Love on the Line (Beaumont Legacy #2)

26. Cooper

Chapter twenty-six

Cooper

G eorge was droning on and on about Cooper’s media presence over the phone as Cooper searched the tiny Oakridge Springs airport for Maya, whose flight had landed only half an hour after his.

He still hadn’t fully processed the news that his father was in the hospital, and he hadn’t cared about anything George had said until Maya was mentioned.

“What did you just say?”

“I was just saying that since you’ve already been seen with her and there’s so much speculation, we should work on a way to spin it. You don’t seem interested in any of the other women Tessa and I have been trying to get you to go out with anyway.” Cooper couldn’t be sure, but he thought Tessa was a publicist with the Sabertooths .

Odd that his agent hadn’t even thought to ask what Cooper’s relationship with Maya actually was.

“George, I don’t care about the media right now. My dad’s in the hospital, and my latest hookup isn’t really somethin’ on my radar. I asked you to get me an update on my contract extension, and if that’s too difficult for you, I’m happy to look for another agent.”

Cooper watched Maya step out of the tunnel, eyes searching for him across the small building. Even though she wore a T-shirt and jeans, she stood out like the only person in the room.

George stammered, “I’m still working on it. I’m just negotiating some things, but I’m sure we’ll have a final version by the end of June.”

“Great.” Maya smiled when she saw Cooper and began walking toward him quickly. Cooper spoke quietly. “And keep this on the down-low, but see what either of the Los Angeles teams would be willing to offer. If I need another option, those would be my choice.”

There was silence on the line. When George finally answered, Cooper was already gathering Maya in his arms, her hands running over his back soothingly. “I didn’t realize it was so serious.”

“It is. But I’m not lookin’ to advertise that right now. Just get me the offers.” Cooper hung up and tucked the phone into his back pocket, breathing Maya in, enjoying the smell of coconuts and citrus .

“Hi, sunflower.”

“Your accent is thicker here.”

He huffed a laugh. Colton had told him that once.

She pulled back and smiled reassuringly. “Ready? Or do you want to hang out for a second?”

“I’m ready.” He hoped. Cooper wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the doors. Right outside, a driver holding a card with Cooper’s last name stood, and they were quickly helped into the car.

Maya watched the rolling pastures pass, her hand firmly tucked in Cooper’s, grounding him.

His relationship with his father wasn’t great now, but that didn’t change that he was his father and that at some point, they had been close. Before Cooper had left for college and everyone had taken offense to his leaving.

Cooper’s father had done a lot for him and his family, and he wanted to make amends as best he could.

Only when they rolled up to Hayes Ranch did Cooper realize something was off.

The driver only smiled when asked what was going on. Maya’s expression of confusion mirrored his own.

The moment Cooper’s mother walked out onto the porch, curly auburn hair pulled up in a clip, apron over her clothes and a smile on her face, Cooper knew he’d been lied to.

“Ma? ”

She smiled and ambled over to him, throwing her arms around him. “Hi, pumpkin.” Her eyes lit up as they landed on Maya. “And who’s this?”

He hadn’t had a chance to let them know he was bringing her after she’d agreed the night before.

“This is Maya.” There was an edge to his words, but if his mother noticed, she didn’t react.

Maya smiled, and his mother wiped her hands on her apron before holding them out for Maya to shake. “We’re so glad to have you both. We were just gettin’ ready to serve dinner. Come on in.”

“Ma, what’s goin’ on?” Cooper asked as they entered the home. “You said Dad had a heart attack.”

Pictures lined the walls, most from when he and his siblings had been younger. When they walked into the dining room, Cooper’s sisters were already seated and his father walked in from outside, like he’d been working the ranch with Dylan, who was right behind him.

“We thought your father had a heart attack, but luckily it was just some chest pains.”

Cooper’s eyes narrowed. “And at what point did you realize it wasn’t a heart attack? Before or after you called me?”

The look his mother sent his father was answer enough. They’d lied to get Cooper to come home. Anger slid through Cooper’s veins, even as he hugged each of his sisters.

“None of that matters now. We’re just glad you’re finally home. Come sit—Lily Ann’s already graced the food. ”

Cooper made quick introductions for Maya, glaring at his father the whole time. He then pulled a chair out for her, and everyone began piling food onto their plates.

This wasn’t uncommon. Cooper had had many tense family dinners, since nobody in his family ever stood up to his father. While a part of him wanted to address the blatant lie, he also didn’t want Maya to be uncomfortable.

“So, son, how’s Charleston treating you?” his father asked.

Warily, Cooper answered, “Good. Camp will be picking up soon, so I’ll be gettin’ pretty busy again.” He glanced at Maya, but she was listening to something his youngest sister, Daisy, was whispering to her, a smile on her face.

“That’s only if your contract’s extended, correct? Which, as of now, isn’t the case.”

Cooper stared at the man he’d once looked up to. “My agent is sure it’ll be extended. And if not, there are other teams.”

