by Donna Grant
Brice brought Naomi’s hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “My wife’s right. So, go ahead and tell us what you’ve got.”
“Not as much as you think.” Cooper shrugged as he leaned against the counter. “Jace and I have been marking locations on a map where pregnant women were killed and their babies taken.”
Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “And? What have you learned?”
“That our county is in the middle of it all,” Cooper stated.
Brice ran a hand down his face as he shook his head. “Damn. I’d heard a few news stories, but that’s it.”
“Some cases don’t make the news.” Cooper shrugged. “Jace and I are still trying to get a handle on it. That’s what we were doing last night. We got a new map, but before we began marking it, we wanted to find all the news stories we could.”
Naomi started to cut up some carrots. “Is this just in Texas?”
“That’s what we began with, but we’re thinking it’ll need to be extended to the entire country.”
Caleb shook his head. “Not just America. Worldwide.”
“We don’t have the resources for that,” Brice said. “Hell, I’m not sure we’ll be much help for Texas.”
Cooper removed his Stetson and slapped it against his leg. “I feel the same, but something brought Marlee here. She might have gotten it wrong with Nate, but what if the location is right? The simple fact that these kidnappings and killings are happening all around us makes me wonder what’s in this county. And if there is something here with us, why haven’t any of us seen it?”
“Because we don’t want to,” Naomi replied.
Brice lowered his gaze to the floor. “When we began looking into adoption, there were so many agencies to choose from. So many children waiting to find homes. And that’s only here in the US. Even more children are adopted overseas and brought here. The sheer amount of paperwork we had to do just to be considered is mind-blowing. They did background checks on us multiple times. I didn’t once think the place might not be legitimate.”
“You had no reason to. The process was long and arduous, and you two waited months for Nate,” Caleb said. “You always hear of black-market things on the news and television, but no one ever thinks it’s happening near them. Marlee mentioned that some of the babies cut from their mother’s wombs might be illegal immigrants.”
Cooper set his hat on the counter. “That means whatever statistics are out there, we need to raise them.”
“No, double them,” Naomi said.
Brice looked at his wife and nodded. “Damn. This is an epidemic that few even know about. What little is on the news isn’t enough.”
“What is ever enough?” Cooper countered. “No matter how much you tell people, how much you warn them to be wary, at least half of them will discount it.”
Caleb made a sound in the back of his throat. “I don’t care. Everyone needs to know about this danger.”
“Is there a chance I’ll get into a wreck the next time I’m in a car?” Naomi nodded her head. “That risk is there every time any of us gets in a vehicle. If one of you are riding, the horse could step in a hole and break its leg, throwing you in the process. You could die. A woman can die in childbirth. Yes, it’s horrendous that pregnant women are being killed for their babies, but it’s not like this has only just begun. It’s been going on for decades, no doubt.”
Caleb scratched his chin. “Even if we want to help, I don’t think Marlee will welcome it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Cooper said with a shrug. “I plan on talking to her about it tonight.”
It was the wrong thing to say because suddenly, all three were very interested in the fact that Cooper was seeing Marlee later. They bombarded him with questions, but he refused to answer. Thankfully, little Nate woke and gave him a reprieve. Brice hurried from the room to check on his son.
Naomi dumped the carrots into the pot and stirred the contents before putting the lid on and looking at Cooper. “Marlee handled our situation well. I don’t really know her, but she seems nice. I applaud her for the work she’s doing. I’m not sure if I could do it. If you can help her in any way, then do it. And let us know if we can help, as well.”
Cooper grabbed his hat and put it on his head. “Will do.”
“What about Cash?” Caleb asked as he followed Cooper outside. “Could he help?”
Cooper twisted his lips. “I contacted him. He’s in deep on a case and is unavailable to help right now. He said he’d try to get here as quickly as he could. Marlee seems competent. I just think she needs some help.”
“She’s used to working alone. Some prefer it that way.”
“True, but that kind of life takes a toll on a person. I won’t push her, but I’m going to let her know that we can help. I got the feeling she really wanted to wrap this case up. Now, she has to start again.”
Caleb slapped Cooper on the back. “Good luck tonight. It’s obvious you’ve got it bad for her. Maybe don’t talk about work this evening. Perhaps make it about the two of you.”
Cooper’s balls tightened just thinking about him and Marlee in his bed. “Yeah. The two of us.”
Chapter 15
This was the first time Marlee wished she had packed nicer clothes. The fact that she contemplated going shopping just so she’d have something decent to wear told her how excited she was about the date.
A date. A freaking date. She couldn’t believe it. Not to mention, she was going to dinner with one of the sexiest men she’d ever encountered. What was it about Cooper Owens in those Wrangler jeans and that Stetson hat? Combine that with his heart-stopping smile and eyes that drew her in, and she couldn’t stop her attraction if she tried.
And she really, really didn’t want to try.
