Phoenix could see he didn’t like it, just as she knew he’d agree anyway.
Finally, he looked at her. “You won’t get distracted?”
“I’ll be like a hawk.”
“You won’t text your sister while you’re in there?”
She crossed her heart.
Cooper sighed. “That’s all well and good, but I can’t shake a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen.”
Phoenix didn’t mention that the tragedy with his wife likely caused that gut feeling. What he felt for her wasn’t the same as the deep love he’d had for Anna, but it would still be natural for him to fear losing her.
“I don’t want you to worry.” She hated the thought that she might cause him any concern at all.
“Great. Then I’ll add a security camera to the building.”
“A security camera?”
“I should have had one anyway,” he explained before she could feel too bad about the expense. “Now we know it’s necessary. And how about we set up a schedule? If I know when you’ll be in the maintenance building, that’ll help. Do you think you could limit it to two trips a day? Maybe get everything you need in the morning, then return it by five or six at the end of the day?”
“Entirely doable,” she promised, already thinking ahead to how she’d work it. “And in fact, I could put the tools I use most often in the supply shed instead.” While the maintenance building was at the farthest end of the property, out of the way, the supply shed was situated between there and the lake. Hookup sites for RVs and campers flanked it on two sides, with a playground and the lodge in front across one of the in-park roadways. The creek and woods were behind it, but she’d have no reason to go around to the back anyway.
Cooper tugged her toward him so he could give her a kiss. “Hell of an idea, and I’ll help you move some things over in the morning.”
“You have the time tomorrow?”
“I’ll make the time.”
Sugar must have gotten tired of all their talking and smooching because she stretched, then gingerly dropped down off the couch. They watched her go down the hall and knew she was going to bed.
“You know,” Cooper said, “that’s not a bad idea.”
“Moving some things to the supply shed?”
Shaking his head and nuzzling against her ear, he whispered, “Heading to bed.” He trailed a hand up her thigh, then over her bottom.
Teasing, she asked, “Can we watch the movie tomorrow then?”
“Or the day after.” He opened his mouth on her throat. “Or next week.” She felt the abrasion of his whiskers, the roughness of his tongue. “Or we can save it for Halloween.”
Meaning she’d be with him months from now?
That thrilled her almost as much as the way he slipped his hand into her panties.
But in a very different way.
15
Phoenix had just poured the coffee when the knock sounded. Sugar, who’d been sleeping peacefully, launched from the bed like a berserker, yapping furiously while keeping ten feet from the door.
It stalled her heart for a moment, the way the dog carried on. She hadn’t been that vicious when Gibb visited, but maybe she wasn’t used to visitors until the afternoon.
Phoenix glanced toward the hall, but she could hear Cooper’s playlist blaring as he did his daily workout in the spare bedroom. Unwilling to disrupt him, she said to the dog, “Shh. It’s okay,” and crossed the kitchen to answer.
Shock ran through her when, through the window, she saw Harry standing there.
Their gazes met and he smirked, loads of attitude piled on his scrawny shoulders.
Fury kicked in. She yanked open the door, saying in accusation, “You.”
Sugar yelped and jumped back, then snarled again as she crept up to peek through Phoenix’s legs. It dawned on her that the dog, even while terrified of her abuser, wanted to offer her protection.
In that moment, she could have attacked Harry herself.
“Hush, baby, you’re okay.” It took a little maneuvering, but she got Sugar off her heels so she could lift the reluctant dog into her arms, soothing her as best she could. With a glare at Harry, she promised, “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Harry scowled at the dog, then at her before looking beyond her. “Where’s Cochran?”
For an answer, she demanded, “What do you want?”
His lip curled. “So you two are sharing sheets, huh? I figured as much.”
With her impatience deliberately plain to see, Phoenix patted the dog and waited.
His glower darkened. “Stop sending people to check up on me. It’s fucking harassment and I’m sick of it.”
The crude language irritated her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Last I heard—” Which was just last night. “—you were nowhere to be found.”
“That’s bullshit,” he snapped, his demeanor defensive. “My grandma’s been sick and I’ve been staying with her.”
Phoenix sniffed. “That’s convenient.”
Heat crept up his neck and turned his bulging eyes red. “It’s convenient that my grandma isn’t feeling well?”
Phoenix made a face. “If that’s true—and I have my doubts—but if it is, I’m sorry to hear it.” Guilt nudged her. What if it is true? “Is she really?”
“She’s seventy, so yeah, something is always wrong.” He took a half step into the open doorway.
She didn’t budge. Maybe her bravery was inspired by Sugar, but Cooper being close enough to be her backup was the more likely explanation. Whatever the reason, Harry didn’t scare her. Not here, not now.
His voice lowered to a snarl. “My friends are starting to ask questions I can’t fucking answer.”
Holding Sugar closer, Phoenix thrust up her chin. “You will stop cursing at me, Harry, or you’ll be speaking to a slammed door.”
He blinked, then narrowed his eyes. “So the little mouse isn’t so jumpy anymore?”
“I was never jumpy,” she lied. “But I was concerned for the dog—a dog you will never again touch.”
His hands fisted. “I haven’t been paid.”
“After what you’ve done?” Incredulous, she accused, “You could have burned down the building!”
Blank surprise temporarily wiped the anger from his flushed face. “What building?” Suspicion growing, he asked, “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Your little prank with firecrackers?” She gave a mean laugh. “Don’t pretend it wasn’t you.”
Looking truly bewildered, he shook his head. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” Sugar snapped at him, so Phoenix quickly stepped back a few inches. “Someone,” she explained, while watching his expression closely, “locked me in the maintenance building after throwing in a string of firecrackers.”
Arms spread wide, face tilted in, he growled, “I don’t even know where your maintenance building is!”
Damn it, she was starting to believe him. “So why have you been hiding from Officer Clark?”
He grunted. “I don’t hide.”
“The officer couldn’t find you.”
“I told you, I was with my grandma a lot, but last night I was at the bar—which you know since you sent that goon to check up on me.”
It was her turn to be surprised. “I didn’t send anyone.”
“Then your boyfriend did.”
Her boyfriend. Was that how people saw Cooper? Would they be wrong?
True, their relationship was still relatively new, or so it felt to her. She was still thinking in terms of loose and casual—yet something more would be nice.
Very nice.
Either way, she didn’t think Cooper would have sent someone after Harry without telling her. She gave it some thought, then suggested, “Maybe Baxter—”
Harry cut her off with a shake of his head. “No, not him. That other asshole.”
So he knew Baxter? Curious now, she asked, “What, er, asshole do you mean?”
“Oh, way to play stupid, honey, but I’m not buying it. You know damn good and well who I mean.”
“Actually, I don’t.” She eyed him up and down. “Sounds to me like you have a bunch of enemies.”
“You,” he said, pointing a finger at her, so close that only an inch separated his finger from her nose, “don’t know shit about me, so don’t stand there thinking—”