Skylar's Outlaw

As he entered the kitchen, Etta was at the stove and Ru sat eating breakfast.

Etta glanced at him. “It’s about time. Have a seat. I’ll have your breakfast ready in no time.”

“Thank you, Etta.” He placed his hat on a rack.

Sitting next to Ru, he avoided looking at the little girl seated across the table in a booster chair.

“Glad you and Sky got everything sorted out,” Rufus said, buttering a biscuit.

Coop didn’t answer as he accepted the mug of coffee Etta handed him.

“I’m Kira,” a little voice said from across the table.

Cooper didn’t know a thing about kids so he thought it best to ignore the child.

“What’s your name?”

He took a swallow of coffee.

“What’s your name?” the kid persisted.

“For Pete’s sake, answer,” Ru snapped.

Coop looked at the little girl with the red curly hair. Dressed in a pink nightgown, she held an orangey-red stuffed animal in one arm.

Swallowing, he said, “I’m Cooper.”

“Coo.”

“Cooper.”

“Coo.”

“Coop…”

He trailed off as Etta placed bacon and eggs in front of him.

“What you eating, Coo?”

Cooper clenched his jaw. Did the kid have a hearing problem? “Bacon and eggs,” he muttered, hoping the little girl turned her attention elsewhere.

“Etta, can I have bacon and eggs, please?”

“You haven’t finished your oatmeal.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Mmm. You’ll eat bacon and eggs?”

“Yes.”

Coop dug into his breakfast and did his best to ignore the child.

“I played with Georgie yesterday. He’s having a birthday party and I’m going.”

Coop took a bite of biscuit and kept on ignoring her.

“I think it’s tomorrow. I don’t know. I have to ask Mommy, but Aunt Maddie’s making a cake and everything. Do you like cake?”

Coop took another swallow of coffee.

Rufus stood with his plate in his hand. Bending low, he whispered, “She’s not contagious.”

“Yeah,” Coop mumbled.

Etta laid a small plate with a cut-up egg and some bacon in front of the girl. The child picked up a fork and began to eat. Coop noticed her watching him. Every time he put a bite in his mouth, so did she. When he reached for his coffee, she drank her milk.

The redhead appeared in the doorway, dressed for the day in tight jeans and a pearl-snap shirt that outlined her curvy breasts. Not that he noticed.

The child swung to her. “Look, Mommy, I’m eating with Coo.”

Sky glanced from her child to him. “You ate eggs?”

The girl nodded, sporting a milk mustache.

“Time to get dressed, baby.”

Cooper rose to his feet, banking down any resentment he felt toward this woman. “I thought I’d check the hayfields this morning to see how much rain we got. As soon as it dries out, we should be able to get a first cutting.”

Sky did a double take. His voice sounded cordial. Almost. But she wasn’t going to look this gift horse in the mouth. He was here, eating. That was a step forward.

“Good,” she replied.

“I saw some wild pigs this morning and I want to make sure they’re not rooting up the fields.”

“Wild pigs?”

“They’re common around here.”

“Yeah.” Rufus joined the conversation. “Skully Lutz traps them. I can give him a call if you want.”

“What does he charge?” Sky asked.

“Nothing. He just keeps all the pigs he catches.”

She looked at Cooper. “Do you think it’s a good idea to call him?”

“It couldn’t hurt. They travel in groups and they could really damage our hayfields. Our pastures, too.”