The End of Games

by Tara Brown

  I lifted my hand in the air, "Fair enough."

  He sighed after a minute of awkward silence, "I knew your dad well."

  "Really?"

  He drank a gulp of his bourbon, "Very smart man."

  A disgruntled sigh slipped from my lips, "Sometimes being too smart is a bad thing."

  "Well, I'll drink to that."

  Coop came down into the living room and grabbed himself a beer. He cracked it and sat next to me. "You two already trading secrets?"

  His father winked at me, "Telling bad stories about you."

  Coop lifted his beer, "At least you'll never have an awkward silence." He smiled at me, "The kids seem to really dig the cool rooms they got. Mitch has wifi so we will probably never see him again and Jules discovered the Barbie bin my sister's kids play with."

  I was about to remark when the front door burst open. Kids and adults came barreling in. Coop's eyes narrowed. He turned and gave his dad a look. John Senior shrugged, "You know what she's like."

  Coop sighed, "You might have warned us."

  His dad laughed, "First girl ya ever brought home, what did you think was gonna happen?"

  A tall blonde with a beautiful face attacked first, "JOHN!" She ran at him. I watched as they swarmed. It made me miss Sissy. I wondered how she was making out with all the craziness in our lives. My family might have been small and full of lies, but we did love one another.

  Coop was eaten up by the crowd. I sat, frozen and completely afraid. Our family had never been like that. Our version of love was mom kissing you and giving you a slight pat on the cheek. Dad only ever dolled out a rub of the head or a hug, and then he would slide the arm around the shoulders and make you 'walk with him'. Coop's family was scary. The small kids hugged Coop, screaming things like ‘chase us’ and ‘do the sock monster’. He chuckled and tossed children about. At least his skills with kids made sense.

  His brother and sisters were obvious. They all looked like their dad.

  Their mom came down the stairs after a minute, she was crying and hugging and loving everyone up. She was Nanny to the kids and they attacked her as much as they did Coop. She made a super-excited face like she was sharing a secret with them, "If you go upstairs very quietly, you might find something very interesting up there."

  The kids squealed and raced up the huge wooden stairs.

  Coop laughed, "Go easy on them, they're city kids."

  I stood up and looked at them all, not sure what to do. The blonde gave me a look, "John."

  He took a breath, "This is Evie. Evie, this is Maria, my eldest sister. Louise, my second-eldest sister. Rachel, the middle child. Brant, my brother."

  I was wide-eyed and terrified, I waved softly, "Hi."

  They all spoke at once, dragging me to them, hugging, and talking over each other. I opened my mouth to get at least one answer out, but they were savages.

  The girls were pulling at my hair, and the brother was trying to tell me a story about when they were ten and eight. I was lost in it.

  Coop started to laugh. He fought them off and grabbed my hand. He pulled me to his side and wrapped an arm around me, "Easy, guys. Jeeze. You act like I never bring girls home."

  The brunette, Louise, gave him a sarcastic look, "Yeah, the last one was in middle school."

  He shrugged, "It's not like there haven’t been girls, maybe it's you I don’t want anyone meeting."

  They attacked again. I backed away as he was assaulted by all four of them. Their dad came and stood next to me, "You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

  I shook my head, "No. That’s a firm no, sir."

  Their mom carried over a tray of snacks which broke up the wrestling. I couldn’t be sure, but I would swear Louise was winning the fight when it ended.

  I looked up the stairs but Suzanne interrupted my mommy-worrying, "Evie here is your age, Rachel."

  I felt the heat in my face. Rachel winked at me, "Nicely done. A little Demi Moore action there, huh?"

  I laughed, but it was something I had never heard come out of my mouth before.

  Coop stuffed a piece of pickled herring into his mouth, "Rachel, you're just jealous I found her first."

  Rachel laughed, "I switched teams again since you’ve been gone. I'm seeing someone of the male persuasion, thank you very much. His name is Oscar and he is lovely."

  Coop gave her a blank stare, "What happened to Katrina? She was hot."

  I cocked an eyebrow at him. He flashed me a grin, "She was. What is hotter than a hot lesbian?"

