“Sounds good to me,” she said excitedly.
I drove to a fast-food restaurant, and I got her a kid’s meal. We sat inside and talked as she ate her chicken nuggets. She told me about her friends in summer school and what she’d been up to in the past month. I was relieved to hear that things were still the same in Rick and Tammy’s house. Rick had never been physically abusive, but that didn’t mean he would never be that way. The thought of him laying a hand on Shelly or the other foster kids made my blood boil. If I ever found out he had, he’d be a dead man.
We continued to chat as she finished her meal. I grinned as she talked nonstop on the way back to the car and the entire drive home. Shelly obviously had a lot to catch me up on from the past few weeks. It made me happy to know that she wanted to tell me every little detail of her life. As a foster child, I knew that most of us were usually fairly tight-lipped about what we told people, both about our presents and our pasts. It was one of the few protections we could offer ourselves in a system where we had absolutely no control.
When I pulled up my driveway, Shelly’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes stayed glued to the house until we drove into the garage.
“Claire, are you rich now?” she asked.
I smiled. “A little bit, yeah.”
“Wow.” She climbed out of the car.
She slowly followed me up to her temporary room, taking in every inch of the house that she could see.
“Come on, slowpoke. I have a surprise for you,” I said as we walked down the hallway.
“What is it?” she asked excitedly.
“Open this door and find out.”
I didn’t need to tell her twice. She flung the door open and ran inside. She stopped short when she saw all the presents on the bed. With a squeal of delight, she dropped her bag to the floor and ran over to the bed.
She picked up the CDs first and clutched them to her chest. “Is this all for me?”
“Yep, all of it.”
She squealed again as she dropped the CDs and then picked up the movies. “Can we watch these tonight?”
“We can do whatever you want,” I told her.
The toys were hit and miss. She loved the jewelry maker and the dog, but she laughed at the dolls.
“I’m not five, Claire. Gesh,” she teased.
“Well, sorry. I’ll buy you a book and some clothes next time.”
She turned toward me and stuck out her tongue. Then, her eyes fell on something behind me. “Who are you?” she asked.
I turned to see Cooper leaning against the doorframe. He seemed surprised to see that my friend was a kid, but he tried to hide it.
“I’m Cooper.” He smiled at her.
It was probably the first genuine smile I’d ever seen from him. He had a nice smile when he wasn’t using it with the forces of evil. It made him look younger and, well, happier.
“Is this your fiancé, Claire?” Shelly asked.
“My what?” I sputtered. “No, Cooper is just my…friend.”
I looked back to see Cooper smirking at me, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“It’s nice to meet you, Cooper. I’m Shelly. Claire and I shared a room before our foster dad kicked her out.”
Cooper gave me a questioning look before smiling at Shelly. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Shelly.”
“Claire, can we watch these movies now?” she asked.
“We can if you want, but I thought you might want to go swimming first,” I told her.
“You have a pool, too? Wow, this house has everything.” She glanced at Cooper. “Even cute boys.”
Cooper laughed. “I knew I liked you, Shelly.”
“All right, Cooper and I are going to leave you alone, so you can change into your suit. I need to change, too, so just open the door when you’re ready, and I’ll come back to get you.” I walked to the door. I pushed Cooper out into the hallway before walking out myself.
“Okay!” Shelly said as I closed the door.
I ignored Cooper as I walked down the hall to my room. After closing the door, I walked to the dresser and pulled out a black bikini. After I changed, I grabbed two extra large towels out of the bathroom and headed back to Shelly’s room. The door was open, and she was sitting on the bed when I poked my head inside.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Yep!” She jumped up and ran out the door.
I laughed as I hurried to keep up with her. I’d missed this little girl so much.
Shelly and I spent most of the afternoon in the pool. I knew she loved the water, but Rick had refused to buy her a pool every summer. I laughed as I watched her do handstands in the shallow end of the pool. Then, we raced a few times to see who could swim to the other side the fastest. She won almost every time.
After about an hour, I told her I was going to lie on one of the reclining chairs near the pool. She rolled her eyes at me, and then she continued to dog paddle away. I watched her for a minute before climbing out of the pool and walking to the recliner. I sat down on it and relaxed, enjoying the sun’s warmth on my skin. I closed my eyes, but I kept my ears open in case Shelly needed me.
After a few minutes, I felt like someone was watching me. The hairs on my arms stood up, and I opened my eyes to see who it was. I jumped when I saw Cooper sitting in the chair next to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“The same thing you are—sitting here,” he said.
“Smart-ass. I meant, what are you doing out here with us? Don’t you have someone else to terrorize?”
“Nah, I thought I’d come out here and annoy you.”
“Goody,” I mumbled before closing my eyes. Maybe if I pretended he wasn’t around, he’d go away. It was doubtful, but I was willing to try.
“What you did for Shelly was really nice,” Cooper said after a few minutes of silence.
I opened my eyes and looked at him again. “What do you mean?”
“Buying her that stuff, bringing her here to spend time with you. She obviously worships the ground you walk on, and I know it means a lot to her.”
