by Terri Osburn
Secretly relieved there would be no immediate apartment hunting, Cooper said, “Half your clothes are here already. I could have the rest moved in before you get off work tomorrow morning.”
Setting the coffee mug on the table, she sighed. “You know that I love you. And we both know I’ll move in here eventually. However, I need to stand on my own. At least for a while. If for nothing else, to prove to myself that I can do it.”
Not completely what he wanted to hear, but the eventually part helped.
“Okay, darling. Let me know when you figure it out, and I’ll have the truck ready and standing by.” After dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he asked, “Do you want me to go with you the next time? When she amps the manipulation, you might want backup.”
“No,” Haleigh said a little too quickly. “I mean, no, thank you. Sweet of you to offer, though.”
Sweet had not been his intention. The woman was the source of nearly all Haleigh’s triggers. She shouldn’t be charging into that battle on her own. Plus, at some point, they needed to have an official meet-the-parent dinner. Not that he and Mrs. Mitchner didn’t know each other, but they’d certainly never met as potential relatives.
“I’m here if you need me. You know that, right?”
“I do.” She nodded. “Which is a big reason I’m able to do this now.”
Amazed at the turn his life had taken, Cooper couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful woman sitting in his kitchen. That she was his boggled the mind.
“My cereal is getting soggy, and you need to sleep.” He bent to give her a quick kiss, lingering longer than intended. Pressing his forehead to hers, he said, “I love you, Haleigh Rae.”
“I love you, too, Cooper.”
In all his days, he would never get tired of hearing that.
“Oh,” he said around the bite of Cheerios in his mouth. “Hold on.” Swallowing the cereal, he said, “This is a weird question, but do you think Jessi looks anything like Becky Winkle?”
Haleigh frowned. “I’m not sure. Why?”
Cooper shook his head. “Lorelei said she looks like Becky did in high school and made the comment that they could be long-lost cousins.”
The implication wasn’t lost on Haleigh. “Jebediah could be the J in J.T.”
“I highly doubt it. Winkle is a self-righteous jerk, but I can’t imagine him crossing the line into infidelity. Lorelei says he has a brother, but thinks his name is Samuel.”
“Well, crap,” she muttered. “I thought we had a clue there for a minute.” Running a finger around the rim of her mug, she said, “Whoever her father is, he either lied about his name or he never lived here.”
Sitting down at the table, Cooper said, “I really wanted to help her find this guy. At least her coming here wasn’t a complete bust. She might not have found her father, but she found Ian. He talks about her constantly at work.”
“She’s also found a job,” Haleigh informed him. “Started at the bookstore yesterday. Your mom got her boyfriend to give her part-time work. Against my medical advice, I might add. She needs to wait two more weeks, but she was so excited I didn’t put up too much of a fuss. Though I did insist on no lifting anything over ten pounds. Not even that if she can avoid it.”
He’d stopped listening at the word boyfriend. “Do we have to call him Mom’s boyfriend? Really?”
Stealing a Cheerio, she said, “That’s what he is. You might as well get used to it.”
Cooper didn’t want to get used to anything where his mom and Bruce Clemens were concerned. “Who’s watching Emma?”
“Linda. I think she got Jessi the job with the sole purpose of having Emma all to herself several hours a week.” Haleigh unfolded out of her chair. “In spite of this coffee, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.” She placed a kiss on his cheek and said, “Have a good day. I’m off to la-la land.”
“Sweet dreams,” he said, watching her walk away. She gave a wave before disappearing up the stairs, leaving Cooper alone with his soggy breakfast. He considered following her. What was the point of being your own boss if you couldn’t play hooky whenever you wanted?
Then again, she wouldn’t get that much-needed sleep if he stayed home. Carrying the bowl to the sink, he dumped what was left down the disposal. At least now he had an excuse to stop for doughnuts on the way to the garage.
