A Marine for His Mom

by Christy Jeffries

  Maxine zeroed in on the mention of Cooper being divorced. She wondered what Cooper’s former wife was like. And who was to blame for the marriage going sour so quickly. Then something clicked, and it dawned on her that her mother-in-law was purposely pointing out an attractive man’s marital status.

  “Why would I be interested in the guy’s love life or his inability to keep a woman?” Wow, did that come out sounding defensive or what? But it was too late to retract the snide—and untrue—remark.

  “Of course you wouldn’t be interested. That’d be totally inappropriate and unseemly, dear.” Cessy made a tsk sound. “Besides, even if you could get a guy like him to fall for little ole you, it wouldn’t be anything like what you and Bo shared. Something like that only comes around once in a lifetime.”

  Normally, Cessy’s comments painting her son as something he most definitely was not would roll right off Maxine’s back. But the curls along her neckline bristled and her spine straightened at the implication that she couldn’t land a man like Cooper. Granted, he’d been under the influence of something last night, but she was pretty sure that if she would’ve let him have his way, she could’ve sealed the deal.

  Which was why she needed to make sure the man never got his way. And the only strategy she could come up with was to ignore him completely or stay the heck away from him.

  Because so far, Maxine’s resistance to the growing mutual attraction between her and Gunny Heartthrob was about as dependable as a wet paper bag from Duncan’s Market.

  * * *

  As Cooper drove back to the cabin before two o’clock, he went over every word Maxine had said to him in the café. He understood some of her concern, but he didn’t get her hostile attitude toward him in particular. Hunter had never said as much, but Cooper got the feeling there was no love lost between Maxine and her dead husband. But did that mean she had to take out her relationship issues on him?

  Plus, what was that comment she’d made about him being doped up on pain meds and answering the door with a gun?

  Although, he had been pretty out of it last night. And he sort of remembered being asleep and hearing a knock on the door, but if he had gotten out of bed, he would’ve seen whoever or whatever had left all that trash in his front yard.

  He pulled into the driveway and parked the Jeep behind the cabin before he unloaded the bat and baseball gloves he bought at Russell’s Sports and the groceries he’d stocked up on while he’d been in town. He had a couple hours before Hunter got out of school and he wanted to do a little research on his computer.

  Luckily, the cabin was up-to-date on its twenty-first-century technology and had internet access and a landline so he could make a few phone calls.

  Alex Russell, the guy who owned the sporting goods store, told him that cell phone reception was spotty up in Sugar Falls, but Cooper still planned to get a smartphone when he went into Boise later this week.

  Alex had also told him about Little League season starting this weekend, and Cooper was determined to have Hunter try out for a team. Of course, he wasn’t used to dealing with such a hardheaded mom and didn’t know how to go about it just yet.

  So in the meantime, he’d focus on what he did know how to deal with. Investigations. He started with a basic Google search and typed in the name Maxine had mentioned and the city where Mia said she’d moved from.

  Boom. There he was, Nick Galveston, a second-string professional football punter who was currently serving a ten-year sentence for terrorist threats, assault and battery, and attempted murder.

  His pulse quickened, just as it had whenever he’d found a new lead in a case. Man, he was missing his job already.

  He scrolled through some old news articles until he could piece together what had happened to Maxine’s friend. It looked as if Mia had been a professional cheerleader when the team’s punter took an unhealthy interest in her. The jerk must’ve had a problem understanding that no meant no, and her rejection of his advances turned into a nightmarish stalking situation that ended up with him attacking Mia with a baseball bat.

  No wonder the lady was afraid of her own shadow. Nobody should have to live like that.

  His own reconstructed leg tightened to an ache, and he sympathized with the poor woman. Just like him, some jackass with a vendetta ruined a perfectly good career and screwed up someone’s life. Unlike him, though, it looked like Mia had moved on and put the pieces of her life back together in Sugar Falls.

  But, of course, she had someone like Maxine looking out for her. If Cooper had a protective friend on his side, he could probably put a lot behind him, too.

