Faithful (24 page)

Until I gave in to Cooper’s persistence, I was pretty miserable and couldn’t imagine any man asking me out, not even the few uneventful dates I did have.

As I park the car, a handsome young man comes striding around the side of the house. He gives me a familiar smile as he approaches, but it’s his tall, lean, muscular body that stands out. The guy isn’t wearing a shirt, so I’m staring at him when I realize he’s got Cooper’s swagger and facial expression, but instead of blond hair, he has black hair that almost reaches his shoulders.

I get out of the car with my duffle bag.

“You must be Imogene,” he says, grinning. “I’m Cooper’s brother Peyton. I’ve heard about you. And I think we’ve ruined your day. At least, my brother was ready to kill me and the others when he found us here.” He shakes my hand and takes my bag.

“Others?”

“Yeah, my brothers and our uncle decided to drive in this morning to help finish Cooper’s extension. The porch. When we got here, he was gone, so we let ourselves in and went to work. He got home a while ago and looked a little disappointed that we chose today to surprise him. I can see why.”

I can tell Cooper’s brother is a ladies’ man, and I don’t mind the flattery at all.

“Peyton! Leave her alone and get back and finish the job!” Cooper yells as he comes out of the house. He storms towards his brother and grabs my bag from him.

“I was merely introducing myself to your lovely lass.” Peyton has a sly grin. I suspect he’s the real troublemaker in the family.

“Lass?” I repeat, almost laughing.

“He gets that from my dad,” Cooper says, glaring at his brother.

“Is he here, too? I’d love to meet him.”

“No,” Cooper says quickly. “Just my brothers and my Uncle Fraser showed up. That’s plenty.”

I’ll hand it to Peyton, he’s very cute, and I’ll bet everything he says works on women. He’s got the same high cheekbones and beautiful gray eyes as Cooper, except he has dark beard stubble. His muscular body is either the result of a lot of physical work, or he spends a hell of a lot of time in the gym.
He’s handsome, but he’s not Cooper
, I think as I study his face that’s lacking that special Cooper element.

Peyton chuckles as he checks me out until Cooper clamps his hand on his brother’s shoulder and turns him back towards the house. “Go.”

“Okay,” Peyton laughs. He looks back at me and winks. “Catch you inside, Imogene. We’re going to throw some brats on the grill.”

“Sorry they all showed up. The house is a zoo with them in there. They’ve kind of screwed up our plans.”

“It’s okay with me. I want to meet them. I don’t know any of your family, and you know mine.” I am genuinely interested in meeting his brothers. I expect it will give me more insights into Cooper since he hasn’t told me much about his family.

“You sure you don’t mind? I understand if you want to leave, my brothers can be overbearing. My uncle is a good guy, though.”

“Well, you tell me, Cooper. They’re helping you finish the porch, so would you rather do that and have me out of the way? I can go back home—”

“No, I’d rather have you here. I have to work with them, but we’ll get the job done by tonight, and then they’re leaving.”

“You’re not letting them crash here?”

“Hell, no. You’re staying here. They can drive back to the city. I already told them I need them out of here by nine. Besides, they’ll be done before that. They got here while you and I were setting up your building, so they’ve made a lot of progress.”

“Great. I can’t wait to meet the rest of them.” I don’t move towards the house because, truthfully, I am nervous about meeting his family. This is fairly new for me, meeting a guy’s family, and Cooper doesn’t look especially thrilled.

Cooper turns towards the house and then notices my hesitation. “Are you going to come in?”

“Darn tootin’. I have to give the MacKenzie clan a Hera welcome wagon howdy.” I smile while Cooper looks perplexed.

“I thought you said that wasn’t your thing.” He cocks his head to the side and narrows his eyes.

“It’s my new thing. It’s the new Imogene, can’t you tell?”

“Again?” he asks softly.

“What?”

“You’re nervous around me, or maybe it’s my family.” He steps towards me and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me in for a long, powerful kiss. It knocks all those hillbilly words and any preposterous notions I had about winning Hera’s nonexistent Miss Congeniality award.

Then Cooper takes my hand and leads me through the house and out to the porch extension where Peyton along with the other men are staining the wood. The screens are in place and the project looks almost completed.

