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“From time to time. He’s got an office up at his house and we have dinner a few times a week.”
“You two boys have certainly made a success of this ranch,” she said.
“We just picked up where Dad left off. He started the place and taught us the business. Luckily, we both love ranching. Jared’s the brains and I’m the brawn in the duo.” Cooper smiled and sipped lemonade.
Lauren walked in, her eyes taking in the entire kitchen. “Wow. A girl could go into crazy cooking mode in this place.”
“Feel free. I’m sure Marie wouldn’t mind a bit.”
“Marie? Is she...?”
“She is. She’s the same housekeeper we’ve had since I was a boy,” he said, handing Lauren a glass of lemonade. “She’s getting on in age, so we keep her duties light. She splits her time between here and Jared’s place, but we’ve also got a cleaning crew that comes in to help her out,” he explained. “Have a seat, ladies.”
While they took their seats at the table, he scrounged around for the oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies Marie had made yesterday. “Ah, here they are.” He set the plate on the table. “Snacks. Have some.”
“They look delicious,” Loretta said, taking one.
“They are,” Cooper said, gesturing for Lauren to take one, as well.
“If I do, then I’ll have to jog another mile or two to work it off.”
“You jog?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“And she does yoga, too,” Loretta added.
“Well, I know nothing about yoga, but anytime you want a jogging partner, I’m your guy.”
“Really?”
She seemed surprised and that surprised him. “Yep. What, you didn’t think cowboys jogged?”
Lauren laughed. “Well, no. I guess I can’t picture it.”
“See me in the morning and I’ll paint you that picture.”
“You’re on,” Lauren said. She delicately picked up a cookie and took a small bite. “Oh, these are delicious.” She began nodding her head. “I can see I’m going to need to step up my game if this is how Marie cooks.”
“It is a challenge,” Cooper admitted. “So, where would you like to start? I can show you around the house and then we can take a tour of the grounds. Were you thinking of a church wedding or having it here?”
“I’m...not sure. I’ll have to speak to Roger about that. Up until a few days ago, we were going to the courthouse to get married.”
Loretta frowned slightly. The idea of her daughter marrying this guy unsettled her, but she was hiding it well.
“I’m sure you have to get to work, Cooper,” Lauren said.
“I have a few hours. Let me give you a tour of the house first.”
* * *
After cookies and lemonade in the grand kitchen, Cooper began showing them the finer points of the room including how to work all the digital electronic appliances and how to turn on the television set in the refrigerator door, which also told the time and local temperature. By the time he was through, Lauren’s head was spinning. But her mama took it all in stride as if she was tickled pink to be here.
Lauren still felt awkward about the entire situation.
“The kitchen is always available to you,” he said. “If Marie’s here, she’s usually really good about having meals ready. If there’s something you want, just ask her, and if she’s not here, have at it. Feel free to cook something yourself.”
“I think Lauren might take you up on that, Cooper,” her mama said.
“Fine with me.” Cooper’s gaze connected with Lauren’s and all that blue coming her way made her dizzy.
It was a mother thing, putting words in Lauren’s mouth. She didn’t like it, but her best friend Katy said her mother did the same thing to her quite a bit. And she had made that crack about crazy cooking mode earlier. Still, she wasn’t at ease here yet. She hoped that would change.
Next, they followed Cooper through the living room and formal dining area, as well as a great room that housed a bar, a reading nook and a giant flat-screen television. The room was the coziest in the house, done in warm colors, with lived-in leather sofas and a rustic red-brick fireplace. He showed them how to turn on music from an in-wall stereo system with enough lights and buttons to rival an airplane dashboard.
Warning to self. Do not even think about it. She’d be sure to foul up the music system.
Then Cooper led them down the hall to his study, which he used as an office. Across the hall was a full state-of-the-art gym. “Wow,” she said under her breath. Of all the things he’d showed her thus far, this was the only thing she really envied. “I’m impressed. Do you...?”
“Yep, I get my cowboy ass—uh, excuse me, Loretta—in here a few times a week.”
“That’s obvious,” Lauren said without thinking. She resisted slapping her hand over her mouth. Goodness, she had to keep her lips buttoned more around him or he’d think she was flirting or something.
Cooper blinked once and then let the comment pass.
The gym had a shower area with a complete set of sundries, a sauna and an indoor Jacuzzi. Everything was framed in travertine and marble. The shower alone was bigger than a walk-in closet.
“Again,” he said, “feel free to use anything here you’d like.”
A sliding-glass door in the gym led them outside to the back of the house. The gardens were colorful, day lilies, peonies and primrose erupting into full bloom everywhere. A snow-white lattice gazebo sat smack in the middle of the grounds and off to the side crystal-blue waters flowed down a rock waterfall into a pool. A long stone-and-glass fire pit was surrounded by lounge chairs. It was perfection.
“It’s like a resort,” Loretta said.
Cooper laughed. “I used to throw some great parties here.”
“Tony told me. He loved those parties.”
Cooper’s face fell. “I know. God, I miss him.”
Lauren saw his pain and reached for his hand. “We all do.” He stared into her eyes a moment and nodded. Her mama took both of their hands and squeezed. And they stood there for a while, hands entwined.
After a time, her mama spoke up. “Tony wouldn’t want us to be sad. He’d want us to celebrate his life.”
It was hard for Mama to be the cheerleader in this, but she had a point. Tony would hate their grieving. He would want them to get on with their lives. “You’re right, Mama.”
