Cooper’s Redemption (Crimson Romance) (8 page)

“Nope. Not until you leave Miss Adams alone. We want to have a peaceful cup of coffee.”

The Johnny Cash wannabe — Rufus — glared at him. “That’s a funny statement coming from you. Considering what you did to old man Harper. Thanks to you, he’s resting in peace.”

“I’m not arguing with you,” Cooper warned. “Lay off Elizabeth.”

“Oh, I’ll lay her, all right.” Rufus leered at Elizabeth and licked his bottom lip.

Before she could open her mouth, Cooper moved so fast it looked almost casual. He leaned across the table and punched Rufus in the mouth. Blood spurted out of his split lip. He covered his lower face with his hands as his eyes went deadly.

“You’ll wish you’d never done that.”

Cooper stared at his opponent with cold eyes. “Don’t threaten me, or talk to that way to Miss Adams again. You’ll wish you were never born.”

Wide-eyed, Elizabeth could only close her mouth with a snap. She hadn’t expected Cooper to react like that. Harsh words, she’d anticipated. Maybe a threat or two, but never had she expected him to strike out like a wounded animal. Movie heroes didn’t have a thing on him. Maybe Cooper watched old spaghetti westerns, too.

The men with cue sticks circled the table.

“Don’t,” Cooper warned them still staring at Rufus.

With a glance at their wounded boss, the three men backed away. Esperanza rushed up, a damp towel in her hands. She handed it to Rufus. “I thought you would’ve learned to control your temper by now. But you haven’t changed. Get out, Cooper. Just leave before I call the sheriff.”

Without a backward glance, Cooper picked up his Stetson and walked toward the door.

Elizabeth leaped up and followed him, jerking on her coat as she went.

“Hey! You didn’t pay your ticket,” Esperanza called after them.

Chapter 6

A gust of wind hit Elizabeth square in the face as she dashed behind Cooper. Icy snowflakes whipped into her eyes, temporarily blinding her. Blinking rapidly, she saw at least an inch of powder had already accumulated, and the blizzard didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon. She came up short when she bumped into Cooper’s back. “Oops.”

He turned around. “Go home, Elizabeth. What Esperanza said is true. I’m too quick with my fists. My temper can be deadly.”

“That man got exactly what he had coming.” As the words flew out of her mouth, Elizabeth couldn’t believe she said them. She was totally anti-violence. She’d even marched with a peace group in college. If Cooper hadn’t struck Rufus, she might have done it herself.

“Stay out of this mess before you get hurt.”

Elizabeth still shook from the encounter inside. “I can’t. Not until I find my mom. But I do think I’ve had enough fun for one day. I’m going home.”

“Best plan I’ve heard all night.” Cooper ushered her to the SUV and waited until she unlocked the door and climbed inside. “I’ll follow you.”

After she fastened her seatbelt and started the engine, Cooper went to his old truck and climbed in. He flashed his headlights at her and she pulled out on the deserted street with him right behind. The few overhead lights lit up the heavy snowflakes like millions of floating angels. They created an eerie, yet beautiful sight. Her mother would love them. Elizabeth’s throat grew so tight she couldn’t swallow.

Not another car was on the road, for which she was grateful. The pavement had grown slick, and it took all her concentration to keep the SUV on course. When she’d made the decision to come to Salt Lick, Elizabeth had picked out the most up-to-date vehicle the car dealer had on his lot. With a flick of her finger, she switched on her four-wheel-drive.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw Cooper followed her at a safe distance, his headlights twin beacons in a sea of snow. His presence reassured her. Why she was so trusting of a man she barely knew? Maybe because he’d saved her behind more than once.

Elizabeth turned off Main Street to Highway 191, a two-lane road which led straight to her place. Nothing moved but the dancing snowflakes. Once in a while, she spotted a yard light off in the distance. In spite of the heater blowing full blast, she shivered. The thought of being out here all alone was a sobering one.

A sharp curve in the road seemed to come out of nowhere.

Reacting on instinct, she yanked the wheel, sending her vehicle went into a full skid. The wheels seemed to take on a life of their own. No matter how hard she wrenched on the steering wheel, Elizabeth couldn’t straighten the sliding car. She noticed a road sign fly by, then Cooper’s headlights.

