Lattes and Lullabyes

by Kay Lyons

  Backpack ready, he left his office and found Michelle had both kids strapped into their high chairs, eating an assortment of banana slices, yogurt, and cheerios.

  "Sorry about all of the noise. Harry grabbed a toy from her and Bella was having none of it."

  Harry and Bella. His kid sister had named her children after Harry Potter and Bella from Twilight. Examples of the fantasy worlds she'd tried so hard to escape into in order to remove herself from the reality of her own life as an addict and child of an alcoholic.

  Cooper nodded, though there wasn't much about the situation he understood. After the childhood he and Ashley had experienced, he'd planned on never having kids, and his current reality wasn't something he'd envisioned, though he felt compelled to do. And poor Rocco—another gift for his girlfriend to keep her company when he had to travel—had been left behind just like he had. "You'll be okay if I head out for a while?"

  "We'll be fine." Michelle smiled confidently. "After a snack, dinner, and some playtime in the bath, it'll be bedtime. We're almost there."

  Almost was a long way from there.

  Cooper managed a tired smile at the kids staring at him with their tear-smeared and wary expressions. Almost four or not, he had to believe that to them he was just another man who'd appeared in their life out of nowhere. He also knew they'd learned the hard way to be wary, but he was just as stressed as they were to accept the new norm.

  Cooper chose to steer clear of the duo, hoping to spare the nanny more turmoil if their emotions flared once more. "Rocco's escaped again. I'm going to pick him up and… try to get some work done for my deadline."

  "I was afraid of that. He went racing out the doggie door when Bella finally left him alone."

  "He's adjusting to the move and the changes like the rest of us. Right, guys?" Bella stared at him like he was a monster about to devour her, and she puckered her lip to cry because of it.

  "No," the little girl stated firmly.

  "You said it," Cooper said, winking at the little girl.

  Michelle laughed as though he was a comedian and flashed him another blinding smile, and Cooper lifted his hand in a silent goodbye.

  Michelle had his cell if she needed him, but everyone in the room knew who was best at handling the twins. The twenty-two-year-old had the skills and know-how to deal with them, whereas he… wasn't sure what to do. Nothing made the twins happy for long. Short of being a human bouncy or handing them sippy cups, which they promptly threw in their upset, he was at a loss.

  The five-minute walk to the coffee shop helped clear his head and eased the knot drawing his shoulders up to his ears. He'd used the sidewalks to get there, having to walk down the street to the main road, down a block, and back south to the address. But as he did so, Cooper realized Rocco probably crossed from their yard into their neighbors' property and headed between the structures to the building housing London's Lattes. As the crow flew—or dog traveled—the coffee shop was only two backyards away and easily accessible.

  A low woof greeted Cooper as he entered the coffee shop, but it was the woman behind the counter that drew his immediate attention with her light brown hair and bright green eyes that pierced him from across the room.

  "That's the first time I've heard him bark. You must be Rocco's dad? I'm London Cohen."

  London. The name suited her. Regal. Unique. It matched the eclectic cuteness of the coffee shop that looked to be a mixture of coffee and sandwiches, ice cream, beach-and-coffee-themed souvenirs, and comfortable gathering spots he eyed with pathetic excitement. "Cooper Bale. Nice to meet you," he said, turning his attention back to her. He closed the distance between them and shook her outstretched hand. "Thanks for watching out for him."

  "My pleasure. Like I said, Rocco's never a bother. In fact, I've always been curious as to how old he is?"

  "Three."

  "Oh."

  Her frown deepened at his words, and he followed her gaze to where Rocco lay on the floor beside a little wiener dog.

  "I would've guessed him to be older. Rocco comes in, lies down, and sleeps by Rosie like he's completely worn out."

  Tired as he was after last night's scream-fest, Cooper sympathized with the dog. "He doesn't get a lot of time to himself at home. The twins rarely leave him be unless he manages to hide somewhere."

  "Oooh, no wonder he's such a tired boy. How old are your twins?"

