by Mia Ross
Cooper made a show of considering the offer, then shook his head. “Thanks, but I’d rather handle it myself. See ya later.”
Clearly furious, Derek growled something incoherent and stormed off. As he got into his Jeep, in the rearview mirror Cooper saw Derek tear the poster to shreds and fling it into the air. Which brought Mom out from her shop, railing at him for littering her nice clean sidewalk.
Driving out to pick up Sammy, the last view Cooper had was of Derek crawling around on his hands and knees, cleaning up the mess he’d made. It seemed fitting, somehow.
Chapter Thirteen
Before Cooper knew it, it was Labor Day.
Preoccupied with things other than tacking and trimming, he lost the boat race, and not on purpose, either. He took the good-natured ribbing in stride, and when Jack mentioned his pretty first mate being a distraction, Cooper didn’t bother trying to defend himself. His male mind could only concentrate on so much at once, and these days he had a hard time focusing it on anything but Bree.
After their dustup over Derek, Cooper’s frantic last-minute campaign had brought them closer together than ever. Now that she understood the full negative impact the development would have on Holiday Harbor, she’d become an unwavering opponent of the proposal she’d supported when she’d first arrived. And when the headstrong reporter opposed something, she made sure everyone within earshot knew it.
As they strolled hand in hand toward the square, Sammy aimed his nose toward one of the food tents and woofed his opinion.
“You’re right, big guy,” she commented with a laugh. “It does smell good.”
“This is an even bigger turnout than usual,” Cooper noted, keeping his tone optimistic. “We should get a solid vote for mayor.”
“Setting up the polling for today was genius. Everyone’s in town for the Labor Day festival, so you get them all together in one place, and everyone can watch Derek go down.”
He chuckled. “You’re so sure I’ll win?”
“Absolutely.”
Her belief in him made him feel a little more confident than he had earlier, and he gave her hand a grateful squeeze. “Thanks.”
“Any predictions on how it’ll turn out?”
Skimming the festive gathering, he shrugged. “With these folks, you never can tell. I was up most of the night wondering.”
“You mean worrying,” she corrected him with a frown.
Cooper was aware he could do nothing more to influence the outcome of the election, and he refused to spoil such a beautiful day with negativity. Putting it out of his mind, he said, “I think Sammy earned himself a bratwurst during that race. Would you like something?”
“Evading the question, counselor?” Amusement twinkling in her eyes, she arched an accusing brow. “That’s not like you.”
“I’d just rather not talk about it till we know the results.”
“Fair enough. I’ll have one of whatever smells best.” She took the corner of a partially empty bench, and the Newfie dutifully sat on the grass beside her. “We’ll save you a seat.”
“Thanks.” Ignoring the fact that they were in full view of anyone with a set of eyes, he smiled down at her. “Be right back.”
Cooper threaded his way through the crowd as gracefully as possible, and was rewarded with VIP service at the bratwurst stand. Balancing three meals and bottles of water, he carefully made his way back to the bench. Bree was staring off into nothing, which told him her mind was churning away at something.
“Careful,” he said quietly to avoid startling her. “It’s hot.”
She blinked up at him as if she’d forgotten he was even there, then thanked him with an absent smile. At first, her mental trips into the unknown had been unsettling, to say the least. Over the summer he’d gotten used to her doing it, and it didn’t bother him anymore.
Sammy devoured his sausage with gusto, lapping at the water Cooper poured into a cup for him. Then he lay down with a contented sigh and closed his eyes.
In between bites, Cooper chuckled. “Wish I could just chill out like that.”
Bree didn’t answer, and he glanced over to find her gazing at the lighthouse, a wistful expression on her face.
“I’m really going to miss this place,” she murmured. “When I first got here, I couldn’t wait to leave, and now it’s the last thing I want to do.”
Hearing that boosted his heart into his throat, and it was all he could do not to jump up and promise her anything she wanted if she’d only agree to stay. Leaning back, he casually stretched his arm out behind her on top of the bench. “Well, you could hang around a while longer, dig up a few more stories around the area. You’ve got an office now and everything.”
When her eyes met his, he saw all manner of conflicting emotions swirling around in them. His gut told him she wanted the same thing he did, but she was afraid to admit it. Slowly, she shook her head. “I can’t.”
He gave her a smile of encouragement. If she did decide to stay, it would mean that change of heart he’d sensed not long ago was taking hold, significantly altering the way she’d live her life from now on. It was a big step, and he wanted her to know she wouldn’t be taking it alone. “Sure you can.”
“I shouldn’t.”
That was different, and being a writer, she knew it. The first indicated an inability to do something. The second was a choice. Her choice, because he’d never try to coerce her into doing anything she didn’t feel right about.
Even if that meant letting her walk away from him. “Okay. I get it.”
“I’m sorry, Cooper. I feel awful.”
The comment passed so quickly, he almost missed it. But her simple confession held a deeper meaning, and he twisted to face her as hope bubbled up inside him. “What did you say?”
“That I feel awful. You’ve been so great, and I—what?”
