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He put out his arms and she flowed into them. Being in his strong embrace cushioned her heart and made her feel closer to the brother she’d lost. Cooper had blamed himself for the accident, but everyone knew it hadn’t been his fault. He hadn’t been the one drinking and driving. He couldn’t possibly have known the other driver was going to careen off his side of the road and slam into them. So hugging Cooper was a way for her to comfort him, too. A way to tell him she didn’t hold him responsible for her brother’s death.
“I’m glad, too, Laurie Loo.”
She chuckled. “You haven’t called me that for at least a decade.”
“Yeah, I know. You used to hate it.”
“I’ll let you in on my secret. I only pretended to hate it.” She’d actually thought his nickname for her was kind of sweet. It was the way he’d say it, with deep affection rather than mockery, that kept her crush for him alive.
“Come in, Cooper,” her mother said. “Dinner’s almost ready. Why don’t you and Lauren have a seat in the family room while I go check on things?”
“You need a hand, Loretta?” Cooper asked.
“No, no, no. You two go on and catch up. I’ll be fine,” she said, stepping out of the room.
“Mama likes doing it all herself. That’s never going to change. Even though she retired from nursing, she can’t seem to keep still. I suppose it’s a good thing.” Except when she was meddling in her life.
Her mother meant well, but her irrational arguments against her marrying Roger weren’t fair. Yes, her mama married her father after dating only two months and, yes, their marriage had gotten off to a rocky start. But Mama hadn’t really known him, not the way Lauren knew Roger. David Abbott’d had a wandering eye and her mother had been too blinded by love not to see it. Until her father had picked up and left his family.
Before he’d died, he’d been married and divorced three other times. So, of course, her mother would think that Lauren wasn’t thinking this through. Sadly, her mother had scars that hadn’t healed and she didn’t want her only daughter to end up that way too. And that was part of the reason Lauren needed to see Cooper. For backup. Her mama trusted Cooper. If he could give her the approval she needed, she was sure her mama would back off.
Cooper nodded. “No doubt. Keeping busy is healthy for the soul.”
“Well, then, Mama’s soul is in ridiculously good shape.”
Lauren led him to the brushed-suede sofa in the family room and gestured for him to sit. The cushions sank a bit as they both took a seat. Lauren crossing her legs and garnering an appreciative look from Cooper. She’d dressed up for the occasion, a soft, cocoa, lacy dress and heels, a far cry from the scrubs she usually wore. Suddenly her nerves started bouncing like a Ping-Pong ball. This was an important night. She needed an ally.
Cooper gave her a megawatt smile. “You look great. How’ve you been?”
“I am great,” she said. “I have news and I wanted to share it with you right away.”
“Okay,” he said, leaning back against the sofa, giving her his full attention. “Sounds important.”
She put out her left hand and her square-cut, two-carat diamond ring sparkled under his nose. “I’m engaged to Roger Kelsey. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Cooper held her hand to peer at the ring on her finger. A little zing flittered through her system. She may not have completely gotten over her little crush on him from ages ago, but that wasn’t love or anything close. Nope, Cooper was a dear family friend and...well, he was like a big brother to her.
“What it is,” he said, his eyes softening to hers, “is a little sudden, isn’t it, Lauren?”
“I know, Cooper. Mama said the same thing, but she doesn’t know how glorious Roger makes me feel. So what if we haven’t been dating long. They say, when it’s right, it’s right.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” he asked.
She gave her head a tilt. Not Cooper, too. Her mama hadn’t been overjoyed about her quick engagement and now Cooper, Tony’s brother from another mother, was giving her a hard time. “You’re big-brothering me again.”
“Tony’s not here to do it.”
“I know.” She put her head down. It hurt terribly to think Tony wasn’t going to be at her wedding. They’d been close all their lives, until that fateful accident. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, Cooper. I know you’re just looking out for my welfare, but this time, I’ve got it.”
“Got what?”
“It. You know, love, marriage, everything that goes with it. It’s under control and time for me to settle down. I’m twenty-six years old and I want more out of life. The one thing Tony’s death taught me is to not take life for granted. I’m ready, Cooper.”
His gaze roamed over her face as she waited breathlessly for his approval. More than anything, she wanted his blessing. Finally his lips parted in a small, encouraging smile. “Okay. Well, then, I’m happy for you.”
“Oh, Cooper. Thank you!” She lunged for him and squeezed his neck, hugging him tight. Whiffs of his manly cologne surrounded her, but she was too happy to dwell on how much that appealed to her. “This means so much to me...you’ll never know.” Tears welled in her eyes. She had his blessing. It would be easier for her mama to accept her marriage to Roger now. “There’s one thing, though...a favor I need to ask you. You’re not like family to us, you are family, and...well, since my dad is gone, and now Tony, too, I was hoping that on my wedding day, you’d do me the honor of walking me down the aisle.”