Cooper and I stand at the entrance to the kitchen as he introduces me to his uncle, Fraser, and his two older brothers, Neil and Evan, who are twins. They all look like the youngest brother Peyton, tall and strong with their trademark black hair, but the others wear it cropped short.

Cooper helps them finish staining the porch floor, and I rummage through the groceries they brought and offer to grill the brats and throw together some salads.

Cooper wasn’t kidding when he said his family is loud. Their talking is escalated to shouting and laughing so loudly I feel like I’m in a room full of uncensored Dylan Blackards. They are energetic and good-natured, though. Even Uncle Fraser can hold his own among his nephews. He’s beefy and wide with a little extra weight, yet he has the strength of an ox as he carries an extra long ladder on his sturdy shoulder out to his truck.

While we crowd around the kitchen table that really only has enough comfortable room for four, I watch them work through several helpings of grilled brats and the broccoli salad and potato salad I whipped up.

I learn that Fraser, Evan, and Neil are all Brooklyn police officers and full of NYPD stories. Peyton has part ownership in the Brooklyn bar with their dad, Stuart. They talk over each other through the dinner, boisterous and unforgiving with their tall tales meant to embarrass one another. Cooper smiles along with their jokes and comments, often directed at him.

Although they truly are hilarious guys, I can see how Cooper is the odd man out. Not only does he stand apart with his blond mane, he also doesn’t belong in their exclusive Brooklyn club. He’s the one that chose to join the FBI and live apart from his large, close-knit family. All those years of being separated from them is obvious; however, I cannot decide if it’s guilt he feels about missing out on family times or if he’s always been the black sheep in his family.

Cooper returns their ribbing with a few scathing jabs of his own towards Neil, whom I’m told has a young son, and Evan who has twins of his own. Peyton is twenty-six, older than me, but has the makings of an immature playboy. Cooper takes the opportunity to thump Peyton’s head or cover his mouth entirely when he’s about to say something crude. Throughout it all, it’s clear Fraser holds a special place in Cooper’s heart. I watch him observe his uncle with love and respect.

There are moments where Cooper is unusually quiet, lost in a thought or something else that triggers his reflective expression. My heart softens for him when I see him in this vulnerable state as I consider how little I know about his family and childhood.

Having eaten lunch in our family’s diner just about every day over the last year, I’m accustomed to Cooper being around my parents and grandmother. He also works with most of my childhood friends; however, this is the first time I’m the new person and getting to know those closest to him.

“Why haven’t we met you sooner?” Peyton asks me. “We’ve been to Cooper’s place a few times.”

“I never saw you in the diner,” I reply. “That’s where I was working, for the most part. And I suppose you could say Cooper and I were not the best of friends until recently.”

“Really?” Peyton asks, intrigued, exchanging a few raised eyebrows with Neil and Evan.

“We were under the impression that you two have been together a while.” Neil looks questioningly at Cooper.

“Cooper mentioned you a bit, lass,” Uncle Fraser adds in a deep, soft voice that reminds me of Cooper.

“I mentioned that you were the one woman who wouldn’t give me the time of day.” Cooper puts his arm protectively around the back of my chair. “Otherwise, I said everyone else in town was extremely nice. You were the one hold out.”

“That sounds like me. The mean one.”

They laugh and Uncle Fraser gives me a conspiratorial wink, causing me to wish I knew what it was for. I imagine it’s along the lines of how Cooper has spoken about me, and I came across as the crazed post-Jeremy woman.

“Not true.” Uncle Fraser points a beefy finger at me. “He said very good things about you. Greer really wanted to be here to meet you, but she’s at Stu’s house—that’s Cooper’s father—babysitting a house full of kids.”

“A house full of kids?” I look at Cooper.

He nods. “The MacKenzies are overpopulating the world.”

“Speaking of which, we have to hit the road soon.” Evan looks at his watch as Neil agrees that they need to pick up their kids.

After dinner, Cooper helps them load their tools and equipment into their vehicles. They each give me a big hug goodbye, Uncle Fraser’s a little too strong and Peyton’s a little too amorous. Cooper pulls his brother away by his hair, sending them all off with some private words huddled in the dark while I wait at the front door. I decide to leave them alone and retreat to the kitchen to clean up the gigantic mess made by five hungry men.

