by Kay Lyons
"See why I couldn't wait? It needs some work, but we're hoping to have it ready to move into immediately after the wedding."
"You eloped, bought a house… Are you sure you're not pregnant?" Carolina asked.
Chapter 14
Sunday evening Cooper looked up at the sound of London calling his name and saw her leaning out of her second-story window above the coffee shop. The weather had been spectacular today, humid but breezy. All of the windows on London's second-story apartment were open, and the curtains billowed about her like white angel wings. "Hi, yourself."
She looked beautiful as always, her long hair loose and wavy around her shoulders and face.
"I'm almost ready. I'll be right down."
"No rush." He was curious about her home. Was she the type for clutter or a neat freak? Did she prefer more modern furnishings or antiques? "I'll be here."
Cooper took a seat in one of the colorful plastic Adirondack-style chairs lining the business and sidewalk and enjoyed the beautiful beach day. Birds chirped in the trees nearby; pelicans flew overhead toward the pier. Down the street, an older man walked alone, heading in Cooper's direction.
Cooper settled himself and took a deep, relaxing breath. Tomorrow he'd start the next project on his list as well as enter day two of nanny interviews. Today's had gone well, though he hadn't been completely satisfied with any of the twelve applicants the agency had sent. He also didn't like having the interviews at the house, but he hadn't wanted to leave the twins with a total stranger, agency vetted or not. So his office sitting room had gotten a quick clean-up and eleven women and one man had put the small elevator to use.
"Evening. Nice night," the man said as he made it to talking distance.
"That it is," Cooper murmured.
The man carried a disposable coffee cup and pointed to one of the chairs by a table. "Mind if I join you?"
Cooper thought the request a little odd since it was obvious he hadn't purchased the coffee from London's closed shop, but waved a hand in agreement. "Help yourself."
The man sat and sipped his coffee.
"Haven't seen you around before."
"I'm new to the island but a resident."
"You got a family?"
Once again, Cooper braced himself for the small-town curiosity that came with living in a fishbowl. "Yeah."
"Good. Nice place for a family. How many kids?"
Cooper hesitated, not really wanting to give a stranger his life story even though he knew the nosiness was more than likely a conversation maker and nothing else.
"I thought I heard voices," London said as she stepped outside. "Dad, what are you doing here?"
Dad? Cooper looked at the man and could see amusement lighting his eyes when he spotted Cooper's surprise.
"Can't a man come visit his little girl?"
Cooper and London's father both stood at her exit from the building, and London kissed her father on his cheek. "Not when it's to spy for Mama because she heard I was going out."
"I was walking back from seeing Samuel home after practice and saw your gentleman caller. Thought I'd get a bead on him. You understand, right, Cooper?"
Cooper laughed while London groaned. "That I do. Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Cooper Bale."
"Andrew Cohen."
"Dad, do me a favor and tell Mama Ireland's picked a date for the engagement party. I'll text her details but it's the weekend after Labor Day. Don't forget."
"I'll tell her. So, where are you two headed?"
London shook her head in warning at Cooper, and he remembered her comment about her family potentially showing up to grill him. "It's a surprise."
"I see. Well, you go have fun. Don't be out too late," Andy said to London. "Four—"
"A.M. comes early," London said with a nod. "I know. Believe me."
"Nice to meet you, sir," Cooper said to London's father. "London, are you ready?"
London quickly locked the door and then kissed her father. "Bye, Dad."
"Drive safe," her father ordered. "That's precious cargo you're taking with you."
"Yes, sir."
Cooper held out his hand and welcomed the small firmness of hers, looking both ways before leading her across the road to where he'd parked his black Rubicon.
"We have similar tastes."
"Oh?"
London pointed a finger, and he spotted a new-model turquoise Jeep parked in a gravel drive beside the building. "Apparently we do. Nice color."
"My favorite."
He tucked that bit of information back for future reference, just in case, and opened the door for her to climb in.
The drive down Dow and then River Road took them to the restaurant. He'd made reservations. London had intrigued him enough that he didn't want anything to go wrong for this first official date with no kids in tow.
"Oh, I love this place."
He smiled at her words and pulled in to park. "I'm glad."
The restaurant bustled with noise and activity, and since they were a few minutes early, they took advantage of the offer to wait on the patio. The fire pits were empty due to the heat, but Cooper spotted two empty chairs away from the ant trail of people walking the river walk. "Over there?"
"Perfect."
They claimed the spot and a waitress quickly appeared to take their drink order. "Would you like to eat outside or are you waiting on a table?"
"Can we? Eat out here? It's not bad in the shade."
London looked so happy at the thought that he told the waitress to cancel their reservation for inside.
The breeze off the river kept them from getting too hot as the sun sank lower and pinkened the sky.
The waitress returned with their drink order in record time and he lifted his glass. "What should we toast?"
"Hmm…" She thought for a moment before saying, "To puppy love."
He smiled at the mention of Rocco and Rosie and how Rocco's disappearance had brought them here. "To puppy love… and new friends."
