Bruce shared a conspiratorial grin with Cooper. “I’m not sure who it was now. Maybe they changed their mind.” Dropping a kiss on her cheek, he added, “I’d better get back to work. Wouldn’t want the man in charge to see me slacking off.”
Mama watched Bruce shuffle between two Buicks. “I hope you were nice to him while I was gone. He really likes you, you know. If you’d give him a chance, I think you’d like him, too.”
Coming to the same conclusion, Cooper said, “You’re right, Mama. Maybe it’s time I gave Bruce Clemens a chance.”
“Really?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Yes, ma’am.” Cooper placed a kiss on the top of his mother’s head. “Exactly how long have you two known each other?”
Her round face softened. “Bruce and I went to school together. He took me to prom and we dated the whole summer before he went off to college. When I refused to move with him, he broke it off. I never thought I’d see him again, so you can imagine my surprise when he moved back to town a couple years ago.” With a tilt of her head, she asked, “Did you know that he never married? In all that time.” She shook her head. “Hard to believe.”
Recognizing the pattern, Cooper said, “Not so hard. A smart man waits for the right woman.”
“Are you a smart man, Cooper Daniel? Is that why you’re still waiting?”
He chuckled. “I’m not feeling very smart today, Mama, but it’s time I wised up. If you’ll excuse me, there’s someone I need to find.”
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Haleigh had passed desperate an hour ago. She’d been lingering near the tent she needed, biding her time until Cooper showed up in the area at the same time as the perfect opening presented itself.
“What are you doing skulking around the edge of the grass like this?” her mother asked, putting her ninja skills to work once again.
“I’m waiting for the right opportunity,” Haleigh answered, keeping her eyes on the passersby. “I have to time this just right.”
“Time what? You’re dancing around like some wild animal. Have you been drinking?”
Ever the faithful and supportive parent. “I haven’t had a drink, and I don’t plan to have one ever again.”
Her mother dropped her voice. “You’ve been saying that for years. And yet . . .”
And yet she’d slipped a time or two. But now she had a better reason to stay sober. The best reason.
Running the words over and over again in her mind, Haleigh spared her mother a brief glance. “I’m glad you’re here, actually. You need to hear this.”
“Did you make a request with the DJ?” Meredith asked. “You know country music is not my favorite.”
She’d spoken to Zac Harwick but not about a song. Thank heaven the DJ proved to be a romantic at heart.
“There he is,” Haleigh said, stepping onto the asphalt and signaling to the woman with the microphone, who held up a hand with all five fingers spread out. Five seconds to go. Haleigh’s heart hovered somewhere around her knees as her palms slicked with sweat. She’d once embraced the concept of go big or go home. Today would be the epitome of that philosophy.
“What in the world are you doing?” her mother asked as Zac welcomed his listeners back to the live broadcast from the Ruby Restoration Committee’s Rally for the Ruby.
“Just shut up and listen, Mother. I’m about to either make a fool of myself, or pull off the greatest save ever. Let’s hope it’s the latter.”
“Now we have a special surprise for you folks,” Zac was saying. “We need the man responsible for pulling this event together to step up to the booth. Cooper Ridgeway, would you join us over here?”
Haleigh couldn’t feel her feet, and hyperactive butterflies filled her stomach. She was really going to do this. Good Lord, was she really going to do this?
As Cooper approached, Haleigh stayed hidden around the side of the radio tent. He looked perplexed, but less angry than the last time she’d seen him. When he’d basically told her to go to hell and that he was done with her.
The butterflies doubled and her lungs burned. Whatever happened, Cooper was worth the humiliation. If this didn’t constitute fighting for her man, Haleigh didn’t know what did.
“Mr. Ridgeway,” Zac said. “I have someone who’d like to say something to you.”
On cue, Haleigh stepped off the curb and accepted the microphone the DJ thrust into her hand. It was heavier than she’d expected, and Haleigh nearly dropped it.
“What’s going on?” Cooper asked under his breath.