LITMIR.BIZ

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pretty quick and all.” He hadn’t really thought it through, but Loretta seemed set on breaking up Lauren’s engagement, or at the very least, making sure Kelsey was an upstanding man, deserving of her daughter’s hand.

      The only real plan in his head was to keep watch over Lauren while he tried to find out Kelsey’s true intentions. His gut was telling him her fiancé was no good, and he trusted his gut. If the guy had been cheating Tony, then he should be exposed for the creep that he was. Protecting Lauren was Cooper’s job now...at all costs. If his secret plan went awry, he could lose Lauren’s friendship, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He owed Tony that much. Hell, he owed the entire Abbott family.

      Period.

      “It’s a start. We can keep an eye on Lauren better at your ranch, without too much interference from Roger,” Loretta said, breaking into his thoughts. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”

      That was an understatement.

      “How’s your brother?”

      “Jared’s good.”

      “Will we be seeing him while we’re here?”

      “From time to time. He’s got an office up at his house and we have dinner a few times a week.”

      “You two boys have certainly made a success of this ranch,” she said.

      “We just picked up where Dad left off. He started the place and taught us the business. Luckily, we both love ranching. Jared’s the brains and I’m the brawn in the duo.” Cooper smiled and sipped lemonade.

      Lauren walked in, her eyes taking in the entire kitchen. “Wow. A girl could go into crazy cooking mode in this place.”

      “Feel free. I’m sure Marie wouldn’t mind a bit.”

      “Marie? Is she...?”

      “She is. She’s the same housekeeper we’ve had since I was a boy,” he said, handing Lauren a glass of lemonade. “She’s getting on in age, so we keep her duties light. She splits her time between here and Jared’s place, but we’ve also got a cleaning crew that comes in to help her out,” he explained. “Have a seat, ladies.”

      While they took their seats at the table, he scrounged around for the oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies Marie had made yesterday. “Ah, here they are.” He set the plate on the table. “Snacks. Have some.”

      “They look delicious,” Loretta said, taking one.

      “They are,” Cooper said, gesturing for Lauren to take one, as well.

      “If I do, then I’ll have to jog another mile or two to work it off.”

      “You jog?”

      She nodded. “Yes.”

      “And she does yoga, too,” Loretta added.

      “Well, I know nothing about yoga, but anytime you want a jogging partner, I’m your guy.”

      “Really?”

      She seemed surprised and that surprised him. “Yep. What, you didn’t think cowboys jogged?”

      Lauren laughed. “Well, no. I guess I can’t picture it.”

      “See me in the morning and I’ll paint you that picture.”

      “You’re on,” Lauren said. She delicately picked up a cookie and took a small bite. “Oh, these are delicious.” She began nodding her head. “I can see I’m going to need to step up my game if this is how Marie cooks.”

      “It is a challenge,” Cooper admitted. “So, where would you like to start? I can show you around the house and then we can take a tour of the grounds. Were you thinking of a church wedding or having it here?”

      “I’m...not sure. I’ll have to speak to Roger about that. Up until a few days ago, we were going to the courthouse to get married.”

      Loretta frowned slightly. The idea of her daughter marrying this guy unsettled her, but she was hiding it well.

      “I’m sure you have to get to work, Cooper,” Lauren said.

      “I have a few hours. Let me give you a tour of the house first.”

      * * *

      After cookies and lemonade in the grand kitchen, Cooper began showing them the finer points of the room including how to work all the digital electronic appliances and how to turn on the television set in the refrigerator door, which also told the time and local temperature. By the time he was through, Lauren’s head was spinning. But her mama took it all in stride as if she was tickled pink to be here.

      Lauren still felt awkward about the entire situation.

      “The kitchen is always available to you,” he said. “If Marie’s here, she’s usually really good about having meals ready. If there’s something you want, just ask her, and if she’s not here, have at it. Feel free to cook something yourself.”

      “I think Lauren might take you up on that, Cooper,” her mama said.

      “Fine with me.” Cooper’s gaze connected with Lauren’s and all that blue coming her way made her dizzy.

      It was a mother thing, putting words in Lauren’s mouth. She didn’t like it, but her best friend Katy said her mother did the same thing to her quite a bit. And she had made that crack about crazy cooking mode earlier. Still, she wasn’t at ease here yet. She hoped that would change.

      Next, they followed Cooper through the living room and formal dining area, as well as a great room that housed a bar, a reading nook and a giant flat-screen television. The room was the coziest in the house, done in warm colors, with lived-in leather sofas and a rustic red-brick fireplace. He showed them how to turn on music from an in-wall stereo system with enough lights and buttons to rival an airplane dashboard.

      Warning to self. Do not even think about it. She’d be sure to foul up the music system.

      Then Cooper led them down the hall to his study, which he used as an office. Across the hall was a full state-of-the-art gym. “Wow,” she said under her breath. Of all the things he’d showed her thus far, this was the only thing she really envied. “I’m impressed. Do you...?”

      “Yep, I get my cowboy ass—uh, excuse me, Loretta—in here a few times a week.”

      “That’s obvious,” Lauren said without thinking. She resisted slapping her hand over her mouth. Goodness, she had to keep her lips buttoned more around him or he’d think she was flirting or something.

      Cooper blinked once and then let the comment pass.

      The gym had a shower area with a complete set of sundries, a sauna and an indoor Jacuzzi. Everything was framed in travertine and marble. The shower alone was bigger than a walk-in closet.

      “Again,” he said, “feel free to use anything here you’d like.”

      A sliding-glass door in the gym led them outside to the back of the house. The gardens were colorful, day lilies, peonies and primrose erupting into full bloom everywhere. A snow-white lattice gazebo sat smack in the middle of the grounds and off to the side crystal-blue waters flowed down a rock waterfall into a pool. A long stone-and-glass fire pit was surrounded by lounge chairs. It was perfection.

      “It’s like a resort,” Loretta said.

      Cooper laughed. “I used to throw some great parties here.”

      “Tony told me. He loved those parties.”

      Cooper’s face fell. “I know. God, I miss him.”

      Lauren saw his pain and reached for his hand. “We all do.” He stared into her eyes a moment and nodded. Her mama took both of their hands and squeezed. And they stood there for a while, hands entwined.

      After a time, her mama spoke up. “Tony wouldn’t want us to be

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