The Perfect Homecoming (Pine River #3)

“I think what Emma means to ask is, what kind of work do you do?” Leo offered helpfully.

“She knows what work I do,” he said. “I have a company with some buddies called Thrillseekers Anonymous.” He explained TA to Leo, and added, “We’ve got a contract to stage a canyoneering event next summer for some studio execs, and I’m going to check out the area.”

“That is sick,” Leo said, his voice full of awe. “Dad, did you hear that?”

“I did,” Bob said, appearing in the door that led to the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. “You ought to talk with my son Luke. He’s been all over these mountains. He could show you around.”

“Oh yeah?” Cooper asked, perking up.

“There’s nothing around here that he’d be interested in,” Emma said, throwing up her hands as if trying to keep the men apart. “You’re wasting your time, Cooper. Go to Telluride and look around. That’s better.”

“Telluride,” Cooper drawled. “Where is that, exactly, Emma?”

Bastard. She had no idea where it was, and he knew it.

“No, no, Dad’s right for once,” Leo said as Bob ducked back into the kitchen. “There are loads of places around here to rappel or ride white water, or even do some of the swinging Tarzan stuff I saw on the National Geographic Channel. Luke would totally show you around and he’s probably done it all.”

“I’d love to meet him,” Cooper said.

“Then come over tonight. He’ll be here. Hey! Why don’t you come for dinner? Dad! He should come for dinner!”

“Leo, for heaven’s sake,” Bob said, appearing again with Leo’s lunch in a repurposed half-gallon milk jug. It was two-thirds filled with the smoothie Emma had made before Cooper had shown up. “Before you go issuing invitations, you might ask the head bottle washer if there’s anyone available to make a dinner,” he said as he fit the jug into the apparatus he had welded onto the side of Leo’s chair.

“Don’t let this jug of delicious liquefied fish and vegetables fool you,” Leo said to Cooper. “We still eat real food around here. Well . . . we might agree to disagree on the definition of real, but what I mean is that it’s not all liquid—some of it, you can actually chew.”

Bob said something under his breath. “It ain’t fish and vegetables.” He moved to stick the straw in Leo’s mouth.

“No, Dad, wait!” Leo exclaimed. “I’m having a conversation here!”

But Bob stuck the straw into Leo’s mouth, who was powerless to stop him. Leo began the laborious effort of drinking.

“You’re more than welcome to dinner tonight if that’s what Chatty Cathy here wants,” Bob said, jerking a thumb at Leo. “I’ll whip something up. Won’t be gourmet, but it will be edible.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Emma said, startled by Bob’s willingness to have Cooper over for dinner. “What happened to the complaints about stranger danger and not wanting any trouble? Now you’re inviting him to dinner?”

“Leo wants him to come,” Bob said with a shrug.

“You don’t have to be nice to him! It’s not like he’s a friend of mine!” she exclaimed.

“Gee, thanks,” Cooper said.

“See, now, this is the kind of thing I was trying to tell you the other day,” Bob said, pointing a pair of fingers at her. “You got the wrong idea about how to do people. Inviting him to dinner is called hospitality. I don’t know how you do it up there in LA, but in these parts, we ask people to come in and sit down.”

“Jesus,” Emma muttered heavenward. She was not in the mood for a Bob Kendrick lecture, any more than she was in the mood to deal with Cooper. She glared at the latter and pointed to the door. “Cooper, will you please come outside with me so Bob can give Leo his lunch?” She walked to the door and yanked it open.

Cooper glanced back at Leo and Bob. “You’re sure it’s no trouble?”

“Not at all,” Bob said. “I’ll call Luke now.”

“Cooper, come on,” Emma said.

“See you, Cooper!” Leo said, having managed to get the straw out of his mouth, driven by a desire to have the last word. “Between Luke and Dad and me, we know everything there is to know about Pine River. And I mean everything, if you get my drift.” He sort of waggled his brows as Bob fit the straw into his mouth once more.

“Looking forward to it,” Cooper said, and followed Emma out onto the porch. Once outside he said a little curiously, “Actually, I don’t get his drift at all.”

Emma wrapped her arms tightly around her and gave him her best glare. “I can’t believe you followed me here.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t believe you won’t give me that stupid medal.” He arched a dark brow at her.