Wandering Heart (6 page)

"Yeah, we saw
'My Girl' again. Tim's mom loves that movie. She cried most of the
way through it. I'd have rather watched Iron Man or The Hulk, but
she didn't rent them."

"I've seen that
movie. It's sad, don't you think?" She slipped on her slippers and
headed for the kitchen.

"I guess."

"What time are
you coming home tomorrow?"

"In the
morning, unless you need me tonight."

"No, I'm fine.
I'll see you in the morning." Angela said, as she was about to hang
up.

"Mom, I—is
everything okay?"

"Of course,
why?"

"You just sound
kinda funny."

"Of course I
do, honey. I've been asleep. I guess the storm woke me. I thought
I'd have a cup of hot chocolate and go back to bed."

"Mom, I'll come
home if you want me to. I know how worried you are about things. If
I were old enough to work you wouldn't have to be worried. I mean
you are going to quit your job in town, aren't you?"

"I was thinking
about it, I'll admit. But things are going to work out. And stop
worrying so much about me."

"But you're
alone."

"Uh, no, Josh,
not exactly. You see I bumped into an old friend the other day and
we've been talking. And, well, it seems he's going to be working
for us."

"An old friend?
Who?"

"His name is
Cooper Johnson, and you'll meet him tomorrow."

"I will? Is he
there now?"

Angela paused
wondering what Josh might be thinking. "Yes, he's here. He's
staying in the guest room until we can get the bungalow fixed
up."

"Maybe I better
come home."

"Don't be
silly."

"Why don't you
put him in the barn?"

"Josh! It's a
little cold to be sleeping in a barn. Besides, Elmerine is in the
barn, and you know how she smells. He's really an old friend. Why,
he even knew your father." She knew that would stop him for a
minute.

"Elmerine's a
pig, Mom, pigs are supposed to smell. Wait a minute, you said he
knew Dad?"

"Yes."

"Really, Mom?
Did you hire him? Will he be there in the morning?"

Angela glanced
at the phone. Since when did her son sound so grown up? Or hadn't
she been paying attention? But in reality he had grown up much
faster than most boys. Without a father he had to.

"Yes, I did.
And he will."

"Great. I bet
this will make Greg mad. I'll be home early. And Mom, I…I love
you."

Once again
Angela looked at the phone in amazement. Josh wasn't often mushy,
even though he kissed her goodbye in the mornings before she drove
him to school. Naturally, he wouldn't kiss her in the truck; what
would his friends think?

"I love you
too, dear. Now, get some sleep." Had she made a big deal of his
slight confession he would never say another word to her about it.
It was a treasured moment for a mother.

She scuffled
back to the kitchen, her mind wandering to the reprimand Greg would
no doubt have for her actions. She was startled when she walked
straight into Cooper. More startling was the fact that he was naked
from the waist up, and her hand landed right in the middle of a
rock-hard chest. Her fingers recoiled as if she had touched a hot
stove. A lazy smile stole across his face as she looked up at
him.

"I'm sorry. I
didn't know you were awake." She pulled herself away from him.

As though he
had read her mind, or perhaps heard her phone conversation, he
filled a mug with hot chocolate and handed it to her. It was warm
and delicious, and she took a sip before saying anything to
him.

"Thanks. I was
about to make some myself, when..."

"I know. I
heard you talking on the phone. When you mentioned hot chocolate, I
thought it a great idea, and helped myself. This kind of storm
usually wakes me, too. Sometimes the stock gets nervous. I like to
be prepared. Old habit, I guess."

"It was Josh on
the phone. He was worried about me."

"Sounds like a
pretty nice kid. You've obviously done a good job with him. It's
until hard to believe you had to raise him alone. What's wrong with
your folks? What's wrong with the Sullivan's?"

Angela moved
backwards just a hair. The man was just too virile for words. Her
hand was until warm. Why he was affecting her so, she wasn't sure.
She wasn't a starry eyed teen ager anymore. But it had
been a while since she had a man around the house. Or a man
anywhere for that matter. Especially a half clad man, with such
soul-searching eyes. "I can't answer for the Sullivan's, but as for
my folks, it's called stubborn pride. I'm afraid we both have too
much of it."

