Chapter 3
It was a good day. Cooper stood against the counter in the kitchen, a bottle of beer clasped in his hand as he watched Brice and Naomi with their new son. After all the heartache they had been through learning that they couldn’t conceive, they had found another way to have a family.
And Cooper couldn’t think of a more deserving couple.
“Ever think you’ll have one of those?” Jace asked, jerking his chin to the infant.
Cooper shrugged, twisting his lips. “Kinda hard to do when I’m single.”
“Pfft. Single people do it all the time.”
Cooper glanced at him with a frown. “I saw firsthand how hard it was for my mom being a single parent. And that’s when I was older. I can’t imagine doing it with a baby.”
“That was stupid. I shouldn’t have said that.” Jace’s gaze dropped to the floor before he took a long swig of beer.
Cooper studied his friend. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I just have some pretty harsh views on the subject. What about you? You want kids?”
“I do.”
“You’ve never told me that.”
“It’s not something guys talk about with each other,” Jace said with a shrug.
Cooper took a drink of beer and let what Jace had told him sink in. Then he said, “I can see you with kids. You’d make a good dad. But only because you’re just a big kid yourself.”
Jace laughed and then covered his mouth, nearly spitting out his beer. He swallowed then punched Cooper in the arm. “I can’t even say anything because it’s true.”
“So true,” Cooper replied with a smile.
Caleb walked up then, grinning. “I’m not even going to ask why Jace nearly choked just now.”
“It’s nothing, really,” Cooper said, still grinning as he glanced at Jace. “I just said he’d make a great dad since he’s a big kid himself.”
Caleb licked his lips to try and hold back his grin. “I already feel sorry for the woman.
She’ll think she has just one kid to take care of, but she’ll actually have two.”
“Hey, now,” Jace said, acting insulted, but his grin ruined it. “I can’t help who I am.”
The three laughed, then grew silent when the baby began to cry. Brice took the infant from his sister, Abby, and rocked him until the baby went back to sleep.
“He’s a natural,” Caleb said.
Cooper nodded. “When are you and Audrey going to have little ones running around?”
“In a few years. We’re not in any hurry,” Caleb answered.
Jace finished his beer and quietly set the empty bottle on the counter. “I’m glad this turned out well for Brice and Naomi.”
That made Cooper frown. “Why wouldn’t it?”
Jace rolled his eyes. “You really need to read the news.”
“Why? Not only is it damn depressing, but how can you believe any of what’s said? It’s all about who is reporting it. Same with history. It’s written by the conquerors.”
“Save me,” Caleb said with a dramatic sigh. “I can’t hear this argument for the millionth time.”
Jace nodded excitedly. “Exactly. Look, even Caleb agrees with me.”
“Hold up,” Caleb said and held up his hand. “I never said I agreed with either of you. I simply said I didn’t want to hear the argument. But, for clarity’s sake, I don’t listen to the news either.” He then turned to Cooper. “However, I do get breaking news alerts on my phone. You might want to at least do that.”
Cooper scratched behind his ear. “Fine. I’ll bite. Why should I be listening to breaking news?”
“You kill me. You really do,” Jace said as he squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He then sighed dramatically and dropped his hand. “There’s been a rash of murders in several states involving pregnant women. The women are killed. The babies taken.”
Cooper was taken aback. “Who would do such a disgusting thing when there are plenty of women giving up children for adoption?”
Caleb turned and looked at his brother and sister-in- law. “You want to know why people would kill a pregnant woman for her child? All you need to do is look at Brice and Naomi.”
“No,” Cooper said, not buying it. “There has to be something else going on. Like I said, many women give up their children for adoption. That’s how Brice and Naomi got little Nate.”
Jace shot him a perturbed look. “And how many people aren’t accepted by the adoption agencies? How many can’t afford it?”
“So, you think there’re people out there stalking pregnant women, killing them, and hoping nothing is wrong with the infant so they can sell it to someone looking for a baby of their own?” Cooper asked.
Caleb nodded, his brows raised.
Cooper set his beer on the counter and gaped at his friends. “Have both of you lost your minds? No one can just pop up with a kid nowadays. There are social security numbers, fingerprinting, and too many other things that identify someone.”
“You seriously need to watch some crime TV, because you have no idea the lengths that some will go to,” Jace said. “As for everything you mentioned, if someone has the means, anything can be done.”
“Right,” Cooper said. “Money. Something you say these people with money don’t have to do is go through a regular adoption agency.”
Caleb held up a hand, halting them. Then he looked at Cooper. “Do you know what Nate’s adoption cost? It was over sixty thousand dollars.”
“Okay.” Cooper nodded, his mind working. “I was thinking around that amount.”
Jace gave him a pointed look. “How many people do you think have that kind of cash lying around? Some save their entire lives for retirement and never even get close to that amount. And, usually, it’s young couples who want kids.”
Cooper held up his hands. “Okay. Okay. I get the point.” He bit his lip, still thinking about the murders. “If someone is taking those infants from their mothers’ wombs, wouldn’t they charge more than an adoption agency? Not less? After all, they’re expending a lot more effort.”From Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant. Copyright © 2020 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.