Stepdad Surprise Read online

  Yeah, today was supposed to have been the day he proposed to Jackie. He’d stopped over at that quaint little jeweler’s shop in Quinn Valley on Monday, and the ring in his pocket hadn’t cost him a full two month’s salary, only because he didn’t want to save up that long. It was a simple gold band, the diamond little more than a fleck, but he knew she wouldn’t mind.

  If she said yes.

  If he even asked her today.

  Somehow, Ivan’s threat made the day less perfect for a proposal. Coop decided he’d just wait and see.

  After lunch, the baby fell asleep in her little umbrella stroller, so they parked her on the quilt in the shade, and he started Googling on his cell phone until he had a list of hospital numbers. The third try was the place where Jackie said she’d given birth, and sure enough, they had a Father George MacVeigh there. Jackie was able to speak to him and apologized profusely. When she began to repeat herself for the third time, Coop gently took the phone away and introduced himself to the priest, explaining that Jackie and Kalli were safe with him.

  It was an emotional experience all around, but Coop could tell Jackie felt better when she hung up.

  With Kalli still asleep, Jackie helped him carry the equipment out onto the farthest dock and set up everything on the rubber damper mat. Not only was the boathouse a good distance from where most of the crowd would be gathered that night, but this dock stuck the farthest out into the lake, right below the mouth of the river. The water was deepest here, so when Coop, Wade, and Andrew discussed options for the fireworks launch, they agreed that doing it here—like in years past—was the best.

  Besides, the show would look doubly amazing over the water, with the mountains as the backdrop. Coop couldn’t wait to see it.

  Later in the afternoon, they wandered over to where the festivities were setting up. Knowing his contribution to the entertainment meant he wasn’t obligated to bring something to the potluck, Coop had a hard time convincing Jackie of that. It wasn’t until an adorably pregnant Sadie from the soda shop scooped up Kalli and pretended to nibble at her belly, declaring “This is the sweetest, yummiest contribution of all!” that Jackie relaxed and laughed and began to fill a plate for herself and the baby.

  They circulated through the crowd for the next few hours, laughing and joking with friends new and old. There was a passel of kids hanging around—guests, mostly, but some distant cousins too—and he had a lot of fun showing them how to use smoke bombs and sparklers in the warm evening air.

  He had a grand time introducing her to his extended family—all the Westons and quite a few cousins had arrived, but Kenneth was being a big dumb idiot and working instead. Coop didn’t even mind their teasing about how domesticated he looked with Kalli in his arms. If he had his way, soon this would be permanent.

  It took all of his concentration not to kiss her repeatedly throughout the day, especially whenever she’d smile or laugh or look so at ease here on the ranch. He wanted her so badly, wanted to taste her again…but held back. He could tell from the way she looked at him that she wanted to be kissed too, but he was determined to prove his point. He wanted to kiss her, yeah, but he wanted to marry her more.

  Soon.

  As it was getting dark, he steered his hopefully-soon-to-be-family back to where Marybeth and Mack had been hanging out with Belinda and Wyatt. As they neared his family, Coop took Jackie’s elbow and pulled her to a stop, lowering his mouth to her ear.

  “Do you mind if we leave Kalli with my sister for a little bit, honey?” he murmured.

  She twisted to stare at him, her brows lowered in confusion and her eyes wary in the growing dusk. He realized his mistake and smiled.

  “Sorry. I mean, yeah, I want to sneak away with you” —he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, until a reluctant grin flashed across her face— “but I didn’t mean like that. I just meant…you’ve been a big help with tonight’s show, and I’d really like you to be there with me when I cue the launches. I thought it would be a lot of fun to watch it together.”

  Besides, there’d been no sign of Ivan all day—clearly his threats were empty—and Coop couldn’t help but think the time was perfect to propose to her.

  And then he’d kiss her, by God.

  Jackie was chewing on her bottom lip, staring at her daughter, then finally nodded. “Okay,” she said with a little sigh. “I’m nervous, but I trust your family, and I’d love to see all of your hard work come to fruition.”