With a sudden bone-jarring jolt, the SUV slammed into a ditch. Then the engine died. The headlights still burned on full beam. Shaken, but unhurt, she took a few weak breaths. “This snow driving is going to take a little practice.”

Pounding on the window caught her attention. She opened the door a crack. Cooper stood there. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Elizabeth nodded. “Fine.”

“You sure?” he demanded.

Elizabeth began to giggle. The entire situation was just too funny. No matter how hard she tried to quit, the funnier it became. Chortles erupted from her like bubbles from a champagne bottle. Impossible to stop. “N … n … e … e … vv … er bbb … b … e … tt … er.” She wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes.

Cooper looked at her like she was crazy and opened the door. “Scoot over.”

As she slid over the console to make room for him in the driver’s seat, her mirth began to die. All laughter went when the engine failed to start. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t know.” He tried again. The engine growled, but refused to fire. After several attempts, it became obvious the motor wasn’t going to cooperate. With a muffled curse, Cooper said, “We flooded it now. Or maybe the fuel injector switch got turned off. I don’t know.”

“I wonder how long it’ll take to start again?”

“Probably a while,” he said.

Elizabeth shivered. “I’m freezing.”

“It’s going to get colder,” Cooper said. “I think it’s best to leave your rig here and come back for it in the morning. I’ll drive you home.”

“Leave my car?” She shook her head. “No way.”

“It’s safe enough,” he said. “You’re off the road. No one is going to hit you, and no one is going to be out in this storm. If we keep sitting here, we’ll just get colder. There’s no sense in that.”

She wasn’t cold with him this close. But he made sense. She couldn’t think of a counter argument. “Be sure to get the keys.”

He held them up in his fist. “Right here.”

Elizabeth walked to his old truck, climbed in and reached for a seatbelt.

“Don’t have one,” he said.

“That’s dangerous,” she said.

“I know,” he replied dryly.

“Turn up the heat,” she countered, “if it works.”

Giving her a sour look, Cooper switched the heater on high. He put the pickup in reverse and it backed up easily.

Elizabeth released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “How far from my place are we?”

“Not far.” He shifted. “About four or five miles.”

“My house is going to be freezing,” Elizabeth said. “I only have a woodstove which I’m not very adept at working yet.”

“They can be tough until you get the hang of it,” Cooper agreed. “I’ll come in and start it if you want.”

“Oh, that would be great.” She was afraid he could start another kind of fire if she weren’t careful. Somehow she knew Cooper wasn’t the love ’em and leave ’em type. Which was a good thing because she didn’t go for one night sort of relationships. Relationship? She and Cooper barely had a speaking acquaintance, why was she thinking about a physical thing? He wasn’t her type.

Elizabeth wondered what would her mother think about this man? Would she believe the gossip, or would she give him a chance? Elizabeth stared out the window. The storm swirled around them, cocooning them in the cab. Silence enveloped them.

Cooper was lost in thoughts of his own.

Since Elizabeth Adams had come into his life, two short days ago, she’d stirred up things like a range cook with a spoon. Nothing had been calm since she’d come around. It had been more years than he could remember since he’d struck someone. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn’t make himself feel bad about punching Rufus in his smart mouth. Elizabeth reminded him of an orphaned calf — bewildered and scared without its mama. In spite of his instincts to stay away, he couldn’t abandon her to the wolves.

Focusing on the road ahead, he pushed his thoughts back.

A narrow beam of light cut through the darkness, flashing into the rearview mirror. Who was it? Other than his own place, and Elizabeth’s, no one else lived this far out. A touch of apprehension nudged him. “Damn.”

His tone must’ve alerted her because she looked at him with frightened eyes. “What is it?”

“I think we’re being followed.”

She whipped around in her seat. “By whom?”

“I’m not sure that’s even the case, but we better get ready for some trouble. Can you see anything?” Lightly, he stepped on the gas. It was too slick to drive much faster.

“Headlights, coming quick.” She sounded scared.

The bright lights in his mirrors bounced into his eyes, making it almost impossible to drive. The other truck slammed into the rear bumper, sending them sliding forward. The steering wheel slammed into Cooper’s ribs, stunning him. Elizabeth screamed, but it took all his concentration to breathe. By instinct, he kept the truck on track.

