“Don’t ask me.” Coop raised his brow and then shook his head. “He hasn’t told me much about her.” His low laugh twisted EJ’s stomach into a knot. And woke up the butterflies.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to breathe normally. “Well, whatever her name is, I’m just glad he found someone. Maybe now he’ll have someone else to drive crazy instead of me.”
“He just acts like that because he loves you, Ellie May.” Coop cleared his throat and looked into her eyes. She felt her grip on her composure slipping. He’d always be the same guy she’d imagined marrying all those years. She searched his face for any inclination that maybe, just maybe, there was more than brotherly feelings under the surface.
“So what about you, Coop? You got a secret girl stashed somewhere too?” The words had escaped her mouth without her permission. She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, hoping it came out playful and not desperate.
The answering grin he gave caused the bottom of her stomach to drop out. Oh God. He does.
EJ scanned her memory for which of his racing groupies had seemed to be around the most lately. But she couldn’t discern any one of them from another.
Coop maintained her gaze, tilting his head as he answered. “Actually, there is this one girl. She’s kind of my favorite one.” He winked, and she bit her lip so her mouth wouldn’t turn down.
“Really? Anyone I know?”
Coop glanced to the side and shrugged. “You’re probably somewhat familiar with her.” She wanted to slap him. To throw herself at him. To crumple to the ground and cry. The only thing she didn’t want to do was hear anymore about this stupid faceless girl.
She forced a smile anyways. “Well I can’t wait to meet her. I need to get these inside to Mama,” she said, lifting the bag he’d brought as a reminder. Grateful for her own ability to think so fast on her feet, she took a step back. “I’m guessing I won’t see you tonight since you’ll probably be with your favorite girl and all.”
“Yep. Big plans tonight.” He grinned wider and she died a little inside. Or it felt like it anyways. “I know it was always the three of us on the Fourth. But remember what I said. Sometimes different is good, Ellie May. Not all changes are bad.”
He reached out to touch her underneath the chin but she backed up. She couldn’t handle any of his brotherly affection right that minute. Not now that she knew that was all it would ever be.
She swallowed hard and gave him the best nod she could manage. “Right. Well, you have fun. Later, Coop.” And with that, she turned and bolted up the porch and into the safety of her house. She didn’t even acknowledge Hayden as she shoved past him in the doorway.
19
Hayden
“WHAT’D you do to her?” Hayden felt his temper flare as Ella Jane blew past him with tears in her eyes.
“What the hell are you talking about? And since when is she any of your business?” Joe Dirt eyed him from head to toe and back up again, sizing him up. Hayden stepped down off the porch, unwilling and unable to back down.
“I’m talking about how every time you come around she ends up in tears. You got a real way with the ladies, Joe.”
“Name’s Cooper, not Joe.”
“I know. I just don’t give a shit.”
Both boys stood there, toe to toe, shoulders squared, gazes even. It was Cooper who broke the intense silence.
“Maybe you should be a little more worried about your job as the Masons’ Bitch Boy and less about what’s going on between me and Ellie May.”
Hayden smirked. “Last I checked, her name was Ella Jane and there wasn’t much of anything going on between the two of you. Unless you count you wussing out in front of her brother. Which I am counting on. Very much.”
Coop responded through gritted teeth. “You don’t know a damn thing about her.”
“I know she’s had enough of your bullshit. You probably remind her of her sorry-ass dad, unable to man up when it really matters. Pardon me if I don’t ask for your advice where she’s concerned. You’re two for two far as I can tell.” Hayden sighed. In his head, he’d already won. All Joe Dirt did was upset her. And if good old Joe was all this worked up by him, this threatened, then what more proof did he need?
“You lay a hand on her and I swear to God I’ll—”
“You’ll what, farm boy? Go cry to daddy? What’s he going to do about it? My granddad owns your whole family.” Joe was resorting to idle threats. Victory was his.
Cooper’s eyes widened. Hayden rolled his. Speaking of the old devil, his grandfather had just arrived to pick him up from work. Perfect timing, Pops.
“Kyle Mason will tear you apart with his bare hands.”
Yeah, Hayden knew that was a possibility. But he could hold his own when that obstacle presented itself. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk past Coop then turned back at the last second. “That’s the difference between you and me, Joe. I don’t decide how I feel about her based on what anyone else may or may not do. And when I get a shot at what I want, I don’t let it pass me by.” Just because he was still riled a little by Coop’s bowing up on him, Hayden took a parting shot. “Well, that, and I don’t go begging for handouts either.”
“WHAT was that all about?” his grandpa asked when he climbed in the cab of the truck. “You and the Cooper boy having a disagreement?”
“Naw. Just a friendly discussion.” Truth was, Hayden wasn’t proud of the last words he’d said. Not that he’d take them back. Joe was a thorn in his side and he wanted to rip it out and crush it to dust. But something was nagging at the back of his mind. He knew if Ella Jane had heard him say that, she would’ve been disgusted by him. Jesus. He actually cared what a girl thought about him. What the hell was the world coming to?
“Oh yeah? What about?” His grandpa cut his sharp gaze from the back window to him.
“Nothing, Pops. Guy stuff.”
“I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, Pretty Boy. Guy stuff my old ass. I’d bet my life savings that was about girl stuff.”
Hayden couldn’t help but laugh. “You still got it, Old Timer. I don’t know. I guess Joe Dirt back there is jealous because Ella Jane pays more attention to me than him. Who can blame her?”
“Damn straight I still got it.” His grandpa’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he continued. “You listen to me, Hayden Tanner. The Coopers are good people. They’re hardworking and they know the meaning of family, of loyalty. More than I can say for your folks half the time, and one of them’s my own blood. And I like you, son. I do. But I’d give two of you for one Brantley Cooper any day.”
Hayden felt like he’d been slapped across the face. The high he was on from telling Joe off evaporated instantly. He swallowed his wounded pride, but it didn’t go down easily. “Wow, Pops. That’s nice to hear.”
“Just shootin’ straight. Now, you stop worrying about which one of you is getting more grins from little EJ Mason and buckle your ass down and work? Then I might change my position. We clear?”
“Yes sir,” Hayden choked out.
20
Cameron
“COME on, Belle. We aren’t on house arrest. Or wait…are you?” He smirked at the girl sitting with her feet in the pool. He wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight. Not for work anyways.
“Maybe I am. What’s the matter?” Cami lifted her chin in defiance. “Bored of me already?”
Kyle rolled his eyes and stepped over to her. Crouching down, he stared into her warm gaze. “Never.” He kissed her softly on the mouth while pulling her hand to his. “It’s the Fourth. I finally have a four-day weekend. And I want to show you something. Something special.” Brushing his lips across her knuckles, he gave her his best pleading puppy-dog face. “Please? If anyone deserves special, it’s you.”