His father hummed. “And Maya? What do you do? How’d you two meet?”

Maya glanced up from her conversation with Daisy. “My brother is on the team with Cooper. I was playing tennis professionally up until recently, and now I’m running the charity Cooper and I started together, teaching tennis to children.”

“Ah, so you’re in Charleston too?”

“Uh, no, sir. I’m in Los Angeles, actually.”

He watched his parents glance at each other questioningly, always communicating silently .

“Ma, that’s the charity I’ve been tellin’ you about. Maya and I cofounded it. It’s already doin’ great work for kids in Los Angeles.”

His mom smiled at him and nodded, but she didn’t respond. Always waiting for his father, always the shadow that agreed with his every word.

“So it sounds like you don’t have to be there in person for it then. That right?” Cooper’s father asked, and Cooper knew exactly where this was going. Before he could even respond, his father continued, “This is why I asked you to come home. As I’m sure your mother has told you, I plan to step down as mayor, and I want you to move home and run in my stead.”

“You didn’t ask me to come home. You faked a medical emergency. And why can’t Dylan do it?”

“Well, maybe if you answered your phone and bothered to come home, I wouldn’t have to go to such lengths to get you here. Dylan has been doin’ most of the ranch work since you left. And you were always the charismatic, well-liked one anyway.”

Dylan’s knife scraped against his plate, and when Cooper cut his eyes to him, his brother was glaring at him , as if it were his fault others thought that way.

Cooper set his fork down. “Dad, I’ve talked to Ma about this. I’m not plannin’ on retiring from the league yet. I wanna keep playing.”

His father shook his head. “To what end? We’ve entertained this for years. We let you go into the world, fulfill this dream of yours, whore yourself out to every questionably eligible woman in Charleston, and now it’s time to come home. Do somethin’ meaningful. Do your duty to this town that has done so much for us.”

Only his father would insult him and ask something of him in the same entitled breath. Cooper looked around the table. His sisters were eating quietly, Dylan’s glare had remained, his mother looked at him worriedly, and Maya had stopped eating the moment his father had begun talking, a hand slipping onto his knee beneath the table.

At least his father’s words hadn’t put her off.

How was he supposed to convince her, Colton, the world, anyone that he could change and be worthy of her if he couldn’t even convince his own family that his life had purpose?

“You didn’t feel this way when you used my accomplishments to schmooze voters. You had me go to every event in high school, purposely scheduled events around when I came home in college just so you could talk up my football. Now it’s no longer convenient for you, and you just expect me to give it up?”

Something dark fell over his father’s face. He stopped eating, angry eyes flicking back and forth between Cooper and Maya, as if she were the reason he was finally arguing his side.

And maybe she was. Maybe he was a little tired of being pushed around and she’d given him the courage to stand up .

“I expect you to do your duty to this family and this town. I expect you to take on more responsibility in this family.”

Dylan scoffed across the table. “Cooper wouldn’t know responsibility if it hit him in the face. He never has.”

“Dylan,” his mother scolded.

“Don’t listen to him,” Iris, the middle of his younger sisters said as she leaned toward Maya conspiratorially, rolling her eyes. “He’s just bitter he got saddled with the responsibilities of the ranch.”

“That’s enough, Iris. Since Cooper left, Dylan has had to tend to the ranch more than anybody else. That’s not how we raised you, Cooper. We raised you to give back to the community that has loved and supported you.”

There it was. The guilting his father wielded like a weapon to make him feel bad for leaving. This was only the start, because inevitably, there would be a lecture about how hard his father had worked to get to this point and how ungrateful he was being.

Maya blinked at Cooper worriedly. Nothing about this was going the way he’d planned, but of course, what did? Cooper had known this conversation was coming, he just didn’t know how to make his parents see reason. The word “no” meant nothing to them when it came to this sort of thing.

Still, he tried. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be retiring this year. Maybe not next year either. I worked hard to get to where I am, and while it may not be the life you wanted for me or the labor you need from me, I’m happy. Even when I do retire, I don’t think it’ll be here. I have a life and friends in Charleston, and I have no intention of leaving them.”

His father’s utensils clattered against his plate as he stood, stomping out of the dining room into the mid-May evening.

“Oh dear.” His mother was wringing her hands, glancing between Cooper and the door. As if to deescalate the tension in the room, most of which had left with Cooper’s father, she asked, “So, when do you see yourselves not doing long distance, honey? Maya, will you be moving to Charleston soon?”

Maya looked at him with wide eyes, and Cooper brought her chair slightly closer to him before he slipped his hand into hers. He wanted her in his arms, but this would have to do.

“We haven’t talked about that yet, Ma. Maybe we could hold off on this discussion for now?” Cooper pleaded.

Dylan hummed like his words made sense. They’d all probably taken that to mean serial player Cooper wasn’t that serious about the woman beside him.

