Wandering Heart (3 page)

"I knew you
wouldn't miss this one," Cooper Johnson cooed against her ear.

"What are you
until doing in town?" she whispered so as not to bother anyone this
time.

His big easy
smile enraptured her. "The same thing you are, apparently. I mean,
I know you can rent the movie, but there's nothing quite like
seeing it on a big screen, with such magnificent sound, is
there?"

All the tension
dissipated like someone waved a magic wand, relieved that Cooper
seemed to understand her feelings about the movies. "It's
fantastic, isn't it? It reminds me of the first time I saw it."

Just like
before, Cooper slid a leg over the seat and joined her, helping
himself to her popcorn.

And for now,
Angela wasn't going to analyse her feelings. She was sitting in a
movie theatre, enjoying one of her favourite movies, with someone
that felt the same way, nothing more.

During
intermission people piled out of their seats and went for
refreshments.

"Want some
more?" Cooper asked pushing the half-empty box of popcorn under her
nose without a sign of guilt.

"No,
thanks."

He leaned back
in his seat, sat the popcorn away from them, and stretched his arm
behind her.

"So, what do
you do with Josh on these nights you get away from it all?

"Who says I'm
getting away from it all?"

His smile
widened, throwing her heart into a little spasm as she looked at
him. "Well, I know you don't dress like this all the time, do
you?"

A giggle popped
out. "I wish. No, he's spending the night with a friend."

She eyed him
for a long moment, surprised that he was even interested in talking
about Josh. "You know it's funny, but I figured you'd be long gone
by now."

"I should be,
but my bike's dead. I've got it over at Ramsey's."

"What's wrong
with it?"

He laid a hand
on her shoulder, as though that's where it belonged.

"The question
is, what's not wrong with it?"

Angela's pulse
quickened and heat rushed up her face. This was ridiculous,
reacting to him this way. She'd known him practically all her life.
So, what was different now?

Nothing was
different, he was the same old charming Cooper.

"Actually, I
loaned it to a buddy last month and he nearly totalled it."

"Then how did
you get it to Ramsey's?"

"I drove,
kicked, and pushed it all the way." He snickered.

Angela glanced
over her shoulder.

"Expecting
someone?"

"Uh no,"
she answered quickly turning her attention back to him, riveted by
his magnetic expression. "So, are you staying with your mom and
Brag?"

"Not hardly.
You know how Brag and I get along. Or don't. No, I've got a small
room above Ramsey's shop. Part of the bargain I struck with him.
I'm helping him at the shop, he's providing the tools for my
Harley, and a room and board type thing."

"Ramsey's a
bachelor, how much board could there be?"

Cooper
chuckled, a nice soft sound that Angela was quickly finding a fancy
for.

"Not much. But
he makes a pretty mean pot of red beans, and he has a washer and
dryer. What more could I ask for? And as soon as I get my bike
going again I'll be splitting for the Northwest. I got a buddy up
there that could use a helping hand."

"Those floods
were devastating."

"Tell me. My
buddy lost everything."

Angela glanced
at him quizzically. "What about you, Coop? Don't you want to do
anything for–yourself?"

That wasn't
fair. He wasn't dressed like a bum. No, in fact, his jeans were
snug fitting and clean, and his blue chambray shirt neatly pressed.
But he didn't seem to have any goals in sight. No ambition, she
concluded, prematurely.

His smile
faded, and he withdrew his arm from around her, leaving her feeling
cold. "Ambition, career, those things?"

She nodded,
afraid she might have said something to offend him.

"I guess it
depends on how you look at life, Angel. I've been down that road,
had a career, made lots of money. But I learned pretty quickly
money isn't everything. It doesn't buy love or happiness."

"Maybe not, but
it does pay the rent."

Love and
happiness? Those were strange words coming from a man that was once
known as 'Love 'em and leave 'em, Johnson'.

Suddenly, the
lights dimmed, bringing with it an unexpected intimacy. Strangely
enough, Angela missed his arm around her, and his smile.

