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

but about stopping at his folks’. She thought about asking him to go without her and pick her up at the office. That way he wouldn’t have to drive back down to the house.
    As if he could read her mind, he gave her a look that said, “Don’t ask.”
    Cooper’s parents had a place just up the lake from his. If they walked out on his dock they would be able to see it, but with the stormy weather, he hadn’t had the chance to take Galynn down to the lake yet. Like his, their drive was long and wooded. As the house came into view, Galynn held her breath. It was older and more seasoned than Cooper’s, but had the same rustic style that blended into its setting with wide porches all the way around, or at least as far as she could see. “This is beautiful. Not as big as yours, but it’s perfect. Did you grow up here?”
    “No, the family homestead used to be where the lodge is now. My great-grandfather built it and just added on as the family grew. Some of the original timbers are in the lodge. Mom and Dad moved into this one when I graduated and went off to college.”
    “And you’re the baby, right?”
    His body language said he didn’t like the reference to being the baby, but his voice held a hint of a smile. “Baby? I’m the youngest.”
    How could she feel so comfortable with this man? Teasing and joking when she’d never had experience in this kind of interaction. She felt a tender jolt in the region of her heart and pushed the thought of leaving away. She had an idea she would know what true loneliness felt like in the weeks, months, and even years to come.
    He seemed to sense her feelings, if not the reason, and turned, making eye contact. “What? Honey, don’t worry. My folks are good people. You’ll love them.” He reached over and stroked his fingers down her cheek. “Trust me. I meant what I said. I love you. So much that they’ll know and love you, too.”
    Her voice trembled with feeling. “It wasn’t that. I was just thinking how lucky I am to be with you.” She wasn’t being honest. She didn’t want him to know she’d been thinking of how empty her life would be without him.
    Coop reached down to brush his lips across hers. “I think there might be more and you’re not telling me. We’ll pick this up later.”
    Almost as soon as he turned off the motor, the door to the house opened and a little brown and white dog flew off the porch. She didn’t bark but made excited little squealing sounds. She couldn’t seem to get close enough, fast enough. Coop laughed and bent down to greet the little dog. “Meet our Abigail, Abby for short. I’d pick her up, but experience, and believe me we’ve had a lot of it, says to go slow until she settles down. She gets so excited she piddles. Not nice when you’re holding her.”
    As soon as Abby had made sure she got all the pats and loves possible from Cooper, she switched to Galynn, who scooted down and held out her arms. “You’re adorable.”
    Abby seemed to agree and, with all the exuberance in her little body, claimed Galynn as one of “her people.”
    Galynn glanced up to see they weren’t alone. A couple who could only be Cooper’s parents came out on the porch. They both smiled in greeting, and his mother came down the steps to give him a hug and kiss. Cooper responded and stepped to the side, pulling Galynn in front of him. “I’d like you to meet my parents, Lydia and Collin. Mom and Dad, this is Galynn. Someone very special to me.”
    Galynn wasn’t sure what to do. Should she hold out her hand? She didn’t have to worry. Cooper’s mother reached over and took both her hands in her own. Gently steering her toward the open door behind them, she made Galynn feel instantly welcome. “Come in. It’s freezing out here. Of course Abby is oblivious to the weather when one of her favorite people shows up.”
    Cooper’s dad laughed, and at once Galynn recognized that his son not only looked like him, he sounded like him. Coop was