  London had moved closer to the animals and now bent to pet Rocco's head. Cooper watched, drawn even deeper into the empty coffee shop because of the dog—and the woman. Still, he was unsettled as always by the mention of "his" twins. "Uhh, going on four. A boy and a girl."

  "Oh, that's a lot of energy in little packages. And cool that they're twins. I'm a twin, too."

  There were two of her? London Cohen wasn't hard to look at, and any red-blooded male would appreciate the sight of her dressed in white shorts and a simple black T-shirt with London's Lattes in silver script that looked like steam over a coffee mug on the back.

  Cooper watched as London's thick braid fell over one shoulder when she shifted her weight to combat Rocco's when he leaned against her legs. The sparkles on her flip-flops caught the light. She wore a ring with a little dangle on the middle red-polished toe of her right foot.

  Cooper shifted his gaze back to her face, wondering how a toe ring and sparkling green eyes nearly had his tongue hanging out of his mouth like Rocco's. "Uhh, trust me, Rocco gets more sleep than I do at this point."

  "Aww, well, I'm sure it'll get better. Just a phase, right? How about a coffee?" she asked. "Or maybe a protein ball to boost the energy level?"

  Rocco lowered himself to the floor, head on his paws, and closed his eyes. A pretty good indicator that to leave meant carrying the seventy-pound animal out of there if he tried to make the dog leave before Rocco was ready. "Yeah, please. I have some work I need to get done, but I won't keep you past closing. I'll take a coffee, black."

  Cooper noted London's gaze narrowed upon hearing his coffee selection.

  "Sure thing. Grab a seat. I'll bring it right out."

  Chapter 3

  Once settled in front of his computer, Cooper went to work with a passion and intensity London found oddly fascinating. Whatever he did for a living, he loved it, and it showed. Too bad he favored plain, black coffee, she mused, smiling to herself. Type A all the way.

  Once again, London found her gaze on him before she forced herself to look away in fear of him catching her in the act of ogling him. She couldn't help it though. Ever since the first day of Rocco's appearance, she'd wondered about the dog's owner. Whether Rocco's human was male or female, a family with rambunctious kids. Now she knew. Well, almost. Obviously Rocco's person was male, but whether there was a significant other or a Mrs. Cooper Bale in the picture remained to be seen. The kids though…

  Cooper had mentioned children—twins, no less—but short of asking questions she had no right to ask, her curiosity would have to just chill. Though truth be told, she had a hard time believing a man like Cooper wouldn't be attached to someone, especially with two little ones running around. That was usually a package deal kind of thing.

  Standing a couple of inches over six feet, Cooper's lanky but muscular form was dressed in casual shorts and a navy T-shirt, boat shoes on his feet. Handsome, with whiskey-brown eyes and dark hair that was short on the sides and longer on top, combed back in that style that was popular once more today, he didn't fit her image of a guy who spent his days behind a computer screen.

  But there he was, tapping madly away at the keyboard in front of him, though given his lack of Carolina "bronzing," she supposed he was indoors more than out.

  She'd seen plenty of men come through her coffee shop with laptops in tow, wanting a quiet place to work. Those in town on business were usually in khakis and polos. Vacationers hunting free Wi-Fi typically sported swim trunks and tees. But the gamers… they inevitably wore an assortment of black shirts and dark shorts or pants, picking the darkest corne
r of the building to play video games while downing double shots of espresso. It was amazing how people wore—and drank—their personalities, and studying them fascinated her to no end.

  Cooper continued to type, and she went to work behind the counter, taking inventory for her next order and doing general upkeep and cleaning.

  Opening the coffee shop had been her passion. One she'd pursued with intensity and zeal equal to that Cooper displayed. She'd studied business and coffee, marketing and trends. Anything and everything she might possibly need to know in order to get her business off the ground and make it successful.

  And it was. Despite the less-than-stellar location off the main road running through Carolina Cove, despite the lag post-hurricane due to rental cancellations and damage, people still found her. Coffee addiction was a hefty draw, after all, and all the rage from tweens on up. That's why she covered all the bases, with ice cream and candy for the non-coffee customers and gourmet dog treats for the four-legged fur kids.

