Cowboy Creed (Cooper's Hawke Landing Book 1) Read online

  “Dad! You can’t be in here. We’re making surprise cookies,” Livvy said when she returned, shooing her father back out into the living room. “Found one.” She handed over the elastic.

  Hair up, hands washed, aprons on, they started on the cookies.

  Livvy measured the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, “I know who you are.”

  Mindy looked at the teen’s profile. “You do?”

  She gave a jerky nod. “You’re in the picture that my dad keeps in his drawer.” She tucked her bottom lip in as she fixated on folding the wet ingredients into the dry.

  Livvy’s divulgence made Mindy suck in a breath. Creed kept a picture of her. A tingling sensation skipped through her. “Your dad and I, well, we used to be very close.”

  “We used to be also,” Livvy admitted.

  “You’re not anymore?” Mindy cleared the dirty measuring spoons from the workspace and placed them into the dishwasher.

  The long hesitation warned Mindy that Livvy might refuse to answer.

  “He works a lot. And he doesn’t understand girls. How were you close to him when he doesn’t get us at all?”

  Mindy smiled. “Believe it or not, your dad was my best friend. He was about the only one who did get me. I don’t think you’re the only teenager who thinks that their parents don’t understand what they’re going through. When my Jane was your age, she told me all the time that I didn’t know what it was like to be a teen.”

  “Really? You seem very nice.”

  “Thank you. I too used to tell my dad all the time that he didn’t appreciate how girls ticked.”

  “My grandma lives here with us. She has since my mom left.”

  “Do you see her often?”

  “She’s an actress,” Livvy said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “She’s on TV. She works a lot too and says she can’t get away right now. She told me she wants me to come stay with her soon in New York City.”

  “How long has it been since she visited?”

  “A couple of years.”

  “I’m sure she misses you. A lot. But I know your grandma very well and she’s an amazing woman.” Mindy buttered the cookie sheet. “Let’s roll the dough into balls. Like this.” She showed Livvy how.

  “So you don’t have a mom either?”

  “She died when I was ten.” Mindy concentrated on rolling the dough between her palms.

  “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “You can tell me anything.” Mindy gave the teen a comforting smile.

  “I forget what my mom smells like. She always wore the same perfume from a pretty bottle. I wish I knew what it was called.”

  “Sometimes I forget what my mama looked like, smelled like too…and the sound of her voice. I do remember the song she sang, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, to me every night at bedtime. I miss her every day.”

  “I miss mine too, although my mom didn’t die. She left. Dad says she is an actress at heart. I think she just didn’t love me enough.” Livvy rolled the tip of her finger through spilled flour on the counter.

  “Oh, honey. I’m sure she loves you dearly. Sometimes…well, sometimes a parent has a difficult time showing how much they care for one reason or another. After Mom passed, my dad had a hard time for a while.” She didn’t know how much to share with the teen but remembering how she felt at fourteen she only wanted people to be truthful.

  “Dad’s that way too. I think sometimes he hates having me.” The words seemed to suck the oxygen right out of the room.

  Mindy wanted to hug her—wanted to tell the young girl—going on young lady—that everything would be alright. “I’m sure that’s not true.” Mindy’s chest twisted. No child should ever feel unwanted or unloved. “I felt the same way about my father too, but I was wrong.”

  “Is the pan ready to go in?”

  “Yes.”

  Once the pan was in, Livvy said, “Dad won’t even let me wear makeup. All the girls at school are allowed,” she huffed. “He treats me like a baby.”

  Mindy had these same arguments with her father, and with Jane. “You’re a beautiful girl and he probably thinks you don’t need any.”

  “He doesn’t understand anything. He especially doesn’t understand Alex.” A sparkle came to her eyes.

  “Alex? Is that your boyfriend?”

  Livvy’s face softened some and her cheeks flushed. “No. He’s my friend. We’ve been friends since we were kids and we like the same things. Basketball. Kickball. I think Dad would like it if I didn’t have any friends.”

