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

gut tightened, and he dropped his gaze to the bowl of chowder in front of him. He’d wanted someone once. Wanted her with a need that had left him raw and exposed and vulnerable. He closed his eyes and her face swam before him. He hadn’t thought of her in a very long time.
    And damn, but the pain was just as sharp.
    “I’m sorry. That was rude of me.” Jessie grabbed two hot plates and headed over to the elderly couple at the window.
    Cooper ate his meal in silence. He checked his phone once more and then sent a quick text to his brother, asking Maverick to let him know when he got home.
    “You want anything else?”
    He glanced up and shook his head. “Nah, the bill is good.” He paused for a moment, watching the older woman. “Hey, what can you tell me about Morgan Campbell?”
    Jessie finished totaling his bill and dropped it on the counter in front of him.
    “Why you asking?” Her tone was light, but her mouth tightened a bit. Interesting.
    “Charlie hired her to start a project for me that I wasn’t sure I needed done.”
    Jessie rested her palms on the counter. “And you’ve changed your mind?”
    He nodded and waited a beat, thinking about those unusual eyes, about how they’d shut down on him. “So what’s her story?”
    Jessie’s mouth pursed, and she glanced over to the older gentlemen who were just getting to their feet. They’d both gone silent, and Cooper had the notion they were hanging on every word. But after a few seconds of silence, they nodded at Jessie and Cooper and left the diner.
    Jessie picked at the edge of the napkin he’d discarded and then tossed it into the garbage under the counter. She cleared her throat, and Cooper’s interest grew. Everyone had a story—he knew that. It was just some stories were larger than others. He saw it in his own family. And his gut told him that Morgan’s story was not a run-of-the-mill kind of thing.
    “I don’t make a habit of gossiping about those who live in this town, Cooper.” Jessie’s cheeks flushed, and the protective tone in her voice couldn’t be missed.
    Cooper got to his feet, knowing he’d clearly touched a nerve. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by asking. I was just curious.”
    “Why?”
    He shrugged and then pulled on his hat. “Well, first off, she didn’t seem to like me all that much.”
    Jessie laughed at that, her soft features lighting up. “And I’m taking it that’s a first for you?”
    He grinned. “Not so much a first, but it’s been a while.”
    Jessie’s smile slowly faded, and with a sigh, she shrugged. “Morgan’s only been back in town a few months. I heard she was helping her father with the business, and all because Lord knows her sister, Sara, has no interest.” She paused and frowned slightly. “She’s had a rough few years, but her story is for her to tell, not me. If you want to know the details of Morgan Campbell’s life, you’ll have to ask her. But if you want to know how to get hold of her so that you can chat about this project you want done, you’d have to swing by the family home. Her father closed the office about a year ago, and he’s been running Campbell Home Services from there ever since.”
    “Okay,” Cooper replied. “Got an address?”
    The Morgan family home was located on the west side of town, halfway down a quiet street lined with mature oak trees whose skeletal branches rose into the sky as if seeking warmth. Soon enough, they’d be full and green. Cooper glanced at the piece of paper on his dash and confirmed the number of the house as he pulled into the driveway. There was an F-150 in the driveway as well as the small compact car he’d seen out at his place the week before.
    The sun felt good on his face as Cooper climbed onto the porch, and he drank in its warmth while waiting for an answer to his knock. He waited a few moments more, but no one answered. With a small frown on his face, he knocked again, this time a little harder, and was just about to