“Where are Margaret and Stan?” Lexie asked of her sister and her husband.
“She had an urgent meeting with the governor,” Caroline said proudly.
Lexie’s father nodded, beaming. “She has his ear.”
“I hope that’s all she has. Many successful women have been known to sleep their way to the top.” Charlotte glanced down at her empty wine-glass. “I’ll have another, please.” She extended her arm toward her daughter-in-law.
“You’ve had enough,” Caroline and Grant said at the same time.
“Party poopers.”
“So, Coop,” her father said, ignoring his mother’s outburst. “Tell me about yourself.”
Coop leaned forward in his seat. “I’m the crime beat reporter for the Daily Post.”
“Impressive,” Grant said, approval clear in his tone.
Lexie admired how comfortable Coop was in his own skin, even on meeting her parents, who eyed him with a combination of curiosity and wonderment. She clearly read the expression on their faces. How could such a fine man be with their flighty daughter?
“Lexie tells me you’re president of Metro Savings and Loan,” Coop said.
Smooth, Lexie thought, impressed. He’d obviously done his research, since she’d never told him specifically where her father worked. Lexie sat on her hands in an attempt not to applaud the fact that Coop had come prepared.
The two men had a brief discussion of business and economic issues, when Lexie’s mother finally made her presence known.
She cleared her throat. “So tell me how you and my daughter met. Were you in Indonesia recently?” she asked, her tone as horrified as it had been when Lexie had announced her plans.
Coop, who hadn’t removed his hand from Lexie’s leg, gave her a gentle squeeze. At least he hadn’t shuddered at the location of her last trip.
“Actually, we met in the city.”
Before he could launch into an explanation of how they met over a garbage Dumpster, Lexie decided to use this conversation as an opportunity to gauge what her parents knew about her grandmother’s necklace—and the older woman’s shady past.
“I don’t know if you saw the news, but Coop’s a local hero,” Lexie said proudly. She described his actions at the jewelry store and the ensuing reward.
“I didn’t want to accept anything, but the woman insisted,” Coop explained.
“And they showed the whole thing on the news. Grandma and I were watching and we realized that Coop’s ring matched one of her old necklaces. I decided I wanted to buy it from him for her upcoming birthday.” Lexie revealed her true plan to her grandmother for the first time.
“Why…I don’t know what to say!” Charlotte blew kisses at Lexie from her chair. “You always were such a sweet child,” she said, beaming with happiness.
“Which of your many pieces is it?” Lexie’s father asked.
“The one that means the most to her because it was a gift from Grandpa,” Lexie prodded, hoping her father remembered and could add some details to the story.
Grant choked on his martini. “Excuse me? Lexie, are you sure? My father was never a gift-giver! In fact, he was more of a stingy bastard—”
“Cary Grant Davis, you take that back!” Charlotte said, jumping up from her chair.
Grant made a frustrated, growling sound. “Well, it’s the truth.”
Lexie had always known that her father’s memories of his parent didn’t match her grandmother’s memories of her husband. Lexie had been too young to remember her grandfather as more than a big, booming man who’d loved her.
Charlotte pulled a tissue from inside her shirt and began blotting her eyes.
“Oh, brother.” Grant eyed his mother, obviously annoyed with her theatrics. “I’m sorry,” he finally said.
Charlotte sniffed. “Fine.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, back to the necklace. Do either of you remember it? Because it has an interesting history,” Lexie said. “It turns out that it belonged to a family named—”
“Oh, my heart!” Charlotte cried, rising and grabbing for her chest.
Lexie narrowed her gaze, unable to tell if her grandmother was faking because of the subject or really wasn’t feeling well. Unwilling to take any chances, she rose from her seat and leaned close to her grandmother.
Coop followed, putting an arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. “Have a seat,” he said, gently leading her to the couch.
“Mother, are you okay?” Grant asked. Suddenly truly concerned, he too hovered over her.
“Should I call an ambulance?” Caroline already had a hand on the phone.
Lexie met her parents’ worried gaze. “She told me she was just diagnosed with high blood pressure. Maybe her medications aren’t working?”
Charlotte moaned and fanned herself with a magazine she’d picked up from the table.
Lexie’s mother nodded and called 9-1-1, while her father rushed to the kitchen, mumbling about a baby aspirin and a glass of water.
HALF AN HOUR LATER, although her grandmother claimed she was now fine, the paramedics insisted on taking her to the hospital. Protocol demanded it, since other things like a panic attack or acid reflux, could look like a heart attack. They needed to check her heart and Lexie agreed.
Many exhausting hours later, Charlotte was released, diagnosed with an anxiety attack. Grant wanted his mother to stay overnight so they could keep an eye on her. But when the older woman attempted to blame her son for upsetting her about her poor deceased husband, Lexie stepped in and, along with Coop, took her grandmother home.
“At least I saved us from eating Caroline’s atrocious cooking,” Charlotte said as they led her to her apartment.
Lexie rolled her eyes. “You took years off my life.”
Charlotte shuffled down the hall in her slipper-looking shoes. “Well, can I help it if your father’s a callous ass?”
Coop, who’d spent the entire night by Lexie’s side, chuckled.
He’d been her steadying rock while the doctors took her frail-looking grandmother away in a wheel-chair. In between reassuring her that Charlotte would be fine, Coop distracted her by asking questions about places she’d visited on her travels. More than once, Lexie caught distinct interest in his inquisitive look and pointed questions. Of course, she’d convinced herself that a man’s mere curiosity was genuine interest once before.
Regardless, she owed Coop for staying with her. He could have gone home while she and her parents dealt with the hospital, but he’d insisted on being there for Lexie and making sure Charlotte was okay. No doubt about it, the man was a keeper.