  “I bet Alex is a nice boy.” Mindy needed to tread carefully. She didn’t want to make anything more difficult between Livvy and Creed. Mindy understood how difficult teen years could be for kids and parents both. Jane had gone through a similar stage where she was lying and skipping school with friends. Thankfully, they’d survived the rebellious years.

  “He’s always taking my phone. If I breath too loud he’ll take it.”

  Mindy decided not to point out the exaggeration. “I’m sure that can be upsetting. What do you like to do for fun? Outside of texting and socializing on the phone? I know you said basketball and kickball.”

  “I like to read too. And draw, but I’m not good at it.”

  “I found figure skating and I immediately loved it, but I’d fall all the time. Then I was in competitions. I’ll be coaching at the local ice rink.”

  “You’re that good?”

  Mindy laughed. “I think I can hold my own.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound rude. I’m always being told that I don’t have a filter, whatever that means.”

  “You’re fine. I haven’t dedicated myself to the sport as much as I once did because I had other things vying for my attention but it’s important that we find what we love and hold onto it.”

  “Thank you for helping me make cookies.”

  “If you need help with anything, I’ll be around.”

  ~~~~

  Creed looked across the space of the porch steps at Mindy where she sat with the slit in the skirt of the dress parted, showing off tanned thigh. She played with the necklace and stared into the night sky.

  He dragged his gaze back to her face where she took a long drawl from the bottle of beer. Something jerked inside him—something powerful and amazing. He inhaled sharply and took in the smell of freshly baked cookies. He appreciated that she’d offered to help Livvy.

  “Just like old times.” She winked and set the bottle on the top step.

  “Thank you,” he said

  “For what?” Her gaze met his for a good three heartbeats before she turned away.

  “For helping Livvy. I’m sure she’d rather have you in the kitchen with her than me,” he muttered, feeling the weight of disappointment on his shoulders. He didn’t choose to have things so chaotic between them, but he didn’t seem to have the capability to stop the train from speeding out of control.

  “I did feel some tension.”

  “Hell, you sure it wasn’t a tsunami? I feel like I’m caught up and can’t get out. She hates me.” He sighed and scraped a palm down his jaw.

  “She doesn’t hate you. She’s a teen who is unsure about life and wants to be valued and loved.” She stretched her legs and the hem raised a few inches higher above her knee.

  “Oh, so she talked to you?”

  “She did.”

  Why did he feel a jab of envy? As Livvy’s father he couldn’t get her to talk but Mindy knew her for less than fifteen minutes and she had become a chatter box. “What am I doing wrong?”

  “Fourteen is a hard age. Things are always changing—with their body and peer pressure.”

  “You survived parenthood. Any suggestions?” Did he sense some hesitation in her?

  “Jane is wonderful and kind, but she wasn’t always so sweet. In fact there were a few times I’d lock myself in the bathroom and cry until I couldn’t see straight.” She pulled off her sandals and set them to the side.

  “O
h, so then we’re not on an island?”

  She smiled. “Nope. Happens to most parents of teens. It gets better. I promise. That is unless you screw up majorly and Livvy runs away and joins the circus.”

  He felt an invisible punch in his gut. “Circus? Is that even possible?”

  “Jane used to threaten me almost every single day. She watched a movie where a teen boy ran away from home and joined. Thankfully, she didn’t see the plan through. Unfortunately, she’d said some rather rotten things during that time. I wasn’t at my best either.”

  “Where was your husband?” That word ‘husband’ burned his tongue and anger tumbled down his spine. Who had she married? He flicked at the corner of the label on the bottle hoping she gave him a window into her life after she left Cooper’s Hawk.

  “Well…” She swiped the palms of her hands together and sighed. “He was building his career. In his defense, he certainly has made a name for himself but somewhere along the line he’d given up a lot to gain clientele.”

  “Did he cheat?”

  “Yeah, he did. With his assistant.”

