She must’ve worked the night shift in the kitchen because he hadn’t seen her inside. With a slumped posture and face devoid of color, she tried to hide the fear in her wide eyes before glancing at her feet.
“Of course, she’s okay.” The jackass stepped toward her. “I can never get you to shut up, but now all of a sudden you’re silent? Tell him, Tammy.”
“I’m okay,” she rushed to say, but immediately averted her gaze again.
Shit. He clenched his jaw. She was lying, and he had to fight to keep from throttling the guy for using fear to control her.
Unwilling to give up, he softened his expression. “Look, you don’t have to go with him,” he said calmly, hoping to get through to her. “I can get you help.”
Jackass muttered a curse and got in his face, jabbing his pointer finger at him in the air as he spoke, “And you can get lost, or I’ll break your fuckin’ nose.”
The stench of stale cigars and whiskey wafting from the guy was so strong, Cooper’s eyes watered.
Damn, dude…
The urge to step back and suck in fresh air was strong, but he remained rooted to the spot and raised a brow. “So…it isn’t just women you like to hit?”
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Jackass raised his fist, and Cooper’s body went into alert/ready mode, but the wuss didn’t follow through with the punch, which was too bad.
Cooper really wanted to deck the asshole.
“Is there a problem here?” Gabe asked from behind him, and the reason for the jerk’s hesitation became clear.
“No, Sheriff.” The guy’s aggression disappeared behind a smile, as he stepped back to sling his arm around the woman. “None at all. Ain’t that right, Tammy?”
“Y-yeah…everything’s fine,” she said and actually smiled. “We were just having a slight disagreement, is all.”
Cooper sighed.
Why couldn’t she see she was helping the wrong person? She needed to help herself, not that asshole. In fact, she was enabling him.
“But it’s all good, so we’ll be heading home now,” Jackass said, opening the Chevy door.
Gabe folded his arms across his chest and raised a brow. “Tammy is going to drive, right? Otherwise I’d have to grab my breathalyzer
and test you, and I’m sure you don’t want that.”
Jackass raised his hands. “That won’t be necessary, Sheriff. You’re right. I was just opening the door for my girlfriend.”
Bullshit.
And it sucked because the drunk bastard had obviously driven here, but Gabe couldn’t do a damn thing about it since he hadn’t caught the guy in the act.
Tammy skirted around the jerk, before sliding into the driver seat.
While Jackass stumbled to the other side, Cooper took the opportunity to squat beside the woman before she could close the door. “Are you sure about this, Tammy?” he asked. “You know what’s going to happen if you go with him now.”
The bastard would no doubt blame this whole incident on her then proceed to beat her.
“It’s not too late,” Gabe added from behind him.
She turned to Cooper…and glared. “I was fine until you butted in. Just leave me alone.”
Great.
Now she was blaming him, when the blame should fall on the damn abusive, drunk asshole.
With a shake of his head, he rose to his feet and stepped back, and as he watched her shut the door and drive away, a heavy weight settled on his chest.
“Still playing Lancelot, I see,” Gabe said, cupping his shoulder.
He shrugged. “Can’t help it.”
Someone needed to, and that pissed him off.
Hand still on Cooper’s shoulder, Gabe turned so they stood face to face then leveled him with his trademark Bryson stare. The one the guy used when he meant business. He didn’t smile. He also didn’t move a muscle. It was his alpha stance, the one that put officers in their place, the team at attention, and caused criminals to confess. “You’re not him…you know that, right?”
The him his buddy referred to was Cooper’s birth father—or sperm donor—as he preferred to think of the bastard. Everyone knew he was adopted but Gabe was one of three people who knew what Cooper had uncovered four years ago about his adoption. And one of two who didn’t think less of him for it, while the third, Peyton—Cooper’s former fiancée—had left without a backward glance.
“Yeah.” He blew out a breath and shoved a hand through his hair. “Why do they do it? Why do they refuse help, Chie—I mean, Gabe?” He was still trying to get used to referring to his buddy by his name not rank, since the guy had adopted a dog named Chief.
“I don’t know,” Gabe replied releasing his shoulder. “But experience has taught me the abused have to be ready to accept help before they’ll seek it.”
He nodded. “I just don’t understand why they stay.”
“A lot of reasons,” Gabe said as they started to walk toward the sheriff’s Tahoe parked several spots away. “Some women are conditioned to think they don’t deserve better. Some are too scared. And others genuinely love the guy and think they can change him back to the person they fell in love with.”
Bile rose in his throat. “It sucks.”
“Agreed.”
He expelled a quick breath. “Makes me want to rip someone’s head off.”
“I can see that.” Gabe stopped at his vehicle and looked pointedly at Cooper’s closed fists. “And I’d consider it a personal favor to me if you did that in a different county.”
A smile tugged Cooper’s lips, despite his frustration. “Roger that.”
“Better to focus your anger on the heavy bag at ESI. That’ll bring you a lot less trouble.” Gabe slapped him on the back before climbing into the vehicle.
ESI—Eagle Security and Investigations—was where Cooper worked with a few Delta Force buddies who their SEAL team had run joint ops with while they were all still active duty. Gabe was supposed to work there too, but somehow managed to become sheriff instead. It was fitting, though, considering the guy had been a cop before he’d joined the Navy.