They clinked their glasses together and sipped, and Cooper had a hard time taking his gaze off of her. With her hair loose around her shoulders in organized curls and the shine of gloss on her lips, London drew him in a way no one had in years. Not even the former girlfriend he'd considered proposing to one day.
That thought sobered him. He'd never believed in the saying that everything happened for a reason, but if things happened as they were supposed to happen… well, he wouldn't be sitting here now, would he? Wouldn't have seen the difference in the two women.
"Tell me about today. The interviews. Any luck?"
"They were good but… I'm not convinced I've found the right person yet. And I was wondering if you'd help me with my search."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. The nanny did well with the twins today, which is why I felt comfortable leaving them for a little while tonight. So, I thought I'd have the agency send the interviews to the coffee shop. You seem to have that drink order thing you do down to a science, so I thought tomorrow you could keep an eye on the candidates as they come in and tell me what you think. If any of them stand out."
Her head tilted to one side and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "While I am pretty good at it, basing their abilities as a nanny on their coffee order may not be the best way of going about hiring someone."
"It has to be better than the last time I tried it."
"True. However, I'd rather you focus more on their references than my skills."
"If you insist," he said, smiling at her. "But you’ll still give me an opinion? Let me know if you notice something I might not?"
"Sure. Oh, and before I forget, I spoke with Carolina, and she offered to pitch in if you need it. She's quite the free spirit and would probably drive you crazy at times, but she wouldn't drug them, lose them, or do anything else to otherwise endanger them. You could do worse as a fill-in until you find someone."
"I'll keep her in mind, but I plan to vet several professionals to have on call for backups."
"I don’t want to find myself in this situation again," he said with a nod.
London grasped her drink and took a long sip, her gaze holding his.
"It's going to be okay, you know. You were great with them yesterday, and while I understand your hesitation and worry that you're not ready to take them both on fully, you're a good dad, Cooper."
Her words sucker-punched him in an unexpected way. Stole the breath right out of his lungs. But that encouragement, that bit of praise went a long way in bolstering the doubts he had about… everything. Especially the next fourteen years or so.
"You know, the Fourth of July will be here before you know it and then Halloween. While you’re planning ahead, maybe you should start looking for costumes."
"Uh, no. Besides, I don't want them overdoing it on sugar."
"Really? You're going to be that parent?"
"Ah, now the truth comes out. You want the twins' candy."
"Hey, I'll own it. My sisters and I used to meet and raid Samuel's treat bag after he went to bed. That was when he was younger, obviously, because now the little twerp counts his candy pieces so we can't eat any."
"You steal candy from babies," he murmured, giving her a look of horror. "I knew there was something wrong with you."
"Hey, being an adult has a few perks and that's one of them. A girl's gotta get her chocolate fix somewhere, and it tastes so much better when it's contraband. That's all I'm saying. Besides, it's a crime if you don't take the twins out on Halloween and use that cuteness to your advantage."
"Does that mean you'll go with us if I take them? So you can teach us newbies how it's done?" There. For the first time, he mentioned the future. Him, her. Them. Plans that meant sticking around, at least for a while. Seeing where things might lead.
Was she up for it?
Was he?
"Mmm. Challenge accepted," she murmured as she lifted her glass once more. "Here's to… stealing candy from babies."
Chapter 15
Ah, the would-he-wouldn't-he question, London mused later that evening as she strolled along the river walk hand in hand with Cooper after dinner.
Would he kiss her again? When?
Their make-out session in his home elevator had gone on for quite a while, until one of the twins stirred and interrupted them. And ever since, she'd been on pins and needles wondering when it would happen again. Cooper seemed to be an affectionate guy overall. He'd held her hand as they walked to the restaurant and touched her often and left fire behind as a result. Chemistry-wise they had no issues. At least not as far as she was concerned.
And the mention of going trick-or-treating with him and the twins… Oh, she'd thought her heart would jump out of her chest. Scared though he was about the twins and her—their?—relationship or friendship or whatever this thing was between them, he was looking forward to the future. Thinking about it—them—together. And she liked that. She liked that a lot.
The sun sank lower in the sky and filled the horizon with soft, cotton-candy-like color. Sunsets here were amazing, from fiery reds and oranges to the softer pinks and blues of tonight.
Cooper paused in a little viewing area along the walkway, and she noted they'd left the majority of the crowd closer to the restaurant and at the dock on the river.
They stood in the shadows of the trees hanging over the river walk, the breeze strong enough to lift her hair from her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around her front and hugged, because even though it was humid, the air held the slightest bit of dampness that left her chilled. "It's so beautiful here," she murmured, watching a pelican skim the top of the river as he headed south in the direction of Carolina Cove. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live up north where it snows, or in the Carolina mountains, but then I look around and… it's our very own little paradise."
Cooper's hands settled on her shoulders briefly before smoothing down her arms.
"Are you cold?"
"No, not really. I'm fine."
He stepped closer and gently tugged her back so that she leaned against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Better?"
