It's In His Heart (A Red River Valley Novel) (27 page)

“Coop? Are you there?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I’m here. That’s great news, Angelique, really.”

“Okaaaaay. Then why do you sound like you just got a death sentence with no stay of execution?”

Jesus, criminal defense lawyers. So melodramatic. “No, I really am happy. You’ve done an amazing job for me. I’m just in shock, that’s all.” He tried to gather his thoughts. “When . . . how did all this happen?”

“I had a little chat with her attorney and reminded him what a weak case they had, especially since she changed her story.”

“I thought all kinds of crap would hit the fan at full speed after the book scandal made the news,” Coop said.

Two days after he’d confronted Ella, he had to call Angelique with his tail between his legs and confess the truth. After she ripped him up one side and down another, she made some comment about being impressed that his sexual prowess was good enough to end up in a bestselling series of erotic novels. Then she told him to stop being an idiot and to start thinking with his brain instead of his prick. Every warped female in the world would want a chance to get in his bed now. And when crazy groupies thought there was money to be made, they’d line up to take a shot at him.

He shuddered at the thought, and not just because he didn’t want to be accused of anything else he hadn’t done. When he thought about getting in bed with a woman, Ella’s face was the only one he could picture in his mind.

“Why didn’t Kim and her attorney try to use it against me?” Coop scrubbed a hand over his jaw.

“Oh, he wanted to, pal. But your new girlfriend’s offer to testify as a character witness in your defense stymied that strategy.”

Coop’s conscience prickled. “You mean Ella?”

“Yep.” Papers shuffled in the background.

“She’s my ex-girlfriend, and what are you talking about?”

“Uh, I thought you knew.” Angelique hesitated. “She called me. Offered to testify that the, uh, things in the book didn’t actually take place in your office, but in a cabin you own jointly. It was the deathblow to Kim’s case. Her attorney knew they couldn’t win, so he talked some sense into her.”

Coop inhaled and rubbed his eyes with a thumb and index finger. Ella had stepped up for him.

“I talked to my connection down at the police station, and they said Kim came in with her attorney.” Angelique’s voice got a little singsong tone to it. “She was sporting about a two-carat diamond on her left hand, and was all fake-weeping and clinging to her new dentist-fiancé. Said they didn’t want the pain of going through the ugly details in court. They just wanted to get on with their new lives together.”

“Poor schmuck,” mumbled Coop.

“Yeah, looks like she found herself another sugar daddy that she doesn’t have to sue for attention. My friend at the precinct said her fiancé followed her around like a lovesick puppy.”

“Sounds like a match made in heaven,” Coop said.

“So, my friend, case closed. All we have to do now is get your license back. I’m drafting a letter to the state board as soon as we hang up. Oh, and Kim sent you a message through her attorney. She said to tell you ‘no hard feelings.’ Funny, huh?”

Yeah, hysterical.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time, Angelique. Thanks.” He looked down at the deed in his hand.

“Sure thing, bud. Just keep your nose clean, would you? You got seriously lucky this time. Not heeding my advice about sleeping with your roommate could’ve come back to bite you in that nice little ass of yours that she wrote about.” More papers shuffling from her end. “It’s not my place to tell you this, but I’m a nervy Italian so I’m going to say it anyway.”

He smiled to himself. Nervy females who didn’t think twice about putting him in his place were growing on him lately.

“You kind of made yourself a target, ya know? If you’ll exercise better judgment when it comes to your love life, you won’t need me again. Find yourself a nice girl and settle down. Sorry it didn’t work out with Ella, by the way. She seemed to really care about you, and you two obviously had a lot of, uh, chemistry together.”

“What about you, Ang, are you interested?” he joked.

“Not even a little,” she bantered back. “Seriously, it’s not like you don’t have the goods to make it happen.”

“You’re one to talk,” Coop said playfully. And she was. Angelique Barbetta was a thirty-year-old beauty of Italian descent. Dark, exotic looks, long legs, knockout figure. Yet she was still single. A highly intelligent attorney with a killer instinct, most men were probably scared to death of her.

“I’m seeing someone, actually. Another attorney here at my firm. I think he might be the one. We’ll see. He’s an Italian that moved here from New Jersey, so my mom’s already planning a huge Catholic wedding.”

“That’s great, Angelique. I hope it works out. Just invite me to the wedding.”

He heard her nails clicking against a keyboard. “Okay, enough about me. I gotta go, so I can actually do my job. I’ll let you know when I hear from the board. Oh, and I might see you up in Red River sometime. I’m about to close on a vacation property up there.”

“Will do. We can hit the slopes together this winter. Does your boyfriend ski?”

“Yep.” The clicking got faster.

“All right, Ang. See you soon.”

“Not if I see you first, Wells.”

He laughed and hung up the phone. Now he had everything he’d thought he wanted just two months ago. Full ownership of the cabin, no criminal record, no lawsuit pending against him, his career and his life back, and, most of all, no woman in his life. Everything he thought he wanted before Ella Dennings showed up on the doorstep soaking wet and nearly blinded him with pepper spray.

So, why did he feel like dirt?

