by Lavada Dee
After reading the paper, she picked up the novel she’d bought at one of the bus stops. It felt a little damp, but not so much that it couldn’t be read. It wasn’t long before she got into the story.
A stiff feeling across her shoulders alerted her to how long she’d been reading. She stretched and walked over to the kitchen window to look out. The snow came down in big, fluffy flakes, the storm making it look like twilight in the middle of the day. The clock verified that it was almost three o’clock. It looked like Cooper Blackhawk had miscalculated the time. She bit her lower lip. Should she try calling him? As she reached for the phone, she heard the garage door go up. A few minutes later he filled the door.
With an apologetic grin on his face, he put down the packages that filled his arms. “Whew, it’s getting nasty out there.”
“Getting?” Galynn’s voice sounded breathless even to her ears.
“Guess ‘getting’ is the wrong word. Sorry if I startled you coming in without calling out. And I’m really sorry for being so late. I hate book work, and there’s a butt load of it right now.”
Galynn turned and grabbed the coffeepot. “Let me make a fresh pot. Did you eat lunch? I would have made something if I’d had any idea…”
He shook his head, interrupting her. “A good thing you didn’t have something for one o’clock, or you’d be fuming by now. I really am sorry. This isn’t like me, but you couldn’t know that.” Motioning toward the packages, he continued. “Anyway, I picked up a pizza and a few things at the drugstore. Let me get washed up, and we’ll take a look at your back before we eat.”
“It’s okay. It can wait until after we eat.”
At the doubtful look on his face, she added, “Really! It hasn’t bothered me all day.”
“If you’re sure. I’ll only be a few minutes. You can go ahead and start if you want.”
True to his word, it wasn’t long before they were sitting in front of the TV watching an all-day news program with plates of pizza. He wiped his hands on his napkin and looked over at Galynn. “So did you get some rest today?”
She was surprised to hear herself laugh, it sounded light and almost musical. “You wouldn’t believe it. I didn’t get up until ten. I think I must be moving in slow motion because the day sort of melted away.”
“That’s good.”
The room fell silent. It wasn’t a comfortable silence. Galynn put her slice of pizza back on her plate. “I…” Swallowing what felt like a walnut, she tried again. “I’m sorry. I know having me here has to be messing up your life. You’re tired, and you went up to the store to get stuff for my back. And you probably would have gone to a restaurant if you hadn’t felt you needed to get me something to eat.”
Cooper held up his hand and leaned forward. “Just a minute. First, I almost always get a pizza to go on Saturday nights. Stopping at the drugstore took all of ten minutes, and”—he drug his hand over his face—“it’s nice having you to eat and watch the news with.”
He leaned back in the recliner, giving the impression that this subject was closed.
Galynn watched as he took a big bite of pizza and picked up her own. “Thank you.”
At his nod, she relaxed. “You said you worked in the office. Is it near here?”
“At the end of the drive. I was heading there the other night when I saw you. If I would have been a few minutes earlier, I’d have missed you, but I would have had the office lights on, so you might have come on down for help.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I have been trying to keep a low profile, but with a sign of life, I probably would have figured I might be close to a town. So hopefully I’d have had the strength to keep going.”
Again, silence filled the room. Galynn knew she was lying to herself. She knew that she’d reached the end of her endurance. Looking up, she caught Cooper’s gaze. “Who am I trying to fool here? If you hadn’t found me, I would have frozen to death last night.” A tear escaped, and she swiped it away. She didn’t want Cooper to see her cry.
Dropping his pizza back on his plate, he moved over and took her gently by the arms, turning her to face him. His voice pitched low. “We don’t know that. And we’re not going there. You made it against what looks like incredible odds. Now you need to rest and get completely well. Take the time you need to do that.”
She nodded. “How will I ever repay you?”
He laughed. “Well, if you know anything about computers…”
She pulled back and looked at him. “I do. I worked in a real estate office while going to school. I set up a network and even developed a website. I know Word, Excel, and QuickBooks. I can learn any other software you have.” She broke off as she realized she was talking too fast. “Sorry, but I really can help you with the office work, and I’d love to do it.”
“Whoa, you’re supposed to be recovering.”
“I’ll do that better if I have something to do. Are you going to work in the office tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Then I’ll go to work with you.” Galynn waited. When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Please, let me help.”
“What the hell. Okay, but not until around noon. You can sleep in, and then we’ll run over to the mall and pick up some winter shoes and a coat.”
“Thank you. You won’t be sorry.”
* * * *
The news was repeating itself by the time they’d finished their meal. Cooper already had second thoughts about her working in the office with him. There was a physical attraction between them that he wasn’t comfortable with, though he had to admit, he sort of liked it. He went out and poured a couple of cups of coffee and brought them back to the living room. “Here’s some fortification before we tackle that wound on your back. I’ll try to be as gentle as possible.” He’d brought the sack from the drugstore in with him and dug in it, pulling out a pair of furry slippers. “I should have given these to you when I first got in, but I forgot. Your feet have to be cold with only those socks to keep them warm.”