I looked over to see Shelly lying on her belly on a pool raft, watching Cooper and me.
“She’s a special little girl.”
“I can tell, and she obviously has good taste in men,” he said.
I laughed, remembering her mentioning how cute he was. “She’s only ten. She still thinks boys have cooties. She was only being nice.”
“So, you don’t agree with her?”
“Nope,” I said, refusing to meet his eyes.
Cooper knew what he looked like. There was no way I was going to inflate his ego by admitting that I found him attractive.
“Liar.” He hesitated for a moment. “Want to tell me why you were kicked out of your foster home?”
“I’m surprised it wasn’t in Robert’s file on me,” I said, not bothering to hide my annoyance. “My foster dad, Rick, kicked me to the curb on my eighteenth birthday just because he didn’t have to keep me any longer.”
“That sucks,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, it did. I had no clue how I was going to survive. During those first few days, there were times when I really doubted if I would.”
“I’m sorry you went through that, Claire. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way,” he said.
I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Besides, if he hadn’t kicked me out, I never would’ve met Robert. I suppose I should thank Rick for kicking me out.”
Cooper snorted. “Yeah, meeting my dad isn’t what I’d call lucky, Claire.”
“Why are you so hard on him, Cooper? He’s done nothing but take care of me, and you know it.”
He shook his head. “I’m not getting into this with you right now. Have fun with your friend, Claire.”
I watched as he stood and walked away. He turned back right before he opened the door. “Claire?”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t wait to hear how the party went last ni
ght.”
Ah, there’s the asshole I know and hate.
When it was time to eat, Shelly refused to get out of the pool, but I managed to get her inside. Once she took a bite of Ellie’s lasagna, she stopped complaining. I laughed as I watched her eat as if she were starved.
We spent the evening curled up together in front of the TV, watching both movies I’d bought. She fell asleep on the couch, and I was forced to carry her upstairs. Thankfully, she was a tiny little thing, or I never would’ve made it.
Once she was tucked safely in bed, I kissed her forehead and walked to my own room. I set my alarm, so I could get up in time to get her to school the next morning. I hated that our time together was over, but I vowed to spend more time with her. As long as I picked her up when Rick wasn’t around, I didn’t see how it would be a problem.
The last thing I thought of before drifting off to sleep was that Robert had never called.
I dropped Shelly off at school the next morning, promising that I would spend time with her again soon. She started crying as she climbed out of my car, and I felt horrible. She obviously hated staying with Rick and Tammy, and I couldn’t really blame her.
We decided to leave her new toys at my house. That way, she would have something to play with when she came to visit, and we wouldn’t have to worry about Rick asking where they came from. I hated how we had to hide the fact that we were spending time together because of that asshole.
A thought occurred to me as I drove through Morgantown. Shelly was part of the foster system, and from what she’d told me, no one would claim her. Maybe if I talked to Robert, he would be willing to adopt her. My heart soared at the thought alone. She would be taken care of and loved, no matter what. I made a mental note to speak to him about it when he made it back from his trip.
When I got home, I changed into my bathing suit and walked down to the pool. I had no plans for the day besides working on my tan. I slathered on tanning oil before setting a timer and turning onto my stomach. I knew I would fall asleep, and I didn’t want to burn to a crisp.
Sure enough, I woke up to the sound of the timer going off. I opened my eyes to reset it and rolled onto my back. I started to close my eyes again, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught Cooper walking over to me.
I groaned when he sat down next to me. “Really, Coop? You feel the need to visit me again?”
He grinned. “Coop? Damn, I think you must like me after all. No one calls me Coop but my friends and Ellie.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been hanging out with Ellie, and that’s what she constantly calls you. It just slipped out.”
“I’m sure it did. Where’s Shelly?”
“I dropped her off at school this morning.”
“School? It’s summer.”
“Rick doesn’t like the younger kids hanging around the house all the time, so he makes them go to summer school. It’s stupid, but Shelly likes it.”
Cooper frowned. “It sounds like this Rick guy is a real ass.”
“He is, but he’d never hurt Shelly or the other kids. If he ever did try anything, I can promise you that he wouldn’t be walking around for long afterward.”
We both stayed silent for a few minutes. I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over at Cooper. He was shirtless, wearing only his swim trunks. My eyes roamed over his chest and stomach, taking in every dip and curve of his skin. I had the undying urge to run my hands over every inch of him to see if his skin was as soft as it looked.
I slammed my mental brakes, and I quickly looked away from him. He was Robert’s son, for God’s sake. He would be my stepson soon enough. I was a sick individual to even think of him that way. It didn’t matter how good he looked. He was off-limits. I just wished my eyes and the rest of my body would realize that.
“So, how was the party?” Cooper asked.
“Ugh, I don’t even want to talk about it,” I said.
“Oh, come on. It couldn’t have been that bad. What did you do? Fall asleep from boredom?”
“It definitely wasn’t boring. I’ll tell you that much.”