Refolding the deed, he returned it to the envelope along with the necklace. Coop picked up the phone and dialed a number he hadn’t even thought of dialing most of his life. It rang a few times, and then an older female voice answered.

“Mom? It’s Coop.” He heard her stifle a gasp, and he hesitated. “How are you?”

“I . . . I’m good, honey.” Her voice shook. “How are
you
?”

“I’m good, Mom. I just wanted to talk to you. You know, hear your voice. It’s been a long time.”

And for the first time since he was ten, his heart opened to the prospect of forgiveness and love.

C
hapte
r
T
wenty
-
E
ight

Ella sat in the waiting room at Ross’s garage while he finished the maintenance on the Xterra. She opened her e-reader, but shut it off again after staring at the same page for fifteen minutes without reading a word.

She’d hoped Coop would stop by the cabin when he’d cooled off. Or at least call. Ella didn’t want to leave things so . . . so fouled up. And that’s exactly what it was. “F’ed” up in the worst possible way. Even if he couldn’t forgive her, she’d wanted to at least talk one more time before going their separate ways. And Ella had a few things she needed to say to Coop, some of which he probably wouldn’t want to hear because it involved words like “double standards.” But, no. Nothing.

It was over.

And, really, what had she expected? Coop wasn’t the type to fall in love or get entangled in a long-term commitment, but he’d been willing to
try
with her. He hadn’t said he loved her, but he’d shown her in so many ways, and she’d let him down. Now she’d have to pick up the pieces of her own broken heart all over again, because she’d fallen so hard for him.

He just looked so damned good in those midnight-blue boxer briefs the first night she got to the cabin. And it had been so long since she’d . . .

Her face grew hot.

Yep. She was definitely a blockhead. Having two degrees and graduating summa cum laude might be proof she was intelligent. Didn’t make her smart, though.

But it was so true. Sex with Bradley had always been good. Great, in fact. But different. Falling for the bad boy this time around had sent her pulse racing at speeds that broke the sound barrier. And the way Coop touched her, the way he made love to her, went far beyond affectionate, tender lovemaking. It was hot and seductive and seared her to the core until she never wanted to let anyone else touch her but him. Never wanted to let anyone else love her, because she’d never be able to completely get over Cooper Wells.

She sighed.

Never was a long time.

Okay, she was far more stupid than a mere blockhead. She was a complete imbecile. She just wished Coop would give her
some
credit. She’d believed him, his innocence had never been a question in her mind. Shouldn’t her loyalty count for something?

She blew out another heavy sigh.

He’d been awful and cruel and lashed out at her in front of the entire town. And why? Because she deserved it.
Selfish ass.
Okay, not really, but it made her feel better to think it.

If he was a selfish ass, then she was pathetic.

And she was pathetically in love with that selfish ass.

Another hearty sigh had the customer sitting next to Ella shooting worried looks in her direction, like she thought Ella was some psycho who needed medication. Well, she probably did, if there was medication for stupidity. The other customer scooted a little farther away.

Ross walked in, wearing coveralls. He wiped his greasy hands on an even greasier towel.

“Mrs. O’Connor, your car is ready. If you’ll wait out front, we’ll drive it around to you.”

Mrs. O’Connor darted for the door without so much as saying “Thank you.” Not one hair in her beehive hairdo moved when a cold rush of air blasted through the open door.

“Ella, I’m almost done servicing your Xterra. It’s in good shape, being new and all.”

“Thanks, Ross. It was too far to drive it back to the dealership in Santa Fe, and I just wanted to have it checked over before I get out on the road. East Texas is a long drive.”

“Always smart to check the tires and fluids before a trip.” He hesitated, studying her. “You sure you have to go so soon? I can let you stay in one of my rental cabins as long as you like.”

She smiled at him. “That’s sweet, Ross, really, but there’s no reason to prolong the inevitable. I might as well get on with my life.” And she should, because she didn’t have a future in Red River. Memories of Coop would overshadow any chance of a future with someone else, the same way memories of Bradley would have if she’d stayed in Albuquerque.

Starting over in a new city, making new friends, meeting new people, maybe even finding a group of romance writers that she could connect with now that she’d been outed as Violet Vixen, would all take time. She might as well get started right after a trip to see her family. Preferably in a town that contained a healthy population of straight guys who didn’t mind that she was an erotic romance novelist, because she certainly wasn’t going to try to hide it anymore. And she definitely wasn’t going to feel guilty or ashamed, either. Her writing was what got her through some pretty dark times during Bradley’s illness. It had saved her, really.

So she had allowed herself to get sidetracked briefly when she thought she might actually have a future with Coop. Back to her original plan. It was a good plan. Why not stick to it? She’d lived dangerously for a few months, gotten it out of her system. Obviously, she sucked at living life on the edge.

Boring and predictable. That was her.

“I just hate to see you leave town this way,” Ross said, still wiping his hands. “Can I at least take you to dinner tonight? Your going-away party isn’t until tomorrow, so you can at least let me feed you.”

Ella pasted on the best fake smile she could manage. “You’ve been a good friend, Ross. I’d like that.”

