Dee, Lavada - Nothing to Lose [Blackhawk Brothers] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (4 page)

They watched the news in compatible silence. When it ended, Galynn said a shy good night and moved toward the stairs while Cooper watched. The design of the house consisted of two master bedrooms. He used the one on the main floor. Tonight he wished he’d chosen the upstairs one, which would have been next to the guest room he had put her in. Reluctantly, he headed for the kitchen to set the coffeepot for morning.

Chapter 4

Galynn walked into the office and stopped short. Cooper hadn’t been exaggerating. She didn’t know what to say. It turned out that she didn’t have to say anything. He said it for her. “A mess, huh? Bet you thought I was kidding. Want to back out?”

“Not on your life, but by the looks of things you could be stuck with me for the duration of the winter.”

His laugh was contagious, and she joined him. The morning had been so normal. She’d slept in again, and by the time she’d gotten downstairs, he was ready to go. Not giving her time for even a cup of coffee, he grabbed one of his jackets for her and hurried her out to the truck. She’d been surprised to find it warm. He’d actually started and warmed the truck for her? Were there really men like him out in the world? First stop had been a little café where the waitress and few patrons greeted him like a regular and her with curiosity. She liked that it seemed he didn’t bring new women in with him on a regular basis, or at least not enough to have the patrons take it as the norm. After breakfast, they’d gone to the mall where Coop had patiently waited while she found just the right pair of shoes and a warm coat.

The morning and now the shared laughter heightened her awareness of him. The way his eyes crinkled in the corners, his mouth. Her gaze locked on it now, and she drew in a breath. The room receded until there was only the two of them. Cooper closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Reaching for her jacket, he tried to lighten the mood. “Here, give this to me before you bolt for the door.” He held out his hand, and she shrugged out of the coat.

His voice deepened when he turned back to her. “And for the record, I wouldn’t consider it ‘stuck’ to have you with me through all the seasons, fall, winter, spring, and summer.”

Without giving her the chance to reply, he continued. “I’ll turn up the thermostat and get a pot of coffee going. Why don’t you tackle the desk and see if you can make any sense of it. But first let me give you a quick tour.”

The office was a double-wide modular. They had parked on the side and walked along a full patio to enter through the utility room. Cooper gestured to the right. “I lived here while I built the house, and kept the washer and dryer. Probably should take them out and use the room for files.”

The large kitchen had stainless-steel appliances and room for a long table that held piles of papers and boxes. The open floor plan made it possible to eliminate hallways that would have taken up square footage. When they went into what would have been a living room, Galynn could see it was being used as the main reception area. Cooper pointed to the large room to the left. “That’s my office. The main bath is to the right. What used to be the master bedroom and bath is on the other side. I’m not using it for office space right now. There’s a big sofa that I’ve fallen asleep on more times than I like to admit and a few pieces of furniture. Again, I should probably clean it out, and I will when I need more office space.”

Turning, he headed back to the kitchen. Calling over his shoulder, he said, “So what do you think? Cancel that. I think I’d rather not know what you’re thinking right now.”

Galynn laughed. “Actually, I’m impressed. This is really a nice layout. All you need is some help.”

It didn’t take Galynn long to lose herself in the work. When she stopped and looked at the clock, she couldn’t believe the time. Almost three o’clock. Where had the day gone? Her back ached, a reminder of her injury. Getting up, she went into the kitchen and rinsed out a couple of the cleanest cups. She made a mental note to tackle the kitchen on Monday when Cooper wouldn’t be there to stop her.

She took one of the cups of coffee into Cooper’s office. Pausing at the door, she said, “About ready for a coffee break?”

“You’re a lifesaver. What time is it anyway?” When he looked at the clock, he whistled. “I can’t believe it. Where did the time go?”

“Well, you know what they say about how time flies when you’re having fun?”

“Yeah, right.” He leaned back in his chair and took a drink of coffee. Letting out a sigh, he said, “Did you pour yourself a cup?”

She nodded. “I left it out on the desk.”

He stood up, motioning for the door. “Let’s get it and go into the other room where the sofa is. I need to shift positions, and you can use a break, too.”