  He picked up the white corded phone in the kitchen and dialed the number of a former MP he’d been stationed with at Guantanamo Bay.

  After the third ring, a voice finally answered. “Chris Sanchez, Florida Department of Corrections.”

  “Corporal Sanchez, it’s Gunny Cooper.” Cooper cringed, knowing he no longer held the rank of gunnery sergeant. Hell, he no longer held the rank of anything. But he didn’t know how to define himself now.

  “Coop, how the hell are you?” asked the only man to have ever beat him in the Gitmo MP’s pull-up contest.

  The buddies made small talk before Cooper finally got to the reason for his call. “So, anyway, I hear you have an inmate up for parole over there, and I need a favor.”

  “Gunny, you know I owe you way more than a favor. I don’t have too much pull with the parole board, but there are a few devil dogs who do the local hearings. What do you need?”

  As he filled Chris Sanchez in on Mia’s situation, he told himself he was trying to help a scared woman who, like him, had been a victim of some sociopath’s warped mind. Cooper was one of the good guys and a seeker of justice. But he wasn’t above scoring some points by helping out the friend of his sexy cookie angel.

  Angel?

  Why in the world would he think of her like that? There hadn’t been anything angelic about Maxine Walker this morning when she’d gone a couple of rounds with him for wanting to hang out with Hunter.

  Unfortunately, he found himself liking it when she threw her halo into the verbal sparring ring.

  Chapter Six

  That evening, Cooper pulled the Jeep into the rear of the bakery. He would’ve rather parked out front, but Hunter assured him this was where all their guests parked. He didn’t think the boy’s mom would agree with the assessment of him being a guest. More like persona non grata.

  After school, he’d taken Hunter to the Little League field and the new bat and mitts had been a huge hit. Cooper’s knee was pretty much blown after the hour they’d spent throwing the ball back and forth and from all the pitches he’d made to the overly excited kid, so he was anxious to get back to the cabin to elevate and ice it.

  When he’d been Hunter’s age, he’d walked all over his neighborhood in Detroit, which was light-years removed from Sugar Falls. He knew the kid could let himself into the bakery and would be safe if Cooper just drove off. But Maxine would probably raise hell if he didn’t baby her little boy the same way she did.

  Besides, he liked seeing her all riled. Maybe, if he was in luck, she had yet to calm down from their earlier confrontation at the Cowgirl Up.

  “Mom, we’re home.” Hunter raced up the back stairs, swinging his backpack around wildly. “I had the best time ever. Tomorrow, Coop’s gonna take me back to the cabin, and we’re gonna try to catch some fish from the stream. He said it feeds all the way into the Sugar River.”

  Cooper’s worn-out knee could barely get him up the stairs, forcing him to take one step at a time as he gingerly followed his ten-year-old friend.

  On second thought, he might not be physically ready for round two with the woman he’d spent all night dreaming about.

  “Hi, sweetie. I’m glad you guys had fun.” Maxine hugged her son, and then
ran her hand through his hair. She then scanned every square inch of the boy, as if checking him for damage. “But maybe we should skip tomorrow so you don’t wear Cooper out.”

  There she went with that overprotective bossiness. Was she suggesting that he was too weak to handle it?

  “Nah, he can’t wear me out.” Cooper looked around the spacious apartment that boasted an open floor plan consisting of a white and stainless steel kitchen that was twice as big as the cozy living room it overlooked. He assumed the two-member family spent a lot of time in or around the kitchen, which made sense as he assumed the woman enjoyed cooking and baking. “Besides, that’s why I’m in Sugar Falls—to spend time with my favorite pen pal.”

  When he high-fived the boy, Maxine rolled her eyes.

  She’d obviously showered from her earlier run and had changed into a tight pair of low-waisted white jeans and the same boots she’d worn when she’d picked him up at the airport and then the hospital. She also had on a white sweater that clung to every curve she had up top. She must really have a thing for the color white. And with her golden curls flowing loosely around her head in a halo effect, it was no wonder he kept thinking she looked like an angel.

