by Kay Lyons
Did she look disappointed? Upset? Maybe a little ticked?
"You didn't touch the coffee I brought you earlier. Was it too strong?"
"It was fine. The phone call— When Rocco disappears, he's been going to a coffee shop nearby to sleep, so I grabbed some coding time there when I went to pick him up."
"I see."
"Michelle." He checked his watch and winced at the time. He had to go or be late. "Your job is to look after the twins, not wait on me."
"Of course, but I don’t mind. I only want to help. I know this has been hard for you."
Deciding to take her words at face value, he nodded. "I appreciate that. It has been. Thanks. But so long as the twins are taken care of, I'm good. Okay?"
"Of course. Bella, Harry, and I will be fine. Pj’s and a story, and we're tucked in. I drank some tea, so I thought I'd stay up and watch a movie. Maybe you'll be back in time to join me."
Join her for a movie?
Michelle leaned against the side of the bathtub and smiled up at him. Had she touched up her makeup while he was gone? He supposed to a young twenty-something that was important, but he hoped she hadn't left the twins unattended while doing it.
But after just clarifying her job duties…
It's an offer, that's all. They lived in the same house, shared meals, chores. There was bound to be some awkwardness between them as they adjusted as two adults living together. At least until they settled into a routine. Right? "I don't know when I'll be back, so don't wait up. Thanks, Michelle."
Cooper wasn't sure how to read the nanny's expression in relation to his goodbye, but he left the house and locked them safely inside to begin the walk back to the coffee shop.
Maybe working from home wasn't such a great idea. The proximity, day in and day out. With London's Lattes so close, maybe he'd make it his office for the next week or so. That way he could work toward his deadline in peace and still be near enough to home should Michelle need something in regard to the twins. After that, who knew? Maybe he would make it a habit or look for other places to work remotely.
Yeah, he liked that idea.
Nineteen minutes after walking Rocco home, Cooper stood in front of the coffee shop. He heard a sound behind him and turned to find London leaving the building by a side door. She pulled it closed and double-checked that it locked while he took in her change in appearance.
London had switched from the workday T-shirt to a short-sleeve black top that bared one shoulder. The black sparkly flip-flops remained, but the shorts had been changed for artistically worn and ragged jean shorts that made her legs look even more tan against the faded denim. She'd also added dangly earrings and, if he wasn't mistaken, a touch of perfume and lip gloss. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you. You look nice, too."
They exchanged a long glance before her gaze shifted down to where she tucked her keys into her bag. That done, she joined him on the sidewalk, and Cooper inhaled the alluring scent of her perfume.
"Ready?"
He offered her his arm so that she'd slide that bare shoulder into place next to his as they walked. "How long have you owned the coffee shop?"
"Five years last May."
He narrowed his gaze, trying to figure out her age without having to ask. "You must have been a child when you bought it."
She tilted her head back as she laughed and gave him a sideways glance that said he wasn't nearly as subtle as he would’ve liked to have been.
"I was twenty-five."
Twenty-five. Which made her thirty now. "I'm thirty-three. In case you're wondering. Any particular reason you focused on coffee?"
"Actually, yeah. It comes from being a military brat,” she said, smiling up at him. “No matter where we landed, coffee drew my parents to other people and helped the transition. It didn't matter if it was sharing a cup with a new neighbor or visiting a cafe, I've always liked how coffee bonds people. We may be strangers in the beginning, but having that something in common breaks the ice and gets us talking. And as a bonus, I've gotten pretty good at guessing someone's personality based on their order."
"Sounds like you've got it down to a science."
She nodded firmly. "I try not to brag but I've definitely got a knack for it. You, for example, like order and schedules. Am I right?"
He glanced down at her, wondering if she had taken a wild guess or if maybe there was more to her "knack" than he thought. "You are correct. Though right now if you saw my office and house, you'd think a tornado hit it. Between this deadline and the kids' toys and noise, I’m wondering how to make things work. Probably wasn't the smartest idea to move from Charlotte immediately after taking them on, but my one-bedroom apartment there wasn't an option."
"Ah, but how fun to have toys around. You get to be a kid again and see childhood through their eyes in a very different world than when we were kids. If you do software, it's gotta be fun to see them handle electronics we didn't have at that age. Right?"
He pondered her comment in comparison with the way he had been looking at his future with the twins when London waved to someone who then honked the horn. "Friends of yours?"
"Customers, yeah. So, what about you? How did you get into software?"
They'd made it to the end of the block but had several to go before reaching the restaurant. Cooper welcomed the change in topic. His childhood wasn't up for discussion. "I wanted a computer. My family didn't have the money to buy one, but the owner of the local computer store said I could take any old parts I needed and build one." Cooper shook his head as he walked, the memories fond though frustrating. "I didn't think I'd ever get that monster to work. But I finally got it going, and from there, nothing could stop me. Coding came next because a computer without software is useless, and the rest is history."
"Wow. I do well to press a button and turn my computer on. I can't imagine building one from scratch. That's amazing."
