“I told you I would. I know you have that English assignment to sort out.”
The teenager let out a shaky breath. “I do. T-Thank you, Lauren. I really appreciate that. Mom’s just a little out of it at the minute, but she talks all the time and I can’t concentrate.”
I nodded, knowing the meds Jane was on made her a little loopy. She was schizophrenic and barely functioning with it.
Mom and I both knew Karen hid the real issues mother and daughter faced so as to keep Jane with her for as long as she could. We weren’t sure if we were doing good or ill for the kid, but I could well understand Karen’s desire not to lose her mother to some freakin’ mental institute.
“What ca
n I get you?” she asked, a touch brighter now she knew she’d have some time to work.
God, who knew that homework could be so precious to someone with no time on her hands?
Feeling guiltier still, even though I was helping out the best I could, I ordered, “A stack of pancakes, please. Oh, and bacon. I need bacon. Lots of it.”
She grinned. “Usual iced tea?”
I nodded, and noticed from the corner of my eye Cooper was hiding a grin.
“What?” I demanded, half snapping at him.
“You still drink ice tea even when it’s cold.”
I lifted my chin. “I like it.”
“Like it? More like you could have it fed intravenously,” my dad retorted. I caught his gaze to glare at him, and saw the welter of emotion in his eyes.
He understood my pain.
Understood why I felt betrayed.
Was sorry for it. But also, there was a promise there. Like whatever Cooper had said had won him over. And I knew how much my father had hated Cooper for hurting me, so whatever he’d done, he’d reaped a miracle in even getting my dad to listen, never mind to stay around and make chit chat with him.
I blew out a breath, and decided to let Cooper charm me the way he’d charmed my parents…
It was way too early for all these emotions, especially before bacon and iced tea.
Chapter 9
COOPER
The house was run-down. In fact, it was in a part of town I’d never been to. Willow’s Hearth wasn’t exactly large, but it was spread out wide.
I’d never been to this part before as it was on the opposite side to the highway that took the students staying in the town to college twenty minutes away.
I hadn’t missed much.
The clapboard needed painting, and the roof’s shingles were loose. The garden was a mess, weeds were more prevalent than grass, and the screen door hung a little heavily on its hinges. It also wasn’t alone in its ignominy.
In fact, this was probably the best house on the lot. Which wasn’t saying much.
My car stuck out like a sore thumb on this street. I didn’t fear for the hubcaps, but it was only experience that comforted me because I knew there was very little crime in town.
If there was, it was when the students were here and as they were on Christmas break, there was little to fear.
I climbed out of the car into the windy day. It had stopped raining, and even in this dismal part of town, the fresh sea air managed to sweep right through and stir out all the cobwebs, breathing life into the area.
I sat on my fender, my hands in my pockets as I waited for Lauren to arrive.