Cooper stretched, which made him seem even larger beside her. He stood six-two. She knew, because Jim had been six foot even and complained about his big brother being taller.
“Your dinner was tasty.” Cooper knelt to pick up his plate.
“Thanks.” With her mouth curiously dry, Millie licked her lips. “Glad you liked it. The recipe was new.” What in the world had possessed her to tag on that last bit?
“I liked the fennel.”
What was she supposed to do with her hands? “You know about fennel?”
“In Pakistan, the locals roast it and chew it after dinner.”
J.J.’s eyes widened. “You’ve been to Pakistan?”
“Sure have.” Cooper fished his phone from his pocket and a moment later showed his nephew pictures of snow-capped mountains and an exotic-looking white building. “The temple is in Karachi. My friends and I were there looking for a bad guy.”
“
Whoa...
That’s cool! Did you find him?” J.J. asked.
“Sure did.”
“Did you shoot him?”
“J.J.!” Millie gripped her son’s shoulders, aiming him toward the bathroom. “Brush your teeth.”
“Yes, ma’am...” If he pouted any harder, his bottom lip would touch the back porch stairs.
“Sorry about that,” Millie said with her son out of earshot. “He’s the product of too many video games.”
“It’s all right.” With his phone back in his pocket, Cooper’s usual unreadable expression had slipped back into place. “He’s a good kid.”
“Thanks.” Curiosity ate away at her—not to mention the fact that she craved hearing more of his story. Was there anywhere he hadn’t been? Was he mostly working when he traveled, or did he often get a chance to do tourist things like he had in Pompeii? “Well? What did you do with the bad guy?”
The faint smile he cast in her direction ignited fireflies in her stomach.
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
Now her eyes widened. “It’s
that
bad?”
He laughed. “I’m kidding. Honestly, I’m not sure what happened. After my team and I caught him, CIA spooks took over from there.”
“Sounds dangerous.” Millie nibbled her lower lip. While his stories fascinated her, she didn’t like thinking of him in peril. Which was why she next blurted, “How many times have you been shot at?”
Wincing, he said, “More than I’d like to remember.”
“Which means? Five? Ten? A hundred?”
He sat on the edge of J.J.’s bed. “For the most part, SEALs like to be phantoms—in and out of a place before anyone even knows we’ve been there. Every so often, plans go to shit—pardon my French—and then all hell breaks loose. Couldn’t give you any hard facts on how often it happens. It’s just part of the job.”
“Getting shot at doesn’t bother you?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t much thought about it.”
“But you could die...” And all of a sudden, that knowledge trampled the lightning bugs dancing in her tummy.
“Don’t take this personally, but honestly? Since losing Mom, and then Jim—” he bowed his head, gripping the plate hard enough for his knuckles to whiten “—I haven’t had all that much reason to live.”
Chapter Ten
Cooper normally wasn’t so chatty, and he sure as hell didn’t know what’d possessed him to start up now.
“I—I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“Is what it is,” he said in his most matter-of-fact tone.
J.J. bounded into the room, dive-bombing the bed so hard that Cooper damn near lost his balance.
“Slow down, mister. I’m guessing your mom would rather tuck you in the bed, than scrape you off the wall.”
The kid thought about that for a second, then busted out laughing. “ Eeeew, gross! My pillow would be all full of guts and stuff!”
“J.J.!” Millie scolded. “Settle down and get under the covers.”
What was up with that? Her always being so uptight with her kids? Had his mom been that way? Or had it been so long since her death that he couldn’t remember standard operating procedure
“Your dinner was tasty.” Cooper knelt to pick up his plate.
“Thanks.” With her mouth curiously dry, Millie licked her lips. “Glad you liked it. The recipe was new.” What in the world had possessed her to tag on that last bit?
“I liked the fennel.”
What was she supposed to do with her hands? “You know about fennel?”
“In Pakistan, the locals roast it and chew it after dinner.”
J.J.’s eyes widened. “You’ve been to Pakistan?”
“Sure have.” Cooper fished his phone from his pocket and a moment later showed his nephew pictures of snow-capped mountains and an exotic-looking white building. “The temple is in Karachi. My friends and I were there looking for a bad guy.”
“
Whoa...
That’s cool! Did you find him?” J.J. asked.
“Sure did.”
“Did you shoot him?”
“J.J.!” Millie gripped her son’s shoulders, aiming him toward the bathroom. “Brush your teeth.”
“Yes, ma’am...” If he pouted any harder, his bottom lip would touch the back porch stairs.
“Sorry about that,” Millie said with her son out of earshot. “He’s the product of too many video games.”
“It’s all right.” With his phone back in his pocket, Cooper’s usual unreadable expression had slipped back into place. “He’s a good kid.”
“Thanks.” Curiosity ate away at her—not to mention the fact that she craved hearing more of his story. Was there anywhere he hadn’t been? Was he mostly working when he traveled, or did he often get a chance to do tourist things like he had in Pompeii? “Well? What did you do with the bad guy?”
The faint smile he cast in her direction ignited fireflies in her stomach.
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
Now her eyes widened. “It’s
that
bad?”
He laughed. “I’m kidding. Honestly, I’m not sure what happened. After my team and I caught him, CIA spooks took over from there.”
“Sounds dangerous.” Millie nibbled her lower lip. While his stories fascinated her, she didn’t like thinking of him in peril. Which was why she next blurted, “How many times have you been shot at?”
Wincing, he said, “More than I’d like to remember.”
“Which means? Five? Ten? A hundred?”
He sat on the edge of J.J.’s bed. “For the most part, SEALs like to be phantoms—in and out of a place before anyone even knows we’ve been there. Every so often, plans go to shit—pardon my French—and then all hell breaks loose. Couldn’t give you any hard facts on how often it happens. It’s just part of the job.”
“Getting shot at doesn’t bother you?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t much thought about it.”
“But you could die...” And all of a sudden, that knowledge trampled the lightning bugs dancing in her tummy.
“Don’t take this personally, but honestly? Since losing Mom, and then Jim—” he bowed his head, gripping the plate hard enough for his knuckles to whiten “—I haven’t had all that much reason to live.”
Chapter Ten
Cooper normally wasn’t so chatty, and he sure as hell didn’t know what’d possessed him to start up now.
“I—I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“Is what it is,” he said in his most matter-of-fact tone.
J.J. bounded into the room, dive-bombing the bed so hard that Cooper damn near lost his balance.
“Slow down, mister. I’m guessing your mom would rather tuck you in the bed, than scrape you off the wall.”
The kid thought about that for a second, then busted out laughing. “ Eeeew, gross! My pillow would be all full of guts and stuff!”
“J.J.!” Millie scolded. “Settle down and get under the covers.”
What was up with that? Her always being so uptight with her kids? Had his mom been that way? Or had it been so long since her death that he couldn’t remember standard operating procedure
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