"Unless you're into it, it's actually pretty boring. But for certain type-A people," he said with a smile, "it's the challenge of taking a blank screen and making it something someone can use. Every program has to be built, so whenever you use an app or even a calculator, it came from a creator."
"I've never thought of it that way. I guess I'm one of those people who've just taken it for granted. Sorry about that."
He shook his head at her apology and laughed softly. "Not a problem. Like I said, it's boring to those it doesn't challenge or who aren't into such things. I'm the odd person who can't get enough. I got a scholarship for college and was hired as soon as I graduated, but I've worked freelance the last five years or so. Mostly for accounting companies, but basically for anyone who needs specialized software. They tell me what they need a computer to do, and it's my job to make it happen."
"That sounds stressful."
"It can be. But so is running your own coffeehouse. Am I right?"
"True," she said, her shiny lips lifting at the corners. "My family thought I was crazy at the time. I mean, I'd worked my way through college as a barista, but when I graduated… I don't know, I think my parents thought I'd go corporate or something. I'll never forget my dad's face when I announced I was buying that building—or that despite my age and freshly inked degree at the time, the bank had agreed to give me a mortgage on it."
"Coffee shop in a beach town. There's a lot of potential if the management is on the ball. I get the impression you are."
London smiled at the praise, and despite the sunglasses covering her eyes, her expression revealed her sense of accomplishment. In that moment, Cooper discovered confidence was a major turn-on for him.
"Thanks. I try to stay on top of things. I can't say it's been easy or everything I've ever dreamed of, but when it comes down to it, I also can't imagine doing anything else as a profession. I like how it helps me get to know my neighbors and community. If you're going to do something every day, you should like it, right? Know that it's your purpose?"
They approached the main road, and
the arm he'd given her became a protective hand at her waist as they waited at the crosswalk. Cooper kept an eye out for distracted drivers, and finally traffic paused long enough for them to cross.
Seagulls and grackles made their presence known as they squawked overhead, and in the distance, Cooper spotted a couple of pelicans flying toward the pier. "What was it like growing up with four sisters—and a twin?"
He couldn't help but mirror the grin that crossed her face, even though he wasn't sure why. That was something else he'd noticed about London Cohen and liked. She didn't seem to hold much back. Those smiles of hers were like looking at a sunrise, all bright and engaging, and she wore her thoughts in the many and varied expressions that flickered across her beautiful face.
"It was an adventure to say the least. I always felt sorry for the kids who didn't have siblings. I can't imagine being a military brat and doing everything alone, you know? Everyone knew not to mess with one of us because you got the whole Cohen crew if you did."
He smiled at the image of five combative little girls taking on the playground bully, but it suited her so well. Her background and upbringing were the polar opposite of his, and it piqued his interest in the extreme. What would it have been like to grow up as she had? With seemingly happy, loving parents? Traveling, learning new cultures? Part of a supportive family rather than one generationally dysfunctional?
He was determined to break that curse. That cycle. Provide a life like London's for Ashley's twins and somehow make up for their rough start as children of an addict. It was the least he could do as their uncle. The kids deserved a life of laughter and good memories. But how was he supposed to go about creating something he'd never experienced? Short of hiring competent help capable of caring for them and providing life basics like food and shelter, he didn't feel capable of offering more.
They made it to the restaurant, and Cooper held the door for her, aware they drew the interest of nearly everyone inside, some of whom greeted London with warm familiarity. "Everyone knows you," he said in a low whisper only she could hear.
"Everyone loves coffee," she said, waving at an older couple across the room seated at the bar.
Thanks to a last-minute cancellation, they snagged a quiet corner booth with a red-and-white-checkered tablecloth. Cooper stared at London from across the table, and every shake of her head, every amazing smile, the sway of those earrings back and forth atop her shoulders drew his attention and lured him like a siren calling to sailors at sea.
With every word and flirtatious glance, every belly laugh as she talked about her sisters' antics, he wanted to know more.
And even though he'd just met her, he wanted to touch that bare shoulder. Know if her skin felt as soft as it looked. Get another, closer, deeper whiff of the intriguing scent imprinted in his senses as hers and find out all there was to know about London and her life.
The heaviness of the thought sobered him and brought a surge of unease.
A waitress quickly took their order, and once she walked away, there was a long moment of awkwardness. Cooper found himself blatantly staring at London, unable to look away. Drawn by her on a level he couldn't understand. She was attractive, sure. But this was… different.
"Is something wrong?"
He leaned forward and resettled himself in the seat, leaning on his elbows as he regarded her. "No. Just lost in thought."
"Ah. Still thinking about work?"
He stared into her sea-green eyes and found himself taking the out with an agreeable nod since the mental debate forever going on inside of him wasn't fun and flirtatious dinner conversation. No woman wanted to hear about another woman running away from him as fast as she could. The difficulties the twins could face. The years ahead that could bring disaster after disaster if the cycle repeated itself.
