He wished to God he’d never researched his birth parents. Then he’d be blissfully unaware of his dysfunctional family past, and blissfully happy with Abby. Cooper knew he would’ve loved starting a family with her if he’d been ignorant of all the baggage he carried. He loved Abby, never wanted to hurt her, and yet he was doing that very thing.
“Coop, what’s eating you?” Mac asked.
He blinked and the boardroom came back into focus. His boss was staring at him from the head of the table, brows raised. Dean sat across from him, regarding him silently, already knowing the answer. Cooper hadn’t been at breakfast with Dean and Gabe long before the duo had fished out last night’s events like the pros Uncle Sam had made them.
Uncomfortable airing out personal shit, he shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Try again. I can hear your jaw cracking from across the room.” Mac sat back and leveled him with another Uncle Sam-cultivated, hard stare.
He shrugged. “Just something I’ve got to work out.”
“Abby okay?” Mac asked and Cooper’s heart rolled in his chest. “Ah…so it is Abby,” Mac mumbled, apparently reading something from his expression.
Cooper opened his mouth to tell him he’d would figure it out when Dex and Carter rushed into the room, both pale and panting.
“Rylee’s got a tail,” Dex blurted, phone to his ear.
Cooper’s heart hit the floor as he jumped to his feet. “Abby’s with her. Is she okay?” He yanked the phone from his pocket.
“Don’t bother. Gabe’s on the phone with her,” Carter told him.
Mac and Dean were on their feet and the five of them were hauling ass for the armory room adjacent to the garage while Carter filled them in. The girls were okay for now. About fifteen miles outside of town. Gabe was en route.
He shouldn’t have left her…
That thought resounded in Cooper’s head over and over as he buckled his shoulder holster loaded with twin Glocks and the others geared up—even Dean—although he was only proficient with one hand.
Cooper welcomed his buddy’s help.
“Shit…they’re taking fire,” Dex informed, his face white and jaw tight.
He felt the blood leave his face. That was his woman out there too. His woman in danger. His child, too.
A sharp pain sliced through his chest and he sucked in a breath. “We have to get Abby out of there. She’s pregnant.”
Everyone stilled, all eyes staring at him.
“Abby’s pregnant?” Carter asked.
Cooper nodded. “Yes. Let’s go. We need to get there, now!”
If anything happened to her or the baby, he’d never forgive himself. This stupid mess in his head was nothing compared to how out-of-his-mind he’d be if he lost Abby.
“Take too long to get the chopper,” Mac said, a new urgency in his tone, and Cooper could feel it bouncing off the others as they raced to the garage.
“I can’t lose them. We need to go.” Cooper raced toward the vehicles and jumped into the driver’s seat of the closest SUV, hitting the remote for the door while Dean and Dex piled in. Mac and Carter cranked up the other SUV. Cooper shot out of the garage, squealing tires as he turned onto the main road and burned rubber out of town with Mac on his six.
“How long has it been? Is Gabe there?” he asked, the not knowing driving him out of his mind.
“Five minute and no, not yet,” Dex replied. “Rylee’s leading them to the old Texaco station outside of town. Gabe and his deputies are waiting there.”
“Why isn’t he going straight to them?” he asked, white-knuckling the wheel.
If it was Lyndsey in trouble, he would’ve…
“He’s staying within county lines,” Dex replied. “The girls are okay. You know these vehicles are bulletproof and tires are still drivable if hit.”
True.
“Rylee’s a trained agent. She won’t let anything happen to Abby,” Dex said, but his buddy was still pale, and his knuckles were just as white as Cooper’s as he held the phone to his ear.
He blew out a breath, but the anxiety gripping his body didn’t lessen one damn bit with that knowledge. Someone was still shooting bullets at Abby.
At least Dex was talking to Rylee. Cooper had no connection. He’d lost it when he’d walked away last night. Why the hell hadn’t he stayed?
