It's In His Heart (A Red River Valley Novel) (11 page)

But what if . . . ?

Ella cleared her throat.

“So how’s your case?” she blurted.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Coop’s expression darkened. “The same I guess.” He kicked at a stick in his path. “Where are you planning to settle when you leave New Mexico?”

Her chest tightened. Of course he wanted to know when she’d be out of his way. Out of his life. Precisely why she didn’t need to be wondering
what if
.

She shrugged. “Don’t know exactly.”

“
You
don’t have a plan?”

She bristled. “As a matter of fact, I don’t.”
Oh, Lord. She really didn’t.
“What about you? What will you do if things don’t . . . work out?”

He hissed in a breath. “It’ll work out. It has to.” Stopping, he turned his back to her and looked out over the meadow. He picked up a stick and threw it, whistling to Atlas. Atlas promptly ignored his master and sat by Winston’s side, licking his face.

Coop grumbled under his breath again and turned back to the cabin. “I’m heading back,” he said over his shoulder, and didn’t wait for her to catch up.

Avoiding Ella was his best course of action. He’d been doing a good job of it, just because she usually seemed to be annoyed by his mere presence. Until last week, after the firefighters’ dance. After that night, he had a whole different reason to avoid her. Just the sensual way she’d touched his chest made him crazy, and the way she put his hands on her breast, he couldn’t get the feel of her out of his mind. Hadn’t been able to think straight. So he stayed away as much as possible, finding anything, any reason at all to make himself scarce.

Coop pulled into his dad’s drive and followed it as it curved around a grove of aspens that ended in front of the small cabin. Pulling in between Butch’s and Cal’s trucks, Coop parked, grabbed the sodas he’d picked up on the way out of town, and got out.

He circled around to the back of the cabin and stopped dead in his tracks. Ella and Cal sat at the picnic table, their backs to him. They huddled over an open textbook. She was helping his little brother, the same way Bradley used to help him. Ella, who acted fairly aloof, at least when she was around Coop.

Ella’s finger moved across the page, and Cal’s eyes followed, his lips moving at the same pace. When Cal was finished, Ella clapped, throwing one arm around him for a hug. She tousled his hair and they laughed together. Coop’s heart softened.

Before Coop could sneak away, Butch came barreling out of the shed with a bag of charcoal slung over one shoulder and lighter fluid in one hand. “Hey, son. I was just about to fire up the grill.”

Ella’s stare swiveled over her shoulder, and Cal waved to his brother. Drawing in a deep breath, Coop walked over to them.

Butch doused the charcoal with lighter fluid and tossed in a match. Flames billowed into the air while his dad joined them at the table.

“Hey, Coop. Ella’s teaching me reading strategies for my dyslexia.”

Coop stopped a few feet behind them, his stare wandering from Cal’s glowing expression to Ella’s. She stared down at Cal’s book. Hair up in a messy knot, her slender neck exposed. Stray wisps of auburn hair fluttered in the soft breeze, and the back of her shirt was hiked up just enough to expose a petite waist and velvet skin that he’d very much like to touch.

“That’s great, Cal.” Coop tore his gaze away from Ella. “That’ll come in handy when you go to college.” Cal shot a look at Ella, who gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Just like Bradley used to help you,” Butch blurted.

Ella’s gaze darted to Coop again. He’d begged Bradley never to tell anyone about his dyslexia. People thought he was stupid when they found out, but he never thought Bradley would keep it from Ella. Apparently, he was wrong, because from the look on her face, she didn’t know.

“Yep, Coop was always smart, but that reading thing held him back. If it hadn’t been for Bradley’s help, Coop wouldn’t have become a chiropractor. Right, Coop?”

Walking around the table, Coop set the soda down slowly and with purpose. And mowed down his dad with a sharp-ass glare.

Ella cleared her throat. “Without you two, I don’t think Bradley would’ve become a chiropractor either. So, it was a fair trade.”

Coop’s fury turned to confusion. Did Ella just give him some credit? It wasn’t the first time she sort of complimented him lately, and he was beginning to like it.

She closed the textbook. “I think that’s enough for today, Cal, but you need to read on your own every night. Eventually, the strategies I’m teaching you will become a habit, and you won’t even have to think about it. But it takes practice, practice, and more practice. Okay?”

“Sure, Ella. Thanks.” Cal thumped his fingers against the book like drumsticks. “Hey, why don’t you do the raft race with us to raise money for the Red River Library?”

She gave the back of her neck an uneasy rub. “I don’t know how to raft, and I’m not a great swimmer.”

Ella doesn’t excel at something?
Pfft.
But uncertainty washed over her face, and she tucked a wispy lock of hair behind one ear with a shaky hand.

“Maybe I could make a donation to the library instead,” Ella offered.

“It’s easy. Right, Coop?”

“Cal, if Ella’s scared, then leave her alone.” Coop shoved his hands in his pockets, and Ella’s eyes narrowed at him.

What had he said wrong? He was trying to help her out after the almost-compliment she’d just paid him about Bradley becoming a chiropractor.

Cal’s face fell in disappointment.

“Well, if it’s for the library, then I’m in,” she said, a challenging look in her eye.

Cal perked up like a little kid being offered a prize at the fair.

“I’m starting on Ella’s bathroom in the loft day after tomorrow.” Butch walked up and grabbed a soda from the table. “You boys are helping, right?” Butch shot a warning stare at Coop.

Okay. He guessed he knew what he’d be doing in his free time the next few weeks.