  Rachel smiled sweetly, "Two hot guys kissing." She held her knuckles out for me to pound. Thankfully, Luce had taught me that one. I pounded them. Coop rolled his eyes, "You learned that like a week ago." He turned to Rachel, giving her the very same smile back, "Oscar sounds like he might be just your type then. What kind of a name is Oscar? He's gonna hit on me like that guy Lance you dated in college."

  Rachel laughed but Brant looked uncomfortable, "He hit on me too."

  We all laughed. All of us but Suzanne, who gave me a bogus smile until it looked like her cheeks had frozen up.

  I yawned after a while and Coop steered me towards the upstairs, "Night everyone!"

  By everyone, he meant everyone. The entire family stayed over in their bedrooms. The lodge was huge and I understood why. I kissed the kids goodnight and went back into the room I was sharing with Coop. He was on the bed in his boxers and t-shirt. I suddenly got how he felt. My feelings for him would compromise my ability to do my job. More so than Servario. I adored Coop in a way that was dangerous. He was suddenly something that could be taken away. He was safe and comfortable. I could imagine him in a coffee house or a bookstore.

  I pushed the thoughts away and sat on the bed next to him. I smiled and resumed our conversation from the living room with his sisters, "What do you mean, you never watched The Bodyguard?"

  He sighed, "I don’t watch movies with Whitney Houston in them."

  I pushed his face away from mine, "Ewww. Those pickled herring fillets still stink and she is dead. Do not speak ill of the dead."

  "I'm not. I just don’t like sing song chick flicks."

  I pushed his face harder, "Dude, your breath stinks."

  He laughed, "You sound like Luce. Evie, I flossed and brushed. What more do you want?"

  I shuddered, "Sleep on the floor."

  He groaned and pretended to roll over on top of me. I tickled him in the ribs, on the off chance he was ticklish. I never expected what I got. He started flopping about the bed and making a girlie giggle.

  It made me giggle back.

  "St-st-stop, Evie!" He was getting angry. I dug my fingers in harder. He cried out, "Your fingers, stop. They're skinny. They're taking the meat right off the bones. Please. I'll breathe the other way!"

  I stopped and he moved over, still huffing and puffing. He laid on his back, "I hate being tickled."

  I nodded, "Me too." I tapped my fingers against the bed, "But for real, you could have said I was a protection detail like The Bodyguard. We didn’t have to be dating."

  He cocked an eyebrow at me. I held up a finger and wiggled it at him. He turned his face back up to the ceiling, "You are mean."

  I giggled, "You stink."

  He sighed, "My dad is a smart man. He would have seen me being your bodyguard, and he would have given me supreme shit."

  "Are you beneath being a body guard?"

  He shook his head, "Nope."

  "Then why would he care?"

  He turned his head a little bit, "He would have seen how I feel about you. He would have known how dangerous it was to work for you. It's why I never told him you were anything but my girlfriend."

  My insides were frozen. "But you always say we could never do anything but screw around."

  He nodded, "My words are always trying to keep you at arms length, but I think you can tell by my actions how I feel."

  I nodded. I didn’t say that those hurtful words were always making me hate hi
m. I just left it at that; I could tell how he felt, if I was being honest.

  He closed his eyes and I lay there watching him. He was too perfect. Thank God for that mouth of his. Smart mouthed half the time and smelling like herring. It truly was the only thing saving him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The End of Walls

  Rachel winked at me, "He cheats."

  I nodded, "I know. It's all about the win with him."

  Coop gave us both a scowl, "Bitches be hating. Hate the game, ladies, not me."

  Brant and his wife simultaneously rolled their eyes. I started laughing and nodding. Coop laid down a straight, jack high. He winked at me, beaming."

  I laid a straight flush, ace high and winked back. His jaw dropped, "You cheated."

  I folded my arms, and in the same stunned voice, I exclaimed, "You counted cards when we played blackjack!" I pointed, "You lose, face it. Pay up."

  He looked at his mom, but his sister, who was gutting herself laughing, shook her head, "Oh no, you don’t. Don’t you dare try to get her to save your little losing ass. In the kitchen and make us some dessert, bitch."