Cooper’s face showed surprise when he saw the neat piles of paper on the table she’d cleaned off. “Wow, you’ve made a big dent.”

“It looks like about three month’s worth. I think I’ve figured out your last assistant’s filing system. I’m going to organize the bills and then go through your check register and mark the ones that have been paid and put the check number, date, and amount on them before filing them. That will leave only current invoices.”

Cooper settled himself on one end of the sofa in what had been the master bedroom. There wasn’t a chair, so he gestured for her to take the opposite side. “By the way, you’re right about it being three months. Bev, my office manager, lost her husband a few years ago. They had one child, a daughter, who lives in Portland. Bev and her husband lived in Blackhawk as long as I can remember and all their friends are here, so after he died, she made the decision to stay here rather than move closer to her daughter. Three months ago things changed. Her daughter is pregnant with their third child and having a difficult time of it. With two preschool grandchildren, Bev felt she needed to go down and help. We both thought it would be a temporary thing, but a few days ago she called and said she’s planning on moving down there.”

He waved his hand around. “I didn’t want to hire someone if she would be coming back, but now…well, with the business as crazy as it is, I know I need someone.” He grinned over at her. His voice held a hint of humor and something else, like hope. “So, want the job?”

Galynn tensed and reflectively looked toward the door. Fear mingled with regret. If only. It was a rhetorical question, or at least she treated it that way by not answering. Instead, she picked up her cup and headed for the door.

With a sigh, Cooper followed her. “You know, with you being here, the day has been the direct opposite from yesterday. We’ve gotten more accomplished together than I have alone in the past week. Now if only I could find that bill from Fisher Lumber, I’d be a happy man.”

“I think I have most if not all their invoices sorted out. Which month do you need?”

“Uh, maybe I should look at all of them. I can’t find a record of paying for that last shipment they delivered.”

They finished the day around six o’clock. As they stepped out the door, Cooper took her arm. It had snowed most of the day, and over a foot of new snow covered the ground. When they reached the truck, Cooper helped her around to the passenger side. When she saw he intended to take the truck, she stopped. “Do you always drive the short way down to the house? I’d think it would be easier to walk.”

“Yes, uh no. I mean, I usually do walk unless I have things in the truck like groceries, but it may be a little hard going for you.”

“Well, we don’t have anything tonight. Everything we bought I’m wearing.” She paused, and again their gazes locked. Her voice lowered when she continued. “I’d rather walk down with you.”

The intensity of their attraction eased, and her voice held laughter as she added, “I know you’re just afraid all the fresh air will give me a huge appetite.”

“You’re on, lady. And if it gives you that kind of appetite, I may walk you up and down this hill ten times a day.”

Laughing, they set out through the trees. The driveway looked like a picture postcard. The road dipped, and when it crested, the lake came into view, completing the picture. Galynn sucked in her breath and stopped. All around, the trees were dressed in white. No track marred the road before them. It felt like they’d been transported to a pure, innocent place. A voice, even a whisper, would have felt like sacrilege. Cooper stood slightly behind her, sharing the moment in quiet harmony.

By the time they reached the house, Galynn was freezing. It didn’t go unnoticed by Cooper. Taking her by the arm, he guided her to a kitchen chair. “Here, let me help you with these boots.” Kneeling down, he made fast work of getting them off, but then his fingers lingered at her ankle.

She felt a shiver, and it wasn’t from the cold. Still, she tried to pass it off as such. “I guess my blood is still thin from living in a warmer state.”

This was the first time Galynn had offered any information about herself, and when she realized what she’d said, she bit back saying anything more.

Cooper set the thermostat up and went about getting the steaks out for dinner. Even though it had only been a couple days, Galynn felt comfortable, and together they got dinner done in record time. Like he'd done the day before, Cooper turned on the news and got out TV trays. Galynn didn’t mind, but it seemed strange until she gave it some thought. She’d bet Cooper hadn’t been in a live-in relationship, or if he had, it had been awhile. That he used the TV for company said a lot. She wanted to ask, but it seemed too personal. She stared at the TV and tried to gain some perspective so her emotions wouldn’t take over. She would only be here for a few days, a couple of weeks at the very most. It would be better if they didn’t get to know each other too well.