Cooper didn't
say another word until the movie was over.

At a loss for
words, she slowly rose to leave, not knowing how to say goodbye, or
why there was a lump in her throat.

Cooper pulled
at the sleeve of her pink sweats. "Wanna go for a cup of
coffee?"

"This
late?"

"Why not?
You're awake. I'm awake. And I know a place that's open all night,
if you're game?"

"I
shouldn't."

"Neither should
I," he said with exaggerated seriousness, "but let's do it
anyway."

"Is it close
by?"

"Sure, we can
walk," he murmured somewhere near her ear as he stood up and nudged
her elbow.

The feeling the
movie had put her in, and the fact that for once she wouldn't be
leaving the theatre alone, made Angela agree. She wished she could
spend moments like this with Greg, but he wouldn't be caught dead
in a movie theatre.

"A quick one,"
she answered, a smile curling her lips as the butterflies churned
in her stomach.

Walking
distance turned out to be halfway downtown, across the antique
brick road of the main street, and round a corner. It was dark and
wet and the March winds made her shiver, and pull her raincoat
tighter, even though the rain had stopped.

It was a small
cafe, and the fresh aroma of coffee stirred Angela's senses the
moment they walked in.

When the
waitress walked over to their table, Cooper ordered for them. "Two
quick coffees."

Angela locked
gazes with him and laughed. Those beautiful blue eyes of his were
doing strange things to her equilibrium.

"So, who's the
guy?" he asked throwing her out of her trance.

"Guy?"

"Yeah, sure,
the one you keep looking over your shoulder for."

"Oh, I'm sorry,
I wasn't aware—"

"Boyfriend,
maybe?" he asked a dark brow shooting up quizzically.

"N—no!"

"Oh, but there
is one," he added his smile turning sardonic.

Why was she so
hesitant to tell him about Greg? What could she say though? She was
engaged, but no one knew it?

"Well," she
drawled, "y yes, there is one." She stammered trying to find
the right description to fit her situation and coming up blank.
"I—I have an arrangement, of sorts."

"An
arrangement? Is that what they call it, these days? Sounds ominous.
Are you carrying on with a married man or something?"

"No!" she
snapped. "Look, Coop, I don't want to talk about it. It's not
important. Actually," she paused, her eyes going over him
thoroughly before she continued. Could she dare ask him? Greg would
kill her for what she was contemplating. But…"Coop, how big a hurry
are you in to get to your friend's place?"

Their coffee
came and Cooper reached past her for the sugar, his arm barely
grazing hers. Somehow the act seemed intimate, but she was letting
her imagination run away with her. Cooper was not interested in
her, besides, she'd already told him she had an arrangement.

Slowly, he
stirred a spoonful of sugar into his coffee. Then his glance met
hers.

She bit her
lip. He smiled.

"I don't know,"
he replied, taking a sip. "I can't go until my bike's ready. We had
to special order a part. Why?"

She swallowed
hard, her decision made. "Because, I have a proposition for
you."

Her stomach
knotted, her nerves jangled, and her hands felt sweaty, but she had
to ask him. Greg wasn't going to like this, but it was her
decision.

"I'm
listening," he said softly, his eyes not quite meeting hers
yet.

"It's the
farm."

Evidently that
took him by surprise, by the perplexed look on his face. But his
eyes said he was until very interested.

"It's become a
problem for me recently. You see, I have this temporary job in
town. It won't last long, a couple of months at most, but it's a
very important job. And, I can't handle both. I know, I've tried.
But the place is too big, and even with the right equipment, I need
more man power. Josh is a big help, but there is a lot for him
to learn. I'm not ready to just turn him loose with the place
yet."

Cooper sipped
his coffee thoughtfully. "How much help do you have?"

"Just me and
Josh."

Coop's cup fell
to the table with a clang. "Boy, you do have a problem."

