He releases a half laugh. “Hey, Grace. Wyatt asked me to stop by and check on Angie. He was worried you might’ve gotten lost in the stock room?” He says it as if it’s a question.
“Right. Wyatt is real helpful like that.” He knew I was going to be here, and he sent Cooper over. Why do I still live here? Why don’t I make friends with people a few towns over? “Always tryin’ to make sure everyone is taken care of.”
Angie bursts out laughing. She clutches her stomach and giggles relentlessly. “He’s such an asshole. God, I love that man.”
“You got the asshole part right,” I grumble.
“So? We’re still on for our date tomorrow?” Cooper asks as he steps forward.
“Yeah, of course,” I say awkwardly.
Angie grins and squeaks a little. “What? You guys are the best entertainment I’ve had in weeks.”
My face falls. “Happy to be of service. I really should get goin’.”
“Grace has a hot date tomorrow,” Cooper says from behind me. I turn to face him with my eyes wide, but he grins and steps around me. He strides to Angie and parks his butt on the couch next to her.
“Oh, I know, I hear some handsome cowboy finally got her to agree.”
“Yeah, I hear he’s quite a catch.” He’s all cocky and funny and full of charm as he says it.
They start talking as if I’m not even here. I watch as he adjusts the blanket over her and makes sure she’s okay. Then he grabs the packet of crackers and hands them to her. Cooper took time out of his day, covered in sweat and dirt to check on his friend’s wife. He didn’t have to be here, but he is.
The part of me that is hesitant about our date fades away. This is a good man. This is the kind of man that I want to be with. Someone who does selfless things because he wants to and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. He’s where I should be focusing my thoughts, and that’s what I’m going to start doing.
Moving on.
Chapter 6
O f all the days for my hair not to cooperate, it has to be today? Everything has gone wrong. I dropped my cell phone in the toilet this morning, the zipper on my dress came apart, and my washing machine decided it no longer wanted to work. I’m starting to think it’s a sign that I should crawl back in bed and forego tonight. In three hours, Cooper Townsend will be picking me up for our date, and if the way today is going is any indication, it’s going to be a mess.
I grab my now dried out phone, and text Angie so she can, once again, reassure me this is going to be okay.
Me: What if my outfit isn’t cute enough?
Angie: Stop it right now. I know what you’re doing. You look amazing, and Cooper is going to think you’re perfect.
Me: Says you!
Angie: Do you need me to drag my sick ass off the couch and come over?
I’m being ridiculous. But this is the first real date I’ve had with someone other than Trent.
Me: No. I’m good. Minor freak out.
She’s right.
The outfit is great, but now that the issue of what to wear is resolved, I’m left to face my second issue. Trent. I have no idea if he knows, and if he does, whether he’s homicidal.
Not that I’d blame him. Cooper was a longtime friend of his.
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I swipe the screen expecting a smart remark from Angie.
Trent: So, big date tonight?
I drop the phone and scream. Dammit. I haven’t heard from the man in a week, and now I get a text? Ugh.
Do I answer?
No.
He doesn’t need a reply. Besides, what the hell would I say? Yes, I’m getting really hot to see your old friend who I kind of like, but I still love your unworthy ass.
I stare at the phone as it lights up again. Slowly, I bend to grab it, as if it’s a bomb ready to go off. The next text flashes across the screen.
Trent: Grace, I know you saw that. You have those stupid read receipts on your phone. Were you planning to tell me about your date?
I grip the phone and groan.
Me: Yes and no.
There. I responded.
I wait for the next text, and my anxiety starts to grow. When it gets to be too much, I begin to pace. I know him, and that will not have appeased him. Trent demands answers, and he can be extremely pushy. One-word responses aren’t going to fly, but nothing comes.
When I realize I’m being ridiculous, I toss the phone on the couch and head into my room. I need to get ready.
The outfit sits on the bed, and I run through a mental list of everything I need to do. On the bedside table, sits my tiara. I wore it today to remind myself not to eat. Then my mind flashes to Trent and his ridiculous pop quiz.
I walk over, grab it, and put it back in the closet. I want nothing to make me think of him. He isn’t part of my life anymore. Sure, he may be the one thing that keeps me awake at night, but I can’t control my subconscious.
I can, however, control my mind right now. And there’s no way I’m going to spend another minute thinking about him.
Nope. Not one.
Tonight is about my friend date slash date, date with Cooper. He’s where my mind should be.
Not five minutes later, there’s a knock on the door.
My stomach plummets because I know. I can feel it in my bones. He’s here.
Shit! There goes my brilliant plan. Now what do I do?
Another knock.
My heart races with each step I take. I can try to avoid him, but it won’t matter. He’ll find a way to see me, and I’m better off getting it over with.
With my hand on the handle, I release a deep sigh and open it.
Sure enough, there Trent stands. His hair looks slicked from being pushed back with his hands, it’s messy but styled, and his blue eyes are trained on me. The air shifts as he pushes forward, and I back step away from him. He’s faster, and before I can stop him, his arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me against his chest.
“Trent!” I start to protest, but his mouth crashes on mine.
