Page 15 of The Cowboy's Bullfighter
“—-don’t you start. One, Cooper Adams is one of the best men I’ve ever known. He would not be inappropriate with any kid, especially not one he’s known since they were wee. Two, Coop has taken damn good care of these kids and has asked nothing for it. Not a thing. So maybe you ought to quit being ugly and start being grateful. And I suggest you do it before Coop gets home. Now if you two cannot be decent. I will send everybody to a room, and y’all can just wait there and simmer down until Coop gets back.”
Huh. Kase really must have ten kids.
Brooks drew in a deep breath, then let it out. He had a temper. He’d always had one. So had Andy. That was why they’d fought. Anytime there was stress, they’d exploded to get the tension out. There was no way Benji would know that, though. He’d been, what? God knew how old the last time Brooks had been around.
So even though it was like rubbing his hands over a cheese grater, he gritted his teeth and apologized. “I’m sorry, Ben. That was out of line. But it surprised me, is all. And I’d like to talk to you and Coop about the situation.”
See him. See him be reasonable.
“Sure.” Kase jumped right in and said it so Benji couldn’t say no. “Of course you would. Coop will be perfectly willing as soon as he’s back from all the kids’ activities.”
“Thanks.” He glanced around and sighed. “I—look, is there someplace close I can go sit for a bit while I wait?”
“It’s fifteen minutes into town,” Benji said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Thanks.” He didn’t need to drink this coffee this late in the afternoon anyway. “I’ll—” He lookedat Kase. “Is there a diner?”
“Now, Brooks, you will not go into town and sit at a diner.” Kase gave Benji a hard look. “You want to sit out on the porch with me, well come on, but you don’t have to leave.”
“Thanks.” He should have just stayed his ass in Australia. At least there he’d had a job.
Fuck.
This was starting to seem like a really bad idea.
ChapterFive
Coop headed back to the house with the girls and Mason. He didn’t need to drop Nell off, because Kase was at his place still.
He’d been about to leave to get the kids when the text came in.
Benji hostile. Brooks in crisis in a big way. He didn’t know about Andy etc. Not fun. Be ready
His first thought had been,well shit.
So he’d texted back.
Pull out a bunch of that frozen pizza crust for me and pop it in the toaster oven on thaw?
That way they could all build their own pizza and that would give him time to deal with Benji and Brooks.
You got it.
Kase was a good guy, one who had his back, and he knew Kase had been good friends with both Brooks and Andy, too. The grapevine opened up when you took someone’s kids in. Hell, at this point, he probably knew more about Brooks Whitehead than the man did about himself.
Except that, like Benji and all the rest, Coop had no idea what Brooks had been doing for the last however many years.
“Uncle Coop? What are we having for supper?”
“Pizza, kiddo.”
“Ooooh, can I stay?” Nell asked.
“We’ll see what your daddy says.” What the hell trouble would one more kid be?
“From the dough we bought in town at the pizza place?” Mason asked with deep hope.
“Yes. You made your feelings about my Bisquick crust very clear.”