  She put her knuckles out. I pounded them and smirked, "Don’t mind him, bitches be hating and all."

  Brant chuckled, "Oh, Evie. I think I love you."

  His wife nodded, "A woman who puts John in his place, what a sight for sore eyes you are."

  I laughed. Jules came down the stairs and climbed into the seat with me. She snuggled up, "Mom, Mitch said Daddy didn’t love us." The whole room sort of froze, not sure what to say or do.

  I opened my mouth to speak but Coop picked her up, "Hey, I knew your dad well, he loved you guys tons. More than anything in the whole world."

  She smiled, "Can you come tell Mitch? He doesn’t believe me."

  Coop nodded, "Yeah, for sure I can." He looked over at me, "Maybe your mom can get everyone dessert while I do that."

  I shook my head, "Cheeky bastard." I knew he was grinning ear to ear as he climbed the stairs. Suzanne was watching me from the corner. I got up and went into the kitchen. Brant's wife, Sarah followed me in. She was pretty and younger, maybe Coop's age. I opened the fridge to see what we had.

  Sarah gave me a sympathetic look, "She hated me too. Hated. Brant met me at a bar. I was nineteen and not Suzanne's choice for a wife."

  I bit my lip. I wanted to say what a judgmental bitch Suzanne was, but I didn’t. One day, I too would be letting my son get married, and I would no longer be the woman in his life that loved him the most.

  She nodded, "I just wanted you to know that I know how it feels. She'll either warm up or give up."

  "Which did you get?" Not that it mattered, I wouldn’t actually be around as a girlfriend. When the whole thing was over, Coop and I would be reassigned.

  She leaned a little farther back, making sure we were totally alone, "Gave up. She has never accepted me."

  I scoffed, "She is a tough nut, huh?"

  "If her daughters get husbands, Suzy doesn’t care, but the wives, whew… tough nut is not even the word." She shrugged, "How did you and John meet, anyway?"

  I smiled, "My ex-husband's work."

  We had worked out a story but it felt weird as the lie slipped from my mouth, "He had been having affairs and carrying on. Coop and I had met a few times. Finally, he let it slip about James. I did some digging and discovered James had been 'letting it slip' all over town."

  She grimaced. I nodded, "Yeah." I pulled the eggs and milk out and decided to make the one dessert I knew the recipe to off by heart. I started the kettle to boil and began mixing the ingredients, "He then died in a car accident with one of his mistresses, my dear friend. When it was time for the funeral, Coop was there. It's been a year and he's just always there." The lie started to feel less like a lie.

  She looked wounded, "That’s so sad. Those poor kids."

  I smiled, "James was never much of a father. Coop has been the friend they need. They both adore him and look up to him, and he has such a way with kids. I don’t trust people easily but I do him."

  She hugged me tightly, startling me, "I am so sorry for everything you've been through. You must have been so hurt and angry when he died."

  I laughed awkwardly, "I like where I am now. James and I got pregnant by accident and had the shotgun wedding, and we never had the chance to be in love. When I found out about the affairs, I was going to divorce him but he died."

  She pulled back and winked at me, "You didn’t have anything to do with his accident, did ya?"

  I laughed nervously again, "What? No." I sounded guilty because I was, and it hadn’t been an accident when I had claimed his life.

  She laughed, "I’m kidding. That would have been cruel, killing him off. You can only do that when you don’t have kids." She winked. I laughed again and pulled back to finish making the dessert.

  She leaned on the counter, "What are you making?"

  "Half-hour pudding. It's an English dessert." I smiled inside, knowing it was one of my mom's favorites… of course.

  I put it in the oven as she walked out of the kitchen. I knew she had been sent in as the recon team; she was to gain the information the other family members wanted but didn’t have.

  Coop came into the kitchen just as she left and leaned against the counter, "Done already?"

  I gave him a crooked look, "How's Jules?"

  He smiled, "Sweet. Her new friends upstairs have her distracted. Mitch and I had a short conversation about the things he was told because he is a big boy, and he can cope with them where she can't."

