Page 48 of Tangled

“Great, actually. The kids are great, and I really like most of my colleagues.”

“Yeah, one in particular,” Clara mutters, causing me to throw an elbow to her rib cage and give her a wide-eyed warning.

“What was that?” Dad asks.

“Would you like more, Dan?” My mother distracts my father as I mouth a ‘thank you’ in her direction. She winks at me in that all-knowing way.

“Yes, hun.”

“So, Cooper. You have to work tonight, right?” I ask, changing the subject and putting the attention on my younger brother.

“Yeah. The graveyard shift sucks, but that’s what I’ve been assigned to. It’s a Sunday night though, so hopefully it won’t be too crazy.”

“When did you become a sheriff deputy?” Clara pipes up, studying my brother across the table. I think she and I are going to have a little conversation later if she keeps ogling him like that. I love my friend, but Clara is a chew-them-up-and-spit-them-out kind of gal. Cooper is driven and focused, and Clara would only prove to be a distraction. She needs to stay far away from my brother, especially since he just started his career.

“A little over two years now,” he answers before standing and clearing his plate.

“That’s crazy. It’s already been that long? I still remember you as the lanky little kid who used to torture us during sleep overs,” Clara jokes, her eyes never leaving Cooper as he moves around. Cooper turns and leans up against the counter in the kitchen, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He’s definitely not lanky anymore.

“Yeah, well, you girls drove me crazy. I had to get revenge somehow,” he grins.

“We weren’t that bad,” I chime in, standing from the table and moving over to the sink to wash dishes.

“Weren’t that bad? Do you remember the time you chased me around the house and pinned me down to paint my toenails?”

“Oh, God! I forgot about that!” Clara laughs.

“Well, I didn’t. And there were four of you and only one of me, so it wasn’t like I could fight you off.”

“Well, I do believe you got your revenge when you put shaving cream in our hands while we slept that night. You tickled our noses with that feather so we would all smack ourselves in the face.”

Cooper chuckles before making his way down the hallway. “And then you all chased me down again. Good thing we’re not kids anymore, because I couldn’t imagine the type of prank war that would commence now. And I definitely know you couldn’t pin me down this time,” he flexes his muscles before disappearing into his room.

“When did your brother get so hot?” Clara comes up behind me at the sink and whispers in my ear.

“Don’t even think about it Clara,” I warn.

“What? Ha, you’re funny,” she plays it off, but I know the wheels are spinning in her mind.

“I’m serious. Cooper is off-limits, you hear me?”

Clara just stares at me, but then Cooper comes around the corner, dressed in his uniform and I see Clara swallow hard.

“Alright guys. I hate to eat and run, but duty calls,” he says while kissing and hugging my parents goodbye. He comes over to me next and gives me a tight squeeze, before turning to Clara. “Nice to see you again, Clara,” he winks while pulling her in for a hug.

“Yeah, you too, Cooper. Be safe,” she says, watching him walk out the door.

Once the dishes are clean and we each inhale a slice of mom’s fresh peach pie, it takes all of my energy to push myself off of the couch to leave.

“Thanks for dinner, Mom. I’ll see you next week.”

“I’m so glad to have you home, Liv,” she says while hugging me close to her.

“Me too, baby girl,” my dad says as he gives me another bear hug.

“Despite what brought me back, I’m happy to be home too.”

“Thanks for having me, Mama and Papa Walsh,” Clara adds while getting her own hugs. Clara’s parents moved away right after she graduated from high school and left for college, so my parents are the closest thing she has to her own nearby.

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