By Friday afternoon, Haleigh had reached new levels of exhaustion, stress, and guilt. Thanks to their crossed schedules, she hadn’t seen much of Cooper since Tuesday morning. He’d offered two more times over text to be there when she told her mother the money was going away for real. Since she had yet to even mention Cooper’s name to her mom in any context other than as her best friend’s brother, explaining why he was tagging along for such an important conversation would be a bit complicated.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell. Haleigh simply hadn’t found the right moment to say, “Oh, by the way, I’m in love with the town mechanic and I’m probably going to marry him, can you pass the butter?” Maybe she could enlighten her mother after the fact. When it was too late for her shrewish ways to chase Cooper off.
And so the guilt mounted. Her inexcusable cowardice reeked of shame, but Haleigh pushed that thought aside. She was not ashamed of Cooper or what he did for a living. She’d love him no matter what profession he chose. Her mother’s prejudice was the problem. Heck, her own daughter had become a doctor and that rarely impressed the snobby woman. Expecting her to graciously accept a son-in-law with grease-stained hands was like asking a politician to take a lie-detector test.
Neither scenario would end with positive results.
Speaking of politicians, Haleigh checked her phone for the third time since arriving at the steps to city hall. Her mother had lined up a meeting with the mayor for two o’clock. As instructed, Haleigh had arrived promptly at one forty-five, professionally dressed, shelter plans in hand, and ready to let the elder Mitchner do the talking.
Oddly, the elder Mitchner had yet to arrive. Confused and concerned, Haleigh took a seat on a bench near the building entrance.
“Don’t slouch like that once we get inside,” her mother said, sneaking up behind her like the evil ninja that she was. “Do you have the file?” Haleigh waved the manila folder in the air. “Good. We won’t show him, of course, but it’s good to have the documents with us.”
“We won’t—”
“I wish you’d worn your hair up,” Meredith interrupted. “Clearly you and I don’t agree on the meaning of the word professional.”
Haleigh ground her teeth to keep the angry rebuttal from escaping.
“At least you’re wearing heels. That’s something.” When they reached the check-in desk in the city hall lobby, Meredith informed the security guard behind the counter who they were there to see, taking charge to the point of printing Haleigh’s name in the visitor log as if she couldn’t do so herself. On their way to the elevator, her mother said, “Having Elmer Culpepper as a security guard is as worthless as letting newborn kittens defend the White House. Whoever gave him that job should be fired.”
Rethinking their plan of allowing her mother to do the talking, Haleigh said, “I do hope your first question for the mayor will not be an inquiry into the hiring of Mr. Culpepper.”
As they stepped off the elevator, the older woman pulled a compact from her purse, checked her hair and her teeth, and returned the mirror without missing a stride. “Don’t be ridiculous, Haleigh Rae.” Stopping before the mayor’s office, she said, “Keep your head up, shoulders back, and smile without appearing simpering or intimidated. Understand?”
An army drill sergeant had nothing on Meredith Mitchner. Without a word, Haleigh gave a brisk nod, tucked the folder beneath her arm, and attempted the look her mother described. Apparently failing.
“Never mind,” her mother mumbled with an exasperated eye roll. “Before we go in, I have a surprise for you after the meeting.”
Certain she’d heard wrong, Haleigh s
aid, “A surprise?”
“Yes. Which is another reason I wanted you to look nice.”
Haleigh’s mother did not do surprises. In fact, she hated surprises and once threw the fit of the century when Haleigh’s father had surprised the family with a puppy. Who didn’t want a puppy?
Coldhearted Meredith Mitchner, that’s who.
Suspicious, Haleigh said, “What is it?”
Another eye roll. “If I told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Now remember what I said.” Her mother made the universal sign for locking her lips. “No talking.” Before Haleigh could reply, the office door was halfway open. “Here we go.”
Chapter 27
Four days without Haleigh in his bed made Cooper a moody mechanic.
“Cooper!” yelled Ian from the front of the garage, causing his boss to bust his knuckle for the third time in the last hour.
“Son of a bitch,” Cooper barked. “What the hell is it now?”