She hadn’t felt anything like this in a long time. For an instant, she hadn’t known what the feeling was, but her body had. Then, her mind had caught on. It was that moment when the attraction hit, and the one who caught your attention became the only thing you could think about. Yeah, she remembered that all too well. And she had missed it.
She smoothed her hand over the gray sweater she’d worn a few nights back when she lay in wait for him at the café. This time, she left her hair down, the curls doing their thing as they always did. She had stopped trying to make them behave. If there was a lot of humidity, they curled. If the weather was drier, the curls weren’t nearly as tight, and even sometimes fell into more of a wave.
Marlee didn’t have any makeup, but she did find some lip gloss in her purse—no doubt put there by her mother. Marlee added it to her lips for a bit of shine and just a hint of color. She looked at herself in the mirror and contemplated changing just as a knock sounded at the door.
Her eyes jerked to the nightstand and the clock that read seven p.m. on the dot. Her heart lurched as she turned to the door. Nerves made her hands tremble and her knees weak.
“Who is it?” she called.
“Cooper.”
She unlocked the door and opened it to find him filling the doorway. “Hi,” she said.
He tipped his hat at her. “Hi. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” A blush crept up her cheeks. It had been years since anyone had made her blush. She took in his black jeans and boots and saw the dark green shirt beneath his jacket. “You look very handsome.”
If it was possible, his smile got even sexier. “Thank you.”
Her room was filled with papers from the investigation, so she put on her coat and grabbed her purse. “Shall we go?”
He waited for her to close the door, then they walked to his truck. To her surprise, he opened her door for her and waited until she was inside before he closed it and walked around to the driver’s side.
Once he was behind the wheel, she said, “I thought people only did that in the movies.”
Cooper chuckled. “Many still do it around here. My momma told me if I didn’t remember anything else she taught me, I was at least going to k
now how to treat a woman.”
“I really think I like your mom.”
“Oh, she’s going to love you.” He started the engine.
Marlee chuckled. “Why do you say that?”
“You’re independent, have your own business, are strong-minded, and you don’t put up with anything.”
“I don’t think anyone has ever spoken about me like that before.”
“I bet they have. You just didn’t hear them.”
She looked out the windshield. “I guess I never considered myself in such a way. I just found a path and took it.”
“Do you regret your decision?”
“Not at all. I don’t like when I can’t solve a case. And I regret not seeing my parents more, but they’re very understanding. Unfortunately, they’re not in the best of health.” Marlee wondered why she had told Cooper that. She rarely shared anything about her private life, and especially not things about her parents.
But with him, she found she wanted to talk. To share things.
He wore a frown when he glanced her way. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I’d planned to go home for a few months after this case. I really thought I was going to be leaving for California tomorrow.”
“Do your parents need you?”
“A nurse lives with them. My father suffered a stroke about ten years ago. He can’t use his left arm and he can’t talk. My mom just went into the hospital for pneumonia. But I spoke to her. She sounded good.”
He nodded slowly. “But life can be taken away in a blink.”
Marlee looked down at her hands. She knew he was speaking of his father, but her mind was on Macey.
“My father was the picture of health,” Cooper said into the silence. “He always made sure we were safe, that he was safe. He worked at the sawmill, and one day, an accident happened. It changed our lives forever. Since the fault lay with the company, they paid out a lot of money to my mom. She hated that money for a long time.”
“Because she would’ve rather had your father with her.”
Cooper shot her a smile. “That’s exactly what she used to say.”
“I’m sorry about your dad. I can’t imagine growing up like that.”
“It was hard, though I think it was harder on Mom. Jace and his family were there for us, though. I don’t know what we would’ve done without them.”
Marlee leaned her head back against the seat. “It’s good that you and your mom had someone to lean on. It looks like things turned out well for you.”
“You should know,” he said with a chuckle. “You looked into us.”
She wrinkled her nose as she lifted her head and smiled. “I’m sorry. I know it must be awkward to realize a stranger dug into your life.”
“A little,” he replied with a shrug. “Tell me what you thought about me.”
Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “No one has ever asked that of me.”
“Good.”
His smile was infectious. Marlee found her lips turning up at the corners. “Okay. Well, I was impressed by the fact you joined the military. I wasn’t able to get a lot of information about your time in the Air Force, but what I did learn was that you were a highly decorated airman. I might have been a little jealous of the fact that you were an honors student in school with a 4.0 GPA in college that resulted in a business degree.”
“I studied my ass off,” he said with a laugh.
“Mmmm. I probably should’ve done that.”
They laughed.
She looked out the window at the oncoming lights. “What I found was that you’re a good guy. You’ve done things for your friends and family that others might not have. To top it off, you’re gorgeous.”
“Gorgeous, huh?” he asked as his forest green eyes met her stare as they stopped at a light. “I’m glad you think so because I can honestly say I’ve never encountered anyone as stunningly beautiful as you.”
For the second time that night, Marlee blushed.
