Fate of the Fallen Page 3

  “Hah!” Angela scoffed. “I’ll bet he has a lot more appreciation for what I do after two weeks in my shoes!”

  Cooper smiled to herself. The thought of Emilio heading up the customer service desk was amusing. He tended to hit on anything in a skirt and tried to intimidate anything in pants. Deep down, he was a nice guy, but first impressions weren’t the best. “Are you sure he’s the right choice for the face of the company?”

  Ben shrugged. “I don’t think you can spare your guys for desk duty, and when I asked Brandi and Emilio, Brandi had absolutely no interest. Emilio sprained his ankle playing basketball, and some desk work will give it time to heal properly. He promised to put on a smile and be a good sport about it.” He stood and patted Cooper on the back. “Congratulations! Don’t screw up, okay, Coop?”

  Cooper smiled and patted him back. His shoulder was rock solid from the hours and hours he spent each week at the gym, perfecting his masculine figure. “You can call me boss.”

  The group laughed at that before going their separate ways to start the day’s work. Cooper took her coffee to her office and for a moment sat, staring at her computer.

  Interim boss. What a surprise! Since being promoted to manager, she hadn’t had much opportunity to prove herself beyond her regular duties. This was her chance—not only to show she was capable of handling added responsibility, but also to get her mind off of Nathan’s mysterious impending announcement. With all of the work to do, she wouldn’t have time to fret about his news.

  • • •

  Or so she thought. When she wasn’t signing off on repair invoices, Cooper was checking inventory, and when she wasn’t fielding client phone calls, she was trying to keep Emilio from threatening a rude client or two. But no matter what she did or how much, her talk with Nathan was always at the back of her mind, gnawing away.

  As for the business, though, Cooper was pleased to find that being in charge wasn’t actually as difficult as she’d thought it would be. Her repairmen—Bobby and Josh—stayed on top of their full repair dockets, while Ben and his employee—Brandi—worked with lease clients.

  The worst part of the week was waiting for Nathan.

  Every night after work, Cooper talked with him on the phone, but when he was available to meet, she was working late, and when she was off work, he was busy. It was easily the longest week of Cooper’s life.

  But at last it came to an end. On Friday night, Cooper arrived home from work just in time to find her mama in the kitchen, apron tied tightly around her waist and mini prep bowls lined up on the counter.

  “Ooo,” Cooper cooed, rubbing her hands together. “Whatcha making?”

  Maggie held up a piece of lined paper with a handwritten recipe on it. “Cherry pistachio scones for your picnic tomorrow. Care to lend a hand?”

  “I’d love to.” Cooper hurried up to her apartment over the garage, changed and rejoined Maggie in the kitchen. “All right, Mama, what do I do?”

  Maggie pointed to the empty prep bowls. “Start measuring.”

  Cooper began doling out the proper portions of flour, baking powder and sugar, while Maggie measured butter and dried cherries. Maggie hummed as she worked, the familiar sounds of favorite hymns filling the otherwise silent spaces between the scraping sound of the whisk against the bowl and the tapping of Cooper emptying measuring cups into prep bowls. They were old hymns, songs Cooper remembered her mama singing ever since she was little. When Cooper and Ashley were just kids, they helped their mama in the kitchen making chocolate chip cookies, and Maggie hummed these same tunes.

  How life had changed! Maggie had more than a few gray hairs, Cooper was soon to be married, and before long Ashley would be teaching her own daughter how to bake. Gone were the days of simple chocolate chip cookies. Now everything, including dessert, was far more complicated.

  But no matter how complicated life became, Maggie still hummed the same songs. Everything else changed, except for the hymns, and for that reason, Cooper loved them.

  Maggie was in the middle of “How Great Thou Art” when the front door opened and Grammy’s voice interrupted the humming.

  “All I’m saying is that I don’t see why you need it,” she said. “But it’s your money, Earl. You do with it what you want.”

  Earl said something too quietly for Cooper to make out, something that elicited a loud laugh from Grammy.

