Champion (Studs in Spurs) (8 page)

He moved away to get the bowl she’d washed from the drain board and she felt as if she could breathe again. She turned to watch as he carried the bowl and the spoon to the pot on the stove top. There he scooped her a bit of the stew.

“Come sit.” He eyed her where she stood, still frozen at the sink, as he set the food down on the table.

“Okay.” She wiped her hands on her jeans for lack of anywhere else dry them.

She sat. So did he.

Eyes focused on the bowl, he dug into the stew and shoveled a large spoonful into his mouth. Good. That was exactly what she’d wanted—for him to eat a decent meal even if it did come out of a can. And more importantly, for him to stop looking at her and making her feel as nervous as a damned teenage girl.

What she hadn’t intended was to fall victim to her attraction to him so quickly. The tremble in her hand as she reached for her own spoon proved she was just as susceptible to this man now as she had been then. It didn’t matter that his championship days were done, or that his ranch had gone to shit both inside and out. The twenty-nine-year-old woman with the unrequited crush on the playboy bull rider was alive and well inside her forty-year-old body.

So much for getting older and wiser. It was clear Hannah had only gotten older. She was still as dumb as the eighteen-year-old who’d gotten pregnant and then had to marry Skeeter’s father.

Cooper changed from staring into his bowl to focusing on her. He cocked a brow and nodded toward the spoon she had yet to lift. “You not eating?”

“I will. It’s just a bit hot.” The entire kitchen felt warmer since he’d touched her, even if it hadn’t been anything more intimate than him getting to the sink around her.

Maybe it was just her face that was warm as the blood rushed to her cheeks. Almost forty, but the way her body reacted around this man Hannah might as well have been in puberty. She remembered the spoon in her hand and took a small bite of stew even though she wasn’t one bit hungry.

“So what have you been up to these past ten years?” Cooper making small talk had her head coming up in her surprise. He cocked a brow. “You said you were here to catch up. So, let’s catch up. What are you doing now?”

Being under the scrutiny of those eyes that seemed to change color with the light and his mood made it hard for Hannah to think. Luckily, he’d asked a question she’d be able to answer in her sleep. There was only one possible response. “Working.”

“Still two jobs?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, but I cut the diner down to one night a week.”

His brows knit as he frowned. “That son of yours is making plenty of money riding in the pros. He can help with the bills at home. You shouldn’t have to work even one night a week there.”

“I don’t mind. It keeps me busy. The house feels real empty when Skeeter is away.” She let out a short laugh. “And it seems like he’s always away somewhere.”

“So you’re still single, I take it.” Cooper’s stare remained on her face, making her self-conscious.

She figured he didn’t need to glance at her ring-less left hand to confirm she wasn’t married or engaged. She’d just told him she was a lonely loser who worked the dinner shift at the diner rather than rattling around her empty house when her son was away, so it must have been pretty obvious she wasn’t dating either. At least she hoped that was the reason he’d assumed she didn’t have a significant other, and not because she’d acted like a fainting damsel from just a touch and a smile from him.

“Yeah, still single.” Hannah nodded and forced a smile. “How’d you know?”

“Simple.” He shrugged. “You wouldn’t be looking to work nights if you had a man in your life. Because any man with a brain in his head would be with you any chance he got.”

Her chest felt tight from the compliment and the blunt sincerity with which it had been delivered. Still, Cooper hasn’t said he wanted to be that man in her life. Just that she should have one—one other than him, most likely.

Meanwhile, how had the conversation turned to her? She was there for him. “So what’s going on with you?” She knew from the state she’d found him in that it was a loaded question.

Cooper snorted. “You’re looking at it.”

“No more raising stock? No more giving lessons?”

“Nope.” He stared down and dug his spoon into the meat in the bowl.

“Mind if I ask why?”

His eyes whipped up to meet hers. “Mind if I ask you the same?”

The question confused her. “Excuse me?”

“Why are you alone? Why are you taking the night shift rather than going out and meeting someone?”