Cooper sighed with what seemed to be remorse.
“Well,” Lauren said, contemplating their surroundings, “this place will make for a beautiful wedding. There’s plenty of room to speak vows by the pool. Maybe under the gazebo.”
“But Cooper has some other spots to show you, honey,” her mother said. “Don’t you, Cooper? You know, those places you told me about out by the lake.”
“Yeah, I sure do,” he said, coming out of his slump. “I was planning on taking you there today. That’s if you’re up to it.”
“I’d love to see the lake,” Lauren said.
“Actually, you two go on.” Loretta briefly closed her eyes. “I’m a bit tired. I’d like go up to my room and take a rest.”
“We can wait for you, Mama. Do it another time,” Lauren said.
“Nonsense, Lauren. You need to work this out as soon as possible and Cooper has the time today.”
“That’s right. I sure do.”
“Can I help you up the stairs?” she asked her mother as they went back inside and sat down.
“Lauren, I said I was tired, honey, not decrepit.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cooper try to hide a smile by twisting his mouth in an unbecoming way. Which was saying something, because Cooper was pretty much handsome no matter what kind of face he made. Then he faked a cough to contain a laugh, but her mother didn’t seem to notice.
“Of course you’re not decrepit, Mama.” A nurturer by nature, the last thing Loretta wanted was to be deemed incapable of taking care of herself. Lauren should’ve known not to put it that way, but being here was a bit daunting, no matter how welcoming Cooper was at the moment. With planning her quickie wedding and all the changes in her life lately, Lauren was a little bit at loose ends.
She turned to Cooper, the tilt of her head telling him she knew he’d been laughing at her. “Am I good to go like this?” she asked, gesturing to her attire.
“Let’s see. Boots, jeans, check. The hat I’ll take care of. Spring weather can be iffy. Do you want to bring along a light sweater?”
“Nah, I’ll rough it. Besides, the sun is out and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere today.”
“Okay, then I’ll see you two later.” Mama popped out of her chair like a piece of well-done bread from a toaster. “I’ll just go up to my room now.”
“Have a good rest, Loretta,” Cooper said.
After her mother walked out of the room, Cooper turned to Lauren, a smirk emerging on his face again. She rolled her eyes.
“What?” he said, innocent as a baby.
“You’re a brat, you know that, Cooper Stone.”
“At least you aren’t inferring I was decrepit.”
She punched him in the arm. It felt good, to give back his teasing in a playful way.
“Ow.” He put his hand over the arm she’d just whacked.
No way had she hurt him. Those muscles were like granite. A silly smile appeared on his face. “Now that’s the Lauren Abbott I remember.”
She smiled back. “Be careful or you just might see more of her than you want.”
“That could only be a good thing,” he said softly, placing his hand on the small of her back, grabbing his hat and leading her out the door.
The kind words and special touch brought familiarity.
And a mass of tingles she hadn’t expected.
* * *
Cooper stood by the Jeep. “Drive or ride?” he asked Lauren.
Her pretty green eyes narrowed, as if she thought he was messing with her again. “Isn’t it the same thing?”
“Well, I can drive us in the Jeep to see the grounds or we can mount up.” He pointed to the stables just within eyeshot. “On a horse.”
“Oh.” She shook her head. “I haven’t been riding in eons. I think the Jeep is the safest bet today.”
“Okay. Another time,” he said. He hadn’t quite figured Lauren out. At times she seemed impetuous, a girl who liked to take a risk. That was the girl who’d punched him in the arm just a few minutes ago. That punch had surprised him in a good way.
She was back to being the girl he remembered, never taking any guff from anyone. Whenever Tony had teased her, she’d always shot back at him, giving as good as she got. Marrying Kelsey on a whim after six months of dating was another impulsive move on her part. That’s why he was puzzled. Lauren seemed hesitant in coming here. Was she uncomfortable around him? Was she feeling manipulated into living at Stone Ridge for the month? Or was she having second doubts about the sudden marriage?
He hoped it was the latter. He hoped she’d put a halt to the wedding on her own terms so he could end this ruse. But at least having her here lent him the time he needed to find out what Kelsey was really up to. He could keep an eye on Lauren, as well.
“Hop in,” he said, opening the door for her. She climbed in and buckled her seat belt as he took his place behind the wheel. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
He grabbed a tan suede hat from the backseat and plopped it on her head. It sank onto her forehead and pushed her blond locks down past her shoulders, making her look damn cute.
“This yours?” she asked.
“Uh-huh,” he said. “Hang on to it when we take off.”
Then he revved the engine and pulled away from the house.
After a minute she asked. “Where is the lake?”
“Back there.” He gestured behind him. “We passed it a ways back.”
“But aren’t we going there?”
“Yep, but there’s someplace else I thought you’d like to see.”
“You’re full of surprises, Coop.”
He liked the sound of his nickname falling off her lips. That and the way she looked in his hat was messing with his head a little. “Not really. Pretty much what you see is what you get with me.”
At least it always had been. Now he wasn’t quite so sure. He’d surprised himself when he’d invited Lauren to have her wedding here. And he’d surprised himself even more by asking her to move into his house. He had underlying motives for having her here, true, and saving her from heartache would be something Tony would’ve wanted from him.
That one fact made all of this seem more palatable.
“Here we are,” he said, stopping the Jeep in front of a stand of shade-bearing oak trees. “We have to walk from here.”