  “If you think for one minute that you’ll get me in front of that thing, you’re a crazy man! You probably got that from your father, God rest his soul.”

  Curiosity getting the better of her, Cooper peered out of the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about. Earl carried a large bag from the electronics store.

  He looked over at Cooper and smiled. “How’s my girl?”

  “Doing all right,” Cooper replied. She went to greet him, joined by Maggie. “What did you get?”

  Earl set the bag on the floor and pulled out a box. “I bought myself a camera. I figure if I’m gonna have a granddaughter, I need a way to document how cute she is.”

  Maggie stood beside her husband and put her arm around his waist, looking over his shoulder at the box. “Looks fancy.”

  “Looks too fancy,” Grammy chimed in. “I told him I don’t see why he needs such a fancy camera. Get one of those nice disposable ones. They’re easy to use.”

  “But this one takes much better pictures,” Earl replied. He handed Cooper the box so she could see it.

  She turned it over in her hands, reading the text. “This one’s digital, Grammy.”

  Grammy smirked. “And that means what?”

  “Daddy can put the pictures directly on the computer.”

  “Why would he want to do that? Just take the film to the store, and that’s that!”

  Cooper did her best not to laugh.

  Earl didn’t even try, instead interjecting a loud guffaw into the conversation. “I’m no expert, but even I understand the advantage of digital.”

  “Then you can keep your camera,” Grammy quipped. “I want no part of it.”

  He shook his head. “Grammy Lee, you are a stubborn woman.”

  Grammy patted him on the cheek. “Runs in the family. I suppose you know how to use that thing, do you?”

  Earl glanced at the box in Cooper’s hands and straightened his shoulders confidently. “I’ll learn.”

  “Well, then I’ll leave you to it.” Grammy started toward the back door. “I’ll be spending some quality time with Columbus.”

  After she was outside, Earl took the box and set it on the dining table, opening it carefully while Cooper and Maggie watched. He held the camera in his hands as if it were an injured bird and looked hopefully to Cooper. “I don’t suppose you know how to use this thing?”

  Cooper gently took it. “I can probably learn, but you can, too. Just read the instructions and you’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sorry to break this up,” Maggie said, “but Cooper, you and I need to finish the scones for your picnic.”

  “Right, sure.” Cooper handed the camera back to her daddy. “You’ll figure it out in no time.”

  “Mmm. No time,” he muttered. He set the camera down on the table. When Cooper and Maggie disappeared into the kitchen again, Cooper looked back to see him just sitting there, staring at his camera, while it stared right back at him.

  A half an hour later, the smell of cherry pistachio scones wafted through the house, and Cooper finished washing the last of the prep and mixing bowls. She emerged from the kitchen to find Earl still sitting at the table, flipping through the camera’s instruction booklet, his brow furrowed in confusion.

  She pulled out the chair beside him and sat. “Having trouble?”

  Earl tossed the instructions onto the table and rubbed his temples. “I’ve never been too good at learning from books,” he replied. “I need to do it, or I need someone to show me how. This is all just . . . it may as well be written in French.”

  Cooper laughed. “It might have been. Are
you sure you were looking at the English version?”

  “Now that would be a lark, wouldn’t it?” He eyed the camera. “Maybe I shouldn’t have bought it.”

  “Once you learn to use it, you’ll be glad you have it. Maybe Sunday afternoon you and I can go for a drive and try taking some nature shots to figure out all the buttons.”

  A broad grin graced his face. “How about tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be gone most of the day at that bluegrass festival, otherwise we’d definitely be going out tomorrow.”

  Earl thought for a moment and then pushed the camera toward her. “Take it with you to the festival.”

  “I couldn’t,” Cooper replied, pulling away. “It’s your new toy. I can’t use it before you do.”

  “You’d be doing me a favor, Coop. You can figure out how to use it, and then you can show me on Sunday. You’ll get to take some nice pictures of the festival. I’ll get a teacher. What do you say?”

  Cooper looked at her daddy’s eager face, his bright eyes, his kind smile. “How could I possibly say no?”

