A Marine for His Mom (Sugar Falls, Idaho)

by Christy Jeffries

  “Are you going to drink that?” She reached for the frosty glass of fresh orange juice in front of him and drained it before he could object. She needed to cool down her emotions and her nerves. And maybe even her hormones.

  “So what’s up with your friend?” he asked.

  “Mia?” Sharp prickles of jealousy set her already-strained nerves on edge. “She’s single, if that’s what you’re asking, but she definitely isn’t looking.”

  “No!” He sounded offended. “I’m not asking... I mean, I’m not interested in... She’s not my type... I mean, I’m not looking, either.”

  So he had a type, but he wasn’t looking for a relationship. The man was a complete enigma.

  “What I’m trying to ask is why does she look like she’s terrified of her own shadow?”

  “Oh, that. She’s not usually so jittery.” Actually, jittery was an understatement, but Maxine didn’t want him to think there was anything wrong with her friend. It was bad enough that he’d already reverted back to his macho attitude and his annoyance at her. He didn’t need any more fuel to add to his testosterone fire. “She had a really bad stalker situation a couple of years before she moved here.”

  “That’s rough,” he conceded, taking her by surprise. “What are the local police doing about it?”

  “Oh, we don’t have a local police force. At least, not yet. But with all the increased tourism, the city council recently voted to establish a small-ish department.”

  “How small-ish?”

  She could see the wheels turning behind those constantly appraising eyes, and she needed to throw a wrench in his mental gears before he got any ideas about continuing his policing career in Sugar Falls.

  “Super small-ish. Tiny. In the last town council meeting, I think they said the entire force would consist of a police chief and maybe a couple of officers. Right now the city contracts all their law enforcement needs to the county sheriff’s office, who would still handle all the big stuff. So, yeah, boring and small-ish.”

  “Yeah, you said that.”

  Ugh, the man was so patronizing. But before she could shoot him a withering look, Freckles put a plate of scrambled eggs tossed with fresh vegetables in front of her and refilled the empty orange juice glass.

  “Thank you,” she managed to get out before the café owner raised an eyebrow at the obvious tension radiating between them.

  “So does the sheriff know about the stalker?” Cooper asked as he resumed eating what appeared to be biscuits underneath the now-congealed plate of gravy.

  Apparently, he’d set his plate aside when she sat down and had been waiting for her to be served. The man might be arrogant and patronizing, but at least he had good manners—even if he still hadn’t thanked her for the groceries. In fact, he was acting as if last night at the cabin had never even happened. Well, two could play that game.

  “No. Mia doesn’t want anyone to know her business. She’s really private like that. Besides, the guy is in prison as of today, so there isn’t any real threat. Yet.”

  “As of today? Yet? Is that why she’s so jumpy? She’s expecting something to happen?”

  Maxine didn’t want to betray her friend’s confidence, but Cooper had a background in law enforcement. Maybe he could advise them on how to keep the psycho away. “Nick Galveston—that’s the stalker—is up for a parole hearing. That’s why Mia’s all worked up. Not that I blame her. He’s a real scary dude. Crazy scary.”

  “Crazy is the worst kind of scary because you never know what they’re going to do. She really needs to advise the local sheriff so they’re aware of the situation.”

  “Ha, like that would help. I don’t think Mia places much stock in an overburdened sheriff’s department with a bunch of men who barely graduated high school running things. She doesn’t really trust the good ole boy network. No offense.”

  “None taken, since I’m not a good ole boy.”

  He definitely wasn’t, she had to agree. There was nothing good and nothing boy about the way he was looking her up and down right that second.

  The sweat from her T-shirt clung to her back, and she knew her sports bra wasn’t confining her breasts as well as it should. But did he have to be so obvious in the way he was staring at her?

  And did her cheeks have to burn with the realization that he was still finding her attractive, even though he was no longer under the influence of his pain pills?

  She needed to change the subject. “So, uh, Hunter asked me if he could ride his bike out to your cabin after school, even though he knows I won’t let him ride down the highway by himself. I figured you and I should probably talk and lay out some ground rules.”

  Cooper leaned back in his seat, his tanned palms rubbing along the sides of his jeans. Was he agitated?

  “Some ground rules for what?” He crumbled the paper napkin in his lap and squeezed it tightly.

  Yep, she’d definitely offended him again. But Hunter was her baby. She didn’t care who she pissed off as long as she kept her son safe.

  “Look, I’m sure you’re a really nice guy and that you mean well, but Hunter doesn’t have a father figure or a male role model or anything. And for whatever reason, he’s looking to you to fill that position. But he’s an impressionable little boy and I don’t know you from Adam. I don’t want Hunter getting his expectations up and then getting hurt.”

  “And you think I’m going to hurt him?”

  “I don’t know what you’ll do or why you’ll do it. I don’t even know why you’re here.” She took another drink of his juice before forcing a smile at Freckles and the Kiwanis Club members, who’d begun to eye her and Cooper with obvious interest.