“Chill out, dude. There’s someone here to see you.”
“Unless they can get this fucking oil filter off, I’m not interested.”
“Try wrapping sandpaper around it and using a band wrench,” Caleb said. “Better friction that way.”
Pulling his hands out of the under body floating above his head, Cooper said, “So you’re the pro now?”
Glancing around, Caleb said, “Do you know where Cooper Ridgeway is? He should be around here somewhere.”
Taking the hint, Cooper tossed the filter wrench into the open toolbox drawer. “I’ve been working this thing for nearly an hour and it’s kicking my ass.”
“Sounds like the perfect time for a break. How about we talk in your office?”
The suggestion of privacy piqued Cooper’s interest. “Is this about the rally?” he asked. The fundraiser started in less than twenty-four hours. Whatever went wrong now would have to stay wrong.
Caleb shook his head. “Not the rally. Your friend Jessi. I have news.”
“Ian, I’ll be in my office,” he said, leading Caleb through the garage and into the counter area. “Kelly, call Ronnie Ottwell and tell him his car won’t be ready until tomorrow.”
“Will do, boss,” she replied as the two men stepped into the office and closed the door.
“What’s the word?” Cooper asked.
“You aren’t going to believe this.” Caleb leaned his weight on the back of a heavy metal chair. “Gerald is finally back from his California trip, so I asked about your J.T. character, expecting the same answer we’ve gotten everywhere—that he’d never heard of him. But I should have known better.”
Excitement mounted. “So he knows who it is?”
“Gerald says there’s only one person in this town who has those initials, but he’s never actually gone by them, which is probably why no one else thought of him.”
“Come on, man. Who is it?”
With a satisfied smirk, Caleb said, “Jebediah Thomas Winkle.”
Cooper couldn’t believe his ears. The answer had been obvious after all. “And he’s sure there’s no one else?”
“He’s sure. And here’s the clincher. Back in the day, youth ministers from Ardent Springs Baptist Church used to go on extended retreats.” Pausing for effect, he added, “To Bowling Green, Kentucky. Guess who used to be a youth minister?”
“Holy shit. He is her father.”
“He’ll demand a DNA test to prove it, but I’d bet money he’s your sperm donor.”
Processing what he’d just heard, Cooper walked around his desk and took a seat. “You think our self-righteous mayor could bear the scandal of a paternity suit and proof of infidelity?”
Caleb dropped into the chair he’d been leaning on. “Hell no, but are you willing to bring him down like that?”
Was he? Political scandals happened on prime-time dramas or in big cities back east. Nothing like this ever happened in Ardent Springs.
“I agreed to help her find the answer, but it’s up to Jessi what to do with it.” Cooper leaned back in his chair. “If she wants to go public, I’ll support her, but I won’t tell her what to do one way or the other.”
“That’s a lot of power,” Caleb pointed out.
“Whatever happens, he brought it on himself. He took advantage of a young girl, got her pregnant, and then left her with nothing. If he burns for it, I won’t shed a tear.”
“You won’t hear me defending him.” Caleb got to his feet. “I have one request. If she does go public, give the paper first dibs on an interview.”
Cooper stood to show his friend out. “Like I said, it’s up to her how she wants to handle things, but I’ll make the case for the paper if it comes to that.”
“Needless to say, I didn’t tell Gerald exactly why I was asking. That means you and I are the only ones who know right now.”
Which reminded Cooper that he had a phone call to make. Checking the clock on his office wall, he realized Haleigh was in the scumbag’s office at that very moment, trying to negotiate a better price on the band camp property. After seeing Caleb off, he sent a text saying to call him as soon as she was free and that he had big news.
When this mystery had landed in his lap more than a month ago, Cooper never pictured it ending this way. Though he supposed this was just the beginning. He didn’t know Jessi well enough to guess what she’d do with the information, but if she did make it known that she was the illegitimate daughter of Mayor Jebediah Winkle, Ardent Springs was about to get a lot more interesting.
