me tell you something, brother… You’ve got a hell of a lot to learn about women.’
And with that, Levi’s laughter soared once more, cutting through the Arizona air.
‘All this is funny to you, isn’t it?’ Granger’s voice broke through the banter. Silenced the moment as he stalked towards them. ‘It’s all one big joke to you, Cooper. Maybe I should’ve punched you harder. Knock some sense into you.’
Cooper stared at Granger. He hadn’t seen him since the airport in Scottsdale. After that he’d headed out, taking the five-hundred-mile journey back to the ranch just outside Telluride, Colorado.
He felt the vein in his temple throbbing as he clenched his jaw. A habit. Not a particularly bad one as his habits went. Absentmindedly, he rubbed the side of his head as he got out of the truck. Without bothering or wanting or needing to look at Granger, Cooper said, ‘I can think of a lot of things to call the last couple of weeks, but a joke sure isn’t one of them.’
‘And that’s my fault, is it? You’re a mess, Cooper. A total bag of mess. But like always you expect the rest of us to clear up. Look at your eyes… I see you’re back popping those pills.’
Cooper shot him a stare. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. So let’s just drop it, hey?’
‘You’d like that wouldn’t you, Cooper? Drop everything. That should be your middle name.’
Cooper shook his head and kicked up the bleached white gravel with his desert boots and felt the warm Arizona winds whip up the dusty ground and maybe it was just tiredness and maybe it was his own shame but he was pissed. Real pissed with what Granger had just said.
‘I don’t want anyone to clear up my mess. I never have done, never will do, and you of all people know that.’
‘Really? Try telling that to Levi and Maddie. They clear up your mess that often, sometimes I get them mixed up with the garbage men.’
‘Real funny, Granger. Look…’
‘Save it, Cooper, it’ll just turn out to be bull anyway. Oh, and Maddie told me the news about you two. I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not. She deserves better.’
‘I know that, but I’d appreciate it if you’d keep out of my business.’
Granger sniffed loudly, emphasizing the words he was about to say. ‘I know you would but when it’s going to affect my business then it becomes my business.’
‘Nothing’s going to affect anything. What is it with everyone, huh? Just because Maddie and I are having… I don’t know… difficulties, that doesn’t mean it’s going to alter anything.’
Granger’s blue eyes cut Cooper a stare. ‘I wouldn’t call leaving somebody difficulties. And if you think it’s going to be a bed of roses, you clearly don’t know women.’
‘So everyone likes to tell me, and maybe you guys are right, I don’t know women. But I do know Maddie, and I know she and I are going to be fine with it all. I’ll sort it out.’
‘You think you’ve got it all sewn up don’t you Cooper? The sun always shines out of your ass.’
Cooper chewed the inside of his cheek. Even before Eritrea, he and Granger had been at loggerheads. Seemed like nothing had changed. Hell, he doubted it ever would. And he knew it wasn’t just because he’d screwed up with the last assignment. No, Granger’s problem was with him and him alone.
There’d always been the snipes, and until recently he’d left it. Letting it ride. Always. Usually. Not this time. ‘What’s your goddamn problem, Granger? The fact that you didn’t get the plane back from Eritrea, or the fact that it was me that didn’t get the plane back?’
‘You know what my problem is, Cooper, so why don’t you do us all a favor and grow up.’
Maddie, who’d now come outside into Onyx’s parking lot, stood back and watched. Listened.
Cooper could feel the anger rising up. Something he felt a lot these days. He said, ‘You want me gone, Granger? Just say the word, and you won’t see me again.’
Granger, at five foot three, stood a foot shorter than Cooper, though his height had never hindered him in any way; taking on one or three men at a time, if justified, was all the same to him. His face was gnarled and ruddy. And Cooper thought he was doing a good impression of a man who hated him.
‘What I want, Cooper, is for you to take responsibility. Be accountable.’
‘Like you, Granger?’
‘Hey, I can live with the decisions I’ve made. Question is, can you?’
‘Why don’t you say what’s really bugging you, Granger. Let’s clear the air once and for all.’
Maddie cut in. ‘Hey guys, this is stupid. We’re all on the same side here… Tom, leave it.’
Although once, a long time ago, he’d had the ability not to be goaded into arguments, that was no longer the case. She knew it. He knew it. Hell, and so did Granger. ‘No, Maddie, I want to hear what Granger has to say.’
Not backing down either, Granger stepped forward. Real close. ‘You can’t deal with what I’ve got to say.’
‘Guys! Come on! Stop this… Tom, for God’s sake, come on! Please.’ Maddie signalled to Levi to do something other than just stand there. Cooper ignored anything other than what Granger was saying to him.
‘Try me. Come on.’
The bitterness was entrenched in Granger’s words. Shovelled on like tar on a highway. ‘Try you? Yeah? Is that what you want? Well let’s see. You want to talk about responsibility, then why don’t we talk about just that. Let’s talk about my daughter, Ellie, and let’s talk about why you actually went to Eritrea and how it’s connected. And why when I’d given someone else the job, and I’d specifically told you not to go there, you still did.’
Cooper crashed into silence. Span there fast. Stared ahead, not seeing Levi’s concerned expression. Not seeing Maddie’s unease. All he could see was the moment. All he could hear was Ellie shouting his name. All he…
Jesus… No… No… He shook himself both physically and mentally out of the mesmeric memory. He wasn’t going to go there for anyone. Couldn’t go there. He stared at Granger, then looked at Levi and felt the strain in his chest. He touched his back pocket of his blue jeans feeling the blister packet of pills. Somehow comforting.
‘Granger, what are you talking about?’
Dax Granger swung round. ‘Hasn’t he told you Maddison?’
‘Tom, what’s he talking about?’
Granger pushed. And hard. ‘Tell them, Cooper. Tell them what this is all about.’
‘It’s not about anything. I just thought I’d be better doing the job than the other guy.’
‘Without consulting me?’
