with ‘local citizens.’" She made the quote signs in
the air at those last words. "Then he hung up his pool stick and left
without a backwards glance. Ever since then, I’ve kept my distance, and he’s
been as cold as Terry Peak in January."
"Maybe he doesn’t like women."
"Oh, he definitely does. A while after that night, I
saw him in a bar down in Rapid getting hot and heavy with this curvy blonde.
There was no way she was just reaching for his gun."
"Really?" I had trouble picturing Cooper doing
anything with his mouth besides chewing glass.
"Yeah, but I haven’t seen him get excited about a woman
since then. Although, he certainly keeps his eye on you when you’re in the
room."
"You mean his stink eye."
"I’m serious." Her eyes narrowed. "You’re
blonde and curvy."
"Cut the chatter about my curves."
"I bet he likes you."
I leaned back against the door, my palms out to ward off her
crazy talk. "Trust me, that man does not like me. In fact, he seems to
maintain a steady pissed-off state whenever I’m around."
"That’s because he wants you."
"Shut up."
"It makes total sense, all of that bristling and
glaring. He’s got it bad for you."
Cooper? The glares? The growls? "No, that isn’t desire,
it’s irritation with a healthy dose of rage peppered into the mix."
"And you think he’s sexy." Natalie appeared to
have hearing problems tonight.
"I didn’t say that."
"Yes, you did."
No, Doc was sexy as hell in a dark and dangerous way. Cooper
was just dangerous. "I said some women may find him sexy, not me. He’s way
too bossy for my taste, and his constant scowl turns me off."
She pointed at something over my shoulder. "You mean
that one."
I turned and jerked back at the sight of Cooper’s scowling face
in my window. Harvey’s bearded mug leaned into view next to Cooper’s shoulder.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Unlock this now," Cooper ordered through the
glass.
As soon as I obeyed, he hauled open my door. His broad
shoulders blocked my escape route. "Violet Parker, you’re under arrest."
All of my internal organs froze as a cold blast of panic howled
through me.
Had he found out I had withheld evidence in the Carhart case?
Who had told him about the demon cult book? Doc and Wanda Carhart were the only
two around who knew about it.
Or had someone linked me to the dead guy in Mudder Brothers
basement?
"What for?" I croaked out through ice-coated vocal
chords. Jail was not a good option for me. I had kids and a job and a
reputation that was about to get a lot worse.
"Creating a public nuisance."
"What?"
"He means me," Harvey explained, and grinned wide
enough to show both gold teeth.
"What did he do?" I asked. Okay, dumb question. "You
can’t arrest me for that."
A muscle in Cooper’s jaw ticked. He took a step back,
holding the door wide. "Get out of the pickup right now."
I climbed down, straightened my dress, and faced Cooper.
In my peripheral vision, I noticed a familiar pair of
blue-haired babes standing next to their Lincoln cruise ship, both gaping at
the show. Norma Jean would have plenty to gab about with her poker buds at the
senior center now. I could practically hear my reputation being ripped to
shreds.
"Explain your presence here tonight," Cooper
demanded, his hands on his hips, his shoulder holster and pistol butt visible.
"Why are you packing heat at a funeral?" I tried
to steer Cooper off course.
"He always packs heat," Harvey said. "He even
sleeps with it under his pillow. One of these days he’s going to blow off the
Tooth Fairy’s fingers when she comes a callin.’"
Cooper’s eyes stayed glued to me. "That’s none of your
business—just answer the question."
There was no budging him, so I fell back on my usual
defenses and jutted my chin. "You didn’t ask me anything. You
demanded, as usual."
"She has a point," Natalie said, sidling up next
to me, leaning against the bed of her pickup. "You need to be a little
nicer to her if you want Vi to warm up to
the air at those last words. "Then he hung up his pool stick and left
without a backwards glance. Ever since then, I’ve kept my distance, and he’s
been as cold as Terry Peak in January."
"Maybe he doesn’t like women."
"Oh, he definitely does. A while after that night, I
saw him in a bar down in Rapid getting hot and heavy with this curvy blonde.
There was no way she was just reaching for his gun."
"Really?" I had trouble picturing Cooper doing
anything with his mouth besides chewing glass.
"Yeah, but I haven’t seen him get excited about a woman
since then. Although, he certainly keeps his eye on you when you’re in the
room."
"You mean his stink eye."
"I’m serious." Her eyes narrowed. "You’re
blonde and curvy."
"Cut the chatter about my curves."
"I bet he likes you."
I leaned back against the door, my palms out to ward off her
crazy talk. "Trust me, that man does not like me. In fact, he seems to
maintain a steady pissed-off state whenever I’m around."
"That’s because he wants you."
"Shut up."
"It makes total sense, all of that bristling and
glaring. He’s got it bad for you."
Cooper? The glares? The growls? "No, that isn’t desire,
it’s irritation with a healthy dose of rage peppered into the mix."
"And you think he’s sexy." Natalie appeared to
have hearing problems tonight.
"I didn’t say that."
"Yes, you did."
No, Doc was sexy as hell in a dark and dangerous way. Cooper
was just dangerous. "I said some women may find him sexy, not me. He’s way
too bossy for my taste, and his constant scowl turns me off."
She pointed at something over my shoulder. "You mean
that one."
I turned and jerked back at the sight of Cooper’s scowling face
in my window. Harvey’s bearded mug leaned into view next to Cooper’s shoulder.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Unlock this now," Cooper ordered through the
glass.
As soon as I obeyed, he hauled open my door. His broad
shoulders blocked my escape route. "Violet Parker, you’re under arrest."
All of my internal organs froze as a cold blast of panic howled
through me.
Had he found out I had withheld evidence in the Carhart case?
Who had told him about the demon cult book? Doc and Wanda Carhart were the only
two around who knew about it.
Or had someone linked me to the dead guy in Mudder Brothers
basement?
"What for?" I croaked out through ice-coated vocal
chords. Jail was not a good option for me. I had kids and a job and a
reputation that was about to get a lot worse.
"Creating a public nuisance."
"What?"
"He means me," Harvey explained, and grinned wide
enough to show both gold teeth.
"What did he do?" I asked. Okay, dumb question. "You
can’t arrest me for that."
A muscle in Cooper’s jaw ticked. He took a step back,
holding the door wide. "Get out of the pickup right now."
I climbed down, straightened my dress, and faced Cooper.
In my peripheral vision, I noticed a familiar pair of
blue-haired babes standing next to their Lincoln cruise ship, both gaping at
the show. Norma Jean would have plenty to gab about with her poker buds at the
senior center now. I could practically hear my reputation being ripped to
shreds.
"Explain your presence here tonight," Cooper
demanded, his hands on his hips, his shoulder holster and pistol butt visible.
"Why are you packing heat at a funeral?" I tried
to steer Cooper off course.
"He always packs heat," Harvey said. "He even
sleeps with it under his pillow. One of these days he’s going to blow off the
Tooth Fairy’s fingers when she comes a callin.’"
Cooper’s eyes stayed glued to me. "That’s none of your
business—just answer the question."
There was no budging him, so I fell back on my usual
defenses and jutted my chin. "You didn’t ask me anything. You
demanded, as usual."
"She has a point," Natalie said, sidling up next
to me, leaning against the bed of her pickup. "You need to be a little
nicer to her if you want Vi to warm up to
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