Thirty minutes into the meeting Haleigh realized she had no idea why she was there. Her mother hadn’t let her speak a single word, nor had she mentioned the file in Haleigh’s lap. They’d started the meeting with the typical niceties, asking about family and exchanging observations on the local happenings. Within minutes Haleigh had sussed out that Meredith hadn’t given the mayor a reason for their visit when setting the meeting. At least not a truthful one.
Unless Jebediah possessed award-winning acting skills, the subject of the available property took him by complete surprise.
He’d attempted a bob and weave, explaining that he couldn’t discuss personal business matters in the civil office. Meredith ignored the excuse and barreled on. The discussion moved to a debate on area property values and the square footage of the camp, which Winkle exaggerated and Meredith corrected. The woman had a memory like a steel trap. Haleigh had only given her the information the day before, so she must have studied the paperwork thoroughly.
When it appeared that Meredith would pull out the victory, Haleigh zoned out as she stared at the degrees hung in neat frames behind Jebediah’s head. Degrees that revealed his full name—Jebediah Thomas Winkle.
Lorelei had said that Becky Winkle and Jessi could be long-lost cousins. Or maybe . . . sisters.
“Mayor Winkle?” Haleigh cut in, earning a reproachful look from her mother. “Have you ever been to Bowling Green, Kentucky?”
The other two participants in the meeting looked confused, but the mayor answered, “I have, but it’s been a long time. Why?”
Haleigh scrambled for a plausible response. “There’s a shelter up there I’m considering going to see. For research purposes. I wasn’t sure how similar that area is to ours to make it worth going.” She quickly added, “How long is a long time?”
With a strained smile, he replied, “Nearly twenty years, I guess. I’m afraid I don’t know how much the area has grown in the last couple decades.”
Haleigh fidgeted in her seat, anxious to end the meeting so she could call Cooper. Thankfully, Winkle agreed to set up another meeting that would include his business partners and be conducted away from city facilities. He’d also agreed that they should be able to find a common ground on the asking price. Too excited about the paternity revelation, Haleigh put off celebrating her mother’s triumph until after her call to Cooper.
The moment they reached the bottom step in front of the building, she opened her phone.
“What are you doing?” he
r mother asked.
“Please, Mom. I just have to make this quick phone call. Give me two minutes.” Not waiting for approval, she walked several feet away and placed the call.
Cooper picked up on the second ring. “You are not going to believe what I found out,” he said in way of greeting.
“Whatever it is, I can top it.”
“I don’t think so,” he said.
Haleigh made sure her mother was out of earshot. “Cooper, I know who Jessi’s father is.”
“I know,” Cooper said. “It’s freaking Jebediah Winkle.”
Totally let down, she hissed, “How do you know that when I just figured it out myself?”
“Caleb found out that Winkle has those initials and that back when he was a youth minister, he made trips for the church up to Bowling Green. The time frame fits perfectly.” As if just realizing what Haleigh had said, he paused. “Wait. How do you know?”
Now he asked about her mad sleuth skills. “While sitting in his office, I noticed his full name on his degrees—Jebediah Thomas. Remembering Lorelei’s observation about Jessi and Becky looking alike, I asked if he’d ever been to Bowling Green.”
“Just like that?” Cooper asked. “Didn’t that seem weird?”
“I didn’t say I was smooth at this. It’s not like I solve mysteries every day,” Haleigh huffed. “Anyway, he said he’s been there but not for nearly twenty years. Again, the time frame fits.”
“Haleigh, you need to get off the phone,” her mother said.
“One more second, Mom.” Stepping farther away, she said, “Now what do we do?”
“Tell Jessi,” he answered. “Your shift starts at six, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then let’s meet at Abby’s place at five and we’ll tell her then.”
“Haleigh Rae, you’re ruining your surprise,” her mother snapped.
Spinning to ask for another minute, she saw the surprise strolling her way. “Oh, mother of God, you didn’t.”