  • • •

  First thing Saturday morning, Cooper called Nathan. She intended to hear his news before another day passed, and she knew exactly how to make it happen.

  “I’m getting to the church early,” she said, without even a “Hello.” “If you get there early, too, we can have a few minutes to talk before everyone else comes.”

  “Good morning to you, too,” he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were curious.”

  Cooper ignored his teasing. He was right. She was intensely curious. “Will you be there?”

  “I’m up early anyway to work on a project. I think I can get to the church before nine, if I finish up . . .”

  “Great!” Cooper felt the anxiety lift from her shoulders. Finally, the wait was over. Today she’d hear Nathan’s news. “See you there.”

  She dressed quickly, grabbed her daddy’s camera and the box of her mama’s scones, and drove her cherry red truck to the church. At twenty to nine, she pulled into the parking lot, Abbey Road blaring through her speakers. She fought the urge to eat the cookies while she watched the minutes change on her dashboard clock. After ten minutes of singing along with the Beatles, she slid out of the truck and stretched her legs. After five minutes of that, the nerves hit.

  Her attention split between the road and her watch, Cooper waited. She counted the seconds and the cars that passed. Once, a car that looked an awful lot like Nathan’s approached, and her heart soared, only to sink when she realized it wasn’t him. Finally, at two to nine, a van pulled into the church parking lot and Cooper’s hope disappeared. Emblazoned on the van’s side was the logo for a local plumbing company. Jake and Savannah had arrived.

  He pulled his van in two spaces away from Cooper’s truck and hopped out, happy and energetic. “Mornin’, Coop!”

  Cooper swallowed back her disappointment, forcing a smile and hoping they didn’t sense her dismay. After all, it wasn’t directed at them. “Good morning to you. Looking forward to our day at the park?”

  Jake walked around to the passenger side of his van and opened the door for Savannah, holding her elbow as she alighted. “You know, when I first woke up this morning, the last thing I wanted was to be outside until nightfall. Then I went over and picked up Savannah, and she made me realize that you don’t get many days like today.”

  Savannah ambled toward Cooper. “Terrific weather, wonderful friends, a chance to spend time in communion with God’s creation.”

  “Not to mention lots of good food and music,” Cooper added.

  “Precisely,” Savannah agreed. “It’s too perfect a day to be in a foul mood.”

  Cooper considered what she said, and as she saw Nathan pull into the parking lot, she resigned herself to the fact that there would be no private conversation today. She said a quick prayer, asking God to help her enjoy all the things Savannah had mentioned and realized that, even though they couldn’t talk right now, she was still glad to see her fiancé. It was hard not to smile when he waved through his windshield. Cooper gave Savannah a hug. “You’re right, Savannah. It’s bound to be a perfect day.”

  Savannah smiled, obviously pleased by the sudden show of affection. Savannah loved people, and she always appreciated it when the sentiment was returned. “Yes, it is bound to be a perfect day . . . Well, as perfect a day as we imperfect people can manage.”

  Nathan parked right in front of Cooper’s truck. He hopped out and hurried to her. “I’m so, so sorry. I was working and lost track of time.”

  “It’s okay,” Cooper said. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck. “We’ll find time to chat sooner or later . . . although I really do hope it’s sooner.”

  “I have a thought about that. We’re supposed to be carpooling. Maybe you and I could ride together, just the two of us, and we can talk on the way to—”

  He was interrupted by Trish’s arrival. Her husband, Phil, drove the car, and their daughters were in the backseat. As Trish—sporting a broad-brimmed hat and a beach bag—got out of the passenger seat, all the car windows lowered, and the girls and Phil shouted their good-byes to her while the car rolled away. Trish waved until they were out of the parking lot.

  “I am so looking forward to today,” she announced. “You have no idea how much I need a break!” From the beach bag she produced a large square Tupperware container. “My side dish, as promised. What are we doing with the food?”

  “Quinton’s not here yet,” Jake said. “You can either hold on to it or we can go ahead and eat it right now.”

  Trish contemplated the options. “It’s tempting, but I don’t think Quinton would appreciate an early picnic that didn’t include him.”

