by Lavada Dee
She picked up her empty plate and put it in the sink. Before she started rinsing it, she reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips.
He took the plate from her. “Any more of that and we may get a later start than I’d planned.”
Less than a half hour later, Galynn handed Cooper her backpack and watched as he put it beside the small case he’d packed. Now that they were ready to go, she felt nervous. Not about the trip, but about stopping at his folks’. She thought about asking him to go without her and pick her up at the office. That way he wouldn’t have to drive back down to the house.
As if he could read her mind, he gave her a look that said, “Don’t ask.”
Cooper’s parents had a place just up the lake from his. If they walked out on his dock they would be able to see it, but with the stormy weather, he hadn’t had the chance to take Galynn down to the lake yet. Like his, their drive was long and wooded. As the house came into view, Galynn held her breath. It was older and more seasoned than Cooper’s, but had the same rustic style that blended into its setting with wide porches all the way around, or at least as far as she could see. “This is beautiful. Not as big as yours, but it’s perfect. Did you grow up here?”
“No, the family homestead used to be where the lodge is now. My great-grandfather built it and just added on as the family grew. Some of the original timbers are in the lodge. Mom and Dad moved into this one when I graduated and went off to college.”
“And you’re the baby, right?”
His body language said he didn’t like the reference to being the baby, but his voice held a hint of a smile. “Baby? I’m the youngest.”
How could she feel so comfortable with this man? Teasing and joking when she’d never had experience in this kind of interaction. She felt a tender jolt in the region of her heart and pushed the thought of leaving away. She had an idea she would know what true loneliness felt like in the weeks, months, and even years to come.
He seemed to sense her feelings, if not the reason, and turned, making eye contact. “What? Honey, don’t worry. My folks are good people. You’ll love them.” He reached over and stroked his fingers down her cheek. “Trust me. I meant what I said. I love you. So much that they’ll know and love you, too.”
Her voice trembled with feeling. “It wasn’t that. I was just thinking how lucky I am to be with you.” She wasn’t being honest. She didn’t want him to know she’d been thinking of how empty her life would be without him.
Coop reached down to brush his lips across hers. “I think there might be more and you’re not telling me. We’ll pick this up later.”
Almost as soon as he turned off the motor, the door to the house opened and a little brown and white dog flew off the porch. She didn’t bark but made excited little squealing sounds. She couldn’t seem to get close enough, fast enough. Coop laughed and bent down to greet the little dog. “Meet our Abigail, Abby for short. I’d pick her up, but experience, and believe me we’ve had a lot of it, says to go slow until she settles down. She gets so excited she piddles. Not nice when you’re holding her.”
As soon as Abby had made sure she got all the pats and loves possible from Cooper, she switched to Galynn, who scooted down and held out her arms. “You’re adorable.”
Abby seemed to agree and, with all the exuberance in her little body, claimed Galynn as one of “her people.”
Galynn glanced up to see they weren’t alone. A couple who could only be Cooper’s parents came out on the porch. They both smiled in greeting, and his mother came down the steps to give him a hug and kiss. Cooper responded and stepped to the side, pulling Galynn in front of him. “I’d like you to meet my parents, Lydia and Collin. Mom and Dad, this is Galynn. Someone very special to me.”
Galynn wasn’t sure what to do. Should she hold out her hand? She didn’t have to worry. Cooper’s mother reached over and took both her hands in her own. Gently steering her toward the open door behind them, she made Galynn feel instantly welcome. “Come in. It’s freezing out here. Of course Abby is oblivious to the weather when one of her favorite people shows up.”
Cooper’s dad laughed, and at once Galynn recognized that his son not only looked like him, he sounded like him. Coop was almost the same size with the same coloring except for his blue eyes, which came from his mother. Coop would look just like his father someday.
Lydia motioned them all forward. “We were just having second cups of coffee.”