Because her ex-husband had scarred her so badly inside it felt safer to live alone than risk finding a man who might be worse. Because she’d been holding on to a flame for Cooper for a decade and he made any other man pale in comparison. Because after working two jobs—and three for a few years when things were really bad—she was too damned tired to get prettied up and go out to some bar to compete with younger women also trying to meet men. Besides, quality men couldn’t be found at a place like that anyway, she was sure.

None of those thoughts came out of her mouth. She wasn’t going to share them with Cooper. Obviously, they both had things they didn’t want the other knowing.

Hannah backed down first. “Fine. I won’t ask you why you’ve given up.”

He dipped his head. “And I won’t ask you the same.”

He’d nailed it right on the head with his quick retort. She had given up on having a man in her life…until today. Today, she’d stood firm, and the results sat before her. The job wasn’t nearly done yet, but he was talking and eating and clean. For less than an hour’s work, that was pretty damn good progress, in Hannah’s opinion.

It was beyond her to know whether or not getting Cooper back on his feet would mean the two of them could try to have some kind of relationship, but she could hope.

“How’s the kid doing?”

To Hannah’s great relief, it seemed that Cooper was back to the small talk. She could handle that. “He’ll be riding in the touring pro event here in Arkansas. You can go see for yourself how he’s doing, if you want.”

Cooper shrugged. “Maybe.”

No matter how Cooper felt about Hannah, she knew he loved her son. She planned to take advantage of that. “Skeeter doesn’t come out and admit it, but getting kicked off the tour because of his point ranking was a huge blow to his confidence.”

“That’s why he stopped here the other day, isn’t it? He wanted me to help him with his riding.”

“I think so. Yes.”

He let out a snort. “I guess if that was what he was looking for, I let him down.”

Hannah pursed her lips, not confirming or denying the suspicion. When Skeeter had first come home from visiting him, he’d been more upset at Cooper’s state than his own buck-off streak in his riding. Cooper didn’t need to hear that his former student was appalled at the devastated condition he’d found his former teacher in, so she kept her mouth shut regarding her real opinion on the matter.

Cooper’s brows shot high and he released a short, humorless laugh. “Wow. That’s the loudest silence I’ve ever heard.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it to be.”

He shook his head. “Don’t apologize. I’m the one who bailed on your kid. He came to me for help and, failure that I am, I didn’t have any to give him.”

“You didn’t fail him or let him down. He’s concerned about you, yes. But as for his riding, he’ll be fine. I think being at Riley’s and around the other guys will help get him back on track with his career. Some of the riders with him have been around for a while. They’ll straighten him out. He’ll be back on top in no time at all, and if he’s not? Well then, that means it wasn’t meant to be.” Hannah shrugged.

Cooper shook his head. “Where’s all that faith in you come from? Church?”

Hannah laughed. “No. Life.”

A person couldn’t live the kind of life she had and come out the other side fairly unscathed without learning to have faith that things would work out eventually. Sometimes you just had to wait a little longer for it than other times, like how she’d waited so long for this visit with Cooper.

Maybe she’d waited too long. Given the state of the place, she had to wonder how he was surviving. With no stock and no job, he had no visible source of income. She wondered what had thrown him into this bad way to begin with. What had happened to his business and his partner, Glen? How long could Cooper live like this before something broke?

All of those things, she didn’t dare ask. “So, nice weather we’ve been having.”

Cooper raised his sandy brows high. “That’s what you’re going with? The weather?”

“Got something better?”

“Yeah, I do. How about you tell me what you’re really doing here?”

“I told you. Skeeter was concerned about you.” Hannah shrugged.

“That’s it? Just your son’s concern for his good old teacher?”

“Yes.”

“You sure about that?”

She nodded, lying to him if not herself.

He nodded slowly as a crooked smile appeared. “I might be off the circuit. Hell, I might have even checked out of life for the past couple of years, but I still know when a woman’s interested in me, and you are.”

Hannah’s cheeks burned from being caught off guard by the truth of his words, even though she knew his tactics well. He always had liked to shock her to drive her away. “Don’t flatter yourself, Cooper.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, Hannah. What was that over there by the sink? If I’d wanted to, I could have set you up there on the counter and taken you right here in the kitchen and you would have let me.”