“Care to elaborate? I’ve been to those parties. I’d rather jack off with a cactus in my hand than go to another one.”
“Oh my God, Cooper!” I shouted, disturbed.
“What? It’s the truth. Those parties are always a snorefest. Tell me what happened to make this one different.”
“I was the center of attention. Some woman named Sandra pretty much told me I was a gold-digging whore in front of everyone. Well, she didn’t say those words, but the message was still the same.”
“Sandra Buckhannon? Shit, I haven’t seen that woman in over a year. I never could stand her, but my mom liked her. She used to yell at me whenever I told her I thought Sandra was a bitch.”
“For once, I agree with you on something. She was horrible to me. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.”
My eyes welled up with tears as I thought about her hateful words. Cooper seemed to notice. He sat up and turned so that he was facing me. He had a look on his face that I didn’t understand.
“Hey, don’t cry. Sandra’s a fuckin’ piece of work. Don’t pay any attention to what she says, okay? You’re not a gold-digger, and you’re definitely not a whore.”
I snorted as I brushed my tears away. “What? You’re defending me now? You think the same about me.”
“No, actually, I don’t. I did when I first met you, but after reading that damn file and talking to you, I know you’re not. I’m sorry that I said those things to you that night we met. You didn’t deserve to hear them.”
I looked at him in surprise. For the first time ever, he was being nice to me. I couldn’t help but wonder why. “Well, thanks for not thinking I’m a whore, I guess.”
He laughed. “You’re welcome. Stay here. I’m going to get us something to drink. You look like you need lots and lots of alcohol.”
I watched him stand and leave, trying to figure out how he’d gone from a thank-you to getting us drinks. I shook my head. Cooper was one mystery I doubted I’d ever figure out.
A few minutes later, he returned with four beers.
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Thirsty?”
He grinned. “They’re for both of us. I thought we could sit out here and get drunk.”
“You can’t be serious. It’s not even noon, Cooper. Besides, I don’t really drink. The spa place gave me these fruity drinks, and after two of them, I thought I was going to pass out.”
“Lightweight,” he teased. “Come on, drink with me. I’m bored.”
“You drink when you’re bored?” I asked.
He glanced down at my tiny bikini top. “Among other things.”
I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Good to know.”
He laughed as he handed me a beer, forcing me to uncross my arms. I didn’t miss the way his eyes flashed to my chest before looking back up to my face.
“Chill out, Stepmommy. You’re always so serious. I think it’s time you had some fun.”
I took a sip of beer and frowned. “This tastes like ass.”
He grinned. “Just keep drinking. The more you drink, the better it tastes.”
I looked at the bottle in my hand. What the hell? Let’s get drunk.
I wasn’t drunk, but I was quickly getting there.
Cooper had kept encouraging me to drink the beer I was holding. As soon as my first one had disappeared, he’d shoved a new full bottle into my hand. After his first, he’d walked back inside and brought out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a shot glass. I’d wrinkled my nose when he let me sniff the whiskey. It had smelled worse than my beer tasted.
Now on my third beer, I felt warm all over, and it wasn’t because of the sun. I smiled as I stared up at the sky, watching the fluffy white clouds passing by. Cooper was right. I’d needed this. I was constantly strung so tight that it felt good to just relax and stop worrying. All the things that always weighed so heavily on my mind were now d
istant thoughts.
“What are you smiling about over there?” Cooper asked.
I glanced over at him before turning my attention back up to the sky. I noticed a cloud that looked like a bunny and laughed. “No reason really. I just feel happy for once.”
“And you’re not normally happy?”
I shrugged. “I am, but it seems like every time I start to relax, something happens. It’s nice to just sit here and watch the clouds.” I pointed up at the cloud shaped like a bunny. “Look, there’s a bunny. See its little fluffy tail?”
He looked up. “All I see is a bunch of cotton balls.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have to look, really look.”
He sighed before looking skyward again. “Where?”
I pointed toward it again. “Right there. See it? It’s upside down, but you can totally see its floppy ears, too.”
He laughed at me. “Yeah, I kind of see it. You’re a dork, Claire.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Am not.”
He grinned at me. “I rest my case.”
I ignored him as I took another drink of my beer. I frowned when I noticed that it was almost empty. Cooper seemed to notice it as well. He grabbed the bottle out of my hand and put a full one in it. Apparently, he had a hidden beer stash somewhere on his person.
“Can I ask you something?” He stared at me.
“I guess.” I took a sip.
“If you weren’t with my dad, what would you be doing right now?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
“Just humor me.”
Between his hypnotic gaze and the alcohol coursing through my blood, I decided to answer him. “I’d probably be at work.”
“And what would you be doing if you weren’t there?”
I shrugged. “I’d probably be at the library or the gym. I was staying there before Robert brought me here. The gym was a lot better than where I was staying before that.”
“Where? Your foster house?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, after they kicked me out, I lived in my car until my boss offered his office at the gym as a temporary bedroom.”
When Cooper didn’t respond, I looked over at him. The look of rage on his face made me freeze in shock.
Deception Page 14
