Page 10 of Once Upon a Winter
So the two of them set the table and helped Maggie get dinner served.
After they’d begun eating, Laura said, “I love your china. It’s such a beautiful pattern.”
“These dishes belonged to my grandmother,” Maggie explained, her eyes glistening with nostalgia. “They’ve been in the family for generations.”
“Wow,” Laura murmured, feeling the weight of history in her hands. “They’re gorgeous.”
“Wait until you see the Christmas decorations,” Cooper chimed in. He winked at Laura before disappearing into the living room.
“Can I ask you something, Maggie?” Laura ventured as they continued eating their meal.
“Of course,” Maggie replied, her warm eyes encouraging Laura to go on.
“Has Cooper always been, well, so good at everything?” Foremost in her mind was his work on her house, but he’d been just as adept with the trees. He’d even taught her to saw, which she had never expected.
Maggie laughed. A rich, melodious sound filled the room. “Oh, he’s had his fair share of mishaps along the way,” she admitted. “But he’s always been determined and resourceful.”
“I imagine that’s a good quality for a handyman to have.”
Maggie looked slightly amused, and her eyebrows drew together. “Is that what he told you, that he’s a handyman?”
Laura didn’t know what to make of the question. “Well, actually, no. I needed a handyman, and he was listed online, so I called him.”
“I’d say that’s more of a hobby for him. He enjoys working with his hands, especially outdoors. And he likes helping people out. But he’s really more of a real estate developer. Well,developersounds a bit grandiose. But he’s restored several houses in town. He’s sold some and kept others as holiday rentals.”
Laura nodded thoughtfully. “I guess that makes sense. He’s managed to dovetail his hobby with business.” There was another layer to the man, it turned out. The laid-back handyman had a good head for business, which took some ambition—something she would never have suspected he possessed. Combined with Cooper’s apparent devotion to family, the puzzle was beginning to take shape.
When they’d finished their meal and the dishes were washed, Cooper and Laura were putting on their coats when she noticed one of the wall photos. She studied the holiday portrait of two parents and a boy who looked about ten. “Is this Cooper?”
Cooper offered a reluctant nod while his mother grinned. “That’s Farley.”
With a patient grin, Cooper said, “That sidewalk needs some salt. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Beside the family portrait was a photo of Cooper standing on a dock with the same man from the portrait. Young Cooper stood proudly holding a large fish. Laura couldn’t help but smile, but her smile faded as she asked gently, “And this is Cooper’s father?”
Maggie’s eyes softened. “Yes. That’s our last picture of him.”
Cooper’s resemblance to his father was strong. Laura wanted to ask about him, but Maggie’s eyes grew misty, so she studied the picture instead.
A few moments passed before Maggie said, “He was a fisherman. He would leave before dawn and not return until late in the evening. We used to talk about spending more time together, but money was tight, and he needed to work. And a storm came, and the sea took him.”
“Oh, Maggie. I’m so sorry.”
A sad smile came and went from Maggie’s face. “Cooper didn’t take it well. He was only twelve. We went through a rough patch. He was angry with me, with his father, and with anyone who tried to help him. He started getting into trouble at school and got in with the wrong crowd.”
That was a side of Cooper that Laura couldn’t have imagined.
Maggie nodded as if recalling those days. “When he started his freshman year in high school, the coach caught him smoking under the bleachers. That afternoon, he pulled Farley out of detention, took him to the gym, and put him through some drills. He came home having signed up for football and baseball. By sophomore year, he’d earned a starting position on the varsity team.” Maggie paused and took a deep breath. “That coach turned Farley’s life around.” She drew in a breath as though she meant to go on, but Cooper returned.
“Well, we’d better get going,” Cooper said. With a hug and a kiss on the cheek for his mother, he turned and opened the door before gesturing for Laura to go first. Laura gave Maggie a hug and thanked her for dinner, then they left.
Cooper was quiet on the drive home, which gave Laura time to reflect on the evening. He was so different from his mother with her warmth and welcoming manner. But in a sense, the whole evening had been a reflection of life in Mistletoe. Life was simple and productive without being rushed. People mattered more than schedules, not in a corporate work-life balance sort of way but in a way that was deep and authentic. Not that life in the city was less real, but in the city, Laura had always been frenzied, stressed, or exhausted, while in Mistletoe, she could enjoy simple moments, like sitting in the home where Cooper grew up. Despite the struggles, it was a home full of love and the magic of Christmas.
Six
Laura sat sippingcoffee in her favorite overstuffed chair and stared at the flames in her fireplace, recalling the previous evening.So, Cooper has a mother! She laughed to herself. Over the course of the evening, she’d caught glimpses of the man behind the gruff, aloof persona he showed to the world. He was good to his mother. She wasn’t sure why that surprised her. He’d never struck her as unkind, just efficient with his warmth.
Her last boyfriend had routinely ignored his mother’s phone calls, so Laura had grown to expect that from him and perhaps from men in general. In time, her boyfriend had ignored her in person, as well. He was busy. His work as a CPA was demanding, so Laura had grown used to expecting less of his time. Her own work as an accountant kept her busy enough. They worked at the same firm, which was where they’d both met. Looking back, she realized the most they had in common was a desire for convenience. When he found someone even more convenient, he left Laura behind.
