My One and Only(96)

Determined to be a part of her son’s success, Cooper’s mom had volunteered to help with the fundraiser and was currently running the sign table. When vehicles in the For Sale section found a buyer, she provided the owners with a Sold sign for the car window. She’d also printed up description signs for all attending vehicles and distributed them as the cars had arrived so that guests could read the details of each without having to inquire with the owners.

“I didn’t do it alone, Mama. Caleb made sure the word got out far and wide, and as you know, we have a ton of volunteers making sure things go off without a hitch.”

With hands planted on her substantial hips, his mother said, “Cooper Daniel, you are the leader on this project and you carried the bulk of the responsibility. You had the connections and many of these car owners are only here because you’re involved. Now stop acting like none of that matters and take the dang credit already.”

He should have known better than to argue with his mom. “Fine,” he said. “It’s all me. I’m awesome. Now have there been any inquiries on my cars?”

“Not yet, but we have hours to go.”

Until the events of the previous evening, Cooper had every intention of giving Haleigh the proceeds should either or both his vehicles sell. At some point during the night, he’d changed his mind and decided to donate the money to the women’s shelter project. Anonymously, of course.

“Linda, hon,” Bruce Clemens said as he joined them, “the ladies over at the main entry table asked that I send you their way. They need your opinion on something.”

Ignoring the term of endearment that tested his already strained patience, Cooper wondered why the entry table would need his mother instead of him, but assumed the question likely had more to do with the town knitters than the car rally.

“Someone will need to watch my table,” she said, sliding around the side.

“We’ll take care of it,” Bruce assured her. Once his mother drifted into the crowd, the bookstore owner attempted a conversation with Cooper. “How’s your day going so far?”

In no mood to play friendly with his mother’s new beau, Cooper said, “Busy. So if you’ll excuse me . . .”

“Do you not like me as a person, or simply disapprove of me dating your mother?”

“I don’t know you as a person,” he said, making the latter the obvious answer. “Mama isn’t sitting on a mound of cash, if that’s what you’re after.”

With a half-smile, Bruce changed the subject. “I saw the scene with Haleigh Rae earlier.”

Refusing to discuss his private life, Cooper said, “That’s none of your business.”

“I got the impression that a member of Haleigh’s family doesn’t approve of your relationship.”

Cooper’s jaw ticked as he kept his eyes on the activity in front of them. “There is no relationship. Not anymore.”

“As we just established, you don’t approve of me either, but I don’t blame your mother for that.”

“Leave it alone, Clemens.”

“And I know she didn’t tell you right away that we were spending time together. Which was her choice, and I respected that.”

Heat danced up Cooper’s neck as his hands balled into fists. “Not the same thing. You don’t know shit about my situation.”

Bruce shrugged. “Maybe not the details, but I know you love the young lady. Or so your mother tells me.” Toying with a Sharpie, he added, “After that speech you gave, I have my doubts.”

“I’ve loved Haleigh Rae for more than half my life and I’ll love her until the day I die.”

The older man nodded with a knowing grin. “Then it would be a shame to live without her, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re not my father, old man,” Cooper said, too angry to admit that Clemens had a point.

Bruce smiled. “No, I’m not. And if I was anything like him, your mom wouldn’t be giving me the time of day. Linda is a smart woman, Cooper. And she raised a couple of smart, capable kids. She wants nothing more than to see you happy. If you being happy makes her happy, then that’s what I want to give her. So I’m telling you, as a man who’s made the same mistake, don’t let pride stand in the way of what you want.”

Deflecting, Cooper said, “Is this where you tell me your sob story about the one that got away?”

“She only got away for a few decades.” With the face of a happy man, Bruce said, “I have her back now, and I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice.”

Speaking of the woman he had now, Cooper’s mom returned to the table saying, “Bruce, who asked you to send me over? No one at the entry table knew why I was there.”