Cooper interrupted her. “We can’t stay. I just wanted to let you know we are going be gone all day and probably won’t get back until sometime tomorrow. We’re going to take a run around Flathead Lake. I want to show Galynn some of the country.”
His mother gave him the look that brooked no argument. “You have time for one quick cup. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen you.”
“I know. First I was trying to get that mall job to a point where we could be inside before the weather hit, and then I got buried in that office mess.” He held up his hands. “You know that Bev isn’t coming back, don’t you?”
“No, we hadn’t heard. The grandkids?” His mother smiled. “I can certainly understand her wanting to be closer.”
Her voice held just a trace of censure, and Cooper’s dad held up his hand. “Lydia!”
With mock giving in, she poured Coop and Galynn coffee. Under her breath she said, “Well, you can’t blame a wannabe grandmother for trying.”
Coop laughed. “She’s been angling for years about babies and getting old and…”
Lydia winked over at Galynn. “I won’t scare you off, will I?” She wagged her finger at Coop. “And if you aren’t careful, I’ll drag out all those old photo albums.”
Coop rolled his eyes, promising to not say another word. Laughter and fun brightened the kitchen. Coop’s dad told him about the property he was interested in, and Cooper promise to go into Missoula on the way back and take a look at it. Glancing down at his watch, he gave a groan. “We’ve been here for over an hour. We have to get going, or it’s going to be dark before we clear Blackhawk.
Cooper’s dad handed him a set of keys. “Here, you’ll need these. Be sure and look at the floors, they’re beauts.”
With hugs and promises to not make it so long between visits, Cooper and Galynn finally made it to the car and within minutes were heading out the drive. Galynn settled back in the seat and a comfortable silence filled the SUV.
The weather was cooperating. It was crisp and cold, but the sunshine was out. Cooper finally broke the silence. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I was just thinking how lucky you are.”
Cooper didn’t try to act like he didn’t know what she was talking about. “I know having three brothers is…well, pretty great. The only thing missing in our family”—he held up his hand—“and I know my brothers and I didn’t miss it, was a girl. Mom wanted so much to have a daughter, and none of us have provided her one through marriage, which also has eliminated a granddaughter.”
“I have to admit, I’m surprised that none of you are married. Coming from such a close family, I’d think it would be hard to live by yourselves.”
Cooper seemed to think this through. “Never thought about it. But now that you bring it up, maybe we’re like wolves or bald eagles that mate for life. Maybe we just haven’t found the mate we know is for us yet.” He looked over and a grin played across his lips. “Or maybe one of us has and just hasn’t been able to convince the other party.”
Galynn laughed. “You are so full of it, Mr. Blackhawk. Wolf indeed.”
“Hey, from what I’ve heard, only about three percent of the four thousand mammal species are monogamous.” He stopped and waggled his brows. “…and Homo sapiens isn’t one of them.”
“So you’re saying you think the Blackhawk family is the exception?”
Cooper’s voice turned serious. “I’m saying, for me, it’s for life.” He paused, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “If you leave, you’re going to take my heart with
you.”
Galynn swallowed the lump in her throat and averted her head to look out at the beautiful countryside. It wasn’t an issue of “if” but of “when.” She had to leave. Staying simply wasn’t an option, and she might take a part of him with her, but she’d be leaving a huge part of herself behind, too.
Turning back to look over at Cooper, she worked to lighten her voice. “Tell me about your family. I’ve met Dr. Blackhawk. I know he’s older than you, but where does he fall in the family?”
“Yeah, I’m the youngest and you already know all about me.”
“Are you kidding, I could spend a lifetime and not know all about you.’” Catching what she’d said, she quickly added, “So who’s the oldest?”
“Actually Grant, Dr. Blackhawk. He’s thirty-six. He was pretty close to getting married once. He had just finished medical school and was starting his internship. So it’s been awhile. He doesn’t talk about it. Ever.”
“Keep going, who’s the second oldest?”
