Dee, Lavada - Nothing to Lose [Blackhawk Brothers] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Lavada Dee Read Free Book Online

weeks, but she called Friday morning and said she would be making a permanent move.” He held up his hands. “I know we’ll all miss her, but she deserves retirement.”
    One of the guys laughed and said, “I knew something was different in here when we walked in. Now I see there isn’t a paper blizzard all over every flat surface.”
    The others joined in and good-naturedly kidded Coop. He took it, giving as much back. “Okay, okay. Have you goons ever thought why we don’t get help in here? You big lugs scare them all away.”
    There were mumbled sounds of agreement from the men. Gus spoke up, his voice full of hope. “So is Galynn going to take over the office?”
    “She’s helping out for now.” Looking down at her, he winked. “But I’m working on it.”
    The crew left almost right away. Cooper told them he’d be out to the job around noon, after he got some calls and other paperwork done. There was some teasing and offers to do the office work for him. When the door closed behind the men, the quiet seemed deafening. Cooper’s smile lit up his face. “So you’ve seen the mornings. We meet here. More or less just to touch base and pick up the work vans. At night when we come back they make short work of picking up their rigs and heading out.” His voice grew serious. “You’re one of us now, and we take care of our own. Do you really think anyone will get to you through that gang?”
    A shiver of fear, mixed with longing, raced through Galynn. If only she dared. She shook her head in resignation. “They look like wonderful guys, and they’re even more of reason why I can’t risk staying here.” She looked up meeting his gaze. “You don’t understand, Coop. I don’t think Mick is sane…” She hesitated. She hadn’t meant to say his name again.
    Her voice dropped, and she twisted her hands together. “I’m positive he’s taking steroids and they’re affecting his mind. He will kill me and anyone else that gets in his way. I had nothing to lose in leaving him, but you, your family, and friends do.” She fought the tears threatening to fall and again locked gazes with Cooper. “Please.”
    The one simple word said it all. Cooper was across the floor in a second, enveloping her in his arms. But she pulled out of his embrace and moved behind her desk.
    He held up his hands. “Okay, for now you’re safe, and we’ll let it go.” He turned to the kitchen. “How about a cup of coffee, and then I’ll let you get to work.”
    The morning passed in a blur after Coop went back into his office. Galynn finished comparing the invoices against the check register and got everything filed or into a stack for Cooper to take care of. Before he left, he’d told her to run down to the house and get something for lunch. He gave her keys to the office and house with a slip of paper with his cell number on it. “Call if you have any questions or anything comes up. I’ll see you around five.”
    The office felt empty without him there. Galynn wasn’t hungry but knew it was important to be as physically healthy as possible when she set out on her own again. Cooper had it right. She needed to eat.
    * * * *
    The rest of the week followed Monday’s schedule. Galynn would get to the office just before or as the crew was leaving for the job. Sometimes Cooper went with them, but usually he had a couple of hours of office work to do first. On Wednesday they started something new, and Galynn found she liked it. Around noon they would walk back down to the house for lunch together. Given the cold weather and the extra time it took, it would have been more practical to pack a lunch. But with her tendency to become absorbed in what she was doing, the walk down to the house felt good and provided her with a much-needed break. Having company was an added bonus. Having his company made it even better.
    Today was Friday, just a week since Cooper had found her on the road. It seemed like so much longer. She had forgotten