  Too bad her eyes were shooting nonangelic daggers at him.

  “Hey, Coop, come check out my room. You can see the Lego set I’m working on.” Hunter dropped his backpack and took off down the hallway.

  Cooper raised a brow at Maxine, as if to get permission to enter their family sanctuary. He didn’t mind riling her up, but he didn’t want to be an ill-mannered jerk in someone else’s home. And he’d meant it when he said he didn’t want to cross any boundaries that would undermine her role as Hunter’s parent and primary authority figure.

  She extended her arm in a “be my guest” gesture, yet she turned back toward the kitchen, clearly not intent on partaking in the tour. As he followed Hunter, he noted that their home was decorated in various shades of white, with some white highlights and a splash of white thrown in for good measure. Yep, the woman certainly had a thing for the bland color.

  At least the floors and accent tables were a deep, dark wood to give some contrast. Plus, all the pillows and throw blankets scattered around contained different textures and fabrics, which layered over each other and looked anything but bland. This apartment was definitely refurbished and definitely expensive. But it also gave off a homey and special vibe—not that he’d experienced that vibe before.

  What Cooper would’ve given to have a house like this when he was growing up... Hunter was a lucky kid. A talkative kid, but a lucky one.

  The boy chattered nonstop for the next ten minutes, showing him every single toy and treasure crammed into his oversize, but organized, bedroom. This seemed to be the only room in the apartment with a mishmash of colors, and he was glad Maxine at least allowed her son to be himself when it came to decorating his personal space.

  His investigator’s eye picked up every detail, and he couldn’t help but notice the only thing lacking in Hunter’s room was any type of trophies or awards. It was a shame because a great kid like him deserved to have some tangible accolades.

  “And that’s my mom’s room across the hall.” Hunter pointed his chubby arm. “It’s way bigger than mine, even though I have, like, twice the stuff she has. But that’s okay, because she lets me hang out in there with her anytime I want. Even when her friends are over and they’re doing their girl talk.”

  There were two frames on her dresser—one containing a picture of Hunter when he was a toddler, the other a shot of Maxine, Mia and Kylie in blue-and-orange cheerleader outfits. Cooper felt like a voyeur staring into her bedroom and taking in the painted wrought-iron bed and crisp bedding that had to have cost at least a couple hundred dollars. Of course it was white, but for some reason, it also looked warm. And comforting. Cooper could see why anyone would want to spend time in there—even if it meant listening to girl talk.

  “My mom worries that I hear too much, but Aunt Kylie says it’s good for me to learn all about how to understand a woman and treat her right so I don’t end up being a no-good tool like some of the other men they know.”

  What Cooper wanted to tell the kid was that he should run for the hills whenever he saw a gaggle of women get together for a man-bashing session. But he figured Hunter would learn that for himself soon enough. Besides, what Cooper wouldn’t have given to be able to climb up into his own mom’s bed and have a conversation with her. But Linda Cooper hadn’t been much of a talker before she’d died and her jackass of a husband had kept her from having many female friends. “Have you picked up any good advice?”

  “Well, my mom said the way to sweep a woman off her feet is to be secure in who I am and to not try and be something I’m not. Aunt Kylie says I need to always treat a girl like she’s a lady and she’s the most important thing in my life. Aunt Mia said I need to know when a girl isn’t interested in me and move on. But I’m pretty sure Kayla Patrelli might be interested in me. At least, when I wrote her that poem she didn’t call me Chubba Bubba like some of the other kids do.”

  Cooper was at a loss because it sounded as if Hunter at age ten knew a whole lot more about females than he did at age thirty-four. “I guess that’s pretty promising.”

  His knee was screaming for an ice pack, so he cut the awkward hallway conversation about budding romances short by heading back the way they’d come.