He shook his
head slowly, and turned toward the table. "Pride is good in its
place, but don't let it stand too long. I did, and I'm paying for
it now. I let my father die, thinking I hated him. Now, he's gone
and it's too late. Josh needs family, Angel. It's none of my
business, and I probably shouldn't say anything, but we've known
each other long enough to speak our minds. He needs someone other
than you. What if something happened to you? Where would Josh go?
He's not old enough to try it alone."

What was Cooper
Johnson doing standing here in her kitchen, naked from chest to
waist, giving her advice, driving her wild with wants and needs
that she had squashed for years? He had no right telling her what
she should or shouldn't do with her own child! And he had no right
looking so sexy, and appealing, especially in her kitchen, in the
middle of the night.

Problem was, he
was right.

"I'm perfectly
capable…" she began only to be halted by his words.

"You certainly
are. You've proven that. You're about the strongest woman I've ever
known, and the most selfish."

"I beg your
pardon!"

"Okay, you lost
Raif too soon. Having to move back to your disproving parents had
to be hard. Then obviously through your own choice you lost contact
with your folks, but is that any reason to deprive Josh of his
heritage? Doesn't he deserve a family? Shouldn't you be worrying
about his feelings rather than your own?"

Anger swamped
all logic as she stepped back and glared at him. Tears swelled, but
she held them at the back of her throat; they nearly choked her.
"I've paid the price for all my wrong doings. I know Josh needs a
family. And I'm doing my damnedest to see he has a proper father
and good beginning in life."

"By marrying
the congressman?"

"That's my
affair," she protested.

"It sure is!"
And with that he was gone, leaving Angela stunned and silent.

CHAPTER
FIVE

Several days
later, while Cooper and Josh were working on repairing a fence,
Cooper suddenly dropped the wire and ran. Josh followed. It didn't
take long to realize what had happened by the commotion going on in
the hen house. Partner limped out, barking, and falling at the same
time. Cooper picked Partner up in his arms and ran toward the
house, Josh following.

"Is he okay,
Coop? He isn't dead, is he?" Josh shouted breathlessly as he ran to
the back porch where Cooper was busy inspecting Partner's
wound.

Cooper turned
around to see Josh's pale face. "He'll be okay. But we've got to
sew him up. Does your mom until keep your uncle's sewing kit above
the bathroom mirror?"

"I don't know,"
Josh answered helplessly.

"Go check and
stop worrying? We'll fix him." Cooper nudged him, noting the
concern written all over Josh's expressive face. A carbon copy of
Raif Sullivan, Cooper chuckled to himself; same deep-set eyes, and
same worried expression. Raif was such a worrywart. He had even
worried about Cooper working too hard as a kid. For that Cooper
remembered Raif with fondness and admiration. Not that he wanted
anyone's pity, but the fact that Raif took the time to notice what
was going on in Cooper's life, made an impression. Raif would have
been proud of his kid, though, yes sir, real proud.

"Well," he
drawled in a steady voice, when Josh returned. "Partner got himself
into a peck of trouble chasing that varmint out of the
hen house. Would have had him too, but he got tangled in that
barbed wire laying out back."

Josh's brown
eyes widened with guilt. "Oh, no, the one you told me to put up the
other day. You mean that's what hurt him? Man, then it's all my
fault! I thought it could wait until later, but then I forgot all
about it. I'm sorry."

Cooper shook
his head. He saw that Josh was really feeling bad about the dog.
"He'll be okay in a day or two. And it's not entirely your fault,
Josh. These things happen. It's to be expected. Accidents happen
all the time."

"Where did you
learn to do that?" Josh asked watching him make the stitches.

"I watched your
uncle stitch up more cows than you could imagine. They'd tear their
hides on barbed wire, or trees and not wanting infection to set it,
he'd get the sewing kit out and sew them up right then. But I
learned to sew my own clothes in the Air Force."

"You were in
the Air Force?"

"Yep."

"Gosh, you sure
been around, haven't you?"

"A little."

