“How can I do that?” Stephanie argued. “She warned me off. She’s the type that’ll call the sheriff on me.”
“Then you’ll wait until everyone leaves, or maybe I can persuade her.”
“Good luck with that,” she said.
A shiver snaked down Coop’s spine. They would go after Lilly? No way in hell. He stole a look into the office as Santos whispered something in Spanish. Stephanie giggled, then Rey grabbed her roughly. “My luck is always good.”
Then his mouth ground over hers. She let out a groan of pain and fought him to break free. “Hey, that hurts,” she cried, trying to push him away.
“That’s it,” he growled. “Fight me.”
Santos forced Stephanie down on the desk, and Coop moved out of sight, leaving the lovebirds. He figured he wasn’t going to get any more information tonight.
Coop made his way off the property and headed back to the house. He needed to make some calls, to figure out his next move. One thing there was no doubt about: drugs were coming into Kerry Springs. His job was to stop them.
The next morning, Lilly was up at dawn. She was never one for sleeping in. Having been a teacher most of her adult life, she found early mornings had helped keep her sanity. And she’d always been the one to get the kids up and moving, allowing Mike to sleep in. He did so without a problem. Of course, he’d worked ten-to-twelve-hour days. Had that been to stay away from her? She shook away the thought. Don’t go there. It’s too late for regrets.
She made her way down to the kitchen. She had dressed in shorts and a sleeveless top, ready for the hot day that had been promised.
She glanced out the window toward the cottage, surprised to find the door open. She was even more surprised when Noah stepped out into the small covered porch.
“Oh, boy,” she breathed as he leaned against the post, dressed only in a pair of jeans. Her gaze lowered to the top two buttons that were undone, causing his pants to ride low on his hips.
For heaven’s sake, she’d seen a man shirtless before. Oh, but never had she seen anyone who looked like Noah Cooper. His muscular chest and broad shoulders looked like they could carry the weight of the world. She lowered her eyes to his flat stomach. That was an understatement. He had what they called a six-pack. The man had to work out all the time.
Slowly his gaze went to the house and the kitchen window. Busted. Their eyes met and she was frozen in place. It seemed like an eternity that his eyes held her in a trance, then finally he raised his mug toward her like a salute, turned and walked back inside the cottage.
Lilly released a breath and sank against the counter. What was she doing? She wasn’t the type to ogle a man. In school she’d been the shy, studious one. Mike had been her first boyfriend, then her husband.
“Morning, dear,” Beth Staley said.
Lily jumped as her mother strolled into the room. “Oh, hi, Mom.”
Beth frowned. “Is something wrong?”
A lot. “No. You just surprised me. What are you doing up so early?” She glanced at the clock. Six-ten. “You don’t have to go to work until nine.”
The older woman smiled and went to pour some coffee. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess I couldn’t sleep.”
Lilly examined her mother closely. Something was different about her. “Did you get your hair cut?”
“Yesterday. Do you like it?”
The shorter cut would be easier for her to care for. “I like it. The color is pretty, too.”
“It’s just a shine Cassie talked me into trying. It’s to take the yellow out of my gray.”
Her mother had great hair, thick and healthy. Lilly looked over the fifty-eight-year-old widow. At five foot four, she was trim and kept in shape. She had pretty green eyes and a warm smile.
There were other subtle changes about her. Her style of clothing was different today. She had on white capris and an aqua-colored knit top, partly covered with a multicolored blouse.
“Mom, you look…so pretty.”
She sighed. “Thank you.”
“Is there some reason you’re all dressed up this morning?”
She gave a sheepish grin. “Could be.”
Lilly folded her arms and waited. “Well, aren’t you going to tell me?”
Her mother actually blushed. “I have a breakfast date.”
“A date?” She swallowed. “You mean a date, date?” Her mother hadn’t dated since her dad’s death ten years ago. “Who?”
“Close your mouth, daughter. It isn’t becoming.”