They were a pastel green. Galynn ran her hands over them, and held them against her face. “They’re perfect and so soft. Thank you! Let me pay you for them.”
“No way, they weren’t all that much, just ones in the drugstore.”
“They’re priceless to me.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
What had her life been like? How long had she been with the guy that had done this to her? He wanted to ask her questions but held them back. Instead, he got up and motioned toward the kitchen. “We need to tend to your back. Probably be easier in the master bath, but if you’re more comfortable in the kitchen, we can do it there.”
“No, the bath’s fine.”
Coop grabbed one of the kitchen chairs, the sack his brother had given him, and the one he’d brought in. Handing the sacks to Galynn, he led the way into the bathroom.
“If you straddle the chair and face the back, it will give me a clearer view and it will give you something to hang onto.” As an almost afterthought, he said, “Oh, and pull your sweatshirt off. You can hold it in front of you.”
Galynn’s hands shook as she did what he instructed. He turned his back to lay the bandages and ointment out and give her some privacy. When he turned back, he sucked in his breath at the sight of the bruises that literally covered her. They were in different phases of healing, attested to by the yellow, green, and dark-blue colors. He fought for control as overwhelming anger swept over him.
Galynn closed her eyes. When she opened them, she met his gaze in the mirror over the bathroom sink. A flush suffused her face, and she quickly ducked her head. Cooper didn’t know where to put his hands. There wasn’t an inch that wasn’t covered in a bruise. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” He tried to curb his anger and temper his voice so it didn’t sound so harsh. When she flinched, he took her upper arms, and, careful not to make her lose her hold on the shirt she clutched in front of her, he pulled her up against his hard chest. Ge
ntly, he kissed her hair. Softening his voice, he whispered, repeating what he’d just said. “You have absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about. Not with me.” Again his gaze met hers in the mirror. This time, he was the first to look away.
Instant desire flooded through him. He wanted to turn her around so she was facing him. It was torture to be so close and yet not close enough. He needed to get control. Reluctantly, he moved back and reached for the bandage covering the wound. Trying to lighten the emotions whirling over him, he said, “Hold on, honey, this may hurt.” His hand trembled, and it wasn’t all with the effort of dressing the wound.
“How does it look?” Her voice shook.
“Actually, not as bad as I’d expected. It’s still red, but there isn’t any oozing around the wound.” He swabbed her back with the cleansing stuff his brother had given him and reapplied some antibiotic cream. With that done, he took the scissors he’d gotten from the drugstore and cut off a piece of bandage. She sat perfectly still, trusting him and touching a part of him he hadn’t known existed.
He finished and turned back to the counter to again give her privacy. “All done. It’s pretty early yet. Want to see if there’s a movie on the television?”
She made quick work of getting her shirt back on and turned to help him clean up the mess on the counter. “Sure, but don’t worry about entertaining me. What do you usually do on a Saturday night?”
Coop watched as the pink crept into her cheeks and laughed. “Not what you’re thinking.” She was so transparent. It wasn’t hard to guess she’d been thinking that it was Saturday night, and he was single, and, well, what went with single and Saturday night.
If possible, she turned a brighter pink. Cooper winked at her and resisted the urge to reach over and kiss her. Her lips were so close. He backed up, indicating for her to go ahead of him. When they reached the kitchen, he took a deep breath at the relief of being in the bigger room.
By mutual agreement, they found a movie. It wasn’t long before Cooper fell asleep. At eleven, Galynn turned on the late news and woke him up. He came awake with a start and guiltily grinned at her. “Sorry, too much paperwork today. I can work all day on the job and come home feeling great, but an hour in the office and I’m toast.”
They watched the news in compatible silence. When it ended, Galynn said a shy good night and moved toward the stairs while Cooper watched. The design of the house consisted of two master bedrooms. He used the one on the main floor. Tonight he wished he’d chosen the upstairs one, which would have been next to the guest room he had put her in. Reluctantly, he headed for the kitchen to set the coffeepot for morning.
Chapter 4
Galynn walked into the office and stopped short. Cooper hadn’t been exaggerating. She didn’t know what to say. It turned out that she didn’t have to say anything. He said it for her. “A mess, huh? Bet you thought I was kidding. Want to back out?”
“Not on your life, but by the looks of things you could be stuck with me for the duration of the winter.”
His laugh was contagious, and she joined him. The morning had been so normal. She’d slept in again, and by the time she’d gotten downstairs, he was ready to go. Not giving her time for even a cup of coffee, he grabbed one of his jackets for her and hurried her out to the truck. She’d been surprised to find it warm. He’d actually started and warmed the truck for her? Were there really men like him out in the world? First stop had been a little café where the waitress and few patrons greeted him like a regular and her with curiosity. She liked that it seemed he didn’t bring new women in with him on a regular basis, or at least not enough to have the patrons take it as the norm. After breakfast, they’d gone to the mall where Coop had patiently waited while she found just the right pair of shoes and a warm coat.
