Patricia Thayer – Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger / Once Upon A Christmas Eve: Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger (страница 9)

“She’s too strict. I can’t go anywhere.”

“You have to earn trust for that,” he explained. “And doing something like this stunt shows poor judgment and immaturity.”

She gave him a defiant look. “This isn’t your business.”

“Okay, let me tell you some hard, cold facts. Those older boys you think are so cute, they wanted to do more than play video games with you. You could have been in big trouble. And it’s my business because your mother needed my help today.”

He nodded to the phone. “Now, it’s time to take your medicine and call her.”

It was after ten by the time Lilly got the kids settled for the night. She’d tried to calmly talk with Kasey, telling her the importance of staying in touch by phone. The scary thing was her child wasn’t listening to a word she said. In the end, Lilly had grounded her daughter for a week, no phone or computer.

In reality, who was being punished? Exhausted, she walked out on the side porch with her glass of wine. She sat down on the railing and took a sip, hoping the alcohol would soothe away all her fears, the feelings of inadequacy and loneliness.

It had only been a few months since Mike’s death, but the past two years had been hell. That was how long she’d carried the guilt about failing as a wife. Now, she was failing as a mother, too.

She heard a door shut and looked around to see Noah coming out of the cottage. He walked along the lighted path toward the porch. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, but she knew she owed him more than just a brief thank-you for today.

With a bottle of beer in hand, he stopped at the steps. “Would you mind some company?”

Okay, so the man was considerate. “Sure.”

He came up the steps, wearing a clean pair of jeans and a dark T-shirt. His cowboy boots made a tapping sound against the wood floor. She caught a whiff of his soap as he walked by her.

He leaned against the post. “Did your daughter survive your wrath?”

“Barely. Remember, I’m a trained professional. A school principal knows the right buttons to push. According to my daughter, I committed a crime taking away her social life, her phone and computer.”

In the shadows, she could see his nod. “With me, I hated when my mom wouldn’t let me leave the house. But now everything is done through texting, or the internet.”

He looked at her for what seemed like an eternity. “How are you doing, Lilly? It had to be rough not knowing where your daughter might be.”

There he went, being nice again.

“No, it wasn’t easy and I owe you a big thanks. And it’s not bound to get any easier for a long time. Mike was the one who could deal with Kasey’s moods. Now she blames me for him being gone.”

“She has to blame someone. You’re the closest and the one she feels most safe with.”

Lilly looked at him. The night’s darkness was an intimate setting. “Were you a psychologist in a previous life?” She took a sip of wine. She didn’t need it; this man could quickly go to her head—if she let him.

“No, I just made my mother’s life difficult too many times to remember.”

“For how long?” she asked hopefully.

“Too long. She’s gone now.” He sighed. “I wish I’d been a better son.”

She was curious. “What about your father?”

“He wasn’t in the picture.” He shrugged. “So I don’t remember him much.”

“So with your brother gone, you’re all alone.”

Coop didn’t want her to see that much of himself. “I have a sister-in-law and a niece. I should stay in touch more.” Just not when he was working undercover.

“You should. But you shouldn’t have to subject yourself to listening to a woman crying in her wine.”

“No one is forcing me to do anything. And I doubt you complain much, Lilly.” He took a drink of his beer. Mainly because he was fighting the urge not to get too personal. “I wish I could tell you that everything will turn out all right, but I can’t. You’ve got good kids, just hang in there.”

The moonlight illuminated the area as she looked at him with those big eyes. Man, she was stirring feelings in him, and that was dangerous for both of them. He needed to redirect his thoughts, to business. “Do you get any help from their aunt?”

“Stephanie? She’s been trouble from the get-go. She’s a lot younger than Mike. He even helped raise her. Then he trained her in the family business after their parents passed away.”

“So she has the business now,” he coaxed for more information.

Lilly turned and looked at him. “It might be a coincidence, but a lot of the trouble between Mike and me started when she got more involved with the company.”

Go easy, he told himself. “Didn’t your husband run things then?”

