“Is my daughter here?”

“In the den.” It was the first words they had exchanged in nineteen years. Hell, mad, she was a cross between Katherine Hepburn and her own pissed hauteur. He had observed that look from a distance over the years. Madeline had learned how to intimidate men she didn’t care for.

“May I go in and get her?”

“I figured she wasn’t supposed to be here.” Mitch could almost hear her teeth grind.

“You figured right,” she muttered. Then walked past him.

“They brought Coy his homework.”

She stopped and whirled round in the great room. “That’s a piss-poor excuse she’s come up with. Did she call here last night?”

“Yes.” He shrugged, already seeing more temper on her than she’d displayed the whole of their young relationship. Hell, she had to be mad to step foot in his house.

“Dammit.” She shook her head.

“Want me to go get her?” he asked.

“How long has she been coming to Copper Creek?”

“A few months driving through. Lately, hanging out with Coy.”

“She’s forbidden,” Madeline grated. “Both. I have never allowed her to come here, and she knows not to.”

“Date a Coburn?”

“I won’t allow it.”

He grunted. “Figured not.”

She smiled coolly. “When Diamond Back girls have their curiosity satisfied about Copper Creek boys, it’s usually at their expense.”

“Is that what it was?” Mitch could taste bitterness in his throat. No wonder they hadn’t spoken in years. Now that she was here in front of him, he felt a combination of resentment and that chemistry that just wouldn’t die.

“Yes.”

Mitch deliberately dropped his voice to an intimate tone. “But you got satisfied.” He let his gaze rake over her.

Her nostrils flared, her lips tightened. “I’m not here to dredge up history. I’m here to keep Brook from getting mixed up with y'all.”

“Y’all? Meaning Coburn's.”

“Obviously.”

For a few silent moments their gaze held. In the background, rock music pounded out a primal beat. Mitch was guilty of rehearsing the day Madeline would speak to him, in his mind over the years--so far; nothing she had said was remotely close to his fantasy. Mitch didn’t feel like a forty-year-old, he felt like that young man who’d had his heart ripped out. He waved toward the den. She went first, following the music.

When they entered, Brook was lounging on the sofa with Coy, who had his cast-laden foot propped on a pillow. Brook was going through a stack of CD’s. Karla sat on the far side, thumbing through a magazine.

He glanced at Coy who’d looked up, and motioned to the stereo.

“Shit! Mom.” Brook jumped up, her eyes wide. “Mom… I can’t believe you followed me.”

Mitch stood to the side watching Coy’s tawny eyes shift from mother to daughter.

Karla looked like a deer in the headlights.

Madeline ordered taut, “Let’s go.”

“Come and meet him, please? Coy, this is my mom. You’ve seen her at school.”

The young man nodded carefully, “Yeah. In the Tavern, too. Hi Mrs. Logan...uh...Brook was--”

“Brook was not supposed to be here.”

“Mom, please. If you’d talk to him, get to know him, you’d see he’s not a punk.”

“Not here, Brook. Not now.”

“Where else? You think I’m going to stop because you’re sneaking around following me? You think I’m going to have the same prejudices as you? Well I don't. I think you’re screwed up because of th--”

“Dammit, Brook. Shut up.” She went down the shallow stairs. Her voice raised a notch, “I trusted you. I asked you last night and you swore to me. That’s the point here. Nothing else.”

“Mom, you’re humiliating me doing this.” Brook was flushed. “What do you think Karla thinks of me? Her Mom doesn’t follow her around, jumping out of corners. Don’t you care what these people think? What Coy thinks?”

“You’ve been lying to me, Brook, for quite a while. That's what I think.”

Brook groused, “I have to lie to you, Mother.”

Drawing in a sharp breath, thinking, oh hell, he had to be right. Mitch’s gaze went to Coy who was now sitting up trying to look at the muted TV. But a muscle clenched in his jaw. Shit, this was worse than awkward, this was apparently a long-standing argument between mother and daughter, and Coy and him were looking at each other on and off, not knowing what the hell to say. On his nephew’s behalf he was pissed at Madeline, on the girl’s, he felt out of his depth since it was a parenting issue.

“Let’s take this home. Where it belongs,” Madeline told Brook firmly.

“No Mom. I want you to talk to Coy. Get to know him.”

“This is someone else's house, not Coy’s. I think you’ve said enough.”

“You know Mitch Logan. Jesus, he plays at the club. Get real. These aren’t strangers.”

“Brook. I swear.” Madeline reached out and took her daughter’s arm, pinning their gazes. “Putting us both on display here is not winning you any points right now.”

Mitch tensed as Brook stood. Mother and daughter locked gazes, the young woman’s eyes still shimmering with emotion. They wouldn’t duke it out as the Coburn’s did, but still--there was some real tension between them.

“You know, Mom. I don’t care. I’m sick of this. I don't know what makes you hate them so much... I think it’s you who looks bad right now. Not me.”

“I’m not trying to impress anyone. Now I’m telling you, it’s time to go home. I’m going out to the car and wait for you.” She let go and turned, shooting Mitch a killing glance before walking out of the room.

Brook took a shuddering breath. A tear seeped out and down her cheek. She looked at him. “I’m sorry I put you in a tight spot here.”

Mitch didn’t know which role to play. He smiled lamely and shrugged. “I’d rather you didn’t from now on.” Meaning clearly, she’d better have permission before she came again.

Coy reached up and took Brook’s hand. “I’m coming back to school Monday. I’ll have the truck.”

“It’s no use, Coy.” Her lip trembled and she sank down beside him a moment. “Mom is going to mess this up for us. I know her. She hates y’all. I don't know. She won’t let this go. She’ll send me to Daddy.”

Coy’s long tanned fingers splayed on her head as she buried her face on his shoulder. He murmured, “Hey baby, it’s about us, not her. We’ll work it out.” His eyes met Mitch’s. “Whatever happened, we’ll find out and fix it.”