“That would be Tyrell. He’s the only one of us that doesn’t live in Blackhawk. Sometimes we wonder if he will ever come home. He shows up unexpectedly, like at Christmas. Stays a few days and is off again.”
“Does his job entail a lot of travel?”
“He joined the military after two years of college, and it wasn’t long before he entered a Special Forces unit. Of all of us, he’s more the loner. Plus, he’s more physical. We all played sports in school, but Tyrell excelled at them. They still have his jersey and pictures in the display case at the high school. He’s probably where he needs to be, but none of us like it. Mom and Dad hate it.”
“How old is Tyrell?”
Cooper paused to think. “Umm, Tyrell is going to be thirty-four in a couple of months. There’s only two years between him and Grant. Devon is closer in age to me. He’s thirty-one. He manages the lodge, but his true love is being a geek.”
“Geek?”
“Yep, geek, like as in computer nerd, but you wouldn’t know it to look at him. He hides it well, but he escapes over to his cabin across the lake almost every day to write software programs, mostly games that he sells for horrendous prices.”
Galynn’s eyes crinkled at the edges as she laughed over at Cooper. She was so enjoying this drive. Even though they spent a lot of time together between the office and home, they hadn’t spent time just talking and getting to know each other. For one thing, they both fought the overwhelming physical attraction, or at least they had, until last night. Galynn’s thoughts drifted back, her pulse pounded in her throat, and she felt uncomfortably warm. She pulled at the seat belt, fidgeting with instant arousal.
Coop, tuned into her as usual, noticed her discomfort but interpreted it wrong, thinking she needed to make a pit stop. “There’s a small state park just up the road. We’ll stop and take a break.”
She nodded that she heard him and turned back to their conversation to ward off the emotions she was feeling. “Were you closest with Devon?”
“Not more than with Tyrell. Growing up, he was my hero. I thought there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. Guess I still do, because last night just before I fell asleep, I was wishing he was here. He’d know what to do. And with his contacts…”
Galynn sat up straighter. This wasn’t the kind of thing she wanted Cooper to talk about, let alone think. Mick was dangerous, even more so now that she had left him. Galynn had thought all this out before she had decided to leave. She knew that even if she did stay, there wasn’t anything she could do to help him. She’d tried talking to Mick’s mother, but if she suspected anything, she was in denial. All his mother had done was make excuses about the stress of his job. She’d even gone to the police, but they’d protected their own, telling her she needed to be more understanding.
She needed to respond to Cooper saying that his brother could help, but she didn’t know what to say. Thankfully it was a moot point, as Tyrell wasn’t around.
Cooper slowed the SUV. “Look, over to the right.”
Three deer were grazing close to the tree line. She sucked in her breath at their beauty. In unison, they raised their heads and looked straight at them. Then with a fluid grace, they bounded into the trees. She let out her breath, not realizing she’d been holding it. “That was incredible. I love Montana. It’s so…”
Galynn couldn’t find words. The car filled with a poignant, almost liquid silence, and she struggled to define her feelings. She looked over at Cooper and couldn’t pull her eyes away. Bad idea. But she hadn’t consciously done it. If she’d been thinking, she’d have looked anywhere else but at him. She could hear his breathing pick up. Was his heart beating as hard as hers? His hands tightened on the wheel, bringing the muscles in his forearms up. Her gaze played down his arms and over his hands. She bit her lip. She remembered how it felt to have him touch her. Strong, yet his touch was gentle.
She swallowed the noise that was threatening to escape. He didn’t do as well and almost growled as he found the entrance to the park he’d mentioned stopping at. The restrooms were further back into the park, but it only took a few seconds to get there. In one motion, he turned off the SUV and reached for her. Raising her mouth to his, she melted into him. With a groan, he took it and deepened the kiss until their tongues were coupling in a mating dance.
His hands roamed over her back, finding the edge of her sweater. They were shaking as he moved around, caressing her breasts. She moaned, not breaking the kiss, and tasted his scent. He trailed his mouth over her jaw and into her neck. Galynn was past thinking. All her senses were concentrated on feeling. Shock jolted through her when he abruptly pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.