Cooper returns and hugs me from behind, kissing my neck as I fill the kitchen sink with hot, soapy water.

“That was nice. I would like to meet the rest of your family and all these little kids they talked about.”

Cooper rests his lips against my neck. “They can be exhausting when they are all in the same house. It’s really nice when they leave. Forget the dishes; let’s go to bed.”

“We have to clean up now. You’re leaving tomorrow for the showroom with Dylan in the morning, and you’ll be gone for two days. The dishes can’t sit here that long. Or I could come back and do them tomorrow night.”

“I don’t want you doing my dishes. But I definitely wouldn’t mind if you stayed here while I was gone. I’d like that, calling you here.”

“That’s not what I was fishing for, Cooper. I have a home with Lauren and Leo. Yes, I’m the third wheel, but the house is big enough for all of us. You can call me there. I have plenty of privacy when I need it.”

While I start washing the dishes, Cooper grabs a towel to dry them. He absently takes the bowl I hand him and begins wiping it, but he’s distracted, staring out the window over the sink. I don’t know if he’s reflecting on something his brothers have said or if my remarks have bothered him. I’m used to him being completely focused on me, yet his thoughts are elsewhere.

“What is it?” I drop the sponge in the water and brace myself against the edge of the sink, studying his profile and his strong, clenched jaw.

He turns to me with confusion and irritation. “What is what?”

“You. Like this. Something is bothering you.”

“Let’s go to bed.” He tosses the towel on the counter.

“Cooper, you’ve been acting different since your brothers got here. I don’t know what’s going on, but I can see that something is wrong.”

“Ack. My family always has something going on. That’s one of the reasons why I moved here, so I could still see them without being so close that I’d see them every day.”

“That’s it? I thought it was really nice that they came out here to help you finish the extension. The porch looks great. I wish I had a bigger family. Mine is really claustrophobic with all eyes on me. I’m the only kid, the only grandchild, so they put a lot of expectations on me. You have a whole entourage of siblings and relatives with their own lives. You don’t feel like you’re under a microscope.”

Cooper’s stern expression softens. He runs a hand under my hair and turns me towards him with his other hand on my waist. “You think you disappoint your family?”

“I worry that I may be a big letdown to my grandmother for not planning to take over the diner. And my parents would really like to see me settle down, get married, and have kids. It’s all about the family restaurant and babies. They love me and they’re very supportive, but they have not been subtle, either. I’m surprised they haven’t put up a fight about my new business.”

“They have more faith in you than you realize.” He’s using that rich, deep voice that makes me melt.

“Don’t underestimate my grandmother. She once threatened to parade around the diner in a sandwich board, advertising my availability. She said she’d tell prospective husbands that offspring would be rewarded with cash bonuses.”

Cooper runs his hands slowly up my sides. “She did not.”

“Yes, she did. This was right before Jeremy came along. ”

“She must like me, then, because she always gives me an extra slice of pie at lunch.”

“She’s always extra nice to single men, just in case. I doubt she knows about us.”

“Imogene,” he says, “everyone knows about us.” With that, his lips claim my mouth.

I press my hands against his chest and let myself get lost in his unyielding kiss, which only ends when he picks me up and cradles me in his arms, striding down the hall to his bedroom. He actually tosses me on the bed and begins taking his clothes off.

“Hey,” I say, looking around at the cream colored comforter and the white sheets. The blue and gray set is gone. “You got new bedding?”

“Yes. Take your clothes off.” He’s already down to his briefs, and I have to pause to watch his incredible body in motion.

“Wait a minute. When did you have time to go shopping?”

“I didn’t. I hired Talia to do it.”

“Carson’s housekeeper?” I laugh. “She’s an awesome cook and most of her clients are single men from the city who keep second homes in the area. Is that why this place is so clean?”

“She just started yesterday while I was painting your new office. I gave her money to buy the sheets when she said I needed a new comforter and a better thread count. I have no idea what that’s about, so she went off to the mall and took care of it. Last week, I got a new washer and dryer for the laundry room, so Talia washed everything, made the bed, and cleaned the house because I thought I would be bringing you back here last night.”