Then, when Josh
became silent too long, Cooper glanced at him again. Josh swallowed
hard. "The sight of blood scares me. I could never be a doctor or a
vet. Do you think that makes me a coward?"

"Nope, that
makes you pretty normal, I'd say." He cast Josh a quick glance.
"You see, doctors are special people. It scares most people. I'm
sure you could handle it though, if you had to. You wouldn't let
Partner bleed to death, now would you? In fact, come here, you make
the last stitch and I'll clean up this mess before your mother gets
home."

"But—"

"Come on, you
can do it. It's easy."

He handed Josh
the needle and instructed him exactly how to do it. He watched as
Josh's hands shook, but he didn't laugh.

"I'm sorry,
boy," Josh was saying as he made the last stitch in line with the
others, his face screwed up so tight he looked as though he might
burst.

"Now, you
better get that barbed wire stowed in the barn and wash up before
your mom gets home."

Josh nodded.
"You think he's alright?"

"He'll be fine,
you did a good job."

"I'm glad
you're here, Coop."

Cooper glanced
at Josh and something choked in his throat. Yes, sir, Raif had a
good kid. "Thanks, Josh, so am I."

"Are you
married or anything?" Josh asked not daring to look at him.

"No, no I'm not
married or anything."

"How come?"

"I guess I
haven't found anyone who would put up with me for that long."

How did they
get on this subject, he wondered. Surely Josh wasn't playing
matchmaker. Josh knew his mother was going to marry the
Congressman, didn't he? Sure he did.

Partner ambled
off to his favorite spot on the porch, gave himself a lick or two
and gave Josh a pardoning glance.

Cooper glanced
up at the road, knowing Angela was due in any time. He had to admit
working around a beautiful woman like Angela was a temptation to
his libido. He was human, he wanted her, but knew she was off
limits. At least that's what he kept telling himself every time he
caught a whiff of her perfume, or barely grazed her arm or leg as
he passed her by. She was one helluva woman, and not just in the
looks department. He liked everything about her. But that wasn't
anything new; he always had. She just never knew it. And it was
going to stay that way, too.

*****

Two days later,
as Angela was on the way to school with Josh, he pleaded with his
mother. "But I gotta be at practice this afternoon, Mom! I just
gotta."

Angela shook
her head, her hand extending to rub Josh's hair affectionately.
"I'm sorry honey, but you've skipped two piano lessons this week.
So, I'm afraid you'll have to miss practice today. You know the
rules."

"But geez, Mom,
I hate the piano," Josh protested. He must have realized his
arguments were getting him nowhere, and he changed tracts, slanting
his deep-set brown eyes on his mother.

"Coop agrees
with me. He said piano was for girls. And none of the other guys
take piano, so I shouldn't have to either. If you only knew how the
other guys rib me about it. I'm not any good at it, anyway. It's
not fair! Even Pete and Tim think it's kinda strange."

Angela smiled,
a brief moment of sympathy going to her ten-year-old son who would
rather play baseball than eat. "I'm sorry, but Greg and I feel you
need a little culture in your life, Josh. It can't do you any harm.
It's good training whether you realize it or not, darling. You
know, Josh, being a parent isn't easy. Sometimes you have to make
your children do things they don't want to do. But what's best for
them. It's all part of growing up and getting a broader education
that you'll need later on. The more you can do the better. This is
a sophisticated world we live in and you need to know something
besides farming and baseball to get along."

It sounded like
one of Greg's speeches, and she knew it. She didn't feel this way,
and it went against her nature to force her son to play the piano,
but she had given her word to Greg that Josh would learn something
besides baseball.

"What's so bad
about baseball? You don't even come to the games anymore."

Angela glanced
at Josh, frowning when she realized he was right. "Nothing is wrong
with baseball. I'm sorry I've missed your last few games. I'll make
it up to you. I just want to give you every chance I can in life,
honey."

"That's what
Greg says, isn't it. But what about how I feel, Mom? It's my life.
Don't I have any say in it? Honestly, do we have to go over there
every Saturday afternoon? Coop's practically promised to teach me
to run the baler. Can't you go without me?"