My One and Only(92)
“Are you here from the rental company?” he asked. Which seemed like a stupid question from Cooper’s point of view.
“I’m the one they called to come and get you, yeah,” he said, humoring the guy. “Haleigh Rae, what’s going on?”
“You know this guy?” Fancy Pants asked her.
“Uh . . . yes. Of course. Cooper is my best friend’s twin brother.” She rolled on her heels. “We go way back.”
“I’m your best friend’s twin brother?” Cooper said, more than a little confused that this was the connection she’d go with. “I’m also—”
“The best mechanic in town,” she finished for him, shooting a pleading look over the pretty boy’s shoulder. “This is Marcus,” she said in way of an incomplete introduction, though the name rang a bell.
After half a second, he said, “The plastic surgeon?”
The guy said, “You told him about me?”
“She said you were a—”
“Long way away,” Haleigh finished for him once again, which wasn’t remotely what he’d been about to say. “Marcus came in for a short visit, and the sooner we get off the side of this road, the sooner he can head home. So, can we move this along?”
Stepping to the side, Marcus pulled Haleigh with him onto the grass saying, “Be careful when you load her up. I don’t plan to pay for any scratches that I didn’t put on it.”
Haleigh cringed but held silent. Suppressing the urge to plant his fist in Pretty Boy’s face, Cooper spoke through gritted teeth. “I’ll do my best.”
Cooper lifted the Mercedes onto the flatbed and secured the chains that would keep it there. Pulling off his gloves, he said, “Y’all can climb in now,” as he opened the passenger door on the tow truck.
Hustling over, Haleigh climbed up and shifted into the middle of the seat, but Pretty Boy hesitated. “When was the last time this truck was cleaned?”
“Shut up and get in, Marcus,” Haleigh ordered, saving Cooper from having to respond.
Ignoring the temptation to rub the frilly doc’s face in the gravel, Cooper walked around to his own side, assuming Mr. Clean could get in and shut the door on his own. On the way around the truck, he reined in his temper by convincing himself that Haleigh must have a good reason for playing off their relationship. Though short of Fancy Pants being insane and homicidal to a new rival, Cooper couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation.
The short ride to the garage passed in awkward silence as Marcus tried not to touch anything, and Haleigh gnawed at a fingernail, ignoring Cooper’s sideways glances. Her nerves were so potent they put Cooper even more on edge. By the time they arrived at their destination, his jaw hurt from forcibly keeping it clamped shut. Thankfully, Jerk Boy leapt from the truck as soon as Cooper pulled to a stop and stepped several feet away with his phone to his ear.
As he lifted Haleigh out the driver’s side, Cooper said, “Where have you been and why are you acting like we aren’t together?”
“I don’t have time to tell the whole story right now,” she said, checking to see if Marcus could hear them. “Marcus dragged me down to Nashville for dinner, and since I didn’t know we were going that far until I was already in the car, I didn’t take a charger. Needless to say,” she added, holding up her phone, “my cell is dead.”
Cooper didn’t give two shits about her phone. “Why did you get in the car with him in the first place?”
Crossing her arms, she said, “My mother insisted I at least eat with him. She set this up. I went to make her happy, believing I could get rid of him before I had to be at Abby’s. Did you tell Jessi?”
“No,” he answered. “If your mom knows that we’re together, why would she bring your ex-fiancé all the way here?”
“About that . . .” she started the same time Marcus rejoined them.
“The rental company will send a truck up for the car tomorrow.” Assessing his surroundings with a critical eye, he added, “This obviously isn’t the kind of place equipped to deal with a Mercedes.”
The only thing that kept the asshole from getting his head knocked off was Haleigh’s hand on Cooper’s chest.
Flashing a pleading look for patience, she said, “Marcus, do us both a favor and stop talking. Seriously.”
“What?” he asked, clueless to his own sanctimonious attitude. “Your mother should be here to pick us up any minute.”
“I’ll take Haleigh home,” Cooper said. To hell if he was going to let her out of his sight again tonight.