Back at the cabin, Ella loaded a few suitcases into the trunk and slammed it shut.

She looked around at the landscape. The sky grew vaguely dark to the north, and the scent of late summer rain hung in the air, hinting at a coming storm. Great. If it rained tonight, she’d have a hard time leaving the day after tomorrow, but she had a four-wheel drive now. That would help. She wandered up onto the porch and gathered her windbreaker around her.

It was mid-August, and summer was still raging around most of the country. But out here in the Rockies, a few leaves were already tinged with yellow and orange, and the distinct scent of autumn rose in the evening air, tickling the walls of her chest with a sense of yearning. A good time to go, she guessed, before the temperatures dropped, chasing away the last remnants of summer.

Ella walked back inside. She stopped at the bar, and frowned. Something was different than when she left here earlier for Ross’s shop. She looked around, and a light dawned.

The deed was gone.

She searched the floors, the countertops. Nothing.

Huh. Had Coop been to the cabin?

The sound of a truck thundering down the drive had her peeking out the window, just as Coop pulled in next to her SUV. Her heart thudded. This was what she’d wanted, a chance to talk to him one more time. A brave woman would stand her ground and look him in the eye. Say her piece, apologize again, even if it fell on deaf ears.

Ella turned and ran for the basement.

You’re a wuss, Dennings.

Yes. Yes, she was, because she was afraid of the hostility that might show in his eyes again. Bravery was in short supply these days. She’d used up too much of it already seeing Bradley’s illness through to the end, then losing her heart all over again to Coop. He was probably just here to pick up more of his clothes, anyway. She’d let him and stay out of his way.

Wuss.

Calling Winston to follow, Ella closed the basement door and prayed Coop would think she was out for a walk.

She sat for a moment, listening. She tensed when Coop’s footsteps sounded above. Slow and shuffling, not someone who was there for a specific purpose. She looked at one of the boxes she’d brought with her. A box of photo albums that she hadn’t wanted to put in storage. Pulling one album out, she flipped through it, waiting for Coop’s footsteps to recede as he left.

Mostly pictures of her and Bradley. A few of her family.

When she looked at Bradley’s picture now, she felt love, but she also felt closure. Well, mission accomplished. She came here to let Bradley go, and she’d done that. Too bad she’d fallen for his best friend and messed up her life even more.

Ella wondered if Bradley would be disappointed that she’d had an affair with Coop. Probably not, if it had worked out. He’d loved them both. At first she’d felt guilty about lusting after his best friend. But then lust turned to love, and she knew Bradley would’ve approved.

Winston whined and bounded for the door. Urgent scratching came from the other side. Frick. The basement door opened and footsteps sounded on the stairs. Atlas and Winston wrestled and chased each other back down the stairs, so happy to be together again.

She held her breath.

And then there he was. All brooding and hot in his faded jeans and plain red T-shirt. His caramel hair and five o’clock shadow, just long enough to look carelessly seductive. He crammed his hands into his pockets.

“Hi.” That’s all he said, and then he just stared at her and blinked. Several times.

“Um, hi.” She stared back.

“What are you doing down here?” he asked, looking at the photo album in her hand.

“I, um, put these down here when I first arrived. They’re photos of Bradley, and I didn’t want to leave them in storage.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to get settled, you know, how long my stuff will stay in storage. So, I brought these with me. They’re irreplaceable.” To stop rambling, Ella bit her lip.

He just stared and brooded some more.

“Well, uh, I’ll be out of your way day after tomorrow. You can move back in and all.”

“Why didn’t you and Bradley have a kid?” he blurted.

“I . . . um . . . what?”

“You love kids, right? You want a few, I guess. Why didn’t you and Bradley have one?”

A few raindrops pinged the outside of the cabin, and Coop’s words pinged around in her brain. She had no clue what he was trying to say. “We tried for a few months. Then he was diagnosed.”

“Is that why you weren’t on birth control?”

She bristled, a hand going to her hip. “Yes. That, and I didn’t need to be, since I wasn’t sleeping around. Until I met up with you, that is.” Her confusion started to turn to anger. “Wait. Why?”

“Bradley would’ve been a great father. I would probably suck at it.”

Now she was furious. On top of everything else he’d said, all the vile things he’d accused her of without giving her a chance to explain, without listening to her apology, he was throwing
this
in her face? “Is that what you thought I was doing? Trying to get pregnant?” A tremble started at her core and spread through her, the emotions she’d kept pent up for the last week ready to spew like hot lava. “Because I told you before we slept together that I wasn’t on birth control. I was completely honest about it, and you didn’t seem to mind at the time.”

“No!” He ran fingers through his already-tousled hair. “No, it’s just that there were a few times that we weren’t very careful, and I was just thinking . . .”

“Thinking what, Coop? That I might try to trap you, the way your last girlfriend did? Because I assure you, if I were pregnant, I wouldn’t ask you for a thing. Don’t worry, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that you don’t want a kid, especially with me.”

“Actually,” he almost whispered, “I was thinking that if I ever did have a kid, I would only want to have it with you.”