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He’d typed the parameters in the blank window and was about to click on the search button when he heard a cry from the direction of the front porch. The voice sounded like Jessica’s.
Swiveling his chair away from the desk, he jumped up and raced through the living room. The front door was closed. He flung it open to find Jess sprawled on the front steps. The two paper bags of groceries she’d been carrying had split open on impact, scattering her purchases all over the porch.
“Jess, are you all right?” He made his way through the cans and produce to crouch by her side. “Don’t move until we know you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Nothing feels broken.” She winced as she sat up, worked her legs under her, and stood.
“What happened?”
“When Wynette got tired early, I decided to do a week’s grocery shopping on the way home. I couldn’t see past the bags, and I tripped over the second step—just being clumsy. Now look at the mess I’ve made.”
Groceries lay in all directions—fruits and vegetables, cans, cartons of milk, a jar of spaghetti sauce that was cracked, and other odds and ends. All of it would need to be picked up and taken inside.
“I’ll help you.” Cooper began gathering the scattered items.
“We’ll need something to put them in.” She rushed into the house.
Only then did Cooper remember leaving the search up on his computer screen. If Jess were to see it, she’d be livid. “Wait, I’ll go—” he called after her. But she was already beyond hearing.
* * *
Jess rummaged through the kitchen for spare paper bags. She found none. But she did remember seeing an empty cardboard box in Cooper’s office. He’d left it there after unpacking some books. It should be big enough to hold everything.
The office door was open. She could see the empty box in one corner. Perfect. She hurried inside, picked it up, and turned around. That was when she noticed her name typed into the search bar at the top of the computer screen—along with the lettersF B I.
* * *
By the time Jess came back outside, carrying the box, Cooper was braced for hellfire. One look at her face and he knew what had happened.
“What you saw, Jess—it’s not what you think.” It was a lame response. She had him dead to rights.
“Then what is it?” She flung the box at him, her dark eyes flashing fury. “You’ve been checking me out—probably wanting to see if there’s any good story material in my background. Why didn’t you at least have the decency to ask me?”
She picked up a can of tomato sauce, her hand going back as if she meant to fling it at his head. Then she lowered her arm and dropped the can into the box. “You are a sneaking, conniving jerk, Cooper Chapman. Right now, I’m wishing I’d never met you.” She picked up a ripe tomato. “So, do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Cooper shook his head, feeling lower than a snake’s belly. “I’m sorry. I felt as if I’d seen you before, and I couldn’t resist trying to find out where. You’re a very mysterious woman, Jess. I was intrigued, and I wanted to know more about you. But as for writing an article—or anything—about you, no, that never even occurred to me.”
“And I’m supposed to give you a medal for that?” Her voice crackled with suppressed rage.
“What I did was despicable. But my only motive was wanting to know you better. Please believe me, Jess. I care about you.”
“Care about me? That’s a good one.” She was throwing things randomly into the box. “So tell me, what did you learn?”
“Only that you were with the FBI. I never found out why you left and came to Branding Iron. That was what I really wanted to know.”
She had gone cold and quiet, arranging the items in the box so that more of them would fit. To Cooper, her silence was even more unsettling than her anger.
“Suppose I tell you?” She spoke in an emotionless voice. “And after I tell you, I’ll load my car, drive to Cottonwood Springs, and get a cheap motel room. You’ll never hear from me again except about Trevor’s school.”
“And if I don’t like those terms?” He began handing her things to put in the box. “I don’t want you to leave, Jess.”
“You have no right to stop me. I’m offering you my story. You can accept it or not. Either way, how can I stay here, knowing you invaded my privacy? How can I ever trust you again?”
Cooper didn’t answer. He only knew that he’d lost something precious—perhaps for good. He battled the impulse to take her in his arms and beg her to forgive him. That wasn’t going to work—not after what he’d done and not with a self-protective woman like Jess.
His only chance of winning back her trust was to listen to her story with respect and compassion and to abide by whatever decision she might make.
“All right,” he said, picking up the loaded box. “Let’s get these groceries into the house. Then, I’ll be willing to listen to whatever you’re ready to tell me.”