Cooper finished off the last bite of steak. “Ummm this tasted good. I guess I was hungrier than I thought. I get to working and forget about eating.” Looking over at her, he added, “That’s got to change. I need to eat more often and so do you.”

The moment played out in silence. His body language said he didn’t just want to just feed her. He wanted to take care of her in every way.

She shifted in her seat. Warmth stole over her. And something more, something she’d never felt. He made her feel special, and pretty, and she wasn’t sure what. Mundane words spilled out. “I’m okay. I never usually eat breakfast.” Her hands shook when she raised the cup of coffee to her lips. “Want to talk about tomorrow? Is there anything specific you want me to do in the office?”

Cooper’s smile said he knew what she was doing. He was way above average looking when he wasn’t smiling, but now he’d make any woman catch her breath. He was taller than Mick, she guessed him at just over six feet. Broad shoulders, hair the color of midnight, and a full, sensuous mouth completed the picture. Signature blue eyes were a bonus. Her gaze caught and held his.

With a visible effort, Cooper picked up his plate and reached for hers. He was uncomfortably close when he answered her. “Anything you do will be a help.”

“I’ll finish filing the paperwork. I have maybe another hour at the most, and it’ll be done. If it’s okay, I’ll log the accounts into the computer instead of the hand ledger you were using. I can format it so it will supplement the ledger but you won’t have to use the adding machine for totals.”

They discussed the details of the office work while they cleaned up from dinner. Galynn wasn’t sure either of them would be able to maintain a distance if they lapsed into silence. It didn’t seem possible that she could be having these feelings for Cooper. After Mick, she should have been running for the nearest door. But then she’d never been attracted to Mick, or for that matter, any other boy or man. She attributed her lack of interest to not having a normal boy-girl relationship in her growing up years. Her mother’s health really took a downturn her sophomore year in high school. To help with the finances, Galynn had worked after school and on weekends. As her mother’s pulmonary disease progressed, Galynn put in long hours with school, a job, and helping her mother.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

His easy manner made it clear to her that Cooper wasn’t having the same problem she was. Turning, she braced herself so she wouldn’t give away too much. “Just thinking back, nothing interesting.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He handed her a glass and kept hold of it when she reached for it. His gaze dropped to their hands, and his voice deepened. “I find you very interesting.”

Just a touch and Galynn felt the heat. She swallowed and pulled the glass out of his hand. It might be early, but with things heating up like they were, it was late enough to call it a day and put some space between them. “Do you have time to do my back? I think I’ll turn in a little early tonight. Maybe read for a while.”

* * * *

It was still dark when Galynn woke up, but the clock on the nightstand said six thirty. She’d only managed a couple of chapters of her book before falling asleep. With a full night’s sleep, she felt rested. Sleep deprivation had been one of Mick’s tools to keep her what he called “in line.” With her mother so sick, it had been a couple of years since she’d gotten a full night’s sleep, so she’d conditioned herself to it. Or she thought she had, until Mick started waking her up during the night. He had been good with her mother, but almost as soon as she passed away, he started changing. Maybe he thought he would lose his hold on her.
Who knew?
He worked the graveyard shift, and since he was out in the car on patrol, he’d stop in at the house and wake her up. Sometimes it would only be for her to get him a glass of water. Sometimes he’d insist she make him something to eat. There were days at work that she felt more like a zombie than a third-grade teacher.

When she had made a run for it, she’d spent most nights on a bus, only stopping once to throw him off her track. She’d stayed in a middle-class motel that was comfortable enough and even had a coffee shop, but she hadn’t slept well. That first night with Cooper had opened a new door for her. Here she felt safe, even cared for.

She listened but didn’t hear anything. Cooper seemed to get up early and had probably already gone up to the office. He’d told her not to worry about the time and that eight would be plenty early enough to start but nine or ten would work, too. Maybe she’d run down and get a cup of coffee to drink while she got dressed and straightened her room.