The morning and now the shared laughter heightened her awareness of him. The way his eyes crinkled in the corners, his mouth. Her gaze locked on it now, and she drew in a breath. The room receded until there was only the two of them. Cooper closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Reaching for her jacket, he tried to lighten the mood. “Here, give this to me before you bolt for the door.” He held out his hand, and she shrugged out of the coat.
His voice deepened when he turned back to her. “And for the record, I wouldn’t consider it ‘stuck’ to have you with me through all the seasons, fall, winter, spring, and summer.”
Without giving her the chance to reply, he continued. “I’ll turn up the thermostat and get a pot of coffee going. Why don’t you tackle the desk and see if you can make any sense of it. But first let me give you a quick tour.”
The office was a double-wide modular. They had parked on the side and walked along a full patio to enter through the utility room. Cooper gestured to the right. “I lived here while I built the house, and kept the washer and dryer. Probably should take them out and use the room for files.”
The large kitchen had stainless-steel appliances and room for a long table that held piles of papers and boxes. The open floor plan made it possible to eliminate hallways that would have taken up square footage. When they went into what would have been a living room, Galynn could see it was being used as the main reception area. Cooper pointed to the large room to the left. “That’s my office. The main bath is to the right. What used to be the master bedroom and bath is on the other side. I’m not using it for office space right now. There’s a big sofa that I’ve fallen asleep on more times than I like to admit and a few pieces of furniture. Again, I should probably clean it out, and I will when I need more office space.”
Turning, he headed back to the kitchen. Calling over his shoulder, he said, “So what do you think? Cancel that. I think I’d rather not know what you’re thinking right now.”
Galynn laughed. “Actually, I’m impressed. This is really a nice layout. All you need is some help.”
It didn’t take Galynn long to lose herself in the work. When she stopped and looked at the clock, she couldn’t believe the time. Almost three o’clock. Where had the day gone? Her back ached, a reminder of her injury. Getting up, she went into the kitchen and rinsed out a couple of the cleanest cups. She made a mental note to tackle the kitchen on Monday when Cooper wouldn’t be there to stop her.
She took one of the cups of coffee into Cooper’s office. Pausing at the door, she said, “About ready for a coffee break?”
“You’re a lifesaver. What time is it anyway?” When he looked at the clock, he whistled. “I can’t believe it. Where did the time go?”
“Well, you know what they say about how time flies when you’re having fun?”
“Yeah, right.” He leaned back in his chair and took a drink of coffee. Letting out a sigh, he said, “Did you pour yourself a cup?”
She nodded. “I left it out on the desk.”
He stood up, motioning for the door. “Let’s get it and go into the other room where the sofa is. I need to shift positions, and you can use a break, too.”
Cooper’s face showed surprise when he saw the neat piles of paper on the table she’d cleaned off. “Wow, you’ve made a big dent.”
“It looks like about three month’s worth. I think I’ve figured out your last assistant’s filing system. I’m going to organize the bills and then go through your check register and mark the ones that have been paid and put the check number, date, and amount on them before filing them. That will leave only current invoices.”
Cooper settled himself on one end of the sofa in what had been the master bedroom. There wasn’t a chair, so he gestured for her to take the opposite side. “By the way, you’re right about it being three months. Bev, my office manager, lost her husband a few years ago. They had one child, a daughter, who lives in Portland. Bev and her husband lived in Blackhawk as long as I can remember and all their friends are here, so after he died, she made the decision to stay here rather than move closer to her daughter. Three months ago things changed. Her daughter is pregnant with their third child and having a difficult time of it. With tw
o preschool grandchildren, Bev felt she needed to go down and help. We both thought it would be a temporary thing, but a few days ago she called and said she’s planning on moving down there.”
He waved his hand around. “I didn’t want to hire someone if she would be coming back, but now…well, with the business as crazy as it is, I know I need someone.” He grinned over at her. His voice held a hint of humor and something else, like hope. “So, want the job?”
Galynn tensed and reflectively looked toward the door. Fear mingled with regret. If only. It was a rhetorical question, or at least she treated it that way by not answering. Instead, she picked up her cup and headed for the door.
With a sigh, Cooper followed her. “You know, with you being here, the day has been the direct opposite from yesterday. We’ve gotten more accomplished together than I have alone in the past week. Now if only I could find that bill from Fisher Lumber, I’d be a happy man.”
“I think I have most if not all their invoices sorted out. Which month do you need?”
“Uh, maybe I should look at all of them. I can’t find a record of paying for that last shipment they delivered.”
They finished the day around six o’clock. As they stepped out the door, Cooper took her arm. It had snowed most of the day, and over a foot of new snow covered the ground. When they reached the truck, Cooper helped her around to the passenger side. When she saw he intended to take the truck, she stopped. “Do you always drive the short way down to the house? I’d think it would be easier to walk.”
“Yes, uh no. I mean, I usually do walk unless I have things in the truck like groceries, but it may be a little hard going for you.”
“Well, we don’t have anything tonight. Everything we bought I’m wearing.” She paused, and again their gazes locked. Her voice lowered when she continued. “I’d rather walk down with you.”