"Yes, I've been
finding that out. I desperately need a manager, a sorta take-charge
person, a live on property manager. My time is going to be so
tied up in town and whoever I hire is going to have to help with
everything, including Josh." She caught her breath and searched his
face for reaction. "I wouldn't dream of asking you or anyone else,
but under the circumstances, I need help. It dawned on me tonight,
that you are so right for the job, so experienced. You know the lay
of the land. It wouldn't be like I was turning it over to a
stranger. But the question is, would you be interested?"

"Why me? I
mean, as I recall you were never all that fond of me. Especially
since Raif died the way he did.

"That's water
under the bridge, Coop. I've grown since then. I never meant to
blame you for his death. I know differently now."

Cooper looked
skeptical.

"Oh, all right.
I'll be honest. You happened along at the right time, and I'm
desperate. I simply don't have the time to spend showing someone
around the place. I need someone with experience who can get right
on the job. And since you've already worked for my uncle, I just
figured…"

She saw the
sardonic shadow of a smile he wasn't buying that either. She was
going to have to level with him.

"Okay, I've
already tried three men. The first one I fired for trying something
with me. The second one stole from me. The third one was such a
drunk I couldn't have him around Josh."

Cooper remained
silent for a long moment; he seemed to be weighing her words. Then
suddenly he shook his head. "I don't think it would work."

"Why not?" She
couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

His lips curled
into a devilishly handsome smile. "Because I'd probably try
something, too! Well don't look so surprised, you're fair game
until there's a ring on your finger."

"Look." She
couldn't stop her voice from shrilling. It seemed very important
that he totally understand her position and what she was actually
offering him. "This is strictly a business proposition, Coop. There
is nothing personal in this for you."

The gentle
teasing went out of his eyes, and his smile faded, replaced by some
grim determination. "You must be pretty desperate to ask me."

It wasn't a
time for games, or being coy. "It's not a question of likes or
dislikes, Coop. In fact, the truth be known, I admired the way you
stood up to everybody when they blamed you for Raif's death. You
were both so young, but he made his own decision. He didn't have to
race that train. And even you couldn't control his decision to try.
Deep down I knew it wasn't your fault. Raif had been drinking that
night. Even I tried to persuade him to stop the insanity." She
shook herself a little, a shiver running up her spine. "But back to
the present, it's not as though we're strangers or enemies. You
grew up on the farm next to mine. We've known each other all our
lives. And I should know if you can handle it or not. Why, your
place was literally a showplace for years, until you ran off."

"My place? It
was never my place." He shook his head and took another sip of
coffee, then looked at her. "And for your information, I didn't
work that hard because I wanted to. I had no choice. I got the hell
beat out of me, if I didn't."

For the first
time in her life, Angela saw past the flirtatious Cooper Johnson to
the inner man. A man who had struggled growing up, gone through
pain, and survived, and she realized just how tough he was. A man
who had never asked for anyone's pity or help.

"I'm sorry,
Coop, I didn't know. I mean—no one knew for sure what was going on
out there. We suspected, but you never said anything. In fact, you
did a good job of hiding the abuse. But you ran that farm. Everyone
in town knew that. Every farmer in this area respected your opinion
of crop rotation and new inventive ideas. And I always thought I
saw the look of pride on your face, as though you loved doing
it."

Coop's
expression changed again. "I did. I just never told my old man. Why
should I? I was the adopted son. It would never be mine. But, I did
love working with my hands. Watching things grow that you plant
from seed. It was exciting."

Angela listened
to the anguish in his voice, realizing the sadness that this man
had lived with all his life, wanting to know more, and yet not
wanting to pry.

"Look, I'm not
asking for the same dedication you gave them. I just want an honest
day's work. I'd offer you the first option to buy the place later,
if you're interested. I wouldn't want to sell to a stranger."

When had that
happened? She'd never thought of offering the farm up for sale,
until Greg suggested it. But at least if Cooper bought it, she knew
he'd take pride in it. That in itself might give her the courage to
give it up.

"You're
selling?"

"Eventually,
yes."

"Then why
bother to take care of it at all?"