  “Listen, lady, I don’t know why I’m here, either. Maybe because I didn’t have anywhere else to go when I got out of the Corps. Or maybe because I bonded with a ten-year-old boy who seems to need me. I never knew my dad and my mom died when I was twelve. I don’t have much experience with kids or with parental figures. But this is obviously an issue for you, and the last thing I want to do is cause a problem between you and your son. So let Hunter know I had to leave town sooner than expected, and I won’t write him anymore.”

  Maxine tried not to let the sudden sympathy she felt show on her face. A proud man like Cooper wouldn’t welcome it. So she sat there silently as he opened his fist and emptied the rumpled paper contents onto the table. The napkin was now in shreds, just as Hunter’s heart would be if he found out his mom made Cooper leave without saying goodbye. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and placed her fingers over the top of his.

  “No, that’s not what I want.” His hand stilled beneath her palm. The heat radiated off his skin, and she kept her fingers in place, waiting for him to make eye contact or otherwise reassure her that he wasn’t going to leave.

  He did neither. But he also didn’t pull away.

  Geez, she’d been secretly willing him to get out of town since yesterday afternoon, but now she was practically begging him to stay. She needed to make up her mind.

  “I think we got off on the wrong foot,” she continued. “I’m not opposed to you being here or to you having a relationship with my son. I’m smart enough to know that Hunter has changed for the better since he’s been talking to you. He’s not so insecure and he’s been doing better with the other kids at school. I’m just worried because he can make a really big deal out of things, and in his eyes, you’re the biggest deal yet. He’s put you on this pedestal and I guess I’m worried that you’re going to get bored with him and break his heart.”

  Just as his dad got bored with both of them and broke their hearts.

  “I don’t get it, either.” He glanced at the shredded napkin and their joined hands. When their gazes met again, her heart stopped for a beat. “But for some reason Hunter and I have bonded. And believe me, I’m not th
e bonding sort. Nor am I the pedestal sort. But I can promise you that I’m not going to get bored with him. I don’t see how anyone could get bored around that kid.”

  That scored him a few points because Maxine felt the exact same way about her only child.

  “Besides, once he realizes that I’m just some regular guy with a bum knee and no job, he’ll probably lose interest and be happy to see me go on my way.”

  Maxine didn’t know when it’d happened, but Cooper’s hand had turned over and she was holding it. Her heart had turned over, too, and she was at risk of passing it over to a stranger who seemed just as lonely and as insecure as Hunter.

  Whoa.

  She didn’t need that. She lifted her hand from his and picked up her fork, trying to be as nonchalant as she could about the fact that she’d been touching him so intimately. Just as he’d done to her last night, although he still hadn’t brought it up. She could only hope he’d been so loopy that he didn’t remember it.

  “So then you’ll stay?” she asked, forcing her mouth to chew the eggs she’d just lost her appetite for.

  “If you’re sure it won’t cause any problems.”

  The only problem she was immediately aware of was that she was becoming more and more attracted to him, which she’d die before admitting to anyone.

  “No, but you’ll have to tell me if at any point Hunter starts overwhelming you. I don’t want you feeling obligated to hang out with him all the time.”

  “Deal. So are you cool with him hanging out with me after school?”

  “Uh, actually, that’s kind of a long way for him to ride. And I usually don’t let him take his bike on the street when he’s by himself—”

  His gaze intensified to the point she could hardly breathe, let alone think or speak. And as the corners of his lips quirked up in a sly grin, she put her fork on her plate, sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Why are you smirking like that?”

  “I didn’t mean riding his bike along the highway. I could pick him up. So, are you worried about him having a relationship with me? Or are you just being a little overprotective about his safety with me?”

  “Overprotective?” Was he pointing out her parenting flaws again?

  It was a good thing she’d put her fork down, because if she hadn’t, she might’ve used it to stab him in the hand she’d been stroking earlier. It would’ve been a shame because they were such warm and strong hands. Too bad they were attached to such a macho jerk.

  “Relax,” he said. “Don’t get in such a huff, Mama Bear. There’s nothing wrong with looking out for your little cub. He’s your kid and I’m not here to undermine you or challenge all these rules you’ve given him—but just between you and me, you do realize that someday you’re going to have to let him grow up, right?”

  “Great.” Maxine lifted the orange juice glass in a mock toast. “I’m getting parenting advice from a single marine who’s never had a child, has spent the last year living in a tent in the desert and walks around looped up on pain meds, answering the door with a gun in his hand.”

  His brows drew together in puzzlement before a blank expression covered his face. Yep. He for sure didn’t remember last night, but he apparently was too proud to admit it.

  He lifted his coffee mug and returned her sarcastic toast. “Well, I know a lot about being a little boy and being forced to grow up.”

  “Yeah, and I know a lot about being a parent and about being a woman, so let me give you a little piece of advice. Telling a female to relax has the exact opposite effect you probably intended.”

  She would’ve thrown some money on the counter to pay for her meal before making a grand exit, but she had come here directly from her run and was only carrying her smartphone and earbuds. She stood and turned toward the exit anyway, intent on settling up with Freckles later today.

  But before she could get to the door, she heard Cooper call out, “So don’t worry yourself then. I’ll just pick up Hunter after school and bring him home.”

  She let the painted saloon door slam behind her, not willing to acknowledge his parting shot with a response.

