Vicky beamed. “We were all so jealous of Laura when she landed Cooper. Who was this girl from Portland, moving into River Glen, snagging one of our most eligible, you know? But she’s really lovely. I’ll have to introduce you.”
“Uh . . .”
“Oh, is this your daughter? She’s so pretty!”
Harley had finally noticed Jamie and she hitched up her chin and gave her a nod, but didn’t immediately come her way.
“She’s gonna be a heartbreaker,” Vicky predicted.
Jamie was beginning to see Vicky could be a great connection, even if her motives for approaching Jamie were unclear. They weren’t “old friends” by anyone’s standards. Vicky likely perceived Jamie as a curiosity. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t use their association to her advantage. “Cooper’s with the police force?”
“Yesiree. He’s like a detective or something. He’s only gotten more handsome with age. Dara’s mom, Meghan, made a play for him when she and her husband were separated, but he wasn’t interested. Good thing, too, because Meghan’s husband was not okay. They’re divorced now. But the rumor is, he knocked her around a bit first. I don’t know. Who can tell what’s true and what’s just a good story? In any case, I wouldn’t let Tyler go anywhere near that house while he was still there, but it’s hard to keep horny teenagers away from each other, right? Wow, your daughter is all leg. She looks a lot like you. Your brown hair and the way you both walk. Is she going to the mixer tonight?”
“I don’t know about any mixer. This is Harley’s first day.”
“Normally, they do them closer to Halloween, but some of the moms in the PTA got a rod up their butt. Afraid of drinking and vaping, smoking dope and sex, just everything. So, no Halloween. It’s Autumn Daze, or something stupid like that, but the kids have fun. I’ve gotta run and find Tyler. He’s taking long enough. Don’t be a stranger. Like I said, if you need anything . . .”
“Let me give you my cell number,” Jamie suddenly decided.
“Oh? You got hooked up?”
“Went to Verizon today,” she lied.
Vicky whipped out her notebook and pen, and Jamie gave her the number. “We’ll get together soon and I’ll introduce you to some of the other moms,” she promised.
“Thanks, Vicky.”
“Victoria.” She gave her a quick smile, then hurried up the steps and into the school.
“Who was that?” Harley asked. She’d hung back while witnessing her mother talking with Vicky.
“A friend of Emma’s from high school.”
“She looked like she was talking your ear off.”
“She sort of was, but I’ll take any information I can get. How was school? Like any of your classes?”
“No.”
“That’s what I like about you, Harley. Consistency.”
Her daughter rolled her eyes. “You’re just always so funny, aren’t you?”
“Not always. Sometimes.”
Harley almost smiled but stopped herself. She shrugged and said, “It was okay. Some of the kids are pretty nice.”
“Like Marissa?”
Harley turned swiftly her way. “You know Marissa? How do you know Marissa?”
“I just heard about her from Ick . . . from someone I know.”
“That lady?” She jerked her head in the direction Vicky had gone.
Jamie nodded. “Her son’s named Tyler and on the football team, I believe. She said Marissa was a nice girl.”
Harley squinted. “Tyler.”
“Did you meet him?”
“I met a lot of people.” She brushed it off, clearly done with the conversation. She hiked her backpack over her shoulder. “Are we going home or what?”
The tone. It made Jamie want to scream at her, but she’d learned that approach did no good. Ignoring it wasn’t really an answer either, but she let it go for now because it was Harley’s first day. Tomorrow would be a different story.
They were walking back toward Jamie’s car when they heard footsteps behind them and Marissa came flying up. “Hey, give me your phone number,” she said to Harley. “We could go tonight to the mixer? You want to?” She glanced up at Jamie and said, “Hi, I’m Marissa.”
“I’m Jamie.”
Harley looked at Jamie and said in an accusing voice, “I don’t have a phone.”
“I could give you my number,” Jamie suggested.
“Okay.” Marissa swept her phone from her back pocket.
They exchanged numbers while Harley remained silent, maybe seething, as Jamie entered Marissa Haynes into her contact list, feeling slightly weird. You’re too old for this, she told herself.
“Oh, there’s my dad.” Marissa waved, and Jamie turned her head as if pulled by a string.
Cooper Haynes. Vicky was right. He was downright handsome. Looked even better than in high school. Broad shoulders. Fit. His dark hair, tossed a bit by the breeze, was a little longer than the clipped cut she remembered. He wore jeans and a white shirt and a black windbreaker. His eyes were blue, she knew from memory, and his long strides ate up the ground between them as he approached Marissa, who was waving madly.
“That’s your dad?” Harley asked.
“Well, my stepdad, but I call him my dad. I took his name.”
“You can do that?” asked Harley.
“I just use it. It’s not in my permanent record.”
Jamie was only half-listening as she watched Cooper approach. She looked at him, and looked away, and looked at him again, feeling like she was the one in high school.
“Hi,” Cooper said as he neared.
“Hi,” Jamie said as recognition slipped across his expression.
“Jessie . . . ?” he asked.
“Jamie. Whelan.”
“Sorry, yes. Emma’s sister, right?” He held out his hand.
She offered hers and felt him squeeze her fingers. A surf roared in her ears.
Jesus Christ, Jamie. Get a grip!
“I’m Cooper Haynes. Don’t know if you remember me.” He smiled, and laugh lines formed at the corners of his eyes.
“You know each other?” Marissa asked, delighted.
“We went to school together,” Jamie said. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears.
“You know Aunt Emma?” Harley asked
