“No.” Riley shot Cooper a glare and focused his full attention on Izzy. “I guess I can go shopping with you.” He emphasized the ‘you’ as if he didn’t want to include Cooper.
Izzy caught the hardening in Cooper’s eyes, the flash of guilt combined with pain and wondered what the story was. Cooper had talked about his family to her with pride in his voice on more than one occasion, but he’d failed to mention a sister.
If they’d still been going out, she’d be getting to the bottom of this particular mystery, but they weren’t, and his family troubles were none of her business.
Wow, Izzy was hot. Really awesomely hot. Riley had to consciously remind himself to shut his mouth because he was pretty sure his tongue was hanging out.
He was in love. He’d never met a classier, more beautiful woman in his life, and she smiled at him as if he mattered. Not like his mother’s trashy friends or her boyfriends who weren’t really boyfriends but paying customers. Some of her boyfriends looked at him in a way that gave him the creeps. His mom tried to shield him from men and women like that, but he’d been exposed to a lot in his fourteen years, and knew there were women and men who liked younger boys. His skin crawled thinking of it.
He liked Izzy. He wished he could say the same for Uncle Cooper.
Izzy grilled him in ways Uncle Cooper hadn’t cared enough to bother. She’d asked him if he played sports. He’d skirted the question somewhat. Two years ago, he’d lived in a great foster home for six months until his mom got out of rehab. They’d let him play football, and he’d loved it. In fact, he’d been damn good at it. He’d made friends for the first time in his life, buddies in the locker room, even dated a junior high cheerleader. Then his mother ripped him out of that suburban home and school and back they’d gone to the rat-infested one-bedroom apartment in urban LA. He’d hated it, but he had to take care of his mom. She depended on him.
Unfortunately, the drugs sucked her back into their web months later.
She’d been up and down ever since. Straight for a few days and back on whatever drug she could get her hands on for a few more. Riley washed dishes in the greasy spoon on the first floor of their building for meals and a few under-the-table dollars, which he used for rent money.
Now she was gone. He didn’t know if she was dead or hurt or what. But he’d swallowed his pride and come to his uncle for help. He didn’t have anywhere else to turn.
Yet, Uncle Cooper didn’t want him, had tried to pawn him off on other people. When that hadn’t worked, he paid people to take Riley off his hands. Riley didn’t care, wouldn’t care. Once his mom was found he’d be out of his uncle’s life and never have to see him again.
Finding his mom was all that mattered. If he had to put up with his uncle for a while, it was a small price to pay, especially when his uncle had friends like Izzy.
Later that night Cooper walked Izzy to her apartment door while Riley snored in the back seat, exhausted from their shopping spree and dinner out. They’d worn the kid out. Hell, he’d worn himself out. Izzy shopped like a crazed terrier, zipping from one shiny thing to the next, and making him dizzy as she tore clothes off the racks and piled them in Riley’s arms. The kid followed her around with a stunned expression on his face the entire time.
“Thank you.” Cooper paused in front of her door. “He’s crazy about you.” Cooper was too. In fact, he couldn’t stop staring at her and was pretty certain he was as lovesick over her as his teenage nephew.
Izzy shrugged. A soft smile crossed her face causing his breath to catch. “He reminds me a little of me. He’s had to be the adult for most—maybe all—of his childhood, and that’s sad.” Her gaze grew wistful as she looked over Cooper’s shoulder toward the SUV.
Cooper nodded. “Since he won’t talk to me, I don’t know what he’s been through. I think he blames me for what happened to his mother.”
“Blames you? Why?” She gazed up and him, and he fought the urge to take her in his arms and inhale her sweet scent.
“Because I wasn’t there for her, and I’m pretty sure she blames me.” Guilt twisted his insides. “He doesn’t know the half of it.”
“What do you mean, Cooper?” She touched his arm, giving him hope, even though he knew the gesture didn’t mean what he wanted it to mean.
“Someone tried to call me several times the week before she went missing.”
“And you didn’t answer.” Her accusing tone made him cringe.
“I never answer unknown numbers. The caller never left a message.” He shook his head, compelled to explain further. “My sister ripped my family apart with her addiction issues which started in high school. My parents did everything they could to help her, going deeply in debt for attorney fees and rehab costs. She put us on a roller coaster ride for years. My mom has health issues, and the stress was dragging her down. We had to cut my sister off in order to save ourselves. She called a few times after that until the calls dwindled to nothing.”
Izzy’s expression softened. “Sometimes what your family did is the only thing you can do.” She rubbed his arm and gazed up at him.
Cooper nodded, a lump forming in his throat. “I can still remember what a great sister she was before the drugs. Julie was four years older than me, and she used to take me everywhere with her. She never missed a hockey game of mine in those early years, and she’d evaluate every performance. She was a figure skater, and we did a routine together once for a charity skating exhibition. She taught me to skate, instilled the love of skating in me. I’d never be what I was if it wasn’t for her. Mom wasn’t into sports, and Dad was gone a lot. Julie was my best friend, despite our ages.”
“I’m sorry. You must mourn the loss of her—the life she had with your family, the loss of the person you knew.”