  He snaked one arm around her middle and smiled. “Our hard work.”

  Kalli was already close to sleeping when they left her with Marybeth, who promised not to “put this little angel down for even a moment!” The small ear protection went to Mack for safekeeping, although with the way Kalli was snuggled up against Marybeth’s chest, she probably wouldn’t need it.

  Coop walked hand-in-hand with Jackie back towards the boathouse and the waiting fireworks. He had the beginnings of a plan in his head, and the closer they got, the harder his heart beat.

  “You know I love you, right?” he blurted out as the lake came into view.

  She snorted softly. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” He bristled. Had he really done that poor of a job expressing his feelings?

  “I mean that, yeah, you’ve told me, and you’re acting just—just—well, you’re pretty wonderful. But you haven’t seemed interested in…well, in kissing me.”

  He bit back a groan as he pulled her around the side of the boathouse towards the dock.

  “Seriously?” he muttered. Then, louder, “I’ve wanted to kiss you more than—well, more than almost anything in my life. Do you have any idea how many cold showers I’ve had to take in the last few weeks to keep from pawing at you? Heck, even today I’ve seriously considered dunking in this water a few times, just to get my desire for you under control. And this is snow melt!”

  She didn’t say anything as they stepped out onto the floating docks and made their way towards the rubber mat where they’d set everything up earlier. Finally, she took a deep breath.

  “I don’t understand,” she said quietly, staring down at the water. “If you want to, why haven’t you?”

  The confusion in her voice made his heart clench. What kind of men was she used to, that something as simple as respect could baffle her?

  “Honey,” he said gently, squeezing her hand until she looked up at him. “I love you. And I want…” He took a deep breath, not sure how to say what he wanted to say. “I want you to know I love you for you. Not because of the way you kiss. Or the way you do—or let me do—other things.” He loved her for more than just her body. “I love you for your determination and your strength and your sense of humor—well, the way you laugh at my sense of humor, at least—and how pragmatic you are and how you care about your work and believe in the good you do. I love you for your smile and your laughter and the way you love Kalli, and how you feel sitting beside me at church and the way you treat my family like they’re yours too. I—”

  He blew out an exasperated breath and ran his free hand through his hair. No, this wasn’t saying what he wanted to say, what he wanted her to hear. He needed to prove it.

  Dropping her hand, he wrapped both of his around her waist and lifted her up and over the mortar rack. The fireworks were tall enough they’d be hard to step over, and he’d only left a little clearance along the edge of the dock to walk around them. Placing her down gently, well on the other side, he led her to the edge of the dock. There, with the moon reflecting off the lake, he turned her towards him and took her hands in his again.

  “I love you,” he said softly, his lips only inches from hers. “And I want to keep on loving you for as long as you’ll let me.”

  She was straining towards him, obviously wanting a kiss as badly as he did. But not yet.

  Instead of obliging her—obliging them both—by touching his lips to hers, he sunk down, away from her, until he was kneeling in front.


  “C—Cooper?” She shuffled backwards, but couldn’t go far, not with his grip on her hands. “What are you doing?” She sounded a little frantic.

  “Jackie Novak, I love you. I want to kiss you, yeah, but I want you to know that you’re worth loving as you are. Without kisses.”

  “You don’t want to kiss me?”

  She really didn’t get it, did she? He was smiling when he dropped one of her hands and dug into his pocket for the box with the ring.

  “I do want to kiss you, but I’m trying to prove a point.”

  When he opened the box, and the reflected moonlight caught the teeny diamond, she gasped.

  “What point?”

  “I want to marry you, Jackie. I want to marry you and become Kalli’s daddy and prove that you’re worth loving for yourself. I want you to tell me that you love me for myself, and…”

  She sounded like she was holding her breath when she asked, “And what?”

  He grinned wickedly. “And then I’m going to kiss you. Until your toes curl.”

  “Oh my,” she whispered.

  “So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”

  Jackie stared down at the ring, and Coop found himself holding his breath in anticipation. He knew her well enough to know what was going through her head. She was questioning her worth, questioning if he was strong enough to handle everything in her life.