Chapter 16
Cooper couldn’t remember ever being so nervous. As they reached the restaurant, he walked Marlee to the entrance. He loved that a blush continued staining her cheeks whenever she looked his way. The cop-turned-PI seemed as if nothing could faze her, and yet his compliments had done just that. It made him want to continue lavishing her with such words to keep her blushing.
As they were led to their table, Cooper held out her chair and waited for her to sit before taking his own seat.
“You keep doing things like that, and I’m going to start expecting all men to treat me that way,” she said with a smile.
He shrugged. “Shouldn’t all men treat women with respect?”
“Absolutely.”
“However, I know some women don’t like having doors opened for them.” He shrugged. “It just wasn’t how I was raised.”
They shared a smile. He gazed deep into her bourbon-colored eyes and found himself drowning there. He wanted to know all there was about her, every detail. She had no idea how appealing she was to him or how much he … craved her.
She bit her lower lip, and he held back a moan. His blood had been on fire from the first moment he saw her. Now, every time they were together, he wanted her more. He hadn’t even had a taste of her yet, and he was already addicted to her. How bad would it be once he finally had her?
“What are you thinking?” she asked. “You look deep in thought.”
“I was thinking about how beautiful your eyes are. They’re the color of my favorite drink.”
She quirked an auburn brow. “Oh? What would that be?”
“Bourbon.”
That made her chuckle. “And here I thought they were just plain brown.”
“There’s nothing plain about you.”
The conversation was put on hold as they ordered, but as soon as they were alone again, Marlee asked, “From what I learned when investigating you, and from what others around here told me, you’re quite a catch. How is it you aren’t married?”
“I could ask the same of you,” he said with a grin.
Marlee pulled a face. “That’s easy. My job keeps me single.”
“Fair enough.” He thought about it for a moment and twisted his lips. “I don’t really know why I’ve not settled down. After seeing my friends find their wives, I realized that it would happen to me when and if it happened. That I couldn’t go looking for it.”
“Good answer.” Marlee rested her forearms on the table, leaning toward him. “This may sound out of line, but I really hope you asked me out to get to know me, not to talk about the case.”
“In my opinion, the case with Brice and Naomi is finished. I’m here with you tonight because I’m interested in you. But I’m not going to lie, I’d love to talk to you more about what you do.”
She shrugged. “Sure. But not tonight. Tonight, I’d like to pretend I’m just a woman on a date.”
“I think we can accomplish that.”
They traded small talk for the next twenty minutes with Cooper speaking about his time in the rodeo and calf roping. She had a million questions, and he was content to answer all of them. When their food arrived, Marlee seemed more relaxed than he had ever seen her. She was smiling easily, laughing often, with her eyes twinkling as she listened raptly to what he had to say.
“I’ve been doing all the talking,” he said. “Tell me about you.”
She shrugged and cut into her steak. “There really isn’t much to tell.”
“I beg to differ. You were a police officer before you became a PI. Why did you become a cop?”
“I honestly have no idea. No one in my family had ever been part of the police force. I just felt drawn to it.” She paused and took a bite, then sighed blissfully. “This is the best steak I’ve ever had.”
Cooper laughed, nodding. “No one can cook steak like we do in Texas.”
After she swallowed, she said, “My parents weren’t thrilled with my decision to become a cop because they were worr
ied about my safety, but my sister supported me fully.”
Now that she had mentioned her sister, Cooper didn’t feel odd asking more about it. “A sister?”
“My twin.” Marlee’s smile was slow, a deep sadness coming over her face. “Her name was Macey. I was older by two minutes.”
“Were you two close?”
“Oh, yeah. Twins usually are.” She set down her fork. “You know, don’t you?”
Cooper didn’t pretend not to understand what she was asking. “I do.”
“Thank you for not asking about it.”
“I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t mean much, but I really am sorry about what happened to her.”
Marlee picked up her fork and began eating again. They returned to small talk, and he let it happen. Obviously, she wasn’t ready to tell him more about her sister, or maybe since he knew the facts, she didn’t think she needed to elaborate. Either way, he wasn’t going to push her.
It wasn’t until they walked from the restaurant that Marlee said, “My goal is to find the person who killed my sister and took her baby.”
“I’d do the same in your shoes.”
“I was on duty when it happened. We lived together. Macey’s pregnancy had been an accident, but it never entered her mind to do anything but raise the baby herself. She would’ve been an amazing mom, and I planned to be right there to help her the entire time.”
Cooper reached over and took her hand, their walk to his truck slow.
Marlee glanced his way and then smiled. “My parents were so excited about welcoming their first grandchild. And I couldn’t wait to become an aunt. We spent months getting the baby’s room ready with my parents chipping in to help. Those months were glorious, which is odd for someone having a child out of wedlock.” Her smile faded. “The day Macey died, I went shopping to pick out a Halloween costume for my unborn niece. It was for the next year, but I’d seen it and just had to buy it. It was a surprise for Macey, and I rushed home to show her. The moment I walked in the house and didn’t see her, I knew something was wrong.”
