“No, thanks. I’ve got Glynnis. That’s about as close to having responsibility for someone of the female persuasion as I care to get.”
“How is your baby sister?”
“Same old, same old. Still falling for the wrong guys and spending all my money.”
Coop gave the ceiling a crooked smile. “Could be worse. At least you’ve got the money for her to spend.”
“I sure wish she’d learn to handle her own, though. Jesus, Ice, she’s gonna come into her trust soon. I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. If she’s not overdrawing her bank account, she’s handing her money out to every fast talker with a sad story to tell. And that’s just with the interest she’s given to live on. I don’t even wanna think about the damage one of those jokers she dates could do to the principal.” Zach took a sip of his beer, then shrugged and gave Coop a look over the long-necked bottle. “But enough of my problems. It sure looks like you got yourself a winner.”
“Yeah.” Coop felt a silly grin stretch his lips and didn’t even care. “I never knew it was possible to feel this way about a woman. She makes me—”
The back door opened with a bang as it bounced off the wall, and the woman under discussion blew in on the wind that had grabbed it out of her hand. Veronica laughed and kicked the door closed behind her.
“Sorry about that. I should have made two trips from the car instead of trying to carry all this stuff in one. No, don’t get up,” she said as the men started to lower their chairs back on all four legs. “I’m just going to dump everything right here.”
“Lizzy and Dess had their final fitting for their flower girl dresses today,” Veronica said as she pulled steaks for tonight’s dinner from a sack. “Wait until you see them. Talk about cuter than cute.”
She listened to the men talk as she put away the groceries and smiled to herself, feeling the weight of Coop’s gaze on her more than once. The thrill of being the recipient of all his love and attention just kept growing stronger.
Finishing up a few moments later, she grabbed herself a beer out of the fridge and carried it over to the table where the men sat.
Zach wasn’t quite as tall as Coop, but he had the same look of honed muscularity and tough competency about him. Physically, they were a study in contrasts, and Ronnie imagined that seeing the two of them walk into a joint side by side must have set more than one woman’s heart to pitty-patting. “You two remind me of Snow White and Rose Red.”
They stared at her with identical looks of outraged masculinity, and she threw back her head and laughed. “That’s not a slam on your manliness, fellas—God knows there’s enough testosterone in here to drown a cat. I meant your coloring. It’s a cool contrast—Zach’s hair is as dark as your eyebrows, Coop.” She met the other man’s pale gray eyes. “Is that how you got the handle Midnight?”
“No. I’m good in the dark.”
Even crazy in love with Coop, she wasn’t one hundred percent immune to that deep voice or the sight of the little scar that bisected his upper lip, and her own lips quirked in amusement. “Somehow I don’t doubt that for a minute.”
He grinned at her, a flash of white teeth in a face as tanned as Coop’s had been when they’d first met. “I can see why Ice is so crazy about you, lady. But what I meant was, I have exceptional night vision.”
“Oh.” This time Ronnie’s amusement was directed at herself.
“Coop tells me the two of you are going to make your home here.”
“Yeah, isn’t that a kick in the pants? Fossil was the last place I wanted to be—and here we discover we both really like it. Not to mention the bonus of staying close to Eddie and Lizzy.” And to Marissa and the kids, too. “Oh, God, that reminds me.” She turned to Coop. “I got a nibble on the Tonk today, and you’ll never in a million years guess who it’s from.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Darlene Starkey!”
Slowly he lowered his chair. “You’re kidding. I can’t quite see her tending bar.”
“She doesn’t plan to. But apparently she’s convinced the Tonk is a hotbed of information. And you know how she adores being the first to know anything.” She inspected the nice buff job on her nails for a moment before shooting him a satisfied little three-corner smile. “So who was I to dissuade her from the notion?”
Coop grinned. “Come here and give me a kiss. You’re just too damn cute.” His voice was teasing, but as he looked at her, his smile slowly faded and his eyes went hot.
Zach set his bottle on the table and climbed to his feet. “I don’t mean to drink and run, but there’s a James Lee Cooper story upstairs calling my name.”
Veronica blinked, and gave Zach a brilliant smile. “Don’t you just love that guy’s books? By all means, don’t let us keep you. We’ll see you at dinner.”
The moment he cleared the door, though, she grimaced. “We’ve gotta get a grip on these hormones, Cooper. I think we drove him away.”
“Get a grip, hell.” Coop half rose from his seat to reach out and grasp her wrist. He tugged, and she rounded the table to sit in his lap. He immediately wrapped her in his arms and buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply. He raised his face and gave her a sleepy smile. “Everyone can just get used to it,” he said. “Because, Princess, this boy’s head over heels. And if they think a demand for a kiss in my own kitchen is too much…” He shrugged. “All I’ve got to say is, there’s going to be a lot of offended folks in town. Because, sweetpea, they ain’t seen nothing yet.”
About the Author
The things that are important to me are fairly simple, though sometimes rare: a husband of thirty-plus years with whom I’ve yet to run out of things to talk about a grown son who, deep in my heart, will forever remain my sweet baby boy, a warm and supportive extended family, a few good friends, skate-skiing, in-line skating, and a cat who requires only that I remove the lid from the Pounce can so he can fish his treats out for himself.
I love to hear from my readers, so please feel free to write me at P.O. Box 47375, Seattle, WA 98146, or email me at [email protected]. To be kept apprised of upcoming novels by email, address one to [email protected] Those desiring a reply to their letters via the good ol’ United States Postal Service, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope and I’ll respond as quickly as I possibly can. To see what’s new, drop by my website at www.susanadersen.com.
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Other Books by
Susan Andersen
ALL SHOOK UP
BABY, DON’T GO
BE MY BABY
BABY, I’M YOURS
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
HEAD OVER HEELS. Copyright © 2002 by Susan Andersen. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-
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ePub edition November 2006 ISBN 9780061746567
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