Read Cooper (The Family Simon Book 6) for Free Online Page B

when he’d spied her new husband, Zachary, getting a little too friendly with one of the…
    “Apparently, hubby was spending a lot of time with one of her pals, Jessica.”
    “The bridesmaid.”
    “Yep.” Maverick snorted.
    “Called it.”
    Maverick whistled at his puppy. “Well, she doesn’t sound too torn up over the whole thing. Told me she was heading to Europe with a couple of girlfriends and didn’t know when she’d be back.”
    Maverick whistled again, and this time, Stanley dropped his bone and lumbered over to the two men, tail wagging madly, nose rooting around Rick’s pockets for a treat. Once he found what he was looking for, the puppy ambled back to his bone and plopped down.
    “Saturday night, we’re heading to the fire hall for St. Patty’s day. You should come. Charlie and I had a blast last year. It’s a big deal around these parts.”
    “That’s because half the town is Irish.”
    Maverick chuckled. “True. But it’s for a good cause. Fundraiser for the firemen’s association.”
    “I’ll let you know. Depends on how much work I get done.”
    “And how’s that going?”
    “It’s going.” And it was. Slowly. Cooper rolled his shoulders and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’ve got Morgan Campbell coming out tomorrow to start work on the attic for me.”
    Maverick looked surprised. “Thought you didn’t want anyone out here.”
    “Changed my mind. The space up there is incredible, and I’d like to take advantage of it.” He eyed his brother. “I stopped by their place yesterday.”
    “Whose place is that?”
    “The Campbells’.”
    “Ah.” Rick fingered his mug. “And?”
    “There’s a lot of pain in that house.” He watched his brother closely. “You know anything about it?”
    Maverick shrugged. “I’ve heard some things, but not real clear on the details. People around here are pretty closemouthed. They look out for their own and are selective when it comes to their flavour of gossip.” He chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a small town. They like to talk. But there are some things that aren’t up for public consumption, at least to outsiders like us. The Campbell situation is one of them.”
    Cooper wasn’t one to pry, and he sure as hell wasn’t one to gossip. But something about the look in Morgan’s eyes made him want to know more.
    “What do you know exactly?”
    “I know up until recently, Morgan was living in California. I know that her father drinks more than he should and that her sister is separated from her husband. I know that there was some kind of accident and that the mother and Morgan were involved. But that’s about it. I asked Charlie once, but she’s of the opinion it’s Morgan’s story to tell.”
    “That’s what Jess said.”
    “Jess?”
    “From the diner.”
    Maverick nodded. “Like I said, they protect their own here.”
    Cooper was silent for a few seconds, mulling over the information he’d been able to glean. He’d been thinking of nothing but Morgan Campbell since he’d left her place. The look on her face when she’d picked up the shattered frame had been indescribable. Considering Cooper was a writer, that was saying something.
    “Why do you care?” Maverick called Stanley to his side and reached down to scratch the top of the dog’s head.
    “Just curious is all.”
    Maverick let it drop, gathered up his muddy dog, and hopped into his truck. With a wave, Cooper headed back into the house. He strode through the quiet rooms and retrieved his laptop from the kitchen table before heading out to the shop.
    After briefly considering calling his mother, and just as quickly deciding to wait until the evening, he settled in for a day of work. The sun was shining, his muse was beginning to wake up, and, as his Aunt Virginia always said, “Ya gotta make hay while the sun shines.”
    It was time to put aside his curiosity over Morgan Campbell’s story and get to work on the only one he