This wasn’t the place to discuss something so personal, but he didn’t want to let the moment escape him while he whisked her away to somewhere more private. He moved closer, leaning in to avoid being overheard.
“You said ‘I feel,’” he explained patiently. “Not I see, or I think, but I feel. You’ve been here for two months, and I’ve never heard you say that.”
Something akin to panic filled her eyes, and she glowered at him like a child caught misbehaving. “They’re just words.”
“I don’t believe that, and neither do you. Feeling is different from thinking, and you’re starting to figure that out. That’s why you don’t want to leave, even though it makes sense for you to go. Because like it or not, all this—” he swept a hand through the air “—means something to you.”
“It wasn’t supposed to,” she confided in a strained whisper. “I was supposed to come here, do my job and move on.” Hanging her head, she stared down at her hands in a dejected pose that nearly broke his heart.
Tipping her chin up, he looked into her eyes and smiled. “Life doesn’t always work out the way we planned. Sometimes the things that happen to us instead are even better.”
He added a gentle kiss, and felt her lips trembling under his. When he drew back, tears were welling in her eyes.
“You’re making this harder,” she accused in a watery voice.
“Yeah, I am, because I don’t want you to go.”
“Why?”
This was his big chance. If he told her the truth, he suspected she wouldn’t take it well. But if he let her leave without telling her, he’d never be able to live with himself.
So he took a deep breath and jumped. “Because I love you.”
It took a few seconds to sink in, and then she blinked at him like a startled owl. “No, you don’t.”
Not the response he’d have preferred, but it was Bree to the core, and he couldn’t keep back a grin. “Yeah, I do.”
“I can’t imagine why,” she scoffed. “All we do is fight.”
“Debate. As a lawyer, I appreciate you going to so much trouble to help me keep my skills sharp. Never know when I might need ’em.”
She hadn’t said she loved him, he noted. But she hadn’t said she didn’t, either. He wasn’t sure what to make of that, and judging by her perplexed frown, neither was she.
“No guy’s ever said he loved me,” she confessed in a bewildered tone. “At least, not one who meant it.”
“You know I do.”
Clearly still rattled, she nodded, but he felt her edging away from him. “I have to go.”
She stood, and he followed, careful to allow her plenty of space. Hoping he sounded casual, he asked, “Was it something I said?”
“No. Yes,” she amended quickly, shaking her head as she backpedaled away from him. “I don’t know.”
Cooper longed to reel her in for a hug, to hold her in his arms one more time before she fled. But she didn’t give him the chance.
As she hurried away from him, Sammy whined his opinion of the whole scene. Looking down at the Newfie, Cooper sighed. “Kinda blew that one, didn’t I?”
* * *
“I’m headed out to the Andrews place for our bridge game,” Mavis announced as she pulled on a slightly less tattered sweater than the one she wore every day. “Are you sure you’ll be okay here alone?”
“Don’t worry about me.” From her perch in the parlor window seat, Bree lifted her steno pad and waved it as proof. “I’ve got more than enough to keep me busy.”
Good thing, too, she added silently. She needed something to keep her mind off Cooper and his stunning revelation. She still couldn’t imagine what had possessed him to tell her he loved her. Especially now, the day before she was supposed to leave. Since it made absolutely no sense to her, she’d been trying to convince herself she’d misunderstood him.
The problem was, she hadn’t quite managed it yet.
“All right,” Mavis said, pulling her out of her brooding. “There’s a storm coming in, so if the power goes out you’ll find flashlights and candles in the hall cabinet.”
“What about the big light?” Bree pointed at the ceiling. “What happens to that if there’s a power failure?”
“It runs on a dedicated generator. When the town loses power, the harbor looks mighty dark, and any boats drifting too close to shore would break up on the rocks before they knew what hit ’em. But the house isn’t wired to the generator, so you’ll be on your own.”
Being a city girl, she wasn’t a big fan of roughing it, but she put on a brave face for her hostess’s benefit. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. Have fun.”
“Fun, nothing,” Mavis muttered on her way down the hall. “Tonight those two fancy pants are going down.”
Knowing the nasty comment was nothing but hot air, Bree added the quote to her growing list of what she’d labeled “Mavis-isms.” Inventive and very in-your-face, they formed a vivid image of the colorful keeper’s widow she wasn’t likely to forget anytime soon.
Her phone rang, and when she saw it was Cooper, she waited a moment before tapping the speaker feature. Calm and professional, she cautioned herself. “Hey there. Are you done counting votes already?”
“Yeah. Just thought you’d like the results while they’re still warm.”
His tone was friendly but not the least bit romantic. Having witnessed how adept he was at keeping his emotions under wraps, she couldn’t assume anything from his current demeanor. Was he masking his feelings, or did he regret sharing them with her? She’d all but run away from him, after all. She wouldn’t blame him for changing his mind.
Frustrated, she gave up and clicked her pen open. “Shoot.”
“I kind of crushed him.”
Typical Cooper, the understatement made her laugh. “Good for you. And for Holiday Harbor.”