“I’ve rounded up a few more fellas to help, too,” Butch said, and he and Ella proceeded to argue over who was paying. She seemed soft and at ease in cutoff denim shorts, flip-flops, and some sort of white gypsy-looking top that gathered at the waist. Every time she moved, it rode up her torso, exposing a swatch of creamy skin and a perfectly round belly button. No piercing. No tattoos. Coop wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t the type, and he liked it that way. Her skin seemed almost untouched, unconquered. Like it was calling for him to do the touching and the conquering.

Coop’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and he jumped. Digging it out, he looked at the number and his heart stuttered. His attorney, Angelique Barbetta. It could be good news. Then again, Angelique, one of Albuquerque’s most ferocious criminal defense attorneys, could be calling to warn him that the police were on their way with a warrant for his arrest.

He ran a hand over his stubbled jaw and turned away to face whatever waited on the other end of the call. Walking to the other side of the yard for privacy, he pressed the green button on his phone and raised it to his ear.

“Hey, Angelique. What’s the news?” He turned back to watch his family laugh with Ella while they worked together to prepare the table. Ella fit with the Wells men like an olive fit with a martini.

“You want the good or the bad first?” Angelique cut to the chase with her usual alpha-female tone.

Coop ran a hand through his hair. “I need to hear something good right now.” He looked at Ella, who poured lemonade into glasses from a jug. Cal said something to her and she flashed a dazzling smile.

“Kim’s story is unraveling. We’re not out of the woods yet, but she gave another statement, and it didn’t exactly match up to the statement she made for the criminal lawsuit. It’s a small crack in the dam that we can capitalize on.”

“Does that mean this might all go away soon?” Coop tried not to get his hopes up, but looking across the yard at Ella, his chest squeezed with the prospect of starting over with a clean slate.

“The mismatched statements, plus the fact that there’s no physical evidence to support her claim, weakens her allegations even more. If she doesn’t drop the complaint soon and you actually do get arrested, I’ll request a deposition and break her when she’s under oath. When I’m done, her attorney would be crazy to let this thing go to trial.”

Angelique would do just that. They’d known each other since high school and gone through four years at UNM together. They’d been friends and never dated, which was one of the reasons he’d hired her. That and the fact that he’d watched her grind up her opponents on the volleyball court in high school. And she’d hammered the opposing debate team into dust, sinking her teeth in like a pit bull with no mercy until she’d claimed victory and had at least one of the girls in tears. It was an awesome sight to behold. And scary.

She’d won his respect, so he never entertained the idea of dating her. Plus, he was a little intimidated by her himself, and she was on
his
side.

“And
why
did she give another statement?”

Angelique hesitated. “Well, that’s the bad news.”

Coop pinched the bridge of his nose. “Go ahead, Ang. I’m ready.” Did he have a choice?

“Miss Arrington filed a civil suit against you seeking monetary damages.”

He closed his eyes. When would Kim take her fangs out of him and let him live his life again? All because he broke up with her?

“Her attorney already approached me with an offer, which I turned down. If he thought Kim had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, he wouldn’t have even suggested a settlement this soon.”

“I hope you told Kim and her attorney to shove it in a very uncomfortable spot where the sun rarely shines.”

Angelique laughed. “Not in those words, but yes. Their case is so weak, it would be foolish for you to agree to any kind of settlement. It’s just a matter of being patient and not doing anything stupid that would be incriminating.”

Coop went still and glanced at Ella. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “Listen, Ang, there’s a new development that you should know about.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “I can already tell I’m not going to like this.”

“You know how I owned the cabin fifty-fifty with Bradley?”

“
Yeeees,”
she drew out. “Something tells me you’re about to ruin my day.”

“His wife moved in for the summer.” He braced himself for the storm.

“What’s wrong with you, Coop?” Angelique erupted. “Are you
sleeping
with her? Because I told you to avoid getting involved with women on
any
level until this is over.”

“Calm down, and no, of course we’re not sleeping together. I’m the last person on earth Ella would get involved with.”

Ella’d said so herself at Joe’s, but he conveniently left out how her hands had roamed all over his torso and how she’d encouraged him to do the same to her while under the influence of one Mr. J. Daniels. Angelique’s fuse was already burning low. She’d blow a gasket if he told her everything.

“Interesting how you said
she
wouldn’t get involved with
you.
Are you
thinking
about sleeping with her?”

Yes,
almost tumbled out of his mouth. “No!”
Not until recently.
His eyes clamped shut. Angelique was right—what
was
wrong with him? He was an idiot. An idiot who wanted to shag his best friend’s widow.

“If she misinterprets just one of your actions, do you know how bad it would look for you?”

“I wasn’t happy about it either, but it’s done. And Ella isn’t a threat to my case. She’s . . .”
Freaking gorgeous.
“She’s a teacher and kind of a goody-goody.”
Except when she wasn’t.

Angelique exhaled. Loudly, to make her displeasure known. “If that’s true, then it might work to our advantage. We could always call her as a character witness.”

“Try not to worry too much, okay?” Coop said.

“I’m supposed to say that to you. Just keep it in your pants, Wells, you hear me?”

Sure. No problem.

“I’ll get back to you with an update soon,” Angelique promised. “For now, sit tight and don’t do anything stupid.”

Like sleep with my best buddy’s wife?

He stared at Ella, laughing and talking with his dad and brother across the yard. Happy in the breezy June evening against the green mountains and blue sky of the Red River Valley, not one of the three doubted his innocence.

A startling thought crossed his mind. Maybe he belonged here year-round with family. With friends who didn’t jump to the wrong conclusions about him. With people he could lean on through tough times, like now, and who believed him because they
knew
the kind of man he really was, deep inside. With someone like Ella.

Jesus, where did that come from?

“Coop, are you listening?” Angelique blasted through the phone.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m listening.” Only he wasn’t, because his entire world was tilting off balance right now, and not just because of his legal problems.