My hands push against his chest, but it’s no use. He’s so much stronger than I am. I should try to fight him off. I think about stopping him, but instead of doing that, my hands are dragging him closer. I tangle my fingers in his hair and hold him tight. His tongue slides across my lips, and I open to him. He kisses me hard, rough, and with raw power.
I know I should stop him. I know I’m supposed to be getting ready for a date with another man, and I promised myself not more than two hours ago that I would move on. I know I should slap him and break the kiss. I know all this, but I can’t find the wherewithal to stop it. Everything we’ve ever shared floods back, and it’s too much. All I know is he’s touching me, and I never want this to end.
I’ve missed this. I’ve missed him. And I hate him for reminding me.
His hands roam my body until he’s fisting my hair. He tugs my head back, exposing my neck as he licks and sucks against the tender skin. I moan as he nips beneath my ear.
“So beautiful,” he mutters against my skin before his mouth is on mine again.
We kiss more as I lose myself to him, and I somehow end up on my back with him on top of me. I inhale, taking in the musk scent mixed with passion. It’s everything I remember and more. Trent’s calloused fingers cup my neck as he pulls back. His eyes blaze as I try to catch my breath.
Trent’s voice is rough and filled with heat. “Yes and no? That’s what you respond? I thought I’d come by and remind you which was the right answer.”
His words bring me back to the reality that he doesn’t belong here anymore. We’re nothing, because he isn’t good for me. He’s the man that cuts me with the thorns that are wrapped around his heart. I don’t need any more scars from him.
“You can’t do this to me!” I slap his chest, and he leans up. “You selfish son of a bitch! You came to my house so you could what? Get in my head? Could you be any more of an asshole?” I start to yell and hit him again. “Get off me, you bastar
d!”
“Grace,” he tries to say as he rises. I’m off the couch in an instant, but he’s right behind me.
“No!” I spin and make contact again. “I hate you! I hate you so much! You have no idea how much this has eaten at me, and what do you do when you find out?”
“I came over and made sure you’d remember what we were. What you are to me. What we are to each other. You can fight me, Grace, you can keep trying to rid your heart of me, but I know you love me. I know it.”
Liquid fills my vision as I try to hold myself together. “And what about you? Huh? What about how you feel? You’re trying to mark your territory, but I deserve more than that!”
“It’s not like that,” Trent defends.
“That’s exactly what this is! Instead of groveling like you should, you find a way to hurt me more.” A tear forms, but I fight it back. I won’t cry in front of him anymore. This, though, it hurts. It’s as if he’s a child who doesn’t know how to use his words.
Trent moves closer, and I look at him, wishing things could be different. His hand brushes my hair back. “I never want to hurt you. Never, Grace. I see it now, I don’t deserve you.”
We both know that’s true. I don’t deserve to be treated this way, but there’s something that keeps me going back.
But like my mother said, I have a choice.
“Neither of us deserves this, which is why it has to be over.”
Trent touches his lips to mine, and I let him. The kiss isn’t full of passion or lust. It’s sweet and a little sad. “I won’t do this to you anymore. I’ll respect your wishes. I’ll let you go. Even if it’s the last thing I want to do. Promise me something, will you?”
I close my eyes to get my emotions under control. How can him giving me what I want hurt so much? This is what I asked him to do, but I feel like I’m on the verge of shattering. Loving him has been my entire life, and I don’t know how to give that up. “What?” I ask as I open my eyes.
“You’ll be happy.”
The tears that I fought back fall. “I’ll try.”
He nods and runs his hand down his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come over and done this to you today. But I hope Cooper makes you happy. If he’s what you want, I won’t stand in your way.”
Every muscle in my body tenses. I want to scream that it’s him I want. I like Cooper, but Trent is my soul. He’s the man I dream of every night. He’s the man I want to fall asleep next to and grow old with. But he can’t do that.
I have to do what’s best for me, which is to watch him walk away.
“Trent,” I say as he passes through the threshold. I step closer because for better or worse, Trent is worthy of love. “Promise me that you’ll find whatever it is you’re searching for.”
He wipes the tear from under my eye. “I already had it, but I wasn’t smart enough to hold on to it.”
I shake my head. “If I was what you wanted, it would’ve been so much easier for us. It wouldn’t have been years of anguish.”
He cups my face, touches his lips to mine, and sighs. “You’re wrong, sweetheart. It was never about you not being what I wanted. It was me not knowing that what I had was everything I needed.”
Another tear falls as his hands drop. “Trent.”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I see it now, Gracie. I see what I’ve done. I put the doubt in your eyes and the pain in your voice. I was selfish to come over here. It was because I couldn’t handle the idea of you with him, or any man for that matter. But it isn’t my choice anymore. My brother told me once I was gonna fuck up and lose you.” Trent huffs and looks away. “I did that, and I need to do the right thing now.”
My voice is locked as he speaks. Inside me, a war is raging, and I’m dying. There are two parts of me that can’t find the common ground. Half of me wants to beg him to stay and love me. If he would try, I could help him. However, I’ve been there and done that already. I fought for years and ended up failing. There’s no way to help a man who doesn’t want to be saved. In the end, it was me who needed the lifeline. Seeing Trent’s regret and hearing the pain in his words is almost too much.