“Mother.”
“Okay, I’m meeting Sean Rafferty for breakfast.”
The good-looking, charming Sean Rafferty? “What? How long has this been going on?”
Beth sent her daughter a sharp look. “That’s not anybody’s business, but we’ve spent some time together. We happened to run into each other in San Antonio last month when I was shopping there.
“Sean asked me to lunch, and we found we enjoyed each other’s company. And since we’re both so busy this is the only time we have to see each other.”
“You’re right. It isn’t my business. I just thought Millie Roberts had a thing for Sean.”
Her mother sighed. “I know, but Sean doesn’t feel the same about her. We find we have so much in common, and there is that spark. Oh, plenty of sparks.”
Lilly wanted to put her hands over her ears. Was this more than a platonic friendship? My mother is in a love triangle.
“And I need to tell her, today,” Beth said.
“Yes, you should,” Lilly agreed. “She’d be hurt if she heard it from someone else.” What else could happen this morning? She’d ogled a man, and her mother was dating. Suddenly the music vibration started upstairs in Kasey’s bedroom.
This was going to be an interesting summer.
It was after seven o’clock before Coop was off the phone with his captain relaying details about Delgado and the possible drug shipment coming to Kerry Springs. That was enough information to have more men posted around the landscaping business, looking for any unusual activity.
They wanted to get Delgado this time. In the past he’d managed to slip through the cracks, and no one would rat him out. Mike Perry might have tried, but he was dead now. They needed to find the proof that Mike had planned to give them, and before it got into the wrong hands.
He stood and looked out the window. He wasn’t sure he should go to the house for breakfast. He couldn’t deny the attraction between himself and Lilly. It would be easy to let things happen, but in the end he would have to leave when the job was done. Except Lilly Perry would be hard to say goodbye to.
There was a soft knock on the door. He opened it to find Robbie. “Hey, Rob, you ready to work?”
He nodded. “Mom said to tell you breakfast is ready.”
Coop hesitated, but seeing the bright look on the boy’s face, he nodded. “Good, I’m starved.”
The boy didn’t move. “Coop, can I ask you something?”
They walked along the path together. “Sure.”
“If you’re not too busy later, can you play catch with me?”
“Sure. We could probably find some time.”
“Oh, boy. Thanks.”
Robbie ran ahead and through the back door. Coop smiled and followed him inside where he found a brooding Kasey at the table and her mother at the stove making pancakes.
“Hi,” he said to Lilly as he went behind the island. “Need some help?”
“Sure. You can set the table. Plates are up there.”
He reached overhead and brought down four plates. He grabbed flatware and headed to the table. “Here, Kasey, make yourself useful.”
The teenager was about to argue, but Coop gave her a look that had her changing her mind. He went back to get the orange juice and glasses. In a few minutes they were all seated at the table and enjoying a nice breakfast.
“Where’s Beth?”
“She has an…early appointment.”
Robbie chimed in, “She’s having bre
akfast with Mr. Rafferty.”
“Robbie, where’d you hear that?”
“You and Grandma were talking.”
“How many times have I told you that eavesdropping isn’t polite.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“I mean, you shouldn’t listen to other people talking.”
“But didn’t she go with Mr. Rafferty?”
“Yes, but Grandma’s business isn’t to leave this house. If she wants other people to know she’ll tell them.”
He took a bite of pancakes and after swallowing, he said, “Kinda like when Daddy left us, and people started sayin’ bad stuff?”
“And we don’t want that to happen again.”
The silence was deafening and Coop could see Lilly was uncomfortable.
“Hey, Rob, why don’t you go grab your ball and glove and we’ll toss a few?”
“Oh, boy. Can I, Mom?”
“Finish your milk, then you’re excused.”
He grabbed a few more bites of food, then drank up and ran off. So did his sister, although she didn’t ask permission.