No more had he gotten his pickup straightened out than the other truck hit them again.

This time, Cooper couldn’t keep the wheels straight, and the truck began to spin out of control. He fought to handle it, but the truck turned in a wild arc. With another bump, the other vehicle sent them into a full out-of-control turn.

There was nothing to do but ride it out.

“Hold on,” Cooper ordered through clenched teeth. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Elizabeth grab the seat with both hands.

The old Ford came to a stop with a loud bang.

Cooper saw the outline of a truck as it tore by, but he couldn’t tell the make or model through the pelting snow. He had a pretty good idea who was driving it, though. The only thing Cooper was 100 percent sure about right then was that his ribs hurt a hell of a lot. His breathing came in jagged bursts that felt like they were going to rip through his left lung.

Elizabeth’s eyes looked like they were about to bug out of her head. “You okay?”

“Not the best,” he admitted.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice shook.

“I think I might’ve busted a rib,” he muttered, holding his chest with one hand.

“Oh my God,” Elizabeth cried. “What do you want me to do?”

Cooper closed his eyes for a moment. “Let me think.”

She got out, slamming the door shut behind her. In a second she was at his side. “Scoot over.”

Easing, as not to injure himself further, Cooper obeyed. “Do you know how to drive a stick?”

“Yes, my mother owned a vintage convertible. Elizabeth placed a foot on the clutch and turned the key. The motor refused to roar to life. A click was the only answer. She repeated the action two more times. “It’s dead.”

“Something must’ve busted,” Cooper muttered.

“I’ll get out and check.” At his surprised look she said, “My mom made me take a basic mechanic’s course. I can change oil and my tires if I have to. I’m capable of seeing if something is broken.”

As soon as she lifted the hood, an enormous cloud of steam lifted toward the sky. Dammit. The radiator was busted.

As Elizabeth climbed back in the cab she said, “We hit a boulder beside the road. The radiator’s got a hole the size of Old Faithful in it.”

“I figured.” As much as he hated to admit it, there was only one choice. “We’ve got to walk.”

“Walk? Are you crazy? You’re injured, and it’s who knows how far to either one of our houses. Not to mention, there’s a blizzard outside.”

“We’ll freeze if we keep sitting here,” Cooper said. “We haven’t got a choice. Besides, it’s less than a half mile to my place.”

“Maybe someone will come along … ”

“And finish the job? We’re sitting ducks out here.”

Elizabeth ceased to argue. “Do you have a flashlight?”

“In the glove box.”

After she retrieved it, Elizabeth reached over to button his coat.

Cooper grinned wryly. “I can manage.”

“I doubt it.” She dropped her hands.

Ignoring her sarcasm, Cooper reached for his buttons, and red-hot pain ripped through his lower ribs. In spite of himself, he grunted.

“Want me to do it?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t want to give in, but since he had no choice, Cooper gritted his teeth as Elizabeth’s smooth fingers flew over his chest and abdomen. It took little imagination to see those hands moving a little lower, pleasing him. Forcing his thoughts in another direction, Cooper put his mind on the task ahead. Although it was only a short distance to the ranch, it would take a lot of effort. “Bundle up good.”

“I have on everything I brought with me,” she mumbled from under a scarf she’d wrapped around her face. “Let’s go.”

“All right then.” Cooper climbed out. A blast of blinding snow hit him in the face. “Grab my hand,” he gasped over the wind.

Elizabeth made her way around the front of the truck and took his gloved hand. Even through the thick leather, her confidence in him flowed into him. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and ducked his head into the wind. Elizabeth moved beside his shoulder. Her action surprised him. He’d expected her to follow, not walk beside him.

Together, they began to trudge forward. Even if Cooper’s ribs didn’t ache like hell, it was hard to catch a breath. The wind insisted on stealing it. Concentrate, just one step at a time. With determination, he put one foot in front of another as pain shot through his side. The tire tracks he’d left earlier in the evening had almost disappeared underneath the new snow. Although bitterly cold, moving kept them from feeling it too much.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth tugged on his grip. Cooper stopped and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to rest a minute.”

“Are you okay?”

“Just tired. But it’s you I’m worried about. Are you hurting terribly?”