port? If so, were they like girlfriends to him or just lovers?
Her cheeks flamed.
“Mom, are you okay?” LeeAnn froze with her hands in the glue and water mixture.
“Sure. Why?”
“You don’t look so hot. Or I mean you do look hot—but all red and blotchy.”
Thanks
. Just what every woman wants to hear...
Millie helped LeeAnn finish, then they carried the volcano to the porch, setting it on top of the washing machine to dry.
“Mom, could I
please
use your cell to call Kara?”
Millie sighed. “Hon, we’ve been over this before. What’s wrong with the house phone?”
“She’s having boy problems and I need privacy. The house phone gets staticky in my room.”
“Tell you what—” she kissed LeeAnn’s forehead “—since I’m headed upstairs for a nice, long soak in the tub, that leaves the phone down here nice and private for you—although I’m worried about what you and Kara have going on that’s so bad I can’t hear about it.”
“Mom...”
Millie’s child wielded preteen sarcasm like a burr under her saddle. It wasn’t quite disrespectful enough to warrant punishment, but nonetheless annoying.
“All right, I’m leaving, but watch your sass.”
Exhaustion clung to Millie’s shoulders, weighing her down and making her movements sluggish. She lacked the energy to fish her cookies from out of hiding, and every stair felt like a mountain.
Cooper’s bedroom door was thankfully closed.
Gunfire erupted from J.J.’s lair, meaning he was still playing one of those too-violent video games she hated. Jim had loved them all, and even as a toddler, J.J. enjoyed sitting on his dad’s lap, helping shoot monsters. He had so few memories of his father, Millie didn’t have the heart to take this one. She did at least limit his killing to dinosaurs and aliens.
“You about ready for bed?” she asked on her way into his room.
“Nope,” J.J. said, “but Uncle Cooper is. He snores
really
loud.”
Sure enough, big, strong Cooper had stretched out on a beanbag chair, using a pile of stuffed animals for a pillow.
Cheetah had stretched across his lap and actually purred!
In sleep, Cooper’s expression looked softer. The concentration line between his brows all but vanished save for a thin line. His long lashes swept his whisker-stubbled cheeks. He truly was far too handsome for his own good.
Back in school, the girls who hadn’t yet had their turn with him, loved him. The girls who’d loved and lost hated him. Since she’d been with Jim, that had landed Millie in the neutral zone in regard to feeling anything about Cooper. Now, with Jim’s memory so distant, she’d forgotten his smell or even what it’d felt like waking up to him holding her. Where did that currently leave her status with Cooper? How many lovers had he left hating him all over the globe?
On the floor beside him was an empty plate. Did this mean he had liked her pork chops?
She put her hands to her yet-again flaming cheeks.
What was wrong with her? Why was her mind constantly in the gutter? Regardless of whether Cooper had eaten her chops or suddenly declared her the most fascinating woman in the world, the fact remained that he was her brother-in-law. Period. End of discussion.
“How about you turn off your game, brush your teeth and let me tuck you in.”
“Mo-om...”
“Wrong answer. How about
yes, ma’am?
”
“Yes, ma’am. Just let me save.”
Cooper stirred. “Sorry...didn’t mean to drift off on you, bud. Did you get through Raptor Valley?”
Cheetah hopped down, only to vanish beneath J.J.’s bed.
All Millie could think was,
How come I don’t look that hot when first waking?
“Not yet, and Mom won’t let me stay up.”
Laughing, Cooper said, “When I was your age, I never wanted to sleep. Now that’s all I want to do.”
Fanning herself, Millie couldn’t help but smile and nod. “True.”
“Yeah, but you two are
really
old.” J.J. turned off his game.
“I forgot.” On his feet,
Her cheeks flamed.
“Mom, are you okay?” LeeAnn froze with her hands in the glue and water mixture.
“Sure. Why?”
“You don’t look so hot. Or I mean you do look hot—but all red and blotchy.”
Thanks
. Just what every woman wants to hear...
Millie helped LeeAnn finish, then they carried the volcano to the porch, setting it on top of the washing machine to dry.
“Mom, could I
please
use your cell to call Kara?”
Millie sighed. “Hon, we’ve been over this before. What’s wrong with the house phone?”
“She’s having boy problems and I need privacy. The house phone gets staticky in my room.”
“Tell you what—” she kissed LeeAnn’s forehead “—since I’m headed upstairs for a nice, long soak in the tub, that leaves the phone down here nice and private for you—although I’m worried about what you and Kara have going on that’s so bad I can’t hear about it.”
“Mom...”
Millie’s child wielded preteen sarcasm like a burr under her saddle. It wasn’t quite disrespectful enough to warrant punishment, but nonetheless annoying.
“All right, I’m leaving, but watch your sass.”
Exhaustion clung to Millie’s shoulders, weighing her down and making her movements sluggish. She lacked the energy to fish her cookies from out of hiding, and every stair felt like a mountain.
Cooper’s bedroom door was thankfully closed.
Gunfire erupted from J.J.’s lair, meaning he was still playing one of those too-violent video games she hated. Jim had loved them all, and even as a toddler, J.J. enjoyed sitting on his dad’s lap, helping shoot monsters. He had so few memories of his father, Millie didn’t have the heart to take this one. She did at least limit his killing to dinosaurs and aliens.
“You about ready for bed?” she asked on her way into his room.
“Nope,” J.J. said, “but Uncle Cooper is. He snores
really
loud.”
Sure enough, big, strong Cooper had stretched out on a beanbag chair, using a pile of stuffed animals for a pillow.
Cheetah had stretched across his lap and actually purred!
In sleep, Cooper’s expression looked softer. The concentration line between his brows all but vanished save for a thin line. His long lashes swept his whisker-stubbled cheeks. He truly was far too handsome for his own good.
Back in school, the girls who hadn’t yet had their turn with him, loved him. The girls who’d loved and lost hated him. Since she’d been with Jim, that had landed Millie in the neutral zone in regard to feeling anything about Cooper. Now, with Jim’s memory so distant, she’d forgotten his smell or even what it’d felt like waking up to him holding her. Where did that currently leave her status with Cooper? How many lovers had he left hating him all over the globe?
On the floor beside him was an empty plate. Did this mean he had liked her pork chops?
She put her hands to her yet-again flaming cheeks.
What was wrong with her? Why was her mind constantly in the gutter? Regardless of whether Cooper had eaten her chops or suddenly declared her the most fascinating woman in the world, the fact remained that he was her brother-in-law. Period. End of discussion.
“How about you turn off your game, brush your teeth and let me tuck you in.”
“Mo-om...”
“Wrong answer. How about
yes, ma’am?
”
“Yes, ma’am. Just let me save.”
Cooper stirred. “Sorry...didn’t mean to drift off on you, bud. Did you get through Raptor Valley?”
Cheetah hopped down, only to vanish beneath J.J.’s bed.
All Millie could think was,
How come I don’t look that hot when first waking?
“Not yet, and Mom won’t let me stay up.”
Laughing, Cooper said, “When I was your age, I never wanted to sleep. Now that’s all I want to do.”
Fanning herself, Millie couldn’t help but smile and nod. “True.”
“Yeah, but you two are
really
old.” J.J. turned off his game.
“I forgot.” On his feet,
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