“I already had a piece.” He looked hungrily at the plate in front of me and I pushed it toward him. “Go ahead.”
He picked up his fork. And then put it back down again. “Share this with me?”
“I already - “
“I want to share this pie with you,” he cut me off as he stared right into my eyes. “And I also want to share my soul.”
“Cooper?”
He slid his fork into the piece, letting the bright red juices stain the clouds of cream. “I want to give you a piece of this pie. You’ve already got a piece of my heart.”
“Cooper… no -“
“I want to share everything with you, Willa.” His voice broke as the fork hovered right in front of my mouth. “I love you.”
At the sound of those three words, my mouth fell open. He smiled and slid the fork in between my lips. The cherries hit my tongue in an explosion of flavor, sweeter than anything I had ever tasted before. I made a sound and Cooper nodded. “I know that’s how you’re saying I love you too. I know you, Willa. Your ‘I love yous’ sound like, ‘did you eat? Call me when you get home. Be safe. Hold still while I wash that cut for you.’” His eyes were shining unnaturally bright. “You’ve shown me how to love, and also how to be loved by someone with the biggest heart I’ve ever seen.” He reached across the table to wipe the corner of my mouth, then press the dab of cream to his lips. “I love you more than I thought was possible. I love you more than I knew I was capable of loving someone.”
“You do love me.” It came out in a rush of breath. I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was saying. I’d mourned the loss of us like he’d died, and then I’d had to pick up the shattered pieces of my heart and keep numbly going on.
But shook my head. He'd told me this before, and I didn't believe him. Three words weren't enough. I needed to know... “Why?”
He sat back in the booth and stared for a moment. “Fair.” He nodded. “I love everything about you, Willa, but you need specifics, I know. Here it is.” He leaned forward and took my hand again, turning my palm upward and tracing the lines on my wrist as he started talking.
“I love how you sacrifice without asking for anything in return. I love how you give and give and give some more. I love how your love is bottomless, and there is not a single thing you’re unwilling to do for the people you hold dear.” He looked up at me and reached up to brush away the tears that were now falling freely. “I love how you never forget the things that are important to people. I love how you watch out for people. I love how you think ahead, even when no one else is. I love how you always bring an extra sweater for Sadie. I love how you intervene when Claire goes overboard teasing Ethan. I love how you want what you think is best. And I love how you are a vault for so many secrets because everyone trusts you with their most important ones.” He leaned over and kissed the pulse on my wrist. “But I’m not keeping this a secret any longer. I love you.”
A sob caught in my throat as he took my other hand in his. His thumbs traced circles over both of my wrists. “What do you say, Willa? Can we start all over again, all over again?”
Just feeling his touch again was enough to bring me back to life. The taste of cherries sang on my tongue as the world suddenly had flavor and color again. How was it possible to love one person this much? How could I ever truly tell him how much I loved him too?
“Cooper.”
His eyes widened. Hope was mixed equally with fear, and he held his breath. “Yeah, Willa?”
“I love you, too.”
His shoulders sagged with relief and he lifted my hand and kissed the tops of my fingers as I laughed and cried at the same time, then leaned over the table to kiss him. The second my lips touched his, I knew there was no going back. This was it. He was my first love. And he would be my last.
He pulled back from the kiss with a lingering sigh. “Hang on,” he said. I stared as he rummaged in his pocket, my breath coming so fast I felt faint. “Your finger looks awfully naked right now.”
I started to laugh at the same time the tears started falling all over again. Because he was slipping the fake ring onto my finger again. “Really?” I managed to croak.
But he wasn’t laughing. “This is just a placeholder, Willa. When you’re ready, I’m going to put a real one there in its place.”
“You mean…?”
“Think of it as a good start. A promise that you can keep looking after everyone else.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. “As long as I can keep looking after you.”
I cupped his face with my hands and looked into my man’s eyes. The fake ring sparkled on my hand.
Except it wasn’t fake anymore. It was the start of something real. Something that would last.
Something good.
* * *
THE END
Do you need more from Willa and Cooper? I know, I love them so much, I could not stop writing about them. I have a bonus epilogue where they go to New York City to visit Liam, as well as a ton of extra scenes, and you can get all of them now by clicking here!
Also by the Authors
by Theresa Leigh
The Crown Creek Series
Sweet Crazy Song - Cocky Jonah never wanted to come home to Crown Creek. But a chance meeting with kindergarten teacher Ruby has him wanting to stay forever.
* * *
Lost Filthy Night - A risk taking bad boy. A girl-next-door nurse. And the kiss that never should have happened. Gabe has to convince Everly to take the biggest risk of her life. Him.
