Page 80 of One-of-a-Kind Bride
“Fine, son. Just gonna rest up a bit.”
“Okay, Dad. I’ll get the dishes tonight.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Grandpa? What’s wrong?” Cassie walked over to him, concern bringing the corners of her mouth down.
“Nothing, honey. I’m fit as a fiddle. Just didn’t sleep too well last night, is all.” He patted Cassie’s head and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be fine.”
An hour later, Coop sat down at his drafting table, working on major plans to renovate the Barton ranch house about three miles up the road. The job would take him into the fall months and he’d have to use his entire crew to finish it on time. He was glad for the steady work and really had no complaints about his professional life. At least that wasn’t suffering.
Nor was his appetite. He’d dug into that cherry pie tonight like there was no tomorrow. Now his stomach rebelled. He put his pencil down and sipped coffee. He had an odd feeling tonight and it wasn’t just about Cassie or seeing Taylor with Blake, it was about his dad.
Joe had always been Coop’s rock. A man’s man. The guy was strong and stout. He’d never shown an inkling of weakness. But, lately, Coop had noticed him slowing way down. He tired easily and often he’d look pale.
His cell phone rang, making him jerk in his chair. He answered it quickly. “Hello.”
“Hi, it’s me.”
“Taylor?” Her sweet voice rang in his ears. She usually didn’t call him. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”
“Well, not really. I think I need some help.”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“A pipe broke under the sink, and I don’t know how to shut the water off. It’s leaking all over the kitchen.”
“Hang on, I’ll be right over.”
*
Taylor was keepingan eye out for Coop. She felt so helpless. She didn’t know where the main shut off valve was, and she had no clue what to do about a pipe breaking. Maybe she should’ve called a plumber, but as soon as it happened, Coop’s image popped into her head and he was the first one she’d called.
His truck pulled up in less than five minutes. She stood at the opened door, but he ignored her initially and ran right to a water outlet hidden behind the bushes backing up against the house. He took some time back there, but when he appeared, he nodded his head. “I shut off the main water valve.”
“Thanks for coming over so quickly.”
“I’m not far. But, hey, you’re drenched.”
She was. Her hair and face got soaked as she was trying to contain the leak under the sink. The rest of her clothes, her jeans and blouse were saturated. She’d put on a hooded jacket to cover up, but there was no denying she looked like a water rat.
“The kitchen’s a mess. I feel so bad.” She led him inside to the kitchen.
“Hey, it’s not your fault. This stuff happens all the time.” He assessed the damage looking around with expert eyes, bending down to see under the sink.
The floor was soaked everywhere they stepped, but she didn’t think the cabinets or the counters were involved.
“Well, we’ll sop up what we can for now. Then find set up fans to dry out the floor.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I can manage. You must’ve been busy when I called.”
“I wasn’t on a date with Blake Charles, like you were.”
Her brows lifted. How did he know that? Puzzled, she opened her mouth to speak but he was quicker.
“I saw you two in town together. Going into a restaurant.” His voice was light but accusation entered his eyes, giving him away.
“It wasn’t really a date. We had things to discuss and we decided to do it over dinner.”
