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“Then do something else. Read a book.”
At least Trevor liked to read. Currently he was into fantasy. He had read all three volumes of Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsand had started onThe Hobbit.Testing had confirmed that the kid was extremely bright. But that creative intelligence and energy had nowhere to go. Maybe coming here had been a mistake.
Faced with a wall of frustration, he needed to talk things out with someone who understood what he was dealing with. That was why he wanted to use the phone.
“So when will we have TV and a phone and internet like normal people?” Trevor demanded as Cooper opened the front door to leave.
“Believe me, I’m as anxious to get connected as you are. I’ve paid the deposits and made the appointments. With luck, we’ll have everything by the end of the week.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it—kind of like the snipes.”
At least the kid hadn’t lost his sense of humor, Cooper told himself as he strode down the sidewalk to his sister’s house next door. Just as he was mounting the porch steps, Sam swung his pickup into the driveway, switched off the engine, and climbed out.
“Come on inside with me, Cooper,” he said. “I’ve got some exciting news to share.”
Cooper followed his brother-in-law into the house. Grace and Maggie were in the kitchen, but Banjo came wagging out to greet them, tongue lolling as he drooled on Cooper’s shoe.
“Hey, in there!” Sam called out. “Everybody come in here and meet the new acting mayor of Branding Iron, Texas.”
Maggie burst out of the kitchen, followed by her stepmother. “So Rulon actually resigned?” Grace asked.
“He did. He promised to repay the money he’d spent in exchange for the town not pressing charges. The town council accepted that and named me acting mayor.”
Maggie flung herself into Sam’s arms. “This is wonderful, Daddy! Now we can have the Christmas parade.”
“Whoa,” Sam said. “Not so fast, honey. We still need to have the election. And even if I win, there won’t be time to plan a parade.”
“I’ll help,” Maggie said. “I helped plan the Cowboy Christmas Ball last year, and it turned out great. We can have a great parade, too, if everybody does their part.”
“We’ll see,” Sam said. “But I don’t want to hear about it until after the election.”
“Where’s Trevor?” Grace asked. “Didn’t he come with you, Cooper?”
“He’s home,” Cooper said. “Actually, I just came over to borrow your phone. We’ll get ours in the next few days, along with cable and internet. Then we’ll be out of your hair.”
“Don’t be silly,” Grace said. “You don’t get in our hair. We love having the two of you around.”
“There’s another game on tonight,” Sam said. “Why don’t you and Trevor come over and watch it with me. The pre-game show starts at six.”
“Thanks, Trevor would love that. Whether I can come, too, will depend on the phone calls.”
“You can use the phone in Sam’s office,” Grace said. “And you’re welcome to come to supper before the game starts. It’s just chili, but it’ll fill you up.”
“Thanks, we just filled up on your lasagna—but I’ll ask Trevor if he wants to come. A growing boy’s stomach is a bottomless pit.” Cooper stepped into the spare bedroom that served as Sam’s home office.
He remembered the number to call about the ranch, but at the last moment he changed his mind. If the place wasn’t suitable, calling now would waste his time and the owners’. He would drive out and look the ranch over from a distance first. Maybe by then, he would have decided that his interest was nothing more than a whim.
Now for the other call . . . Still hesitant, he fished Jess’s card out of his wallet. She’d invited him to call her if he needed to talk. But maybe she was just being polite. Would calling her at home be an imposition? Would he be taking advantage of her friendship with Grace?
But no, he was genuinely worried. Hungry for acceptance, his son had fallen in with a couple of bigger, older boys who’d meant to exploit him. As a father, he needed enough information to deal with the issue.
And—face it—he wouldn’t mind hearing that low, sexy voice over the phone. But this was no time to get distracted by a stunning woman. His problem was real, and he needed real advice.
His pulse quickened as he punched in the number and heard the phone ring on the other end.
“Hello?” She sounded just the way he remembered.
“Jess, this is Cooper Chapman.”
