A Heart's Desire - Book 1 of the Crossing Midian Series - A Christian Romance

Chapter 8

Coop was setting the dining room table a few nights later when Hank came in through the front door. He dropped his keys on the end table beside his recliner and made his way into the kitchen, his mouth already watering at just the scent of the spaghetti his grandson was cooking.

"Smells good," he said as he picked up the spoon next to the stove to taste the sauce.

"Thanks." Coop replied with his usual grin. "I made peach cobbler too."

Hank turns back to Coop as he places a glass down on the table. "You know, that's why you're my favorite grandson."

Coop laughed and rolled his eyes. "That might actually be touching if I wasn't your only grandson."

With dinner finished, they sat at the table and Hank asked the blessing over their food.

"So, how's school?" Hank asked as he picked up a piece of garlic bread.

"It's good. Midterms are coming up, so I've just got a lot of studying to do."

Hank pointed at him with the end of his fork and said, "You make sure you study hard. It's important that you do well."

Coop took a bite of his spaghetti to keep from grinning and after he swallowed, he nodded and said, "I know, Pops. I'm taking it seriously, don't worry."

Hank smiled fondly at Coop before reaching over and squeezing his shoulder. "I hope you know how proud I am that you started college this year, Emmett. You could've taken a year off after high school, but you didn't. You always work hard, at school and at the store and I know you said you just want to take over the store one day, and that's fine, but with a degree, if you chose to do something else, you could do that too."

Coop couldn't resist rolling his eyes then, but it was good-natured. "Thanks, Pops, but I'm majoring in business management so that I can manage the store," he said, making air quotes with his fingers before taking a drink from his glass of sweet tea. "It really is what I want to do. I enjoy working the numbers and stuff and, who knows, maybe one day I can convince you to use a computer!" He teased, earning himself a glare from Hank. "I'm just saying it would make inventory a lot easier!"

"Tell ya what, Emmett," Hank proposed after another mouthful of spaghetti. "If you take over the store when I retire in a few years, you can get a computer. Until then, it's my way or the highway, kid. It doesn't hurt you one bit to write it all out by hand."

"You're gonna feel real bad when I get carpal tunnel." He grumbled.

"I'm sure I will." Hank said with a grin.

They ate in silence for a few minutes until Coop finally decided that now was as good a time as any to broach the subject of the man from a few days before.

"So, Pops, you know that guy who came into the store the other day?" He asked tentatively as he picked at his food. He noticed Hank's hand still halfway to his mouth before he put his fork back down on his plate.

"Yeah?"

"I saw him today. He was heading into the grocery store as I was coming out."

"Did he talk to you?" Hank asked quickly, his brown eyes narrowing in Coop's direction, but Coop was already shaking his head.

"No. He didn't see me." Coop looked up and sighed. "Pops, who is he?"

When Hank didn't immediately answer, Coop went on. "You said you knew who he was. When he came in, he asked specifically for me. Pops, it's just...is he—" Coop took another deep breath and asked the question he had been holding in all day. When it first dawned on him that the man had known his name. "Pops, is he Jack Morgan?" His voice was barely above a whisper.