“Whoa,” he said. “Slow down.”
Haleigh jerked out of his grasp. The woman was spooked about something.
“Hal, what’s going on? Is someone in the house?”
“No.” She twisted the strap of her purse as she shoved a loose lock behind her ear. “Of course not. Don’t be silly. I just have an errand to run.”
“Dr. Mitchner?” Jessi said from behind Cooper. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here,” Haleigh replied, her eyes landing everywhere but on Cooper’s face. “I was on my way out.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cooper could see the panic clawing at her. “Come inside and sit down.”
“No,” she said again. “I told you, I have somewhere to be.”
“I’m confused,” Jessi said. “I thought this was Abby’s house.”
Haleigh stepped around them both, saying, “I rent a room from Abby. We’re friends.”
“Why is a doctor renting a room from anyone? Shouldn’t you have the biggest house in town?”
Ignoring the question, Haleigh increased her pace. “I really have to go,” she said over her shoulder.
Cooper took a step after her before realizing he was still carrying the baby. “Well, hell,” he said, rushing into the house and setting the seat gently inside the foyer. To Jessi he said, “Close the door to keep her out of the wind and I’ll be back in a second.” He reached the gray Ford Fusion as Haleigh dropped into the driver’s seat. “Wait,” he said, blocking the door with his body. “Come inside and calm down. The errand can wait.”
She tugged on the car door. “Get out of the way, Cooper.”
He squatted down to see her face. “Come on, Hal. Let me get Jessi settled and then I’ll drive you wherever you need to go.”
She shook her head like a stubborn child. “I’m fine. Let me go.”
“I can’t do that,” he said, and had never meant anything so much in his life. “Whatever it is, let me fix it.”
“No,” she said, finally looking him in the eye. “Stop trying to be the hero, Cooper. You can’t fix everything.”
He dropped back on his heels, feeling the weight of her words like a punch. “I’m trying to be a friend,” he said, managing to keep his anger in check. Barely. “You want to get yourself killed, who am I to stop you?” Rising to his full height, Cooper stepped away from the car. “Just try not to take anyone else out when you do.”
Brown eyes closed tight as Haleigh sat frozen, her hand on the door but not moving. “That’s a mean thing to say,” she whispered through clenched teeth.
“Yeah, well,” Cooper replied, “maybe I’m not such a good guy after all.”
Giving her what she wanted took every ounce of willpower Cooper possessed, but he walked away. Before he reached the front door, Haleigh drove off.
On autopilot, Haleigh’s mind paid little attention to the road, too busy wallowing in guilt and regret to focus on incidentals like speed limits and turn signals. She shouldn’t have been so mean to Cooper. He didn’t deserve her insults or her anger. Those were reserved exclusively for herself, but Cooper always seemed to get caught in the crosshairs.
As rows of hickory trees raced by, the past bubbled to the surface. David Stapleton, all-around star athlete and the boy voted most likely to succeed, had cooed all the things Haleigh’s teenage heart wanted to hear. He’d fed her nothing but empty promises, and she’d fallen for every lie that rolled off his tongue up to the moment he’d dumped her outside their senior prom.
I can’t be tied down, Haleigh Rae. I’m going off to State, and I’m gonna be the next great quarterback to come out of Tennessee. A guy like me has to keep his options open.
A guy like him needed to be castrated, Haleigh lamented. He’d even had the nerve to throw the classic cliché in her face.
How do I even know the kid is mine? You gave it up pretty easy, so who knows how many guys there’s been.
Looking back, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t scratched his eyes out in that moment. Especially when he knew she’d been a virgin. And there was nothing pretty easy about her. David had coaxed and sweet-talked for months before she’d agreed to go all the way. The guilt had nearly suffocated her, and Haleigh hadn’t been able to look at her mother for a week.
She’d been so pathetic in her prom dress, crying behind a dumpster, certain that her life was over. But then Cooper had appeared out of nowhere, offering a handkerchief to dry her eyes. In her weakened state, Haleigh had confessed everything, declaring herself worthless and stupid and leaving a disgusting puddle of snot on Cooper’s rented tuxedo jacket. And he’d known just what to say to make her feel better.