“He did the books, but the day-to-day scheduling of the work crews was Stephanie’s job. And for a while they were doing great, the money was rolling in. The only problem was Mike was working more and more hours as the business expanded. Then Rey Santos came in as a manager for the crews. And I thought that would free Mike up and he could cut back on his hours. But Stephanie and Rey started dating.” She shivered. “Nothing changed. Then our marriage started … falling apart and finally Mike moved out.”

She shrugged, staring out at the night sky. “Then one day I got served with divorce papers.”

He saw her blink rapidly, her voice grew soft and shaky as she said, “I just never thought he would divorce the kids, too, and then the suicide.” She looked at him. “Can you see why Kasey acts up?”

Coop had a dozen questions he wanted to ask her but was afraid to tip his hand. Was Mike Perry a total jerk, or was he the Feds’ informant trying to protect his family?

The next day, Coop worked the morning repairing the walkway with Robbie. By noon, he’d sent the boy off to go swimming with his friends, while he went to see about his new boss.

He pulled his truck into the construction site at the west end of town. There were to be twenty-five affordable, two-story homes to be built in the development called Vista Verde. The first dozen homes were to be completed by September.

In fact, Alex Casali was listing the prices well below market value. It seemed the millionaire rancher wanted to pay back his good fortune to the community. The people who qualified to buy a house were low to moderate income families. And there was already a waiting list for the energy efficient homes that included a small park and community pool.

Coop knocked on the construction trailer door.

“Come in,” a man called.

He pushed open the door and walked inside. Although the space was large, it still seemed crowded with two men and a pretty auburn-haired woman and two toddlers running around.

The man behind the desk was Alex Casali, a big man with brown hair and gray eyes. He was a formidable man until he looked at his wife. Their affection for each other was obvious.

Alex finally noticed him. “Coop. Good to see you.”

“Hello, Alex. I thought I’d stop by to see about my starting time, but I can see you’re busy. Hello, Mrs. Casali.” He removed his hat. “Good to see you again.”

“Please, call me Allison. It’s nice to see you again, Coop. You don’t have to leave, I’m taking Will and Rose home for their nap. I think their dad’s had enough of family at the work place.” She kissed her husband. “See you later at home.” She paused. “By the way, Coop, we’re having a barbecue this weekend at the ranch. It’s for all the workers on the Vista Verde project. You are invited, and please relay the message to Lilly, Beth and the kids. It’s really a community event.”

He nodded. “Thank you, I’ll tell them.”

Alex walked his wife and children out, then returned with a smile. Coop found he envied the man, not for all his money, more so for his life and family. He’d felt the same way around his brother and his wife, Clara. Then he recalled the reason he was here: Devin’s death.

Alex walked to the desk. “Sorry the kids like to come and see me at work.”

“No apologies necessary. You’re the boss.”

“Boy, have you got that wrong.” He grinned. “My wife and kids run things. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Casali sobered as the two other workers grabbed their hard hats and headed out of the trailer. Once they were alone, he said, “You ready to start Monday?”

“All set.”

Casali smiled. “I hear you’ve been doing some repairs on Beth Staley’s house, too. She’s been bragging about you at the shop.”

Small town grapevine. “I’m not busy right now, and it’s a win-win situation. I get free meals out of it.”

“I’m glad you’re helping out. That family has had a rough few years. Come on, I’ll show you around.” Casali picked up a hard hat, handed him one and they walked outside.

They headed along the row of framed structures, the sound of hammering and power saws made it difficult to talk.

Casali walked him to an open field area away from the workmen. “I’ll introduce you to my foreman, Charlie Reed. He’ll be the one you report to, and he hands out the job schedule.” They continued to walk along the recently paved road and they reached four nearly completed homes at the end of the block.

“We’re proud of this project and I want the community involved in it as much as possible.” Alex studied him a moment. “Sheriff Bradshaw asked me to hire you. I take it there’s a good reason for that.” He raised a hand. “I’m not asking what it is, I’ve already got that lecture from Brad.” Sheriff Oliver “Brad” Bradshaw was Coop’s contact in town.