  Nathan motioned toward the entry to the lot. “Speaking of the picnic boss . . .”

  Cooper followed his gesture to see Quinton driving up. He pulled in, parked and popped his trunk. “I’ve got two coolers in the back,” he said as he stepped out of his car. “Feel free to load your food.”

  Savannah and Jake retrieved the quiche and rolls from Jake’s van, and Nathan brought out two large jugs from his trunk.

  “You got here just in time, Quinton,” Cooper replied. She retrieved the box of scones from the front seat of her truck. “Jake was suggesting we start on Trish’s tomatoes, and I was about to tear into these. I’ve been fighting the temptation all morning.”

  Quinton eyed the box and licked his lips. He enjoyed Magnolia’s Marvels more than just about anyone else Cooper knew. “What sort of temptation did you bring?”

  Cooper popped off the box lid, holding it under Quinton’s nose so he could inhale the burst of sweet air from inside. “Cherry pistachio scones.”

  “You know, there may not be space in my trunk for those. They may have to sit in the front seat with me.”

  Cooper laughed and quickly closed the box. “I think I’ll go ahead and put these in the cooler myself.”

  “Don’t you trust me?”

  “Not with my mama’s scones, I don’t.”

  His lips curled into an impish grin, and he looked at Nathan. “A smart fiancée you have there, Nathan.”

  “I have to agree with you,” Nathan said, sidling up next to her. He planted a kiss on her cheek. “Smart and pretty.”

  A familiar warmth crept up Cooper’s neck. Before the embarrassed flush could work its way to her face, Cooper changed the subject. “So . . . Quinton, what did you bring?”

  “For my side, a melon salad with goat cheese and mint, and for dessert, dark chocolate layer cake with marshmallow cream frosting, topped with mini chocolate chips.”

  Cooper’s mouth began to water.

  Quinton beamed. “Just a little something I threw together.”

  “All I can say is, I’m glad we’re hiking, because it means I won’t feel so bad eating my body weight in food.”

  They shared a laugh as Bryant’s car pulled up behind C
ooper’s truck . . . only Bryant wasn’t driving. His girlfriend, Jane—the single mother of two beautiful children—was in the driver’s seat instead, with Bryant riding shotgun. As Bryant hopped out and grabbed his things out of the backseat, Jane waved to the group. Bryant leaned in from the passenger side and gave her a kiss.

  “She stealing your car?” Jake asked, watching Jane drive away. “Because that’s not how relationships are supposed to go.”

  “Her car is in the shop,” Bryant explained. “It was supposed to be done yesterday evening, but at the last minute the mechanic told her he couldn’t get a part. The car won’t be ready until later today, and Jane’s kids have a school fund-raiser to go to this afternoon. I figured it wouldn’t be a problem since we’re already planning on carpooling. Say, where do I put my macaroni salad?”

  “Cooler in the trunk,” Quinton said, pointing to his vehicle. “And I don’t mind taking passengers. I can carry up to four, if you like.”

  Cooper did a quick calculation in her head. If Quinton could carry four, that meant she could drive Nathan, and the two of them would have the whole drive alone to talk. She could hear his news this morning after all.

  “Sounds good to me,” she said, as nonchalantly as possible. She looked at Nathan and jerked her head toward her truck. He took the hint, jogging to his car for his backpack and then to the truck’s passenger side.

  As he was about to get in, though, Bryant called out. “Hey, Cooper!”

  She stopped dead in her tracks. She didn’t want another passenger. She didn’t want another change of plans. She wanted to ride with Nathan, and just Nathan. Reluctantly, she turned. “Yes?”

  Bryant donned his baseball cap. “Trish’s bag takes up a whole seat, and there’s no room in Quinton’s trunk for it, because of the food. That means no room for me. Mind if I ride with you guys?”

  A part of her really wanted to say no, but she knew she couldn’t. Not to Bryant, anyway. He was a friend, and a sweet person at that. “Of course you can ride with us,” she said, suppressing a frown. She couldn’t catch a break. “The backseat’s all yours.”