Christine Flynn - Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger / Once Upon A Christmas Eve - Tall, Dark, Texas Ranger

The boy’s lip trembled. “Did you cry?”

Coop didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, I cried a lot. He was my only family.”

“My sister says boys aren’t supposed to cry.”

“She’s wrong. Everyone cries when they’re sad. It helps to heal your heart. And you know what else helps?”

The boy wiped his nose with the back of his hand and Coop gave him his bandanna to use. “No, what?”

“To remember good things about that person.”

The kid looked thoughtful. “You mean like how much my dad liked peanuts. He used to hide a jar, but he’d share with me.”

Coop’s chest tightened. Mike Perry sounded like a decent guy. So what the hell happened?

“That’s a good one,” he said. “I remember that my brother used to get into my baseball cards. I yelled at him because he used to get them dirty and bend them. A few years ago for my birthday, Devin found me a rookie Nolan Ryan baseball card.”

The boy grinned. “Dad liked him, too.”

“Well, maybe … we can go to a game sometime.” Coop stood, knowing this conversation was getting far too personal. “Right now, we better get to work.”

Lilly walked down the hall to close the front door to block out the noise from the mower, and keep Santos away. That was when she heard her son’s and Coop’s voices.

She hadn’t planned to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t stop when Robbie started talking about his father. Since her ex-husband’s death, both children had clammed up and refused to say anything. So to discover that Robbie had gone to see Mike was a shock. She also learned what she’d suspected—that Mike had been involved with Santos. She didn’t want to think about that. Mike was gone, and she and the kids had to deal with the aftermath.

Lilly’s focus turned back to the man who seemed to be getting through to her son. She liked how Coop handled the situation by telling his own stories. She’d known from their breakfast conversation that Noah’s brother had died. Maybe that was what he and her son had in common.

She felt her chest tighten. She wasn’t the only one who had lost. She might have misjudged Noah Cooper. Over the past couple of years, she had a lot of anger to deal with and she’d been lousy at it. She hated the fact that the entire town knew her business. Thanks to Mike, aspects of their divorce were made public. Yet that didn’t make it right to take it out on every man who came into her life.

She pushed open the screen door and stepped out on the porch.

“Hi, Mom,” Robbie called. “I’m working for Coop. And guess what, he’s paying me, too.” He returned to sweeping paint chips as if proving he could do the job.

“That’s good, son. Since you’re working so hard, why don’t you go and get you and your boss some bottles of water?”

“Okay.” He dropped the broom and ran into the house as Lilly turned to Coop.

“Thank you for working with Robbie. He hasn’t had much chance to be with many men.”

“It’s easy. He’s a great kid. I take it that he didn’t have much time with his father.”

She didn’t want to go into it, so she just shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry.”

“It’s true. Robbie and Kasey hadn’t had much time with their father the past few years.” She swallowed hard. “I made it nearly impossible.”

Coop took a step toward her, but she raised a hand. “I was too demanding after he’d left us. I made all kinds of rules and stipulations about his visitation. Finally Mike stopped showing up at all.”

She heard Coop curse. “Did the custody agreement give him a fair amount of time with the kids?”

She nodded unable to speak.

“Well, then, if he loved his kids, he would have found a way.”

Suddenly they weren’t alone. Rey Santos walked out from beside the house. She shivered as the man smiled at her.

He turned in her direction and came up the steps. “Mrs. Perry. I would like to speak with you.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time right now.”

“This will only take a moment. Stephanie wants to know if you have gathered up the rest of Mike’s things.”

Lilly’s sigh was audible. “Tell my sister-in-law that there is nothing left of Mike’s in this house. I left anything that was his behind.”

Rey Santos didn’t look happy as he took a step closer. “If you are keeping any paperwork about the business, Stephanie has the right to them.”

Lilly felt Coop’s presence. She hated the fact that she liked having him close. “I suggest you tell Stephanie to talk to the sheriff. He took all I had in for evidence.” She made that up.

“I will relay the message,” Santos said.

“And tell her I no longer need the lawn service,” Lilly said. “The cost is too high.”

Something flashed in the man’s deep-set eyes. It was almost threatening. “ Si, sigñora , I’ll relay the message to her.”

He spoke in Spanish to his crew and they climbed into the truck and drove off.

Lilly released a breath as her body sagged against Coop’s. For a second she let herself feel safe and cared for. And a whole lot of things she shouldn’t be feeling. Reality quickly returned and she moved away.

“Want to talk about it?” Coop asked.

Lilly shook her head. She couldn’t let this man get in. To make her feel again. “Anything you want to know is public record. Ask anyone in town.”

His dark gaze met hers. “Maybe I only want to hear your side of the story.”

“I wish I had one, but it’s still all a mystery to me.”

LATER that afternoon, Lilly tried to control her anger, but then her worry took over.

“Where are you, Kasey Elizabeth Perry?” She punched in her daughter’s cell phone number again. It went straight to voice mail. She left another message. “Kasey, it’s Mom, you better call me.”

She tossed the phone on the kitchen counter as Robbie came in the back door.

“Hey, Mom, look.” He held up a five dollar bill. “Coop paid me for helping him. He said I did a good job.”

“That’s great, son.” She forgot her worry for a moment and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you.”

He pulled back. “And I’m going to work tomorrow, too.”

Was her son bothering Noah? “Are you sure Mr. Cooper needs you tomorrow?”

Robbie bobbed his head up and down. “Yeah, Mom, he said he needs me to help mix the cement. So I hafta be at work at eight sharp. I’m going to put this in my bank.”

Her son shot down the hall and Lilly started to call him back to go help look for Kasey when there was a knock on the kitchen door.

Noah Cooper stuck his head in. “Could I speak to you a minute?”

“Of course. Is there a problem? Is Robbie too much? You don’t have be his babysitter.”

He smiled at her. “No! No, the boy’s been great. A hard worker, too. I just wanted to check with you to make sure it’s okay for him to help tomorrow. I won’t let him get overheated, or go over more than a few hours.”

She didn’t want this man to be so considerate. It would be safer if she could stay indifferent, but he was slowly winning her over. “I’m surprised Robbie has stayed interested this long. But since he’s so eager, I don’t have a problem with tomorrow.”

He frowned at her. “Is something wrong?”

Her first reaction was to deny it, but she found herself saying, “My daughter isn’t home yet, and she’s not answering her cell phone.”

He stepped into the kitchen. “Do you know where she went?”

“Supposedly with her friend, Jody. I called her mother, and no one’s home.” Lilly sighed in frustration. “I’d be really angry if I wasn’t so worried.”

Noah walked to her, looking so big, strong and reassuring. “It’s going to be okay, Lilly. We’ll find her.”