  I am, he silently told her, praying she’d make the right decision. And so are you.

  Finally—finally!—she took a deep breath. He couldn’t read her expression, but he prayed she understood what he was trying to tell her.

  Please, God, let this woman say yes.

  “Cooper, I…”

  “Marry me, Jackie,” he quietly urged again.

  “I think—”

  Only God knew what she’d planned to say then, because they were interrupted by a voice from the end of the dock, where it met the lake shore. “Well, isn’t this cozy.”

  Both Coop and Jackie’s heads jerked sideways to see the interloper step onto the dock. It was a man, his silhouette broad and stocky, and his voice gravelly and mean. But it was the gleam of the gun in his hand which captured Coop’s attention and made his heart drop somewhere around his stomach.

  Ivan.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  In a daze, Jackie watched her nightmare strolling leisurely along the dock towards them. One moment she’d been in Heaven, listening to Cooper say the most magical, improbably wonderful things to her, and the next it had all come crashing down. Ivan was walking closer and closer, his favorite Taurus pointed at them, and there wasn’t a thing she could do.

  At least Kalli is safe.

  Her precious daughter was safe, yes, but Cooper wasn’t. He was here with her, and in very real danger of death. Ivan had killed before—he’d bragged about it—which is why the outstanding warrants for his arrest had been so motivating. And every time Jackie had seen him looking the way he was now—perversely pleased—someone ended up hurt.

  Usually her.

  And tonight, Cooper Weston, the best man she’d ever known, was going to be hurt too.

  Her gaze dropped back down to him. Had he really been proposing marriage to her, only a few seconds ago? Everything had changed in a few heartbeats.

  Still holding that simple, beautiful, impossible ring in his hand, Cooper slowly rose to his feet. He kept his attention on Ivan, but the grip on her hand was as strong as a lifeline, reminding her of his promise to keep her safe.

  No.

  Kalli was safe, but Cooper was in danger because of Jackie. It was up to her to make sure he stayed safe.

  Taking a deep breath, Jackie stepped in front of Cooper. She felt his strength at her back, and that gave her the courage to raise her chin and stare down Ivan with all the disgust she felt.

  “Go away. I don’t want you here.”

  But Ivan, in that nonchalant, hurtful way of his, just snorted derisively and sauntered closer. “Looks like you were wanting pretty hard just a minute ago.” He reached the rubber mat with all of the firework mortars set up, and stepped around it without looking down. “Looks like you didn’t wait long before replacing me.”

  Replacing him? Cooper was twice the man Ivan ever was! The ridiculousness of Ivan’s pout made his words almost funny instead of upsetting. Perhaps that knowledge was in her voice when Jackie said, “I haven’t seen you in almost a year, Ivan.”

  “Yeah, you’ve been hard to find. But you didn’t have any trouble finding a man to climb between your legs, did you?”

  Jackie stiffened in offense, the shock at such crude words making her heart climb into her throat. Behind her, a rumble warned of Cooper’s anger, and he moved her out of the way to stand beside her.

  “Watch your mouth around my future wife, you cretin,” he growled.

  Jackie could’ve kissed him, just for such a sweet defense, but Ivan’s gun had swung around to cover Cooper instead of her. Apparently, she wasn’t considered a danger, not with Cooper standing there looking like an avenging angel.

  I love you, she wanted to shout. If Ivan hurt Cooper tonight, she would never forgive herself.

  Ivan snorted again. “Or what, big man? You’re going to tackle me? High school football, I assume?” He waggled the Taurus and shifted his weight, until he was standing square between the fireworks and the couple at the end of the dock. “But this ain’t no ballfield, buddy, and I’m not a kid. I ain’t afraid to hurt a man who’s standing between me and what I want, and right now what I want is her hurt.”

  Feeling Cooper stiffen beside her, Jackie was desperate to distract Ivan. “Why?” she blurted.

