Ask Me to Stay (Honky Tonk Angels #4) by Ciana Stone Page B

“Still, it does give us some concern to see either of you girls starting up something with Cooper Quinlan.”
    “Why?” Hannah asked.
    “Because he’s an outsider,” Stella answered.
    “An outsider?”
    “Yes, honey. He’s not from here and not likely to stay. Once he and Wes get this oil thing off the ground, he’s likely to head back to the Dakotas and none of us will ever see him again.”
    “I doubt that will happen,” Cody said.
    “And just what makes you say that?”
    “Because he’s got nothing to go back there for. I told you and Daddy about him and Liz and about what their father did. When Cooper signed on with Wes to do this deal, he cut his ties with his father. Heck, he couldn’t go back if he wanted to. His father disowned him and Liz. Liz told me last week. She and Cooper each received a copy of their father’s new will. They’re not even in it.”
    “That’s horrible.” Hannah had not heard that. “How could anyone treat their children that way?”
    “Exactly.” Cody looked over at her. “You and I can’t understand it because it’s not the way we were raised. But Cooper and Liz didn’t have a dad they could count on through thick and thin and now, for all practical purposes, they don’t have a dad at all.”
    “I know what you’re doing, Cody Ann,” Stella said. “You’re trying to play on my sympathy.”
    “No, she’s not.” Hannah defended her sister. “She’s simply telling you the truth. And anyway, what if he doesn’t plan on staying here forever? What difference does it make? He’s a nice man.”
    “So, you are interested in him.” Stella pinned Hannah with a look that spelled she was going to have the truth.
    “I didn’t say I was—”
    Hannah didn’t get to finish the lie before Cody stepped in. “Okay, it’s time for a come to Jesus moment.”
    “I beg your pardon?” Stella wore an incredulous expression.
    “You heard me. Mama, you know Hannah and I love you and Daddy more than anything. You’ve been the best parents anyone could ever wish for and we appreciate every single thing you’ve done for us. But we’re not kids. I’m almost thirty and Hannah is nearly twenty-eight. We’re not children. We’re grown women and we can decide who we want to spend time with. It’s not something that’s up for debate or a family choice. So, if Hannah is interested in Cooper, that’s her business and our business as her family is to hope that she enjoys his company and that he’s nice to her.”
    Hannah heard the conviction in Cody’s voice when Cody looked at her. “Because God knows, if he’s not, he’s going to have hell to pay.”
    Tears threatened but Hannah blinked them back and faced her mother. “She’s right, Mama. We’re not kids anymore. We’re grown women and you’ve got to start treating us that way.”
    Stella looked from Hannah to Cody and then at Billy. “Well, what do you have to say?”
    Billy cleared his throat, looked around at everyone, then took Stella’s hand. “I say we’ve raised two fine women and it’s time we trusted them to run their own lives.”
    Stella nodded. “I’m not trying to run your lives, girls. I swear I’m not. I just—”
    “I know,” Cody interrupted. “I didn’t get all my temper from Daddy. I know you get mad when someone says something like those women did and you want to protect us. But there’s nothing to protect us from, Mama.”
    “Right,” Hannah agreed. “And it’s like you always said, if you have nothing to be ashamed of or guilty for, then you don’t have to pay any attention to that stuff because it’s not true and it doesn’t matter.”
    “Besides,” Cody added. “We all know that they only make up that stuff because they don’t have anything else to occupy themselves with.”
    “Ain’t that the truth?” Billy commented.
    “It is indeed,” Stella agreed and slapped the bar with one hand. “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come down on you that way, and I