  “One of those, huh?”

  “I wish them the best. I don’t hate him I just don’t want him, thankfully.”

  “You sound like you’re handling things like a trooper.” He respected that, although for the life of him he couldn’t see why a man—any man—who had a woman like Mindy Sage would want, or even look, at another woman. She had the brightest smile and eyes, and certainly was one of the smartest women he’d ever met. Her ex must be a real idiot.

  “It took me some time to get here. I’d be lying if I said I’d handled the divorce like a champ. Okay, enough about my sad, sad past. From what Livvy said, Melody hasn’t visited in a long time.” She turned slightly, facing him, lifting her hair off her neck.

  The bull frogs sounded in the distance and the crickets tweeted. It was a nice, comfortable night. He felt the tension leave his muscles as they sat there together, drinking a beer.

  “So she told you, huh? Livvy doesn’t usually talk about her mom to anyone especially anything negative. You must have left a lasting impression.”

  “Your daughter is amazing.”

  “I wish her mother thought so. I’m not saying Mel doesn’t love Livvy, but she took off years ago to follow a dream of becoming an actress in Hollywood and she never came back.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It was bound to happen.”

  “So, big question. Why haven’t you remarried?”

  He laughed then chugged the rest of the beer. “Who’d want this old bear?”

  “You can’t tell me that you don’t have a line of women in Cooper’s Hawk who’d love to take your last name. What happened to all those followers of the football running back that stole so many young hearts?”

  “Those young hearts are now women with logical heads on their shoulders.”

  “You’re being modest.”

  “Seriously, I was grounded after my daughter came. I guess that’s the best way to describe things.” Although the word grounded was a bit exaggerated. “I’ve dated some but Livvy and I are a package deal.”

  She brought the beer to her lips, sipped, then set the bottle between her legs. “Kids change us. Make us better.” Something flashed over her face, as if she blocked her emotions from showing. “Jane made me a mommy and it’s the best job ever.”

  “About the property. I’ve been thinking over your proposition.”

  She smiled. “Really?”

  “Don’t get excited. I didn’t say I would agree.” He hated to see her frown, but he needed to be truthful. “Have you spoken with Rusty about what you want?”

  “He doesn’t see my commitment, I guess.”

  “Okay, but have you listened to his side of things. Maybe he’s right.”

  “You keep asking me but honestly I don’t need his permission.” Her voice was as fragile as frozen lace and through the sliver of light from the moon and stars he could see the heat in her irises. “I’d like for him to sign over the rest of Sage Ranch to me.”

  “And?”

  “It’s in deliberation.” Her sigh seemed like a muffled cry.

  “You really haven’t given any of us reason to believe you truly want the house and land.”

  She propped her elbow on the step and pressed her cheek against her palm. “He should have never sold it to you, at least not before he spoke to me first.”

  He blinked. “We’ve accomplished that already. Just so we’re clear, how long since you visited last?” He knew the icy blast would come but it came much quicker than he expected.

  Her pink tinted lips twisted. “Of course you’re on his side on this.”

  “I’m on no one’s side,” he confirmed. “I own my share. I have nothing at stake here. I’m only telling you what you need to hear.”

  She dropped her hand away from her face, astonishment causing her eyes to widen. “Shouldn’t you be working less instead of more? Can you handle this farm and Sage Ranch?”

  “I have it covered.”

  “Oh do you? Livvy told me you work all the time.”

  “That’s a low blow,” he muttered.

  “What is it you’re worried about when it comes to me and the ranch?”

  “That you’ll leave or not take care of it, not the way it deserves. But that’s your choice. Do what you need to do.”

  “I need to prove to Daddy that I can handle my share.”

  “Better start crackin’.”

  Agitated, she took the space between them in two sashays, then tilted her hip. He lifted his gaze up her amazing legs, firm breasts, passed the stubborn tilt of her chin to her glazed gaze. “What can I do to prove my good intentions?”