* * *
Soft Wild Ache - Growing up in a repressive religious cult meant that Rachel always believed the outside world was evil. But when sensitive rocker Beau opens her eyes to life outside the compound walls, she learns that he’s the sweetest sin she’s ever seen.
* * *
Last Good Man, Willa and Cooper’s story - a sexy small-town frenemies to lovers romance set in Crown Creek.
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His Secret Heart - coming September 2018 - Finn’s story
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Reckless Falls
Fool Me Once - Eight years ago, Cole left Reckless Falls and broke Autumn’s heart. She hates him. But now that he’s back in town, she hates how her body still responds to him even more.
* * *
Take Me Away - Since running away at sixteen, Aria has spent years traveling the world. But when her relationship goes sour, she retreats back to her hometown to hide out in the house she inherited. Only to find that sexy, damaged bad boy Derek already lives there. And he’s not leaving.
* * *
More Than Enough - Cal and Gray both want their best friend’s little sister Harper. They’ll do anything to get her. Including share her.
* * *
Hold Me Tight - Easy-going Brynn says she doesn’t care what she wants. But Rett knows what he wants. Her. In his bed. With the silk ropes tight around her wrists as she screams his name.
* * *
All Of Me - Best friends Jackson and Finn swore they’d never fight over a woman. So when they both fall head over heels for sweet baker Bee, they vow to make her crave them…together.
* * *
At Any Price - Single mom Charlie is too stressed to know how to have fun. Until billionaire Jameson decides it’s time to teach her.
* * *
by Theresa Leigh writing Rockstar Romance as Vivian Lux
The Wreckage Series
JAGGED - Brooding Scottish rockstar Ewan Boyd knows that his band’s non-nonsense label rep is the girl for him. He’s looking for a second chance at rockstardom, but Celia’s got to take a chance on him first.
* * *
RIPPED - Mouthy band manager August knows that getting involved with drummer Jules is a mistake. But the sexy rockstar is determined to be the best mistake she’ll ever make.
* * *
SHREDDED - Secrets and lies imploded bassist Niall’s last relationship and made him slow to trust. When tough-as-nails roadie Reese saves
him from a terrible accident, he knows he wants all of her. Even her secrets.
* * *
TORN - Lead singer Hudson is finally living his rock and roll dreams. Will he throw them all away for a chance with his bandmate’s little sister?
* * *
The Ruthless Series
JAX - Jax is rock royalty. He was Liliana’s first love. He broke her heart and is determined to win her back. Too bad he’s going to be her new stepbrother.
* * *
RANE - Easygoing superstar Rane Wilder always bails the minute things stop being fun and start getting difficult. But for disgraced child star Maddie, he’s willing to go the distance.
* * *
WILDER - Rocker Keir Wilder never forgot his first love Scarlett. And now that she’s back in his life needing help, he’s not going to stop until she’s his.
* * *
LOW- Normal girl Zoe is broke, unemployed and living with her parents. Catching the eye of a celebrity like Low is pure fantasy when you’re down on your luck. But Zoe’s fantasies are about to come wildly true.
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TRUE - Single dad Cash recognizes Piper the minute she stomps into the bar on the wrong side of town. She’s looking for danger. But she found him.
* * *
by Vivian Lux
Sons of Steel Motorcycle Club:
Steel My Heart - Meek Emmy was a doormat until she met J. and the rest of the Sons of Steel MC. Now, with the bad boy bikers at her side, she’s standing up to the man who abused her and taking back her life.
* * *
Steel My Love - Childhood sweethearts Lexi and Case were ripped apart when Lexi spilled Case’s secret. Now he’s found her again. But can he forgive her?
* * *
Steel My Soul - Gabi remembers the sexy biker who saves her. But why is he back in town again? And why is he using a different name?
* * *
Sports Romance:
FORCE - Bad boy hockey star Ian always gets what he wants, both on and off the rink. And what he wants most is Candy.
IMPACT -Party girl Olivia thinks love is a game. But hockey star Brad always plays to win.
More ways to connect!
Theresa Leigh is a romance author whose love of reading is so intense, she sometimes injures herself by walking around with her nose in a book. She loves writing stories that have you feeling every emotion... sometimes all on the same page.
After five years of writing romance under a penname, Theresa finally decided to own up to how she was spending her all time. Her mother now knows all about the kinds of books she writes. She reacted more positively to it than Theresa expected.
Theresa lives and writes in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York State (not the city) (that distinction is important to her), where she lives with her husband, twin sons and twin orange cats, Pumpkin and Jackie O’Lantern. When she's not writing or reading, she enjoys eating too much Thai food, walking around barefoot, and cooing baby talk at her cats.
Get in touch!
www.theresaleighromance.com
[email protected]
facebook.com/booksbytheresaleigh
Last Good Man (A Crown Creek Standalone) Page 22