And he hadn’t walked away from their relationship. He’d just needed some space to think. But he was done thinking. His only thought was he needed to get to Abby. Needed to hold her and never let her go. Beg her forgiveness and hope she gave him another chance.
“Station’s just ahead,” Dean said from the back, pointing to the deserted building where Gabe parked his sheriff’s Tahoe out of sight on the side.
Cooper slowed down and pulled over. Mac did the same behind him, driving over by Gabe, where he stopped and got out.
Not gonna happen.
He turned to Dean. “You should get out.”
The guy stared at him. “I’m good.”
He shook his head. “Not once I’m done.” His buddy smirked, no doubt reading his mind. “Hooyah,” he muttered, before leaving the SUV.
Cooper turned to Dex. “You might want to leave too.”
Dex shook his head. “I’m good. Let’s go. They’re only two miles away.”
He jammed the SUV into drive and took off toward their women. Within sixty seconds, Rylee’s SUV came into view. Thank God. They were still motoring, and a black sedan was close behind. They could hear the hail of bullets even at this distance.
Son-of-a-bitch…
As soon as he saw Rylee behind the wheel, and Abby’s beautiful face both pass by, Cooper swerved to the left and hit the black sedan, smashing into the driver’s door, pushing it off the road. The rear tires of the SUV lifted up, airbags deployed, then the back end dropped down, hitting hard.
The next thing he knew they were resting in a ditch. “You okay, Dex?”
“Yeah…lost my phone,” the guy said, voice sounding muffled.
Cooper’s chest and right leg hurt, but he reached for his buckle and unfastened his seat belt, then felt for the door handle and pushed his way out from behind the airbag to fall to the ground. Dex met him around the back of their SUV and they stared at the flipped over sedan where Rylee, Mac, Dean, and Carter stood with their guns drawn on the three men moaning on the ground.
Dex ran to Rylee and pulled her into his arms.
Cooper limped past them and marched for the blonde pushing out of Gabe’s arms, running straight for him. When she hit, it knocked the wind out of him, but he held her tight and rode out the wave of pain. She was worth it. She was worth everything.
“Oh my God, Cooper.” She was crying and kissing his face, shaking like a leaf. Or was that him? “Are you okay? You just rammed that car.”
“Bastard was shooting at you,” he muttered, trying to get a handle on his anger. She peppered his face with more kisses, and it did a lot to soothe his fury. “How are you? Are you hurt?” He drew back and raked his gaze up and down her body, making sure those bastards hadn’t scratched her.
“I’m fine. You’re the one injured.” She inhaled. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“God, Abby. I’d do anything for you. Anything,” he repeated, dropping to his knees and gritting his teeth as shards of pain ricocheted to his hip. He didn’t care. He deserved it for hurting her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her belly. “And our baby? Is our baby okay? You didn’t hit your stomach on anything, right?”
She knelt before him, her face wet, gaze bright as she held his face. “Our baby…you said our baby. And our baby is just fine now.”
He kissed her lips then her cheek, temple, head. “Thank God you’re both okay,” he said, bringing them both to their feet, and gritting his teeth while doing it. He didn’t have time to be hurt. He needed to tell her things. “I’m sorry, Abby. I shouldn’t have left last night. I was dumb. I stupidly thought this baby was a problem. That I should
n’t be a father because of my birth father.”
“But why?”
“Because I’m the result of the bastard attacking my mother,” he told her, and a small amount of weight lifted off his shoulders. “I didn’t want to pass on that DNA. Didn’t want to create another monster like him.”
She kissed his cheek. “You aren’t a monster, what makes you think your child would be? That’s your family history. Not the present, and the future is what you make it. Look at how you turned out. You were raised by good, honest, hardworking people…and I love their son very much.”
He blinked and basked in the understanding and adoration blazing in her eyes. “God, Abby, I love you, too. So damn much.”
He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her over and over, loving the taste of her happy tears, her unwavering acceptance and understanding. He drew back when he needed air, and crushed her close, refusing to let her go, even when Gabe came by to check him out.
