Chapter Fifteen
Every impossible scenario from Tess lying on the ground bleeding internally or being rushed to the hospital to Tess buried under a mountain of concrete, clawing for air, played on a never-ending loop in his mind as he pressed harder on the gas pedal. If ever there was a day when the speed limit was taken as a suggestion not a definitive, it was now.
Flashing his ID at the construction site gate, he barely slowed long enough to ask if his project manager Teresa Gordon was there. The guy nodded and Cooper hit the gas, scanning the distance for any sign of his high school tutor. It only took a few seconds to spot the five-foot-six spitfire standing like a totem pole in front of a truck. A cement truck whose barrel had stopped spinning and was about to pour—with Tess in the way.
Unable to reach them on foot, he flew as close as he could, his hand coming down hard on the horn and staying there. All heads turned toward him except one; Tess was too busy playing a game of chicken with a cement truck.
Had she lost her mind? Bringing the truck to a halt, he threw it in park and jumped out, not bothering to turn off his engine. Running full speed ahead, he scanned the distance and had to quickly choose between the men huddled to one side and the guy driving the truck that could literally bury Tess alive in a matter of minutes. The truck won.
As loud as he could, racing to the cement truck, he shouted, “Stop!”
The driver stuck his head out of the window. “Hey, lady, get out of there.”
Another voice shouted from behind Cooper, “Start pouring.”
Tess didn’t budge. Either she didn’t hear or didn’t care. And the more time he spent with her the more sure he was that she heard everyone just fine.
Running up to the truck and kicking the chute away, he ignored the bits of cement that splashed on him and Tess. The horrified look on the driver’s face gave Cooper the moment he needed to turn and jump up, grab the side handle and swing the door open with one hand to yank the driver out with the other.
“Hey, man. You crazy or something?” With one leg still in the cab and the other dangling outside, the guy seemed to be both terrified and partly enraged, though Cooper was pretty sure terrified by the fury in his Cooper’s eyes was the stronger of the two emotions.
“Shut it off!” Cooper growled.
“Don’t you dare.” The other guy who wanted the concrete poured came running up behind him. “This is private property. You have exactly one minute to get the hell out of here before I call the cops.”
“Funny,” Cooper faced the guy, “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Growing up in the foster-care system, Tess considered herself tough. She’d taken care of herself in one way or other for as long as she could remember, but never had she been so happy to see a knight in shining armor. Still, she wasn’t moving until the trucks backed off.
“I said,” Cooper had the driver by the collar, “turn it off.”
“That’s it.” The guy whose name she still hadn’t learned with the foul mouth and rolled-up sleeves, flipped his phone open. “I’m calling the cops.”
“Good.” Cooper didn’t let go of the driver. “When they get here they can escort you and your flunkies off my property.”
It took a few seconds for Cooper’s words to register in the mind of the jerk, but Tess recognized the second his brain computed what Cooper had said. “Your property?”
“Technically, Baron Enterprises, but since I’m Cooper Baron, why quibble over semantics.”
His shoulders slumped, the guy closed his phone and nodded at the driver. “Go ahead and turn the truck around.”
“You can let go now,” the driver squeaked at Cooper.
Taking one step back, Cooper nodded. “First, let the lady move away.” He turned and blew out such a deep breath, Tess could hear it from where she stood. “Would you please get out of there?”
Teresa looked from Cooper to the truck and back to her own feet standing between the limited rebar. “Good idea.”
Moving closer, Cooper outstretched his hand and escorted her out of the foundation frame. As soon as he latched onto her, he squeezed her hand and helped her across the lumpy ground. “You okay?”
She nodded. Truth was, her heart was pounding so hard and fast she was afraid she might have a real live heart attack any minute. “I’m okay.”
Helping her across the dirt, once she was out of the foundation area, he still held onto her hand. “You look pale. Are you sure? Did they hurt you?”
The concern in his eyes made her smile. “No one hurt me. I’m just not used to so much activity.”
Cooper nodded, then blowing out a long slow breath, twirled her into the fold of his arms. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again.”
Adrenaline fading, Tess collapsed against his shoulder. “Thanks for showing up.”
“Always,” he practically whispered into her ear.
The truck began rolling backwards and reluctantly, Tess eased out of Cooper’s arms, straightened her back, and softly repeated, “Thank you.”
“Do you two need a room?” The guy who had been barking at everyone seemed a bit too cocky for someone who was about to get investigated out of business.
Cooper let go of Teresa’s hand and turned to the man standing beside him. “We’re shutting everything down. Now. Our attorneys will be getting in touch with you.”
“Attorneys?” The man’s gaze narrowed and in a flash, as though he’d removed one mask and put on another, his expression softened and he smiled. “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure whatever little misunderstanding we have can be cleared up in a few minutes.”
Nodding his head, Cooper took a step back. “It’s going to take more than a few minutes to clear up the issues at hand.” Retaking hold of Teresa’s hand, he smiled at her, then returned his attention to the guy whose name she still didn’t know. “The project is officially shut down. I want everyone off the property today.”
“Do you know how much all that concrete costs?” Before the man could spew more crap, Cooper cut him off.
“This conversation is over. I want everyone out of here. If necessary I can have the constable standing by to help you.”
The expression on the contractor’s face shifted back to the face of a junkyard dog. “We’ll leave, but you will definitely be hearing from my attorneys.”
With that confirmation, Cooper turned and tugged on Teresa’s hand. “You’re coming with me. I’ll send someone for your car.”
She nodded. With the mounting pain in her side and her heart rate finally slowing, she was totally on board for someone else to drive her home. The cheap car she’d bought to get around while waiting for the dumb insurance companies to come to a reasonable settlement wasn’t anywhere near as comfortable as Cooper’s car.
Holding the passenger door open for her, she looked at the running board and reconsidered riding home with him.
Stepping into her personal space, he turned her slightly around. “You’re not okay.”
It wasn’t a question. “My side is a little sore.”
“That does it.” He bent slightly, hooked his arms under her legs and in a single move, lifted her up and into the car. “We’re going back to the ranch and I’m having the doctor come check you out.”
“I just over did it. That’s all.”
Shaking his head, Cooper set an arm on either side of her. “Do you always have to be so stubborn?”
“I’m not stubborn. I’m merely standing my ground, being assertive, all the things I learned from you and your…”
Her words drifted off as his mouth came down hard on hers. His arms wrapped around her and she fell into the kiss. All thoughts of concrete, collapses, contractors, lawsuits, and any other unpleasantries of life completely slipped away. All she knew was that she’d never felt more at home anywhere else as she did in Cooper’s arms. And she’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted a life with this man. If she were honest with herself, that was probably all she’d ever wanted.
When Cooper slowly eased away, she fought the urge to whimper. “Tess?”
“Mm?” Forming a full sentence wasn’t coming easily.
“This is probably neither the time nor place, but I can’t help myself. Seeing you standing there with a massive truck over you, I realized something important.”
Her chin dipped slightly.
“I let life distract me after you moved away. I don’t want to make that same mistake. I never want to lose you again. Ever.”
She blinked. Did he just say what she thought he did? Or was she actually dreaming? Had the truck dumped all that concrete on her and this was just a dying dream?
Sucking in a deep breath, he blew it out softly. “This would be a good time to say something. Hopefully not that I’m crazy and need to leave you alone.”
“No,” she managed to eek out. “Please don’t leave me alone—ever.”
A smile eased across his face. “Thank heaven. For what it’s worth, I love you, Teresa Gordon.”
If she was dying or dreaming, she didn’t care. She’d never been happier. “And I love you, Cooper Baron. I believe I always have.”