“Want a lift?” Gabe asked through his rolled down window.
Cooper shook his head. “No. I need to walk off this frustration before my sparring match.”
“Roger that,” Gabe said before driving away.
Every morning at ESI, he and the Delta guys took turns sparring, not only to keep in shape, but to stay sharp. Many of their jobs entailed bodyguarding or some sort of security, so they needed to be in top form. Today’s roster pitted him against Carter Sharp, and even though the guy was former Delta and not a SEAL, Cooper found him to be a very formidable opponent. Same with the two other former Delta coworkers.
Twenty minutes later, it was apparent to Cooper that the walk hadn’t helped. He was still frustrated, although this time it was with himself. If he were smart, he’d pay attention to his sparring partner’s mean right hook instead of the sweet ass on the guy’s smoking hot kid sister.
Abby stood inside the ESI garage with her back to them, giving him a heart-stopping view whenever she bent over to converse with the cockatoos perched on the arms of her friends Mel and Rylee.
But the thing was, unlike Carter, Cooper wasn’t a genius. And unlike Carter, he wasn’t Abby’s brother, either, although, for the past five years, he’d treated her that way.
They all had.
Every guy on Cooper’s SEAL team, as well as the ones in Delta with Carter, had considered Abby kin. Working joint missions together had made them tight, so having each other’s six both on and off duty had been as natural as breathing air. That extended to family, too. Even though Cooper no longer had any—at least, none he cared to recognize—he’d still respected the brotherhood code and never messed with a military buddy’s sister.
No matter how beautiful.
And Abby had always been beautiful, with long, silky hair the color an incredible mix of honey and spun gold that fell down the middle of her back. Forever ready with a smile, she had adorable dimples and eyes a mesmerizing shade of blue that reminded him of clear, summer skies above Coronado Beach.
The woman was breathtaking and refreshing…and shit, he ducked just in time to avoid Carter’s right hook then managed to land a jab to the guy’s ribs.
An umph echoed through the garage.
Mel, the petite woman standing next to Abby, was Carter’s live-in fiancée and currently blowing kisses at his opponent, which had given Cooper the distraction he’d needed.
His unwitting accomplice was also a kickass tattoo artist who owned her own parlor in the small strip mall next door. The fact she’d somehow managed to tattoo Carter—who hated needles—spoke volumes as to her hold on the guy. His buddy must be on her mind too, though, since she had a tiny tattoo of his name on her temple.
Apparently, a stalker had been involved, which had caused Carter to guard Mel’s body, which, in turn, had led to a relationship. All of it had happened before Cooper’s arrival last year.
“Sorry, babe.” Mel winced.
“Babe…got you…babe,” Lex—the wisecracking bird on her arm—spouted loudly. “Got…you…babe.”
This started Marilyn, the bird on Rylee’s arm, to recite “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” which caused everyone to chuckle.
Deciding to give Carter a little time to recoup, Cooper walked over to his bottle of water at the end of the mat in the middle of the garage and studied his friends while he hydrated.
It was interesting how all three of the die-hard bachelor, D-Force buddies were in solid, committed relationships. Mac, who stood watching their match with his back against the workbench lining the inner wall, was the owner of ESI and the first to fall with Stephanie, the owner of a graphic arts shop next door. Carter had been next, with Mel. Then Dex, although Cooper had been around for that one and had enjoyed the hell out of watching Gabe’s sister, Rylee, break their buddy’s control.
Not only was Rylee ESI’s office manager, she’d recently transitioned to agent status, working on the investigation side of the business. Dex had partnered with her on her first field assignment—in more ways than one—and they’d been together ever since. Those two had always had a connection, so it hadn’t surprised Cooper at all.
But what
did boggle his mind was the fact that these guys were the ones who used to tease the shit out of him and think he was crazy to be in a monogamous relationship when he’d been engaged.
A grimace twisted his lips. Okay, so maybe they’d been right about Peyton. But what was crazy was how the tables had turned and now he was the only one not in a relationship. Hell, even Gabe was seeing someone, and the only thing he’d ever known the former Chief Petty Officer to commit to was duty.
He tossed his empty bottle in the recycle bin between the refrigerator and empty six-foot tall bird cage on the far wall then turned back around to find his opponent still slumped over. “You all right, Carter?”
Damn…he didn’t think he’d hit the guy that hard. As a matter of fact, he’d been pulling his punches, careful to control his impact because of that jerk this morning. He wanted a workout from his sparring partner…not to break the guy’s ribs.
Carter straightened, shook out his arms, and drew in a few deep breaths. “I’m okay. It’s all good.”
“I’ll make it up to you later, babe.” The spunky redhead winked.
A grin split Carter’s face. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“You’d better,” Mel replied, wiggling her brows.
It was no surprise when he watched a grimace twist Abby’s lips. “Great…my breakfast just reappeared.”
Mel chuckled, setting a hand on Abby’s arm. “Sorry, I sometimes forget he’s your brother.”
“It’s okay.” Abby cracked a smile. “I sometimes try to forget he is.”
Carter frowned. “Hey…”
Abby snickered. “I knew that’d get a rise out of you.” Then she turned to Mel and shook a finger at the woman whose mouth was open and about to speak. “Don’t even think of saying what I know you want to say.”
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