“Coop, you’re bleeding all over your woman.” The sheriff frowned at him, but wisely didn’t try to remove Abby from his arms. “You and I are going to have a talk about that stunt you just pulled.”
He glanced at Dean smirking at him as he leaned against the sheriff’s Tahoe. Cooper nodded then returned his attention back to Gabe. “You’re welcome.”
The sheriff shook his head, slight tug to his lips. “Hooyah,” Gabe muttered. “You crazy bastard.”
“He’s my crazy bastard, Sheriff,” Abby said, pride and adoration heavy in her voice and warming her eyes.
Carter and Mac came over to check on them. Cooper reluctantly relinquished her to her brother.
Carter hugged her close. “You okay?”
“I’m great.” She smiled.
Her brother drew back, a big grin on his face. “I hear I’m going to be an uncle.” Carter turned to Cooper and thrust out his hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” He shook it, then Mac’s, Dex’s, Dean’s, then Gabe’s hands, before he was able to get his hands back on Abby and pull her close.
His adrenaline was starting to ebb, allowing more pain to register in his brain cells. But still, he wouldn’t release her. She was tucked against him, her head resting against his chin. “That call I got last night wasn’t a telemarketer. It was an investigator hired by my birth mother.”
Abby drew back to gaze up at him. “What do you want to do? I’ve got your back, either way.”
He inhaled, once again truly amazed by this incredible woman. There was no censure in her tone. No judgment or reprimand for how badly he’d handled that call. Her main concern was him. And damn, that humbled him. “I’d like to call back and tell him I’m willing to meet her. Will you come too?”
Tears filled Abby’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “Of course. Thank you for that honor. I’m with you through thick and thin, Cooper.”
He wiped her tears with his thumbs and kissed her, slow, soft, and long, and only released her when the paramedics arrived, because he wanted her checked out…and he thought perhaps he might’ve broken a few ribs.
Chapter Sixteen
Cooper stood outside the Pub with Abby by his side, working up the nerve to enter the building where his birth mother waited to meet him. It was before business hours, so the place was deserted, affording them privacy. He was grateful to Jordan McCall, the former sheriff, and wife of one of Mac’s cousins, for helping the investigator over the past three weeks, to set it up.
“Ready?” Abby asked, squeezing his hand. “You’re going to do fine.”
He inhaled and nodded. “I just don’t want to cause her any pain…what if I look like my father?” He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing repulsion in his mother’s eyes when she looked at him.
“What if you don’t?” She cocked her head. “There’s a whole lotta DNA from your mother’s side too, you know.”
True. He nodded, and holding her hand, he walked into the Pub. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, then he spotted a woman with light brown hair sitting in a booth near the kitchen.
“I think you’ve got this. I’ll be right here if you need me,” Abby said, before releasing him to sit at a nearby table.
He nodded, then walked to the woman now standing with tears in her eyes…light blue eyes like his. The closer Cooper got to the woman, the lighter and lighter he felt.
Holy shit…he looked like his birth mother.
“Cooper?” she asked, shaking as he approached. When he nodded, she said, “Hi…I’m your mother.”
He opened his arms and she stepped forward and hugged him. He held back a wince, his bruised ribs still a little tender. “Hello, Mom,” he said, banding his arms around her. “Nice to meet you.”
Something inside Cooper cracked open, and a flood of warmth rushed through his chest, washing all the worry and self-doubt, and pain away.
When she stopped crying, she drew back and held his face. “You look so much like my dad. Your grandfather. He was in the Navy, too. He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
Cooper’s throat dried. He cleared it and nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Are your parents still alive? I’d very much like to thank them for taking care of you.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tears filled her eyes again, and she shook.
He took her hand and led her back to the booth she’d vacated. “Let’s sit down.”
“Thank you.” She inhaled. “I’ve been looking for you for decades.”
