Page 58 of Temptation and Tyranny

“I’m not that young anymore,” Cooper said gently. “And I’m doing fine. More than fine.”

I watched them interact, seeing a side of Cooper I’d never witnessed before. The patience in his voice, the easy way he redirected his father’s concerns—it was so different from the confident, sometimes arrogant man I knew.

“Your mother would be so worried,” James murmured, his mind clearly drifting. “Clara always worried about money...”

“Mom’s been gone a long time, Dad,” Cooper reminded him softly, and I saw the flash of pain cross his face. “But I promise you, everything’s okay.”

James seemed to focus again, his eyes finding mine. “You seem familiar. Have we met before?”

“No, sir,” I said. “This is my first visit.”

“Hmm.” He studied me intently. “There’s something about you...the way my son looks at you...”

Cooper moved quickly to intervene. “How about we get some fresh air, Dad? The garden looks beautiful today.”

But James wasn’t so easily deterred. “You remind me of Clara,” he said suddenly. “That same gentle strength. Cooper needs that, you know. Someone to ground him.”

I felt my stomach clench. Cooper had never mentioned his mother to me.

“Dad,” Cooper’s voice held a warning note, but James continued as if he hadn’t heard.

“He takes too much on himself. Always has. Even as a boy...” James’s voice trailed off, his eyes growing distant. “The bills...they’re so expensive...”

“I’ll get some water,” Cooper said abruptly, standing. The tension in his shoulders was visible as he left the living room.

Left alone with Cooper’s father, I watched as lucidity seemed to return to his eyes. “He won’t tell you, you know,” he said quietly.

“Tell me what?”

“About how it started. The things he did...for me.” James’s hands trembled slightly as he adjusted his sweater. “He was a boy when I got sick. Just turned seventeen. A track star…he should have gone to university…but the medical expenses...” He shook his head. “I didn’t know at first. Where the money was coming from. By the time I figured it out...”

My heart clenched as understanding began to dawn. “He was trying to help you.”

James nodded, his eyes filling with tears. “My brilliant, stubborn son. He told me not to worry, that he’d handle everything. Started bringing in money—forbetter treatments, better care. When I finally realized what he was doing, I tried to stop him...” He looked at me intently. “He said nothing was more important than keeping me alive. That he could handle whatever came his way.”

I thought about Cooper at seventeen, barely more than a boy, taking on such a burden. Making choices that would shape the rest of his life, all to save his father. The weight of that knowledge settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Why are you telling me this?” I whispered.

“Because I see the way he looks at you. And I see how you look at him.” James reached out, his hand trembling as he took mine. “He needs someone who understands him. Really understands him.”

Before I could respond, Cooper returned with a glass of water. He paused in the doorway, taking in our clasped hands, and heavy emotion rippled across his face.

“Everything okay?” he asked carefully.

“Just getting to know your young lady,” James said, a hint of mischief in his tone. Then confusion clouded his features again. “Are you Cooper or Colton?”

The moment was broken. I watched as Cooper moved smoothly into caretaker mode, reassuring his father and then checking his medication schedule with practiced ease. The tenderness with which he helped his father take the pills, the way he automatically adjusted the pillows for maximum comfort—it all painted a picture so different from the man I thought I knew.

As the morning wore on, James drifted in and out of lucidity. Sometimes he knew exactly who we were, engaging in sharp, witty conversation. Othertimes, he’d grow confused, worried about bills or asking about people long gone. Through it all, Cooper remained patient, gentle, never showing frustration even when repeating the same reassurances over and over.

When James began to tire, Cooper immediately noticed. “We should let you rest, Dad.”

“Already?” James protested, but I could see the exhaustion in his face.

“We’ll come back soon,” Cooper promised, leaning down to embrace his father. The gesture was so natural, so full of love, that I had to look away. I’d never had anything like that with my father, and I never would.

“Allegra,” James called as we prepared to leave. His mind was clear again, knowing. “Take care of my boy.”

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