AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We’ll see about that. Come on, Trevor.”
They walked back down the lane, the dog trotting alongside them. Cooper thought of asking the boy whether he was happy, how he was doing in school, or whether he’d found any new friends. But if he knew Trevor, that would only shut him down. Better to keep the easy peace that had settled between them as the late afternoon light faded across the November fields.
“Dad,” Trevor said, “can I ask you something?”
“Ask away.”
“Is Miss Graver your girlfriend?”
Cooper’s throat jerked as the memory of that kiss flashed through his mind. But it was already past history. “No,” he said. “I don’t think Miss Graver wants to be anybody’s girlfriend. Certainly not mine.”
“So why are you letting her move in with us? Couldn’t she stay with somebody else, like Aunt Grace or Wynette? They’re her friends.”
“Your aunt doesn’t have room. And Wynette’s place is still being worked on, so I invited Jess to stay with us. I had to talk her into it—she didn’t want to impose. And as soon as she finds a place of her own, she’ll be moving out. So don’t worry about it, all right?”
The two of them had walked a few minutes in silence when Cooper decided to tackle the issue head-on. “Jess is a nice person. But I get the impression you still don’t like her. Can you explain why?”
Trevor looked down, scuffing his sneakers in the gravel. “I told you before, there’s something fake about her. She acts friendly, but you can’t tell what she’s thinking. It’s like Abner would say, you can tell she isn’t putting all her cards on the table.”
“Give her a chance, Trevor. You barely know her.”
“Oh, I’ll be nice and polite. You won’t have to worry about that. But that doesn’t mean I have to trust her.”
“Understood. Thanks for being honest with me.”
“So can I count on you to be honest, too?” Trevor asked. “Will you let me know if things start to get serious between you and Miss Graver?”
“Sure, I’ll let you know. You can count on it—not that anything’s going to happen. Jess and I are just friends, and barely that.”
But was he being honest now? The memory of that torrid kiss had already made lies of his words.
Cooper could see the house in the distance. There was no sign of Jess’s car. But she’d said she might be late. He would make some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for supper, then work on his unfinished magazine article while Trevor watched TV.
They were approaching the gate when the full implication of what Trevor had said came crashing in on him.
The boy wasn’t worried about Jess because of her secrets or because, as he claimed, she was “fake.” His reservations were based on something deeper and darker.
Trevor’s mother had remarried and chosen her new husband over her son.
Trevor feared that he would lose his father the same way.
* * *
The next day was Sunday. Jess took over the kitchen and made her grandmother’s pot roast—the one recipe she remembered by heart. She’d also bought a loaf of French bread and a blueberry pie from the bakery yesterday on her way out of town. Wynette, working behind the counter, had mentioned that her wedding dress was safe and Buck had rescued enough of her clothes to last for a few days, until the limb could be removed and the house could be stabilized.
“Could you let me know if you hear of any rentals?” Jess had asked her friend. “I’m staying with Cooper and his son, and I don’t want to wear out my welcome. I need another place as soon as possible.”
“You bet. I’ll post a notice on the wall. But with such a handsome, sexy housemate, why be in a hurry to leave?”
Jess had sighed. “Let’s just say there’s some tension involved. Trevor’s not happy to have me around. And as for the handsome, sexy housemate . . . Well, never mind.”
“Got it.” Wynette had grinned. “I’ll let you know if I hear of a place for rent.”
As she worked in the kitchen, Jess’s thoughts went back over yesterday’s events. After returning to the ranch with Cooper, she’d spent the rest of the day shopping for clothes and other necessities in Cottonwood Springs. She’d eaten a stuffed croissant in the mall, picked up supplies for Sunday dinner at a big-box supermarket, and made it back to the ranch about nine thirty. Staggering into the house under a load of bags and boxes, she’d found Cooper working in his office and Trevor watching TV.
“Welcome back.” Cooper had stuck his head out of his office door. “Is that the whole load or is there more to bring in?”
“One more trip should get everything.”
