Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(65)

“Dear Lord, Brantley. What in the world are you thinking? The Nickelsons are not the kind of people you want to be involved with in any way. Did she mention that her dad was school board president? The one running for mayor?”

Cooper shrugged. “No. But I told you. Her parents are dicks. She can’t stand them.”

“Don’t say dicks in front of your mother,” his dad said as he walked up.

“Your son is dating Derek Nickelson’s daughter,” his mom announced. “She’s in there on our couch right now. So he should be here to wring Brantley’s neck any minute now.”

His dad regarded him with a look that held a small amount of awe. “I see.” He stared intently at Cooper for a full minute. “That happens, we’re not going to stop him. Just so you know. There’s not a day that passes that I don’t thank God he blessed me with three sons and no daughters.”

“I think you’re missing the point,” Cooper’s mom broke in. “This is the kind of family that could convince Kevin to—”

“That’s hardly Brantley’s problem, now is it?” his dad broke in. “Come on. Let’s go inside so we can meet this girl who’d rather hang around with these guys instead of at the mall.”

Cooper felt like two-ton bricks were stacked onto his chest as they made their way inside. Cameron was destroying Sam at Halo and talking trash when they entered the living room. Cooper couldn’t help but smile. As different as they were, she fit into his life, into his world, and that made him happy. He tried not to think about what would happen when and if he tried to fit into hers.

“Mom, Dad, this is Cameron.”

Cameron leapt up from the floor, her cheeks pinking in a blush Cooper found endearing and adorable. He hoped his parents did too, not that it would make much difference if they liked her or not, but it would be nice if they did.

“Nice to meet you, Cameron,” his parents said almost in unison.

“You can call me Cami,” she said, shaking each of their hands.

“Well, Cami,” his dad began, “would you like to stay for dinner? It’s nothing special but we stopped and got pizza on the way home.”

“Pizza sounds great,” she responded, beaming at Cooper in a way that made his heart falter.

After they’d set the table together, Cameron pulled him aside. “Is it okay that I’m here? Were they mad?”

Coop shook his head. “Of course they weren’t mad. A little surprised is all. My brothers told them I was hiding you in the barn.”

Cameron laughed. “Well, I’ve been hiding you in a closet, so I guess we’re even.”

Before dinner, they said grace and Cooper snuck glances at her while everyone prayed. His mom caught him twice. During dinner, his parents informed everyone that the money from the stock auction and a small family loan had secured the next two months’ payments and they would be able to hang on to the farm a little longer. Cooper felt strange about Cameron hearing his family’s personal business, especially since he himself was rarely privy to it. But when she squeezed his knee under the table, he decided he’d divulge any secrets she wanted to hear, even his mom’s secret breakfast casserole recipe.

When dinner was over and his parents had gone to bed, Cooper whispered to her that she should head to the loft and he’d be out soon. He’d loved having her around his family, enjoyed the open conversation and how at ease she’d seemed among them. When he’d seen her face while his parents had been laughing and joking and even during Will and Sam’s obnoxious antics, she hadn’t looked annoyed or bored or even judgmental. She looked…happy. Maybe even a little wistful. He doubted her family had many family dinners together that included pizza, but she seemed to enjoy it. It was the most he’d ever seen her eat. But now he was ready to be alone with her, to kiss her all over and show her just how much he liked having her there.

“I thought we weren’t hiding anymore?” Cameron asked as they walked outside.

“Aren’t we?”

She shook her head. “No more hiding. Not here and not at school or anywhere else.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly on the mouth. “That okay with you?”

“More than okay,” Cooper agreed against her lips. “But it’s going to get awkward if I do the things I want to do to you here in this creaky old farmhouse. Thin walls, you know.” He shrugged. “Everyone here knows my name, but hearing you moan a reminder most of the night couldn’t hurt.”

Cameron leaned backed and slapped him playfully on the chest. “Brantley Cooper. That was not a gentlemanly thing to say at all.”

He kissed her once more, leaving his forehead on hers. “Poor na?ve Bluffs girl. You seem to have mistaken me for a gentleman. Guess I need to show you how incorrect that assumption is.” He gave her backside a rough squeeze, causing her eyes to widen up at him.

“See you in five,” she said, turning toward the barn. “Hurry up, farm boy.”





Ella Jane woke up to four missed calls from Hayden. Six months ago, that wouldn’t have been unusual. But as of late, he seemed to have finally accepted that she was someone else now, someone who preferred escaping reality with guys like Devon and Jarrod to sitting on the tailgate in the woods with him or on a pier with Cooper. Or at least she pretended that she preferred it. The only real preference she had was blissful, numb obliteration versus raw red raking across her soul every second of the day. Sighing, she texted Hayden a quick message asking what he wanted. It wasn’t long before she had an answer.