“No—”

He cocked a brow and she backed down.

Hell, maybe she would have. The man made her molten inside. But the point was, he hadn’t done anything more than get the trash bag and serve her some stew, so what she might have done didn’t count. Him not trying anything didn’t do much for her already bruised ego except confirm her suspicion that he wasn’t interested in her that way.

She needed to hide this attraction that wouldn’t go away. Needed to get things back on an even keel for him and make them not so confusing for her. Hannah let out a snort. “You’re wrong, but since you obviously didn’t want to do what you said you could do, it’s a moot point now, isn’t it?”

“I guess it is.” His self-satisfied smirk pissed her off.

Hannah scrambled to prove him wrong. “Look, I’m here because I owe you a huge debt of gratitude, and so much more for all you’ve done for Skeeter and for me. He was concerned so I decided to check on you. It’s that simple. I pay my debts.”

“I’m sure you do.” A wry smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

Was that some sort of judgment she’d heard in his tone? “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That I’m sure you always do what’s right. I’m betting you’ve never done a single thing that could even be considered wrong in the slightest.”

That certainly wasn’t true. That night ten years ago she’d been ready and willing to hike up her waitress uniform and have sex with Cooper in her car, all while leaving her eleven-year-old son home alone while she did it.

“That’s totally—”

Cutting her protest short, Cooper stood, grabbed her upper arms and brought her up with him. “Hannah, listen to me. I was no good for you back then, and I’m certainly no good for you the way I am now.”

His face was so close to hers as he leaned low that she could smell the remnants of mint on his breath. The man had her locked in a grasp tight enough she’d likely have bruises from his fingers, yet all Hannah could do was take satisfaction in the fact that he must have brushed his teeth when he went to shower.

Had he done it because of her? That had to mean something, in spite of his outward lack of interest.

“You were wrong about that back then.” Even as hard as she found it to breathe with him so close holding her like this, she made her point, clear and firm.

“No, I wasn’t, but looking back is pointless. So tell me, what about now? Do you admit it’s true now?”

“No.”

“No? Jesus, Hannah. Look around you. What do you see?”

“I see a man who’s down but not out. All you need is a little help.” Even with her heart pounding so hard she felt it clear through to her throat, she imbued her words with enough passion that he would hopefully believe them.

“I told you, I don’t want help.” His clenched teeth as he forced the words out enforced the truth of the statement.

“That’s half your problem.” Her response was fast and sure and tinged with a little bit of anger as this man continued to frustrate her in all her efforts.

Cooper was silent as he glared at her, until he drew in a deep breath and dropped his hold. Sitting, he picked up the spoon and shoveled some stew into his mouth.

Confused, Hannah stood for a second and then sat herself. Keeping an eye on him, she tried to figure out what had just happened. What had made him give up? Meanwhile, she was having trouble deciding if his compliance was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Eat your stew, Hannah. Then we’ll finish up those dishes in the sink together.” When she didn’t say anything, he glanced up. “Um, hello. Didn’t you hear me? What’s the matter?”

“I’m not sure what just happened.” Why was he giving in? He’d gone from being aggressive and hurtful to completely agreeable in a matter of seconds.

“It’s simple.” He lifted one shoulder. “I’ve seen that look before.”

“What look?” she asked.

“The determined one Skeeter used to get. Didn’t matter how beat up he felt, or how many times he bucked off. He’d brush the dust off, get that fire in his eyes and climb back into the chute. Now I see he gets that from you. I might not know a whole lot, but I know when a fight’s not worth fighting. If it will make you happy to wash my dishes, then fine. Wash my damn dishes.”

“Laundry too.” Hannah crossed her arms as she made her demand.

“No.” As his gaze met hers, his tone left no doubt he was against that idea.

“Why not?”

“I’m not letting any woman handle my dirty drawers. That I will fight you on.”

“Then you’d better put in a load of laundry yourself while I finish the dishes.”

He raised one brow. “What if I tell you the machine’s broke?”