  Don’t worry yourself, he’d said. First he’d told her to relax and then not to worry. Why was he deliberately trying to annoy her?

  She’d had a brief moment of understanding toward the man, but then they’d come full circle and now she was annoyed as hell with him all over again. And what made it worse, was that he seemed to enjoy getting her all flustered.

  She jogged across the street, back toward the cookie shop. The only thing she wouldn’t worry about was the fact that she planned to ignore him like crazy when he brought Hunter home this afternoon.

  * * *

  To: matthewcooper@usmc.mil

  From: hunterlovestherockies@hotmail.net

  Re: Best Day of My Life

  Date: March 14

  I can’t believe that your really here in Sugar Falls. Jake Marconi is gonna freak out when you pick me up at school. His dad owns the Gas N’Mart and Jake gets to go there after school and have all the candy and slushies he wants. He said all the other kids go there for snacks after school whenever there dads pick them up and he sells them junk while the dads talk about camping and football and stuff. Now that your here, I can go also. It will be so sweet. Specialy cause you are way more cooler then boring old Mr. Marconi.

  From Hunter

  p.s. I can’t wait.

  p.s.s. My mom said your really nice and she doesn’t care if we hang out all the time and do cool guy stuff together.

  p.s.s.s. Make sure to give me your new local email address cause you probly can’t keep the military one no more.

  She needed to talk to Hunter about leaving his computer in the living room and switched on all the time. Yet, her electricity bill was the least of her worries.

  She’d barely glanced at the open email on the screen before powering off the laptop. She wanted no reminders of the man who’d parked his bright yellow four-by-four man-machine down the street and left it there all morning as he limped around to several shops downtown. To make matters worse, she’d never told Hunter that she thought Cooper was nice or that they could hang out all the time.

  Still, it broke her heart that Hunter thought he needed a man to pick him up from school just so he could fit in with the other boys who had dads. She wanted to drive to Marconi’s Gas N’Mart and dump a bag of Doritos in the slushy machine just to spite all the mean classmates who left her son out of all the “cool kid” activities. But it wasn’t Jake Marconi’s fault that Bo died. Or that Hunter had now latched on to a good-looking, smart-mouthed pen pal who set her senses on high alert just by parking his borrowed vehicle in the same vicinity as her apartment.

  Her home telephone rang, and when she saw the name on the caller ID, she hesitated. She didn’t want to answer Cessy’s call, but if she didn’t, she’d just spend the rest of the morning staring out her second-floor window, shooting daggers at the man who had sent her whole world spinning.

  Maxine chose the lesser of two evils. “Hi, Cessy.”

  “So now that Hunter’s at school, we can talk freely. Tell me what you thought.”

  “Thought of what?”

  “Don’t play coy, Maxine. What did you think of that Matthew Cooper guy? Hunter hasn’t been able to stop talking about him for weeks. But now that he’s in town, you’ve been acting even tenser than you usually do. Are you distraught about their relationship? Are you worried that he might replace Bo in Hunter’s heart?”

  No, Maxine wasn’t worried about that since Bo had really never had the opportunity to lodge himself in the boy’s heart before overindulging in a cocktail-infused lunch and driving off the road. But she wasn’t going to say as much to her mother-in-law.

  “Mr. Cooper seems nice enough,” she said instead. “But I don’t really kno
w much about him other than he was in the Marines.” Plus the fact that he’d lost his mom when he was barely older than Hunter, and he’d basically never had a father. But Maxine didn’t want to share that personal revelation.

  “I had one of my people over at town hall do a computer check on him.”

  Sweet mercy. When Cessy said “one of her people,” she meant someone who owed her a favor. Without a doubt, the woman had no shame when it came to wheedling some poor government employee into running a background search on a complete stranger.

  “Cessy, that’s probably illegal and definitely unethical. Not to mention a complete infringement on Mr. Cooper’s privacy.” Um. Yeah. So said the woman who’d just read her son’s open email. But that was different. She really didn’t think Hunter would care. And if he did care, then he needed to stop leaving his personal correspondence out in the open for the entire world to see.

  “You want to know what I found out or not?” Cessy asked.

  Maxine rubbed her temples as she walked away from her living room window and dropped onto her sofa. She hated to encourage the woman’s antics, but she was dying to know. And tempted to grab a pad of paper and take notes.

  “I guess,” she said, trying to maintain a disinterested tone.

  “He’s actually on the up-and-up. Distinguished military record, lots of medals and awards, great investigator, yada, yada, yada. He doesn’t own any property, but his credit’s good. We were limited in what we could find out about his exact finances, but if we want to, we can call Phil Hemingway over at the bank.”

  “No, Cessy! Do not call anyone at the bank to snoop into the man’s—”

  “Let’s see what else,” the woman continued, as though she hadn’t heard any protest. “He’s from Detroit originally. Foster kid. Not sure about what happened to his family but he doesn’t have children of his own. Appears he’s been married before, but according to what Mary Pat...uh, I mean...my source, could find out, it couldn’t have been longer than a few months. Looks like the ex is remarried now with a couple kids, so he doesn’t seem to have any romantic entanglements.”