He fought to gain control, his breath heaving in time to hers. “This isn’t right. You deserve better than in the front seat of a car.”
Galynn closed her eyes, trying to quiet her pulse rate down. “Wow!” she managed to get out.
Cooper pulled away and kissed her forehead. “Wow is right.” He swung the door open and reached in the back for his overnight kit. “While I’m back here, do you want a soda?”
“Yeah, but I need to use the bathroom first. Give them to me, and I’ll put them in the cup holders for when we get back.” On the surface, things seemed to have gotten quickly back to normal, but they were anything but. She fought to keep her eyes off Cooper, barely noticing what he was doing.
* * * *
Coop grumbled to himself as he made his way to the bathroom. He’d never lost control like he’d just done. Even going through adolescence, he’d never disgraced his self like this. At least I had the sense to pack extra shorts. He didn’t remember ever wanting anything as much as he wanted, no, needed her.
Galynn was at the car when Coop came out. He didn’t look at her as he stowed the bag away. As soon as they got back out on the highway, she popped the top on one of the sodas and handed it to him.
“Thanks, uh, back there. I’m…”
She interrupted him. “If you’re going to apologize for making me feel more alive than I’ve ever been, don’t.”
Her voice told him to back off. He was no fool. He looked over at her and smiled. “Have I told you today that I love you?”
She quipped back, “No, and it’s already”—she broke off to look at her watch—“almost noon.”
“We’ll be at the lake in about an hour. Can you hold off for lunch that long?”
“Lunch, Coop, we just ate breakfast. I’m going to be as big as a barn if you keep feeding me.”
He took his eyes off the road for a second and let his eyes roam over her. Not smart, the tension in the car again moved up a notch. She was so unaware of how beautiful she was. She was pocket sized but so perfectly proportioned she could be a model. Her hair was thick and not red but more of a rich mahogany. Her eyes were the color between brandy and chocolate. Coop bit back a groan and reached over to turn on the radio. “If you’d rather, you can slip in a CD. There’s a case in the console.”
Country western sent its soothing tone out of the speakers. It looked like Galynn enjoyed it. He knew he did. Maybe it was an acquired taste like avocado. She smiled over at him, telling him as much, and his heart picked up a beat.
“Looks like we’re going to have to go dancing. You haven’t danced till you’ve done it to country.”
“I haven’t done it, period.”
Coop looked over, feigning shock. “Not danced? Lady, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.” He licked his forefinger and held it up. “Note to self. Go dancing with this beautiful, desirable, sexy…better stop here or we’re going to be looking for another park.”
She laughed at his antics. They both relaxed as music filled the car and Montana rolled by outside the window.
It was almost six o’clock by the time they rolled into Kalispell. The weather had stayed sunny but cold all day. They’d stopped, as Coop had promised, when they got to the lake. Supposedly for lunch, but Galynn had cheated and had homemade chocolate pie and hot chocolate. Coop had teased her about being wired with chocolate but seemed to enjoy her eating it as much as she did. She told him he was spoiling her, and he said he hoped so. His voice had lowered when he said, “You need to be spoiled.” His eyes said he was enjoying doing it.
The drive up the lake had been breathtakingly beautiful, and they’d pulled into nearly every turnout. Sometime they’d get out and stretch their legs. It was cold, and Coop used that as an excuse to pull her tight against him. Not that he needed one. Every time they stopped, her body gravitated toward his.
Chapter 8
Cooper slowed down and turned into a rustic lodge. “Here we are. I’ll bet you’re starved after that lunch you ate.”
Galynn opened her door to frigid air. Dark came early this time of year, and with it, the temperature had to have dropped twenty or more degrees. “I don’t know about starved, but a hot cup of something is going to taste pretty good by the time we get in the door.”
Cooper laughed. “Does this mean we’re not going to go snowmobile riding?”