* * *
Cooper paced inside Loretta’s kitchen. He’d come in here the second Lauren had excused herself to take a phone call and now he was realizing how hard this mission would be. If he spoke negatively about Kelsey without any proof of his bad intentions, Lauren would shut him down. He’d seen it happen before. Lauren was strong-willed, stubborn and independent. Through the years, Tony had learned how to rein her in. He’d gained her trust and had actually gotten her to listen to him at times. But he wasn’t Tony. Cooper only had a brother and was the first to admit he had no skills understanding the female mind. Not when it came to stopping a young woman from possibly making a big mistake.
A little voice in his head told him to back off and let Lauren find out about Kelsey on her own. A leopard always revealed his spots...or some such notion. But Lauren had been hurt enough and so had Loretta, for that matter. He’d given Tony’s mother his word.
Loretta was busy putting hot rolls into a lined basket. He pulled the aroma into his nostrils, but the garlicky cheese scent did nothing to whet his appetite.
“Say what’s on your mind,” the older woman said quietly.
Cooper ran a hand down his face. “Loretta, she’s asked me to walk her down the aisle. Man, that puts me in a difficult spot. Lauren is so damn happy.”
“What did you say to her?”
“What could I say? I couldn’t hurt her. I told her it would be my honor to take Tony’s place by her side.”
The hand Loretta put on his shoulder was warm and comforting. “She doesn’t know her own heart, Cooper. Trust me on this. She’s thought herself in love half a dozen times in her lifetime. Kelsey is not the man for her. You won’t hurt her, but he will.”
He hadn’t told a soul about Tony’s suspicions about his partner cheating him, but maybe now was the time to broach the subject. “Loretta, what’s going on at Kelsey-Abbott? How often do you go into the office?”
“Me? I’ve been a nurse for thirty-five years. What do I know about real-estate development? I told my Tony years ago not to include me in his will. I’m comfortable and have everything I need.”
“So, you’re saying that Tony’s half of the company—”
“Goes to Lauren. Yes, that’s the way we’d agreed.”
Cooper stared at her. Soon, Loretta’s eyes began blinking almost as fast as his mind was spinning. “Oh, dear. You don’t think that he’s marrying her to gain control of the entire company, do you?”
It wasn’t unheard of and, in fact, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If Roger Kelsey was married to Lauren, there would be no need for anyone to check over the books, to reframe the partnership, to find out he’d been cheating Tony. It was likely that Lauren wouldn’t want to get involved in the company at all, not if her new husband had everything under control. She was as dedicated to nursing as her mother had been. “Could be, Loretta,” he murmured.
“Hey!” Lauren came bounding into the room, a big smile on her face. “There you are. I was wondering what happened to you, Cooper. And my ears are burning. Were you both talking about me?”
“Yep, as a matter of fact we were,” Cooper said, giving Loretta a glance. “You told me you haven’t picked a venue for the wedding yet.”
“Yes, that’s right. We’re going to do something simple.”
“But, honey, you’ve always dreamed of a big wedding,” Loretta interjected, disapproval clouding her soft brown eyes. “That’s the least Roger can do for you.”
“I know, Mama. But there isn’t time for that and I’m fine...with it.” The disappointment on her face told a different story.
“You shouldn’t be fine with anything. You should be ecstatic. We’re talking about your wedding day, honey.”
“Problem solved,” Cooper announced and two curious female gazes landed on him.
He hoped like hell he wasn’t making a whopper of a mistake, but the idea taking shape in his mind wasn’t anything short of brilliant. What he needed was time with Lauren to make sure she wasn’t getting in over her head and marrying this guy impulsively. Which seemed likely. Tony hadn’t trusted him, Loretta thought she was being rash and now Cooper was smack-dab in the middle of it all. Keeping Lauren close—and away from Roger—was key. There was only one way he figured he could pull that off.
“You’re getting married at my ranch at Stone Ridge. I insist. You’ll speak your vows at my home. I’ll open the place up to you and you can come and stay with me while you make your plans. Heck, both you and your mama are welcome to stay on the ranch. The two of you can work together and, Lauren, you’ll have the wedding you’ve always dreamed about. I promise not to get in your way.”
A promise he would probably have to break because he planned on protecting Lauren from being hurt no matter what.
Lauren’s pretty, pale green eyes brightened. She opened her mouth to say something but after a split second, she clamped her lips shut again, her shoulders falling. “I can’t let you do that. It’s too much.”
He wasn’t above playing the guilt card to get her to agree. After all, he was an expert at self-imposed guilt trips. Ultimately what he needed was time to convince Lauren not to marry Kelsey and this was his plan A, B and C. He had no other options.
“Tony often spoke to me about giving you a beautiful wedding when the time came. And, yes, I may have some reservations about how quickly this is all happening, but in my heart I know your brother would’ve wanted it this way.”
Tears sprang to her eyes and she trembled. “Oh, Cooper.”
And then she was in his arms, her supple, firm body plastered against him, her gratitude brimming. When she turned her head slightly, his nose was in her hair, her subtle, fresh, flowery scent teasing him.
