“NICE ARM!” Cooper shouted with real delight, cradling the football to his chest.
And it was true, there had been surprising power behind the toss. But Cooper had to stop himself before continuing the thought: An arm just like your father’s.
Cooper had found the twelve-year-old Archie Hughes Jr. outside alone, lost in his thoughts, toeing a Wilson Duke NFL football around the frosty lawn. The sight broke Cooper’s heart. Cooper knew he should be down at the Linc, squeezing the Eagles’ owners for answers. But he had never been a guy who could turn his back on a kid. He’d asked Archie Jr. how far he could throw that ball. And damn, did Junior show him.
“Let’s do that again!” the boy shouted.
“Give me your worst,” Cooper said, tossing him the pigskin. The kid caught it effortlessly and with a grace that belied his age. Cooper hoped that was because Archie had spent time out here practicing with his kid. Those memories would mean everything down the line.
Cooper knew this from personal experience. He clung to the few memories he had of his own father like faded wallet photos.
After Cooper and Archie Jr. had tossed the ball around a few times, with Lupe serving as their cheerleader, Maddie Hughes and Maya Rain emerged from the house. Maddie roared with delight when she saw Lupe.
“I love the Lamb’s doggy!”
Lupe, the little glory hound, bounded over to Maddie for some chin scratches.
Cooper’s attention was all on Maya, so much so that he failed to notice that Archie Jr. had hurled the football. Cooper caught it at the last possible second, and the blow took his breath away.
“Nobody taught you to keep your eye on the ball, Cooper?” Maya asked.
Cooper coughed, then tossed the ball back to the kid. “I thought I was.”
“He’s pretty amazing, isn’t he?”
“It’s good to see you again, Maya.”
“I don’t seem to be able to shake you,” she said.
“Exactly how hard are you trying?”
Was that shyness on her face right now? Or flirtation? Whatever it was, Cooper didn’t want to ruin the mood just yet by mentioning her boyfriend the homicide detective. “Is there somewhere we could talk?”
Maya glanced over at the Hughes kids playing with Lupe. “Not here. Let’s talk in the pool house.”
“Because sure, talking inside the pool house in the middle of a freezing January day isn’t suspicious at all.”
“Or we could do this another time.”
“Pool house it is.”
Cooper told the kids to look after Lupe, and he let Maya lead the way.