The room was quiet with only the sound of footsteps overhead. “It was rough for you and the kids, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “Even though there were a lot who stood by me, there were many who speculated on what happened between Mike and me. I was a bad wife. Had he met someone else? It all happened so fast. As if overnight my husband had changed and I couldn’t stop it.” She toyed with her coffee mug. “I guess I didn’t protect my children as well as I’d hoped, because in the end, their father abandoned them, and I can’t forgive him for that.”
If nothing else, Coop hoped he could learn the truth for her, but first he had to find it. Then they would both have answers to all the questions.
“I’m sorry, Lilly.”
She turned those hazel green eyes toward him. “Why? None of this is your fault. Mike was an adult. He made choices. All bad, but he made them.” She chewed her lower lip. “Worse, I know it had something to do with Stephanie.”
Bingo. “Why? Did your sister-in-law try to break up your marriage?”
She sighed. “You saw her yesterday. She was always jealous. She was the baby of the family, ten years younger than Mike. He spoiled her rotten because their father ignored her. After their parents died, Mike took over the business, and that included helping Stephanie.”
Coop carefully worked for information. “It seems that the business is prosperous.”
“That’s thanks to Mike. He expanded it to do landscaping and new construction and he opened the nursery on the property. We all sacrificed, too, helping to secure the future. Now they’re without a father, and my kids get nothing.
“Why is that? Aren’t his children in the will?”
Lilly shook her head. “Mike signed a survivorship clause, leaving everything to his sister. Stephanie walks away with it all, the business that rightfully should go to my children. She and that slimy boyfriend, Rey Santos, get everything.”
“Do you suspect something isn’t right?”
He watched her anger build along with her tears. “I don’t care anymore, Noah. Mike’s gone and the kids are without a father. All I want is for Stephanie to stay away from my family. We want to move on with our lives.”
Lilly stood. “Excuse me, Noah, I need to get to the store this morning. If you want anything more, help yourself. I’ll get Kasey to do the dishes.”
He got up, too, and stopped her before she left. “If my opinion means anything, I think you’re one hell of a woman, Lilly Perry. A man would be a fool to leave you.”
An hour later, Coop was calling himself every name in the book as he stood in the Staley backyard. He had no business saying anything to Lilly at breakfast.
Dammit. The woman was getting to him, and he had to stop it. He had to find a way to stay focused on his job. Not how much he wanted to pull her into his arms, feel her body against his. The problem was he wanted more than just to ease the loneliness; he wanted a connection with another human being.
“Heads up, Coop.”
He looked at Robbie to see the ball come flying. He was using the first baseman’s mitt that had once been Mike Perry’s. He reached out and managed to snag the errant throw.
“Okay, Rob. Here it comes.” He tossed the ball in the air. “Now get under it. That’s right, look it into your glove.”
The ball dropped in the kid’s glove and Robbie let go with a cheer. “I did it. Did you see, Coop? I did it.”
“I sure did. You kept your eye on the ball and you weren’t afraid.” He tugged on the boy’s cap. “Good job.” They did a high-five.
Just then Lilly’s compact car turned into the driveway and parked at the garage. Robbie went rushing toward her. “Mom, I caught the ball.”
She got out of the car and hugged her son. Something inside Coop’s chest tightened at the sight. His mother had never been affectionate with him or Devin. She was too busy for them most of the time.
Robbie pulled her by the hand. “Come on, Mom, we’ll show you.”
“Okay.”
The boy told her where to stand, then rushed off to about fifteen feet away. “Throw it to me, Coop.”
Coop nodded. With a glance toward Lilly he turned back to Robbie. “Okay, keep your eye on the ball like the last time.” He lofted the ball in the air, praying that the boy could get it. “Look it into your glove,” he coaxed until he heard the familiar thud.
He’d never seen a brighter smile than the one on Robbie’s face. Then he turned to Lilly. He was mistaken. She was beaming.
“Oh, Robbie, I’m so proud of you,” she cheered.
The boy ran to his mom. “Wow. I’m getting better. I’m gonna go tell Kasey.” He took off running.