Cooper blinked. “You have?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to give you up, but I had to. Your father wasn’t the man he’d led me to believe and I didn’t discover that until I was married, and he’d whisked me across the country. I had nobody. I was ashamed of myself for letting it happen. But when I became pregnant with you, I knew I had to leave. When he was at work one night, I took off. I’d stashed enough money away to run to the next state.”
By this time, she had tears streaming down her face, but he didn’t interrupt. He felt she needed to tell him and get it off her chest.
“Long story short,” she said. “You were three months old when he tracked me down where I worked. Luckily you were at the sitter’s and he never found out about you. I managed to get away from him, but I didn’t know for how long. That’s when I contacted an agency and had to let you go to keep you safe.”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Thank you. Thank you for giving me life and for keeping me safe.”
She cried some more, so he moved to her side of the table and slid his arm around her. Around his mother.
It was so crazy. He inhaled, finding it so much easier to breathe.
“I brought some papers for you,” she said, reaching for a folder by her side. “Here’s your birth certificate.” She slid it to him and smiled. “I named you James after my dad.”
His heart about rocked from his chest. “That’s my middle name. It was my adoptive father’s name, too.”
She inhaled and blinked back tears. “How about that…” She lifted a gift bag from beside her on the booth then turned back to smile at him. “These are all the birthday cards I bought you but never got to send.”
She handed him a large bag filled with them.
“Thank you,” he said, too humbled to say more.
“About five months after you were adopted, your birth father got arrested for assaulting another man, and he ended up in prison and died there two months later.”
Cooper honestly felt a ripple of relief, because if meant he didn’t need to track the bastard down and pay him a visit.
“I started looking for you then,” she said. “I wanted to get you back, but everything was sealed. A year after that, I met my husband. He’s a good man. We had two children.”
Cooper’s heart hit his sore ribs. “So…I have…”
She smiled. “You have a younger brother, Nick, who’s twenty-eight, and a younger sister, Evelyn, who’s twenty-four.
They’d like to come the next time I fly out here.”
Holy shit. He wasn’t an only child?
“But my husband’s here with me now,” she said. “He’d like to meet you, would that be okay?”
Cooper grinned. “Yeah, that’d be great. Where is he?”
“In the kitchen,” she said.
He got to his feet and helped her from the booth.
“John, come on out,” she said loudly, and a second later, a man in his mid fifties pushed through the swinging door and strode right to him, hand outstretched.
“Hi, Cooper,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet the person who’s cakes I’ve been eating all these years.”
He released the man’s hand and frowned. “Cakes?”
“We celebrate your birthday every year,” his mother said. “Can’t celebrate without cake.”
Cooper’s heart was so full, he felt like the Grinch at the end of the book. “I’d like to introduce someone to you right now if that’s okay.”
She smiled. “Of course.”
He called Abby over. “This is my girlfriend, Abby. Abby, this is my mother and her husband John.” After Abby hugged them both, he slid his arm around her and tugged her close. “Abby’s pregnant, so you’re going to be a grandmother.”
As he watched the two women hug again, Cooper felt a contentment he’d never known.
It was going to all right.
He was going to be all right.
He was all right.
Chapter Seventeen
The following week, as Abby snuggled against Cooper deliciously spent, content and warm, she thought about how different her life had been just two short months ago. She used to dream about Cooper and now she woke up in his arms every day. Thanks to the ring he put on her finger four nights ago, they were about to make it permanent in three months’ time.
She’d always wanted a June wedding on the beach and dreamt of it often with Cooper as the groom. Now, it was actually going to happen. Abby was marrying Cooper on the beach beyond the strip mall and ESI. The beach he ran on every morning.
Soon, he’d have somewhere new to run. They were in the process of purchasing a small ranch outside town, just down the road from Rylee and Dex. Cooper wanted space to raise their children, and the fact he not only embraced their child she was unexpectedly carrying, but was picturing a future with them having more was almost miraculous.
Cooper (HC Heroes Series Book 5) Page 17