  He chuckled. “Why do you want this so badly?”

  “I want to keep my home. Isn’t that enough? I want Jane to have this place to call home one day, hopefully.”

  Standing, his thigh brushed hers, causing a raid of sensations to gallop through him. Staring down at her bright eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes, he denied the urge to sweep her up in his arms and remind her of that one night so long ago. It would come, eventually. He needed to know if she still tasted like ripe strawberries.

  “It’s more than a plot of land, sweetheart.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What happened to that girl who was invested?”

  She drew back slightly, several seconds drifted by, and she said on a wistful sigh, “How can I prove that I am when you and Daddy can’t even tell me the truth?”

  He gave a jerky shrug and scratched his temple with his thumbnail. “How have I kept the truth?”

  She crossed her arms. “I don’t know.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “What would you like me to do, Creedy?”

  He tore a hand through his hair. “It’s not up to me.”

  “Come on, let’s not kid ourselves. If I stay how much longer can we deny the tug that draws us together?”

  “Who says I’m denying it? Maybe I’m just waiting for you to stop.”

  “That almost sounds like a challenge, and you know me and challenges,” she said in a soft tone that dipped in and teased his desire.

  “Take it however you want. I’m not making any promises that I’ll sell you a portion of the ranch. So if you’re trying to use that sexy body to get me to do what you want then you’re wasting your time.”

  She gritted her teeth and he knew he’d struck a chord. It wasn’t his aspiration to piss her off, but he seemed good at it.

  “You have a lot of gull, Creed James Hawke!”

  “I have a lot of gull? Really? I think it’s interesting how you suddenly want to fit in here in Cooper’s Hawk like nineteen years haven’t passed.”

  She crossed her arms and he could see the tremble in her bottom lip. “I’m about sick and tired of hearing you throw that up in my face! I might have moved away but it sure as hell didn’t take you long to move on. You and Me
lody married before the stain of our lovemaking was washed away from your truck bed.”

  He could see the simmering anger in her irises, but that didn’t deter him. “Why would you care?” He leaned in a few inches. Her eyes widened slightly.

  “Forget it! It’s no use.” She turned, but he grabbed her elbow and turned her back around.

  “No, I won’t forget it! You don’t have the right to spew off words in anger then run away. If you plan on sticking around, we’re going to have to find some peace. You left, Mindy. What did you expect from me?”

  “I didn’t expect you to screw the first girl that came along.”

  “And I didn’t expect that you’d leave. If you cared why didn’t you come back?”

  She squinted. “I did come back, Creed. Five months after I left, I came back.” Her voice faded as he saw tears fill her eyes.

  “What? You’re lying.” He realized he still held her in his grasp, and he dropped his hand to his side.

  “What would I gain by lying?” There was a seesawing of emotion in her voice.

  “Why did you come back?” he practically growled the words.

  “I left you a letter. In your truck.”

  “What letter?”

  “Stop, Creed! You know what letter I’m referring to.”

  He rubbed his jaw. “This is like pulling teeth. I never received a letter from you. I want to know what it said and why you came back.”

  She lowered her eyes and when she looked back up at him all emotion was gone. The strong Mindy had returned. “It doesn’t even matter anymore.”

  “Don’t even try that. You’re not getting off so easy. Why. Did. You. Come back? Answer me,” he demanded.

  Trails of moisture glistened on her cheeks. “I-I came back to see you. To speak to you. In the letter I wrote to you, I asked that you come see me. I waited in the parking lot of the ice rink for hours. Then Melody showed up. She was visibly upset that I was back. I knew then it was too late.”

  His breath came out on a hiss. “What was too late?” he whispered.

  Her gaze met his and a surge of energy passed between them. “Too late for us.”

  He sucked in a tempered breath and it took him a long time to process what she had told him. “I had no clue you had come back. Melody didn’t tell me.”