“I take that as a yes,” he whispered.
Her head bobbed up and down. “Yes,” she said, raw emotion in her voice.
He glanced over at Loretta hopelessly.
A full-out approving smile graced her face and she gave him a big nod.
Which sort of worried him a bit, he wasn’t gonna lie.
* * *
“I have the best news, Roger,” Lauren said, coming to sit next to him on the den sofa in his penthouse apartment overlooking the Dallas skyline. The view here was amazing, just as amazing as the tall, dark-haired man she was to marry. She admired Roger’s always-groomed look, his sense of style and his abundant confidence. Up until Tony died, she’d only seen Roger as a casual friend. But he’d been magnificent to her ever since the funeral and they’d had a whirlwind love affair. “My brother’s best friend has offered us the use of his ranch to hold our wedding. Stone Ridge is magnificent. There’s no need to have a simple courthouse wedding, after all. And Mama is pretty sure we can get it all together in a month.”
Roger pursed his lips, deep in thought. “A ranch wedding?”
“Not just any ranch, honey. It’s Tony’s best friend Cooper Stone’s ranch. You may have met him at the funeral.” She hated bringing up that sad day. The memory still seared a hole in her heart.
“Sounds like a lot of work,” Roger said. “Can’t we just get married without all the fuss?”
Lauren shrugged, feeling deflated. “Yes, I suppose. But finally Mama is on board and even seems excited about planning the wedding with me. And, well, I’ve always dreamed about having a beautiful wedding.”
Roger stared at her and then leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Can we keep it small, at least?”
“Yes, of course. No more than one hundred people. I promise.”
“A hundred?” His voice hit a high note. “That many?”
“That’s not very many when we consider your employees and our mutual friends, plus my dear friends at the hospital. I’m so excited about this. Please, please, say it’s okay with you.”
He scratched his head. Roger didn’t like to mingle and didn’t like crowds. But a woman only got married once and she was sure he’d come around and be just as happy about the wedding plans as she was.
“Yeah, it’s okay with me.”
She bounded out of her seat, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. “Thanks, Roger. You’ve made me very happy!”
“That’s the plan, isn’t it? Happy wife, happy life.”
“Oh, we’ll sure have that,” she said, smiling. “I’m taking a good chunk of the vacation I’ve stored up to plan the wedding. Oh, Roger, it’s gonna be so much fun.”
“If you say so. But remember, I’ve got that big, new deal coming up this month. I’m going to be extremely busy.”
“But not too busy to help with the wedding plans. I’ve always wanted a June wedding. I can’t wait to start planning.”
She got up from the sofa and grabbed her purse. “I’m off now. Mama and I have a date to start the plans.”
Roger stood and walked her to the door. “Just don’t break the bank on this,” he said.
“Never. If I’m one thing, it’s frugal. Had to be, with my dad leaving us and my mama a nurse. We didn’t have much, but we always managed.” With Tony’s financial help, she’d made it through nursing school without having to take out a huge college loan.
Roger kissed her briefly. As she waved goodbye to him from the elevator, she took one last look at his apartment. With its sleek furniture and state-of-the-art kitchen, everything about the place screamed edgy. It was sure a far cry from the humble home she lived in with her mother on Masefield Avenue.
After Tony died, Lauren had given up an apartment she’d shared with a fellow nurse. Her mama needed her, but in truth, Lauren had probably gotten just as much comfort as her mother had from staying in her childhood home on the outskirts of town.
Pretty soon, though, once she married, she’d be living in the heart of Dallas with Roger.
The drive home at this time of evening wasn’t easy. Dallas traffic bottled up and she found herself on the road rocking out to Carrie Underwood singing about bad boys and payback.
It was a good twenty minutes later when she pulled onto Masefield Avenue. A man holding a ledger under his arm was just leaving the house. He nodded to her.
“Evening, miss,” he said.
“Hello.” Puzzled, she slowed her steps and watched him get into a car and drive off.
She entered the house. “Mama?”
“In the kitchen, honey,” Loretta said.
Her mama glanced at her as she stepped into the room. The table was littered with papers and paint samples. “Well, I finally got that estimate to paint the entire house, inside and out. And looks like if I agree to have them start tomorrow and pay them cash, he’s gonna give me a nice discount.”
“Mama? What are you talking about? We have a wedding to plan. We can’t have painters in here.”
“Honey, actually it’s the perfect time to have the house painted. I’ve delayed it for so long because it’s a nuisance to have workmen here and everything all covered up. You know what the smell of paint does to my sinuses. But, if we take Cooper up on his offer, we can move into his place until the wedding. That’ll give the workmen more than enough time to get the house done.”
“Mama, it was awfully sweet of Cooper to invite us to stay at his ranch, but he wasn’t serious.”
“Oh, yes, he was. He called up today asking when we were coming.”
“He did not.”
“He did. That Cooper is as fine as they come.”