  Closing time came and went, and even though she knew she ought to clear her throat or inform Cooper of the hour, she simply went about prepping for tomorrow morning like she always did. It wasn't like he disturbed her or kept her from doing what needed done. She cleaned tables and removed trash from the bins and worked on her chalkboard for tomorrow's special.

  When those things were completed and Cooper still typed, she moved behind the counter to catch up on the paperwork she'd put off and neglected for longer than she cared to admit.

  She might have bordered type A at one point when getting through school and her business off the ground, but she'd backslid over the years into a mix of A and B. Residing on the coast, on an island, no less, had softened the rushed urge for total control into the more relaxed pace of vacation-destination living. It was all out of her control anyway, so why get that bent out of shape about things? If it was going to happen, it would. Period. More often than not, she had to remind herself of that fact, repeatedly, but on a good day, reminders weren't needed.

  She'd just finished the last of the data entry when Cooper muttered something and rose from his table. He met her gaze with an apologetic look and quickly walked toward the counter.

  "London, I'm sorry. I only meant to stay until closing, but I got on a roll and… I apologize. I completely lost track of time."

  She didn't bother glancing at the clock. "It's fine. No, really, it is," she said when she saw skepticism flash across his features. "Thanks to you, I managed to get caught up myself." She waved a hand toward the table where he'd sat. "You were hard at it and I didn't want to interrupt. I don't think I've ever seen anyone type that fast."

  A deep rumble of laughter left his chest, and he shrugged, looking a little embarrassed and sexy at once. "I've been told I can get pretty intense. You should've seen me when I first started. I was lucky if I had ten characters a minute, but my interest in coding meant picking up speed."

  "Coding?"

  "I'm a software engineer, and right now I'm behind the eight ball on a program for a pretty big client. I managed to catch up quite a bit in the last couple of hours, though I'm afraid it was at your expense."

  "Like I said, it's not a problem. You inspired me to be more productive, and I can now face my accountant fully prepared when the time comes because of it."

  He smiled at her words and nodded.

  "Glad to hear it. So, uh…"

  Silence filled the air and became a bit awkward as they simply gazed at each other. Cooper inhaled before narrowing his gaze.

  "Are you hungry? Maybe you would let me officially apologize by taking you to dinner?"

  Dinner? "Oh, that's not nec—"

  "It's the least I can do after you've watched out for Rocco and stayed two hours past closing because I couldn't dig my head out of my computer."

  She tilted her head to the side, liking the way he looked at her but needing to know the answers to some pretty key questions. "Your wife won't mind?"

  His expression revealed his amusement. "Since I'm not married, no, she won't. Do you get asked to dinner by a lot of married men?"

  "Can't say it hasn't happened."

  "I see. Did you go out with them?"

  "No. I told them they needed to go home and date their wives."

  His eyes warmed with amusement, and she found herself relaxing in return. The whiskey color of his gaze hypnotized her and made her think of the golden bronze of molten glass.

  "Glad to hear it."

  "Mmm." Her heart rate picked up speed, and she cocked her head to one side as all sorts of thoughts raced through her mind. "Are you separated? Because being separated doesn't equal divorced. It means married, living separately—which is still married."

  He shifted his stance and braced his palms flat against the countertop, his gaze holding hers with an intensity that left her flustered and a little breathless.

  "Not married, not separated. Not dating anyone. Single and hungry. For food," he quickly added. "You?"

  "I could eat."

  A deep, rumbling chuckle emerged from him. "Ah, really? You're going to make me ask? Okay, fine. Are you single, separated, or married?"

  "Single and… hungry for food," she said, earning another grin from him when she mimicked his response.

  "Good to know. So, have I answered all of your questions?"

  "Hardly. My sisters say I'm nosy, but I choose to believe I'm keeping myself informed. It avoids misunderstandings later."

  "Sounds perfectly reasonable. How many sisters?"

  "Four."

  Cooper whistled softly. "I can't imagine five kids. Any brothers?"

