“Wait.” Haleigh chased her into the living room. “I never said he isn’t good enough for me. I said my mother wouldn’t approve.”
Jessi spun, her eyes flashing. “Who cares? Aren’t you like forty? I mean, you’re a freaking adult. You don’t need your mommy’s approval if he’s the right guy.” Painting Haleigh with a look of disgust, she said, “Grow up, for cripes’ sake. And if you don’t have the guts to go after Cooper, don’t use your mother as an excuse.”
“I—” Haleigh started, but Jessi stormed off.
The question echoed in Haleigh’s brain. Who cares? Haleigh cared. She wanted her mother’s approval. Jessi didn’t understand the dynamic Haleigh grew up with, or the guilt she carried for being the thorn in her mother’s side. The one that her father had twisted and buried deeper all those years.
“I don’t have to explain my life to anyone,” she said, charging down the hall to her own room. At least this time she remembered not to slam the door.
“I don’t understand why you kept me in the dark about this,” Cooper said.
“I didn’t keep you in the dark,” his mother hedged. “I just didn’t tell you yet.”
“That’s the same thing.” He cut into the chicken-fried steak she’d brought him for lunch. “How can I make sure you’re okay if I don’t know that you’re hopping all over town with some guy I don’t even know?”
Linda Ridgeway rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Bruce is on the Ruby committee with you, and I know for a fact that he’s volunteered to help with your car show fundraiser thing, so it isn’t as if he’s a total stranger to you.”
Bruce Clemens owned the local bookstore, called Bound to Please, and was a nice enough guy. But that didn’t mean Cooper wanted his mother dating him. Or anyone else for that matter.
“So he’s been looking me in the eye and conveniently not saying a word about having the hots for my mother.”
“Cooper Daniel, I will not have you implying that Bruce has done anything wrong. We are single, consenting adults, and do not need your permission to spend a little time together.”
Properly chastised, Cooper tried to see the situation from his mother’s point of view. She was only fifty-three years old, and in great health, thank goodness. And he had to admit that there was no reason for her to spend her remaining years living like a nun.
“I’m not suggesting you need anyone’s permission, and I do want you to be happy,” he conceded. “I guess I just need to get used to the idea of you, you know, dating.”
His mother’s carefree laughter returned. “You make it sound like I’ve taken up pole dancing. Goodness, Cooper, I’m having a nice time with a man who thinks I’m pretty.”
“You’re beautiful,” Cooper declared. “You don’t need some bookstore owner to tell you that.”
“Actually, I do.” Laying her hand along his stubble-covered jaw, she said, “But it’s nice to hear it from you as well.” After a wistful sigh, she pulled her hand away to prop it beneath her chin. “Enough about me. Tell me what’s going on between you and Haleigh Rae.”
Cooper hadn’t seen that one coming. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said before shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.
“Oh no,” Mama said, wiggling a finger in front of his nose. “If we can talk about my love life, we can talk about yours. Abby said you spent the night at her house last night.”
“On the couch,” he clarified around the steak.
Throwing a folded paper towel his way, she said, “You know better than to talk with your mouth full.”
Chewing the rest of the meat, he swallowed and said, “Haleigh had too much to drink at Brubaker’s, so I left my truck at the bar and drove her home. Then I slept on the couch. End of story.”
If he did make a move in Haleigh’s direction, the odds were still in favor of her telling him to go to hell. For the sake of his pride, he’d prefer as few people as possible know of his potential humiliation. Add in his mother’s unwavering determination to see her son married, mostly for the sake of getting herself some grandkids to spoil, and the slightest whiff of him and Haleigh getting together would have her doing who-knew-what to see them tripping down the aisle as soon as possible.
“You don’t really expect me to believe that. You’ve been in love with the girl since you hit puberty. Maybe before.”
Sweet corn spewed across his desk. “How do you know that?”