“I hope so. If you’ll recall, half the town disagrees with me on the Ellington project.”
“And the other half supports you. Once everything calms down, they’ll all be back to their normal wacky selves and you can figure out where to go from here.” Such a great guy, she lamented. What girl in her right mind would walk away from all that?
“You’ve seen a lot more of the country than I have,” he continued. “Do you think more tourism will be enough to save us?”
She didn’t, but for once she decided it was kinder to spare someone’s feelings than be completely truthful. Maybe she was actually learning some diplomacy, and there was hope for her yet. “If anyone can make it work, it will be you, Cooper. You’re the smartest, most determined man I’ve ever met.”
She could almost hear him smirking over the phone. “Smarter than Nick?”
“Definitely.” The humor blew away some of her tension, and she laughed. “Just don’t tell him I said so. He signs my paychecks.”
“Got it. There’s still time for us to grab some dinner if you want.”
Part of her longed to take him up on his sweet offer, spend one more evening with the most amazing man she’d ever met. The other, more practical Bree knew if she gave in to that temptation, it would only make leaving more difficult. For both of them. “Thanks, but I really need to finish this up so I can email it tomorrow before I head for Wisconsin.”
She hadn’t mentioned that to him yet, and she held her breath, waiting for his reaction. “So Nick found a new assignment for you.”
Smooth and unconcerned, his tone was a dead giveaway. Over the summer she’d learned that the calmer he seemed, the more upset he was. “I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier, but I didn’t want to spoil our last day together.”
And then you said you love me, and everything went downhill from there.
“I appreciate that. What’s the job?”
“There’s a water rights battle going on in some northern towns out there, and he wants me to cover it.”
She could almost hear Cooper frowning. “Sounds dangerous.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“That kind of thing can get pretty complicated. You talk to a hundred people and get a hundred different opinions. How do you feel about taking that on?”
“I’ll be a journalist covering a breaking story,” she reminded him, puzzled by the question. “I don’t feel anything about it.”
He responded with a sigh so deep, it sounded like he was carrying the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. “That, Bree,” he said in a voice heavy with disappointment, “is your biggest problem.”
The connection cut off abruptly, and she fought the impulse to call him back and give him a piece of her mind. Furious, she seethed for nearly a minute before deciding to leave things where they’d fallen. This was America, and he had a right to his opinion. She didn’t have to like it. Besides, considering the childish way she’d behaved earlier, she probably deserved the scolding.
Mentally moving on, she scrolled down to the end of her story to pick up where she’d left off earlier. She tacked on the voting details and fiddled around with the conclusion until she was satisfied she couldn’t write it any better. She reviewed it once more before sending it to Nick. When she got his confirmation, her job was officially done.
And so was her time in Holiday Harbor.
Leaning back in the window seat, she picked up her camera and began thumbing through the hundreds of pictures she’d taken. Most were for her stories, but a few were more personal, and she smiled at the now-familiar faces that populated her camera. When a shot of Cooper, Sammy and her came up on the screen, she paused. Clucking like the proud mother she was, Amelia had gotten a shot of the three of them on Stargazer. Geared up for the Labor Day race, the three of them looked bright and happy in the sunlight.
Was that really this morning? After everything that had happened tod
ay, it seemed like a very long time ago. She wasn’t a sentimental person, but she couldn’t help touching Cooper’s face on the little screen. As if his incredible looks weren’t enough, he was also the kindest, most caring man she’d ever met.
And he loved her.
The truth of that settled cozily in her heart, even though she still didn’t understand it. That thought led her to another, more vexing one.
Did she love him? In the park today she’d come perilously close to telling him she’d stay, to see where things between them might lead. Then the specter of her parents’ torturous divorce had reared up to remind her just how awful things could get between two people who’d once loved each other. Bree knew it would be devastating to give Cooper everything she had only to lose him in a flood of bitterness. It was better never to have him in the first place.
A knock at the door dragged her out of her mood, and she got up to answer it. Outside stood Cooper, wearing the kind of yellow slicker she’d seen people wearing in no other place but here. “I’m sorry, sir, but I didn’t order any fish sticks.”
“Very funny.” While rain dripped from the visor attached to his hood, he frowned. “I came to apologize.”
Her foolish heart jumped into her throat, and it took a real effort to swallow it back down where it belonged. “Really? For what?”
“For being nasty and then hanging up on you. You’re a frustrating woman, y’know that?”
“Hmm...” Pretending to think, she tapped her chin. “Let me see. How many times have I heard that?”
“You’re not really gonna let me drown out here, are you?”
Grinning, she stood aside and let him in. “Just don’t make a puddle anywhere. Mavis will kill me.”
Slipping off his waterproof boots, Cooper hung his slicker on a hook over a rubber mat. “So, how’s the end of your article coming?”
“Done. I just sent it to Nick, and he’s beside himself. He said there was more excitement here this summer than in the whole time he lived here.”
“He’s not far off, I guess.” Cooper flashed her a wry grin. “My next two years as mayor should be pretty eventful.”