Coop didn’t move, but Lilly did as she came up to him and touched his arm. “Oh, Noah, how can I ever thank you? I haven’t seen Robbie this happy in a long time.”
He could feel the warmth of her hand. “I just tossed him a ball.” He resisted squeezing her slender hand, but he refused to let her go, either.
“You spent time with him. He hasn’t had any male attention in a long time.”
“Yeah, a boy needs that.”
She finally took her hand away. “I bet you helped your brother a lot, too.”
“I tried. Our mom was gone a lot.”
She nodded. “I know that feeling. That’s why my mother is a godsend. Speaking of which, she’s invited Sean Rafferty to dinner tonight.”
“Not a problem. I can go to the diner downtown.”
“Noah,” she said with a smile. “You’re invited to come, too. It’s just a heads-up, they are officially dating.”
Coop smiled, finding he liked being included. “I hope he’s worthy of her.”
“Sean Rafferty is a very nice man. And according to the ladies my mother’s age, quite a catch. It seems Beth Staley has done something about a dozen women in town haven’t been able to do—caught Sean Rafferty’s eye.”
“So would you like me to grill him on his intentions?”
She laughed at that. He liked the sound and the way her hair brushed her cheek. He had to resist not to reach out and touch her. Damn, he was getting in deeper and deeper.
CHAPTER SEVEN
LILLY watched as the sensible Beth Staley seemed to become more and more flustered as she prepared supper for Sean Rafferty. All she could say was the man had better appreciate it.
And the second Sean walked into the house carrying a bottle of wine from his son’s vineyard and roses from his garden, sending a special look to her mother, she felt her own heart do a tumble.
“Sean,” Beth breathed.
“Hello, lass,” he returned with that dreamy Irish brogue and an engaging smile. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Then he looked up and saw her. “Hello, Lilly. It’s good to see you again.” He held out the wine. “Here’s a little contribution to the dinner.”
“Nice to see you, too, Sea
n. And thank you. This chardonnay will go well with the chicken.”
He tossed her a wink. “It’s nice to have access to a winery.”
Lilly smiled. The new label Rafferty Legacy graced the golden bottle. “This is lovely, thank you. How’s the family?”
“Wonderful. Sean Michael is a blessing, and a strapping lad he is. Much like his da and his uncle.”
“He’s adorable,” Beth added. “Jenny brought little Mick into the shop this morning.”
“Sorry I missed that.” Lilly was disappointed. “Will they be coming to the Casali’s barbecue?”
“Of course,” Sean said. “Jenny says she’s had enough of staying home. She can’t wait until she gets back to the shop.”
Lilly felt out of touch. “Jenny’s coming back to work?”
“Part-time,” her mother told her. “She’s going to set up a nursery in the back, and also use the upstairs apartment for naps and feedings.”
Lilly would have loved to stay home with her babies, but she didn’t have that choice. She’d had to go back to teaching to help support the family.
Suddenly there was a noise from above as her kids made their way down the stairs. Robbie was the first to speak. “Hi, Mr. R.”
“Hi, Robbie. I hear you’ve been practicing playing baseball.”
Her son beamed. “Yeah, Coop’s helpin’ me. I catch pretty good now.”
Sean turned to Kasey and grinned. “Well, who’s this pretty lassie?”
Lilly held her breath waiting for her daughter’s reaction. She actually smiled. “Hello, Mr. Rafferty.”
He reached for her hand. “You look like your mother and grandmother. Beautiful.”
“Oh, Sean.” Beth blushed. “She doesn’t want to hear that.”
“Why not?” He looked at the three generations of women. “You ladies are a picture.”
Lilly smiled. “Thank you. I’ll go check on supper.” She took off, not wanting her mother to leave her guest.
Lilly walked into the kitchen as Noah came in the back door. “Sorry, I’m late. What can I do to help?”
He was dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a collared shirt. Handsome as usual.
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