  I sighed, "I wish I'd just kept my mouth shut. I was so pissed that James was there still, and yet, he was the dead hero and I was the asshole. I was always going to be the asshole and him the martyr, regardless of what we were both doing."

  He folded his arms over his thick chest, "Evie, you fucked up…"

  I was about to slap him when Suzanne walked into the kitchen. I pasted a smile on my face and patted him on the arm, "Twenty minutes, take it out, regardless of how it looks, serve hot with ice cream."

  I walked past him to the stairs. I went to the small room Mitch was hiding in. He was playing Minecraft, as per the usual. I laid on the bed with him, nudging him, "Hi."

  He gave me a sideways glance, "Hi."

  I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him into me, "How's it going?"

  He nodded, "Good."

  I laughed. He still wanted to play, but I forced a hug out of him, "You'll always be my baby. You know that, right? No matter how old you get, or how many times you get married, you'll always be my baby."

  He shook his head, "I'm never getting married. I'm gonna be like Coop."

  A sigh slipped from my lips, "Fine, then I guess you'll be my baby always."

  He wasn’t the huggable little boy he had been. The double digits had been hard for us, even before James acted like a fucker and then died, and then died again, and then of course, died for real. Mitch was pulling away from me.

  "The town we are moving to is all about hockey."

  He looked up, "Really?"

  I smiled, "All about it. One year they won some hockey town competition."

  He started to lighten up a bit, "So can I get there before the season gets started? It's almost October. I don’t want to miss it."

  "Yes, we are leaving tomorrow for our new home. Same set up as last time. Grandma, Fitz, Luce and Jack are there. We will meet them at the new house."

  "Are we driving?"

  I shook my head, "Not the whole way." I actually had no idea how it was happening and I wasn't going to ask Coop.

  I could feel Mitch relaxing, "So we'll stay at this town?"

  I nodded, "We will. We will live there for a long time."

  He looked like he was mulling it over and then he grinned, "Can I finish playing?"

  I feigned a hurt look, "You mean you want me to leave?"

  He nodded.

  I laughed, "Yes, brat." I kissed him and got up. I went to the b
edroom we were sharing and climbed into the bed. I wanted to stew over the things he'd said but he had been right. I wanted to think about dozens of things, but I didn’t. I fell asleep instantly. The house had a vibe that made me feel safe and exhausted.

  When I woke, it was light out. Coop was passed out next to me. He had no shirt on again. I shook my head and turned to climb out of the bed, but he grabbed me and pulled me back down. His eyes were bright and clear, "I need to finish what I was saying last night."

  I pulled away but he held me tightly, "I don’t want to talk about this."

  He shuffled over, pinning me to the bed, "You never let me finish, my mom interrupted us."

  He hovered over me, pressing my body into the bed. I rolled my eyes, "By all means, continue lecturing me, oh wise master of child rearing. For your information, I know I suck at parenting. You know when I told people I was pregnant, they all gave me a horrified look and said, ‘You? You're having a baby?’ No one thought I could do it, and I get that I'm not great at it, but I am trying my hardest."

  "Stop." He gave me his face that usually meant something truly awful was lingering just on the tip of his tongue. "I meant what I said, you fucked up. But what I never got to say was that I would have made the same choice. I'm not judging you, I'm agreeing. Your kids deserve the truth, maybe not when they're so young, but they do. Mitch should never go his entire life believing James was something he wasn’t. Neither child should ever see you as the bad guy in this. You never made James do any of the things he did. I don’t think you need to tell them everything, but what you told Mitch was totally acceptable. He needs to see the story, even if it was just a glimpse into the way it was. Your delivery sucked and that was where you fucked up, but I would have made the same choice as you." He kissed the tip of my nose, "I think you are a great mom and those haters don’t know you as well as they think they do."

  I winced, "That was nice, Coop."

  He nodded, "Yeah, if you had given me half a second to finish, instead of running to Mitch's room and hiding, I would have probably gotten laid last night, wouldn’t I?"

  I shoved him off of me, "No. We're in your parents’ house for starters, gross. Secondly, we're not really dating. You do see that, right?"