  "Nope. My poor father, right? Six women under one roof."

  His expression shifted to a mixture of awe and horror.

  "That is a lot of estrogen. The, uh, kids are my niece and nephew. That's probably why you asked about me being married?"

  "I wondered."

  "Yeah. I, uh, adopted them. I haven't actually had them for long, so I haven't quite worked out the right way of discussing them."

  "I see. Well, you will."

  "Mmm."

  Cooper's response tweaked her curiosity, but she felt the uncomfortable awareness of a subject too personal to discuss in depth given their three-hour acquaintance. Time would tell if she'd learn more or go on wondering about the specifics. Obviously he wanted to clarify the situation, but why? He wanted the kids or he wouldn’t have adopted them. Maybe he felt unworthy of having them? Or, maybe, his type-A mindset simply wanted her to know he wasn't irresponsible.

  A quick glance at the table where he'd spent the last several hours working provided backup for her third guess. Not a paper, pen, computer, phone, or paper pad was out of place.

  Cooper's stomach growled. Loudly.

  "Look, as far as dinner goes, you'd be doing me a huge favor. I wouldn't have to eat alone in a new town, I'd repay your kindness, and I'd avoid the chaotic scream-fest that is bedtime."

  Unable to resist his charm and wanting to know more about him, she closed the laptop in front of her with a soft thud. Single man with two kids and, no doubt, a story to go with them from what he'd just told her. Dating potential? Debatable. But she admired that he was up-front about it, and she was getting to an age where the odds of meeting someone without kids in the mix were fifty-fifty. Plus, it's a thank-you dinner. No more. "Where are we going?"

  "What's good?"

  "Depends on what you're in the mood for." Oh, words to never say to a man, especially a good-looking one. "I mean…"

  "Do you like Italian?"

  She knew exactly the restaurant he referenced. Eddie's was nice. Small, quiet. Great food. Some might even say it was romantic, depending on the time of year. June was the height of busy season so they'd be too crowded to be considered romantic. "Getting a table without a reservation is a gamble, but let's give it a shot. Carbs are pretty awesome, especially after a long day."

  She felt an excited flutter in her belly when Cooper held her gaze. She'd alwa
ys considered brown eyes to be plain and boring, but there in the depths were flecks of bronze-gold and deep mahogany. Nothing plain or boring at all.

  "So that’s a yes?"

  "Yes. I accept your offer because I really don't want to have to figure out what to eat tonight. But I need to lock up and run Rosie upstairs, grab my bag, and freshen up a little…" She plucked at her coffee-splashed T-shirt. Black was a must in a coffee shop.

  "How about you do that while I take Rocco home? I'll meet you back here in front of the building in… twenty minutes?"

  "That… sounds like a"—date—"plan."

  Chapter 4

  Cooper took Rocco home, made sure the doggie door was firmly locked for the night, and hurried to his room. He raked his fingers through his hair after changing out of the kid-germed shirt he'd worn into a lightweight polo, then quickly brushed his teeth to rid himself of coffee breath, pausing in front of the bathroom mirror. Was he overdressed? One good thing about moving to a beach town was being able to dress comfortably, especially in the summer heat, and he’d already been here long enough to realize nothing pegged a tourist faster than what they wore.

  He stuck with the shirt he'd chosen and smoothed his hair back once more, more nervous than he cared to admit. But having been dumped like a pipe bomb because of the changes in his life and lifestyle, he'd wondered if dating was off the table until the twins turned eighteen. At least this way, London knew he had the twins, so what happened from here… well, happened.

  Michelle had the twins in the bathtub, and as he walked to the door to say goodbye, he heard Bella giggling. He peeked inside the room and saw Harry pouring water from cup to cup, while Bella played with a mermaid doll. Maybe the tide had turned and it would be a peaceful night? He certainly hoped so. For all their sakes. "I'm heading out for a bit."

  "Again? I put a plate for you in the fridge."

  "That's nice of you, thanks. But I'm going out for dinner. I'll be back in a couple of hours."