He hadn’t thought the wave of frustration and itch to leave would come so quickly this trip, especially not with Maya.

Cooper sighed, leaning back in his chair, his appetite gone. When he noticed Maya sitting back from the table too, he excused them both.

Maya stepped around his childhood bed, fingers ghosting over his old jersey he’d hung up on the wall after his last season in high school. Green, just like the Sabertooths jerseys he wore now. If he believed in fate, it probably would’ve meant something.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to see the town. I can take you tomorrow.”

She turned around, a soft smile on her face. “I’d like that.” Her finger ran over the trophies he’d received, mainly MVP, for all the glory he’d brought Oakridge Springs High, then over the couple of pictures of him with his high school teammates.

People he’d fallen out of touch with years ago, most of whom had only been friends with him because of his father anyway. Or because they had thought he’d make something of himself.

A couple of them had even had the gall to come out of the woodwork years later, once he was in the league, asking for favors.

He should toss those photos.

“Do you want to talk about it? I’m really good at talking about shitty fathers.” She laughed.

His stomach roiled at that, remembering how much he hated her father for everything he’d put her and her brothers through.

“I think this is a bit different, since I think my dad generally means well. Or rather, he’s not purposely tryin’ to hurt me. ”

“Just because it’s not purposeful doesn’t mean it hurts any less,” she pointed out astutely.

Cooper hummed in agreement, trying to parse his thoughts.

“Do they come to your games? Charleston isn’t far, right?”

“Can’t get a direct flight there, so it usually ends up bein’ a three-hour trip. Or six hours by car.” He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her as she looked at the framed photo of the ranch at sunset. Iris had taken it years ago, so much artistic talent in her from the time she’d been little. “The girls come sometimes. I always offer to pay for the plane tickets and even offered to buy a small house for them there so they could stay whenever they wanted, but my parents always reject the idea. Like my money insults them because it wasn’t made off working on the ranch or something. I don’t know.”

“Why do you come back? If it’s like this? Outside of the ‘lying about medical emergencies’ part.”

Cooper rested his chin on her head. “It hasn’t always been like this. Dad grew up real poor. He knew he wanted more for his kids, so he worked his ass off at the local construction company until he owned it. Built half this town. Maybe more. He kept the company for a while, even after he bought the ranch. Running for mayor was a piece of cake. He was widely loved, and the town was indebted to him. But he always believed he was just as indebted to the town, and so running it became his duty, his way of givin’ back to the community that gave us so much.”

She leaned back into him. “How long has your dad been hounding you like that?”

“There have always been comments here and there about it. That I left them. That I don’t help Dad and Dylan with the ranch. Lord knows Dylan won’t be goin’ into politics after Dad. He’s not exactly politician material. So I always knew it was something Dad wanted for me eventually. But this intensity is relatively new. January maybe? A lot of it has been him tellin’ my mom to talk to me.”

“And it doesn’t seem like saying ‘no’ does much.”

“Not at all. They don’t seem to care what I do, how great it is, if it means I’m not in Oakridge. Mayor or nothin’.”

“You are very charismatic,” she offered.

“I always told Ma I’d end up a used car salesman.”

Maya laughed, turning around and sliding her arms around him.

Cooper could tell something was on her mind, but she didn’t voice it, so he continued. “But I’m sure she always saw me as a used car salesman here . Maybe coaching football at Oakridge Springs High. They didn’t even know I was being recruited by Alabama until I made the decision to accept.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, not my proudest moment. I had to get out of here though. Like they say about small towns, everyone really knows everyone, and the moment they found a label to fit me, that’s how every person here saw me. ”

She scoffed. “Like people are incapable of change. As if you’re the same person you were ten, twelve years ago.”

He shrugged, then squeezed her. “I like bein’ here with you though.”

“Liar. You don’t like being here any better just because I’m here.”

Cooper pulled Maya toward his extra-long twin bed, thankful he’d opted for dark-blue sheets in high school instead of something embarrassing.

“Get out of my head, sunflower.” He sat, pulling her into his lap. “You make it more bearable though.”

It was true. In Oakridge Springs, visits had always been sink or swim, and more often, he sank so fast, he had to leave within a day of getting in. But she’d thrown him a lifesaver and brought him to shore. Or maybe she was his lifesaver.

He never wanted to let her go. Cooper wanted to sit with her like this forever, just them and no responsibilities.

“You’re quickly becomin’ my favorite person, you know that?” he whispered. “Think you have been for a while.”

“Better be. I didn’t lock you down just to lose the best friend award to my brother .”

“If it makes you feel better, I definitely lost to Lucia.”

“Oh, absolutely. He was a goner long before they got together for real.”

As they got ready for bed, Cooper knew he needed to try one more time to make things right, even if every bone in his body was telling him to leave. Just one more conversation before they left in a couple of days.

Because while this would never be his home again, this was his family, and while it may not seem so to his parents, he did value his family.

He just dreaded having to battle his father once more.