He touches my cheek and rubs his thumb across my lips. “Be happy, Gracie.”
I stand like a statue as he turns and walks away. Tears continue to fall and blur my vision as I watch Trent Hennington back out of my driveway and drive down the road. Minutes pass before I move.
He’s really gone.
That really happened.
How the hell am I supposed to go on a date now?
* * *
A fter I spent a good twenty minutes crying out all my emotions and eating half a bag of licorice, I decided to pick myself up and get myself together. The past is in the past, which includes him. There isn’t anything saying Cooper will be my future, but there isn’t anything saying he won’t, either.
Unfortunately, my composure is harder to keep than I thought, and I keep having to take deep breaths and little breaks to get myself under control.
It’s crazy how nervous I am. It isn’t like a blind date where I don’t already know the man. Hell, I’ve even seen his penis. Granted, it was when I was sixteen and solely due to a dare, but still.
My cheeks heat in the mirror as I remember in detail what it looked like. Dammit, now I’m going to end up embarrassing myself.
My mind continues down this very stupid road, and I wonder what he kisses like. What if he’s heavy on the tongue or our teeth clash? What if we are so incompatible that we sit in awkward silence? What if we like each other, and I somehow screw this up? These are all the reasons I thought this was a bad idea.
If I keep going at this rate, I’ll never be able to make it through tonight. I decide to lock my errant thoughts away and focus on getting ready.
Once I’m content with how I look, I head out to the living room. He should be here in a few minutes. I grab my phone and see a message from Presley.
Presley: Have fun tonight! I love you both and can’t wait to hear how it went.
Me: Love you! I’m sure we’ll talk tomorrow.
Knock, knock, knock.
Shit. Here we go.
Please, God, don’t let this be Trent.
I open the door to find Cooper standing there with a bouquet of flowers. His dark hair is spiked in the front going in no real style, his deep green eyes shimmer with warmth, and the way he fills out that tight gray T-shirt leaves very little to the imagination. Jesus. He gets better and better each time I see him.
“Hey.” I smile.
Cooper’s grin brightens. “These are for you.” He hands me the white daisies. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I step back and swing my arm to the side so he can enter. I love that he brought me flowers. “This was really sweet. Let me go put them in water.”
I head back to the kitchen to place them in a vase, and I hear Cooper. “Your place looks great. I haven’t seen it since I carried the couch in.”
I laugh. “It’s been a long time, Coop. I’ve been living here for almost seven years.”
“Been that long, huh?”
“It has.” I come out with the flowers and place them on the table.
“Well, you’ve done a lot with the place.”
My house is perfect for me. I like working on projects and this place was the ultimate one. I’ve redone each room to be exactly like I wanted. A lot of tender love and care went into making it a home.
“Thank you. Do you want a tour?” I ask.
“Definitely.”
I take Cooper through each room, showing him all the work I’ve done. “This was the original flooring,” I explain.
“I could’ve used your help when I was fixin’ up the farmhouse.”
I duck my head at the compliment before looking back up. “I think you did a great job.”
He takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t mind doing the work, it was all the other crap I hated.” Cooper steps closer and pushes the hair out
of my eyes with his other hand. “If I had help, though, maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad.”
“I’ll make you a deal. If you remodel a house again, I’ll be happy to dictate what you should do.”
He moves in closer. My breathing is shallow as I feel the heat from his body so close to mine. Cooper’s eyes are warm and open and his hand rubs against my arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake. I dig my nails into my palm, hoping I can get my heart to slow.
Before I can move, Cooper takes a step back and I can breathe again. “You all right?” he asks.
“Yup. Totally fine. I’m good. I mean, I’m great. Perfect even.” I start to ramble and want to punch myself in the face.
Cooper’s lips turn up into a small smile. “Glad to hear it.”
I need to save myself from going down the rabbit hole of mortification.
“So, where are we goin’?”
It’s very out of character that I didn’t ask before, but I think I was trying not to think about it. I’m a planner, and I need to have everything in order. I don’t like feeling the way I have been all afternoon—out of control and very unstable. However, this is probably normal for a new . . . whatever this is.
“I figured maybe we’d head out of town for dinner? Or we can head to the café?” he offers.
“No!” The one word comes out too quickly and too loudly, and I press my lips together in embarrassment. “I mean, I think goin’ out of town is a good idea, don’t you?”
Could I be any more awkward?
Cooper nods. “I agree. I figure you’re probably feelin’ anxious enough, maybe being away from pryin’ eyes is a good thing.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
The less chances we have of running into everyone we know—the better. Especially any of the Hennington brothers. There’s no doubt Trent has already told his brothers what happened here earlier, and knowing their little posse, it isn’t good for me.
My next thought is: do I tell Cooper about Trent today? I don’t really need to? This is only a first date. However, nothing stays quiet in this damn town, so if Trent tells anyone, Cooper will find out. But does Cooper have a right to be upset? We’re not together. This is a friend date. That’s it.
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