Mmmm. "Much," she murmured in response to his question. Why did it feel so good to be held by him? It wasn’t like she hadn't dated other men, hadn't been held. But there was… something. Some thread or connection with Cooper. Well, at least it felt like it, but as she well knew, feelings could deceive, and chemistry, as lovely as it was, could fade. It happened far too often with couples who seemed to be perfect for one another.
They stood there and watched the sun sink lower until it disappeared from view entirely. Once it was gone and the last of the rays were fading fast, she took a breath and turned.
One of Cooper's arms remained around her, holding her close, but he shifted his hand slowly from her back to her shoulder to her neck as she moved, and once she faced him, he used his hold to tilt her chin higher. She met his gaze, held it despite the intensity that made her want to close her eyes or look away, in case she was alone in this—whatever this was.
Cooper lowered his head, and a sigh escaped her as he lightly touched her lips with his. The kiss began sweetly. Just a gentle little swipe of his mouth across hers. But she relished the feel of him holding her, sliding his hand along her jaw, beneath her hair to cradle her head, as he pressed a little harder and deepened the kiss to something more.
He tasted like sweet tea, smelled like mint and sandalwood and spice. Felt like heat and hardness and a headiness that left her clinging to him for balance.
Cooper drew her closer, and she reveled in the warmth of him at her front and the cool breeze along her back. Her heart raced in her chest, a mixture of nerves and excitement and pleasure, her senses bombarded by him.
Someone laughed in their general vicinity, and she suppressed a groan of complaint when Cooper's chest tensed beneath her fingertips. He ended the intensity of the kiss but lingered over the contact.
It took her a moment to muster the will to open her eyes. She wanted to stay in that darkened cocoon. Stay in that place of comfort and synergy and amazingness where nothing else existed except for the two of them.
It took her a moment longer to realize Cooper's entire body had turned to stone and it had nothing to do with them kissing. "Cooper?"
She turned to see what held Cooper's attention and spotted the couple standing several feet away. "Uh… Dally? G-good evening. My, don't you spiff up nice." She'd never seen Dally dressed up. The older man wore khakis and a nice polo instead of the fishing wear she was used to seeing him in. For the first time, she noticed Dally and Cooper shared the same height and lankiness in build.
"Hey there, London. Cooper. It's good to see you. This is Marilyn. It's our anniversary."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Marilyn," London said, hyperaware of Cooper's silence. "Dally's told me what a wonderful woman you are. Happy anniversary."
"Thank you."
"Cooper, your stepmother's a—"
"She's not my anything."
"Cooper." London gaped up at Cooper, shocked he'd be so rude to someone who, like her, had nothing to do with the past between him and his father.
The two men stared at one another, and Dally's expression broke London's heart because the man looked so sorrowfully at his son, earnestness etched in every deep line of his pale face.
"We're leaving," Cooper said, turning his back on the couple.
London dug in her heels, torn between propriety and— "Cooper, wait," she urged softly.
Cooper released her hand and kept walking.
"I just want to see my grandkids," Dally called after Cooper. "Spend time with them. With you. Please, son."
London watched as Cooper kept walking, his long strides eating up the boardwalk at a record pace as he moved from the shadows to the lights lining the pathway. She turned to look at Dally and Marilyn and found the older woman holding Dally steady as he quietly sobbed. "Dally, I'm
sorry. I am."
"I know, sweetheart."
"I-I should go. It was nice meeting you, Marilyn. I'm sorry."
Dally gripped the cane he held tighter, leaned heavily against Marilyn as she led him toward a nearby bench.
London hesitated once more to make sure Marilyn was able to get the heartbroken man settled but then hurried after Cooper, jogging to catch up with him. "Cooper." He didn't slow down. "Cooper, will you please slow down?"
Her request must have sunk in because he slowed his pace—a bit. She hurried to close the distance in case he took off again. The moment she could, she grabbed hold of his arm.
"I want to get out of here."
"I know. But did you see him? Really look at him? Something is wrong with him, Cooper."
"There is a lot wrong with him, London."
"Stop? Please?"
Cooper finally paused in the breakneck pace, his chest rising and falling heavily as he was the one who'd practically run the entire way to that point and not her.
"Cooper, I get that he was a bad person at one point. A bad father. But that's not the Dally I know, and one look at him tells me he's seriously ill. Surely you saw that back there? Because I can testify to the fact that in a month's time he's… he's gone downhill fast."
"Like I said before, fifty years of drinking will do that to a man."
"Cooper. You're angry. I get it."
"Do you?"
"Yes! I do. But that's the past. Will you ever let it go? If the answer's yes, then why not now?"
"You're on his side."
"I'm pulling for both of you. Why can't you understand that?" She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it tight. "Cooper, if he was the man you’ve described, I wouldn’t push it. I wouldn’t,” she said when his gaze narrowed doubtfully. “I-I just don't want you to regret it if something bad happens. Tonight… that's the worst I've ever seen him since the first day he came to the coffee shop."
"And when was that?"
"What?
He stared down at her in six feet plus of handsome anger.
"When was that? When did he show? How long has he been coming there?"