“So, son, I want you to just make yourself at home.” Jack Cooper gives me a firm nod, before opening the front door to his home.

“It’s just me, and my daughter Avery kicking around in this big old house, and there’s plenty of room for all three of us.”

He motions me inside, as I kick the snow off my shoes, all thanks to a bitter early Michigan snowstorm.

“Thank you, sir. Really, I can’t even begin to thank...”

Jack shakes his head, before putting his hand on my shoulder, and looking me square in the eyes.

“No need to thank me there, young man. I mean it. No need. I’m not doing anything that any other good Christian, or, hell, decent human being would do. Now like I said, there’s plenty of room here for all of us, and when you’re here? You’re family. So, with that being said, I fully expect that you will make yourself at home. The rules here won’t be any different for you than they are for my daughter Avery. Go to school, do your homework, pick up after yourself, and help out around the house. Curfew is 9 pm on the weeknights and 11 pm on the weekends. That’s it for rules.”

I nod once, trying to absorb everything that he is telling me, even though I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this man just showed up at the shelter I was forced to head to, ordered me to pack up my stuff, loaded me into his truck and drove me to his home.

There is nothing ordinary about what he has done, but it’s obvious that he doesn’t see anything special about it.

Which just goes to show you what an awesome human being Jack Cooper is.

“Yes, Mr. Cooper.”

“Mr. Cooper died five years ago, and if you keep calling me that you’re gonna make me feel older than I already do. It’s just Jack. Or Coach. Coop works too, or Coach Cooper. But Mr. Cooper is a firm no.”

He chuckles again, before reaching down and grabbing one of my two suitcases that contain everything that I own, before leading me towards the staircase. He nods in the direction of the back of the house, quickly pointing out the basics. Kitchen, dining room, living room which we walk through briefly, before he starts up the stairs.

“My rooms on the main floor, but the rest of the bedrooms are up here. There’s a couple spares, you can have your pick if you don’t like the one that I chose for you.”

“Any room is fine,” I tell him, as I follow him up, meaning every damn word.

Any room in this giant old house has to be better than the room that I just left...which was just a huge open room filled with a shit ton of cots, at the local shelter, a couple of towns away.

And any bedroom here is probably better than the tiny room I called my own in the little tin box of a trailer that I shared with my mom prior to that.

Or any bedroom that I’ve ever had, in any of the many rental houses and apartments that I lived in with her until we would get evicted and be forced to find a new one.

We get to the top of the staircase, and he nods down to the right side of the hallway.

“Avery’s room is that last door on the left. She’s not here now, but you’ll get to meet her later.”

I simply nod and follow him down the opposite end of the hall.

He sets down my suitcase for just a second, before opening the very last door at the end of the hallway.

“I figured this room will work for you.”

I follow him into the giant bedroom, trying not to let the complete and utter shock show on my face.

This room alone is bigger than any place that I ever lived in with my mom.

I almost can’t believe that this is where I will be living for my senior year of high school.

It’s almost unreal to me.

“If this doesn’t suit you, there is another bedroom next door, and then one down the hallway by Avery’s room. But I just thought it would be nice for the two of you to have some space between you.”

And with those words, an unspoken line in the sand is drawn, I’m assuming.

Except, he goes on.

“Now, I’m glad to have you here son, and I want you to feel at home. But, I have heard a little bit of your reputation, and I want you to know, that everything in this house is yours.”

His eyes level with mine, as his mouth flattens. “Except my daughter. That is one thing that is most definitely off limits...”

“Absolutely sir.” I give him a firm nod. “You have my word. I would never do anything to jeopardize...

“Good.” He nods again, before smacking me on the back. “I didn’t want to make it an issue. I just wanted you to understand where I stand on that matter.”

“Of course. And again, thank you for taking me in.”

I step into the bedroom and set my suitcases in the corner.

“I expect those suitcases to be unpacked and put away, now, you hear me?”

I nod, as he continues.

“You won’t be needing to use those anymore. This is your home, now. This is where you will live. Your things will be kept in here, in the closet, in the dresser, wherever you choose to put them. But they will not be kept inside of a suitcase. Got it?”

I nod, as he backs up and heads towards the door.

“Good. Glad we’re on the same page. Welcome home, son. I’ll let you settle in.”

Welcome home.

Two small words, yet to me? They’re huge.

I’ve never in my life had a stable home. Never before have I had the security of knowing exactly where I will be for the entire next year.

Jack Cooper just gave me more than just a home. He’s given me peace of mind, for the very first time in my life.

I barely know the guy. I’d only ever heard of him through the grapevine since he is a teacher and a baseball coach of a school that was always in my schools division.

I’d heard that he was a pretty stand up guy, but this?

This is unreal.

Giving me a solid home, one that I’m certain that I won’t be getting thrown out of when Mom spends the rent money on drugs, is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me.

Especially now, since my Mom’s gone ahead and gotten herself locked up, again, only this time, for ten years.

This man just saved me from living on the streets.

What he has given me can never be repaid...

So, if his only rule is to stay away from his daughter? Well, you can fucking guarantee that I will be doing just that.

There are a million other women in the world.

How hard can it be to keep my hands off one of them?

**

HARDER THAN I COULD ever have imagined, actually.

Because as I come face to face with Avery Cooper?

Holy fucking hell.

I’m a goner.

“You’re Avery?” I stare at the woman in front of me, who is standing in the hallway, wearing nothing more than a towel.

“Ah, yes.” Her face turns bright red as she clutches the towel tightly against her body.

“You must be Eric.”

I nod, unable to find any words, as my eyes trail her up and down, and then, back down...to where the white towel meets the soft mounds of her chest...

Jesus.

The way that Jack Cooper talked about his little girl, I guess I expected just that.

A little girl.

Maybe a young teen, a shy and mousy girl...I’m not really sure.

But I can guarantee you that I did not expect a fully grown, hot ass woman with a rocking fucking body.

I was not expecting this at all...

“Um, well. It’s nice to meet you. But I should probably be getting some clothes on.”

“You should definitely be getting some clothes on.” My voice sounds like gravel as I force my words out.

Her beautiful face turns bright red, as she nods, before turning and hurrying down the hallway, giving me one last look over her shoulder before opening her door and shutting it hard behind her.

I know that it’s wrong to even be having these kinds of thoughts about her, but dammit all.

I can’t even help myself.

I have never in my lifetime seen a more beautiful creature than the one that my eyes just feasted on.

I’m not even sure what part of her made me lose every damn word?

But fuck...

Obviously, she’s gorgeous, but I’ve seen my fair share of beautiful women in my lifetime.

There was something else about Avery, something that makes her just so damn different from any other woman.

And while I can’t put my finger on it?

I already know that I am totally fucked here.

And while my brain knows that all the dirty thoughts running through my head are so damn wrong?

My dick seems to have other ideas.

And keeping my hands off her may just prove to be very damn hard.