  Maxine was standing behind the kitchen counter, her hand shoved into a bag of sour cream and onion flavored potato chips and a glass of white wine sitting next to her that Cooper could’ve sworn she hadn’t had when he first got here. Did he drive the woman to drink?

  “So I’ll see you tomorrow after school,” he told Hunter, trying to make a quick exit.

  “Wait, my mom is making chicken and rice casserole for dinner. You wanna stay? She’s a real good cook.”

  Maxine’s eyes grew wide, and she tried to subtly shake her head at her son, but the poor boy didn’t take any notice. His eager stare was glued to Cooper.

  “Actually, I just bought a ton of groceries today and was going to do some cooking of my own.”

  “Why did you buy groceries today? You didn’t like the stuff my mom got you from the market yesterday?”

  Maxine shoved another chip in her mouth and turned back toward the oven, as if she was too busy to partake in their conversation.

  “What groc...?” Cooper started to ask when he remembered the mess of litter on the lawn. “Wait, did you come by last night?”

  Without looking back at him, Maxine guzzled down the rest of her liquid fortification and stirred something in a pot on her stove. Yet, all the burners were off. She nodded as if whatever she had in that cold pot was more important than a polite reply. So why wouldn’t she look him in the eyes?

  “I thought I heard a knocking, but I’d just taken some pain meds and I must’ve gone back to sleep. Why did you just leave the food on the porch? When I came outside this morning, there were trash and food wrappers all over the yard.”

  “You didn’t go back to sleep.” She kept stirring whatever she was pretending to cook. “You opened the door. You saw me holding the bags. You even, uh... I don’t know why you didn’t take them inside after I left.” She looked at her empty glass as if contemplating a refill, but must have decided against it.

  Was that what she meant by her earlier comment about him answering the door with his gun? Did he pull a gun on her and scare her?

  “Did...uh...anything else happen?” Man, he wanted to just come out and ask her what in the hell she was trying to avoid telling him, but he was afraid of what her answer would be. Maybe it was better to drop the conversation. It was his modus operandi when things got too personal.

  Her head swiveled toward Hunter before finally gazing at Cooper. She looked at him the same way her friend Mia had back at the café. Like she
was nervous as hell. But she obviously wasn’t afraid of Cooper, otherwise she wouldn’t let her precious child hang out with him. So why was she in such a panic?

  “Nope. Nothing at all.” She answered too quickly, then went back to stirring. “Hunter, it’s time for homework. Cooper, Hunter can show you out. Enjoy your fresh groceries.”

  And with that awkward dismissal, he limped down the steps and outside.

  As he powered the Jeep to life, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had happened when he answered the door last evening. And if that was the reason he’d spent the rest of the night tossing and turning.

  Something told him it was—and that he’d have to make things right with her. The problem was, he didn’t know where to start.

  * * *

  Hunter Walker: Hey Coop. This is my cell phone number so you can store it in your new phone.

  Cooper: I’m sitting right next to you, Hunter. You could have just told me.

  Hunter Walker: I know. But I’m still practicing with the new phone Gram bought me. My mom thinks I’m too young to have a iPhone but Gram doesnt always listen to my mom. Hey, you want to go out to dinner with me and Gram tonight?

  Cooper: Will that be okay with your mom?

  Hunter Walker: She wont care. Tonite is her nite to go out and talk about lame girl stuff with her freinds.

  Hunter Walker: We R going 2 Patrelli’s 4 dinner n Kayla will B there. Member I told U about her.

  Cooper: I’m only going to type this once, so make sure you read this carefully. If you text me in code like that again, I will NOT write back. Now, when you see Kayla...

  * * *

  “So I’m wearing my new dress, the black one with silver sequins and my silver Jimmy Choo sling backs, and he pulls into this church parking lot.”

  “On your first date?” Maxine asked Kylie.

  The curvy redhead had a new date every week, and her stories always involved trendy clothes and a man doing something horribly wrong. Maxine didn’t know where her former team-cocaptain-turned-CPA found these guys.