  “Because, you dumb woman.” He rolled his eyes. “That stunt you pulled right before you skipped town cost me months of my life, and I’ve been running ever since.” His eyes hardened and the gun swung back towards her. “You screwed up my life, Jackie, and I’m going to repay the favor.”

  Before she had time to sort through the terror over that threat, and the relief that she was the target once more, Cooper spoke up.

  “Whoa, hey.”

  He stepped forward slightly, his hands up in a conciliatory gesture, his fingers wrapped around something small. His grin was back, and his voice was friendly, but Jackie knew him well enough to hear and see his strain. Was he trying to trick Ivan?

  And then the Taurus swung back towards Cooper, and Jackie started praying.

  Coop’s prayers had coalesced into something vague and universal: please please please please. He figured he was praying to keep Jackie—and him, he had to admit—safe, but he couldn’t think beyond please please please please.

  Seeing that man threatening her, hearing he wanted to hurt her, had caused all other thoughts to go out the window. Now it was up to God to understand Coop’s plea, because he was focused on doing whatever he could to stop Ivan.

  He swallowed down his first instinct, which had been to lash out at the other man after that horrible insult to Jackie. Coop forced himself to think through the repercussions of challenging a man currently pointing a gun at the woman Coop loved, and to admit it had been a dumb instinct. Instead, he looked around for other inspiration.

  And found it.

  With his hands hidden by Jackie—the woman had stepped in front of him!—Coop had fished out his lighter and last smoke bomb from the pocket of his jeans. It wasn’t much, but it might buy him some time.

  Plastering on his most convincing smile—and wondering if Ivan would buy it for a second—he stepped out from around Jackie, done with letting her protect him. He was the one who promised her she’d be safe; he was the one who’d get her out of this mess.

  And put Ivan down for good.

  “Whoa, hey.” When the gun was pointed at him once more, Coop actually felt a little more at ease, knowing she was out of immediate danger. “No need to be rude, mister.” As if Coop would ever forgive the man for what he’d insinuated about Jackie. “We can work this out like adults.”

  Ivan
made a noise which might’ve been a laugh, but was pretty darn derisive. “Oh yeah, we’re adults here, and I’ll be the one to work things out. See, everyone else over there is having a party, with the talking and the music and noise. An’ us? We’re way out here.” Ivan used his other hand to gesture at the lake surrounding them. “With nowhere to go. So I’m just going to pop you both real quiet-like, then stroll back over to the party and climb in my car and head out of town. I’m thinking maybe Salt Lake City is where I head next. What do you think?”

  The man sounded like he genuinely wanted to know Coop’s opinion on his evil plan. Knowing it wouldn’t help his cause to tell Ivan what he really thought, Coop pretended to consider it.

  “Maybe California? Seems more your style.”

  “Good point.” Ivan frowned thoughtfully, but the gun didn’t waver.

  When Ivan had casually mentioned killing Jackie, a band had tightened around Coop’s chest, and it felt like he couldn’t take a real breath. Still, he knew what he had to do. Wishing he could somehow communicate to Jackie his plans, he raised his hands a little higher and decided to give Ivan one last chance.

  “So why don’t you just go on ahead and do the stroll and car and California thing now, huh? You don’t need to hurt anyone before then, and it’d only make things worse for you if you did.”

  “Nah,” Ivan drawled cruelly. “I’ve been looking forward to my revenge for months now, and you’re just in my way, mister. I think I’ll probably kill you first, just to watch her scream.”

  Well, that did it; Coop was finally able to draw a deep breath, his decision made.

  Carefully, he opened a few of his fingers in his right hand to strike the lighter. The sudden light drew Ivan’s gaze, and the gun twitched, but he must’ve seen it wasn’t a threat. Still, Coop waved the tiny flame back and forth a little.

  “I think you should just turn around and leave, Ivan. Or else.”

  “Or else what, hotshot?”

  Slowly, careful not to startle Ivan into shooting, Cooper moved the lighter over to his left hand. His left hand, which still clutched Jackie’s ring…and now a smoke bomb. “Or else this.”