No, tonight he wanted to focus on the fact that London Cohen preferred silver over gold and wore multiple bracelets that jingled every time she lifted her hand to brush an errant curl from her face that the overhead AC kept disturbing. He wanted to enjoy the sweet curve of her lips and the way her eyes lit up when she smiled.
Tonight, he wanted to enjoy dinner with a beautiful woman. Just like he had BK—before kids—when his life had belonged to him.
Chapter 5
London held her glass with both hands and stared across the table at Cooper. She didn't remember ever having a first date as nice as this one. Then again, the fact that this wasn't a date might have something to do with how relaxed she felt talking with him.
Other than the slight awkwardness when she asked about his niece and nephew, they'd chatted nonstop about everything from how she'd started her coffeehouse to her telling him some unique thing about each of her sisters. "Okay, enough about me," she said over her dessert. "How did you and Rocco meet?"
Cooper's rich chuckle warmed the air and caught the attention of the women sitting at the bar. With his dark good looks and that slow, southern drawl of his, she easily understood the appeal and felt the same intrigue. She liked what little she knew of Cooper, but she still couldn't quite peg him. He seemed… reserved, but she wasn't sure if it was his true personality or if something else held him back.
"He found me. I was cutting through an alley in Boston, trying to make a meeting on time after getting waylaid by a delayed flight and a new taxi driver, when I tripped over a garbage bag."
She gasped. "Oh… Don't tell me…"
"Yeah. I'm guessing he'd crawled in after some food, but he had no mama in sight and it was five degrees, if that. I had to make that meeting, but I couldn't leave him behind. So, I picked him up and carried him in with me."
"Please tell me the company had a sense of humor about you showing up with a smelly puppy in tow?"
Cooper grinned and the smile warmed his brown eyes to a deep molasses color.
"Rocco got me the contract. The meeting was with the accounting department of a pet supply company, and it just so happened that one of the guys from the meeting was on a smoke break and saw me."
"Yay," she said, smiling as she leaned back in her seat and clapped softly. "I love a happy ending."
"Yeah, me, too. Had I not brought Rocco with me, I’m certain I wouldn't have been hired," he said. "How did you and Rosie meet?"
"Wellll, my story isn't as dramatic as yours. I'd done my research and knew I wanted a small dog. My sister—Frankie—thought I was nuts, but she volunteered to help me look. She took me to the rescue center on puppy day and, of all the puppies available, Rosie and I just seemed to hit it off. And get this, Frankie was so taken by the dogs, she contacted the military to adopt one of their retired dogs. He's a German shepherd named Tank."
Cooper laughed at the shepherd's name like almost everyone did and shook his head.
"It's amazing how quickly they get under our skin."
"You've got that right. The first night I brought Rosie home, she wouldn't stop crying, so I wound up letting her sleep in my bed. You know, the whole it's only for tonight, this isn't going to be a regular thing lecture pet parents give? Well, she's been there every night since."
Cooper chuckled as he leaned back in the booth, looking relaxed and handsome. The soft white of his shirt contrasted with the warmth of his eyes, and she found herself getting distracted and unable to focus.
"At least she's small. I had to make Rocco sleep on his bed at about six months. He's a kicker. He complains about it every night, too. He has this thing he does that's a combination of whining and backtalk when it's lights out and he has to go to the floor."
She laughed at the image while at the same time fighting the urge to fan her hot face after visualizing Cooper and Rocco snuggled up in tangled sheets. There was just something about a man who cared for and loved his pet, and it was obvious Cooper and Rocco shared a bond. Earlier, after snoozing with Rosie for a while, Rocco had joined Cooper at his table, lying at his human's feet as though he couldn't stand being apart for long.
"They're, uh, starting to clean up."
"It's a full moon. Would you like to take a walk out on the pier and get a look?"
"Uh…" Was Carolina working the at the pier house tonight? "Sure." Carolina worked every hour she could get between the pier house, Carolina Cove Inn, and the coffee shop, not to mention whatever odd jobs she was able to pick up during the busy season. Her sister saved every penny and used it for her travel fund.
Cooper paid for their meal and, she noted, left a generous tip. Yet another thing that said a lot about a person. There were way too many people in the world who left little to no tip out of sheer greediness, despite the fact service workers depended on them for a large portion of their income and worked hard to earn them. A tip didn't need to be extravagant, just a standard show of kindness and courtesy, and she appreciated that Cooper seemingly felt the same way since he'd also tipped her when he'd paid for his coffees earlier.
Outside, the sun had set, but the area by the pavilion and pier remained well lit and well populated.
It wasn't far to the pier house, and when they walked inside, London breathed a sigh of relief. Carolina wasn't there or else wasn't in sight, and she avoided making eye contact with her father's employees behind the counter.
She and Cooper had separated due to him holding the door for others to enter behind her, and she took advantage and hurried through the building to the rear door leading to the pier. She'd taken several steps up the incline toward the T before Cooper caught up with her.
"In a hurry?"
She laughed and then winced at the awkward sound. "No. Sorry. It's just… I was trying to avoid someone."
Cooper glanced back at the pier house before shifting his attention to her, a thick eyebrow raised high.