“You can quit spying and come on out.”
She pulled the door open and accepted the boots. “This okay?”
He crossed his arms and leaned on the doorframe. “You are beautiful.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Nope. Just one. Can’t say that I’ve had any beautiful women in my office until now.” As soon as her boots were on, he scooped her up.
She squealed and squirmed, holding on tight. “Careful. What if Cara gets wind of that?”
“This wasn’t her office.” He turned so that the boots wouldn’t crash against the doorframe. “Let me turn off the lights, and we can go.”
“You’ll need to put me down.”
He planted a kiss on her lips. “Unfortunately.”
Nellie tucked her license and a credit card in her pocket. “Is it okay if I leave my purse here?”
“Absolutely. You won’t need it. Tonight’s on me.”
“You don’t have to pay for me.”
He winked. “No one is twisting my arm.”
When they climbed into his truck, she slid to the center. “This okay?”
“Can’t think of a better reason for a bench seat.”
A tad nervous since she hadn’t been dancing in years, Nellie sucked in a deep breath as they walked onto the hardwood floor. She placed her hand in his and rested a hand on his shoulder.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “For this to work, you have to let me lead.”
She let go of the tension and relaxed. “I’ll try, but once we step off this dance floor, I can’t promise anything.”
“I can live with that.” He tucked an arm around her and whisked her away onto a cloud.
Forgetting where her feet should be when, she moved with him, the beat of the music dictating their steps. It wasn’t until she thought about where her feet should be that she stepped on his boot.
“Sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” He danced her around the hardwood floor until the song neared its end. When the last notes played, he dipped her, her hair brushing along the ground.
One dance into the night, and she never wanted it to end.
Chapter 8
Coop kicked open his door, a coffee cup in one hand, his phone in the other. He read the text from Nellie a second time.
I had so much fun. You free for lunch?
He wasn’t sure what he’d done to make the stars smile on him, but he had no complaints. Just tell me where you want to meet. The garage wasn’t open on Saturdays, and he’d only come in to get some paperwork finished. Not wrenching on cars was a good thing since they’d closed the dance hall down last night.
“Ahem.” Seth appeared in the doorway. “Could we talk a minute?”
“Sure.”
He closed the door, revealing Nellie’s blue cocktail dress. “That’s unexpected.”
“Don’t even. It’s not like that. What’s up? Why are you here on a Saturday?”
“I know your parents live down at the coast, and I plan to drive down there, but it just seemed like maybe—what I’m trying to say is—Cara doesn’t even know I’m here.”
Coop leaned forward. “Seth, are you trying to ask if you can propose to my sister?”
“Pretty much. Think that’s okay?”
“More than fine. Y’all have been dating what—eight years?”
“Four. Only four years.” Seth ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m a little nervous, but I think she’ll say yes.”
“Uh, yeah. She’ll probably scream it.” Coop walked around the desk and pulled Seth into a hug. “I’m glad you’re gonna marry my sister.”
“You’re not mad that she quit?”
“Nah. It’s fine.” Coop still hadn’t found a replacement, but the office ran more smoothly without her around.
Seth shoved his hands in his pockets. “I should go. Want me to lock that back door?”
“Please.” Coop dropped back into his chair, staring out at the hall.
The mention of marriage stirred his thoughts, and he remembered every detail of that first kiss last night. Unable to concentrate on what he needed to do, he closed his office door. The dress hanging on the back caught his attention.
Far from a fashion guru, even he could tell that some fancy designer had dreamed that dress into existence. Nellie had money. How much was what he wasn’t sure about. Too much, and it probably wouldn’t work between them. Some divides were impossible to bridge.
Buried in numbers, focused on the books, Coop about went through the roof when his phone beeped.
I’m here. Nellie was fifteen minutes early. I packed us a picnic.
Coop tapped out a reply—Be right out—saved files then closed the books. As he walked out of his office, he stopped, remembering the dress.
He strolled outside, the dress draped over his arm.
She jumped out of the Jeep and threw her arms around his neck as soon as he locked the door. “You’re working today?”
“Yeah. Office stuff waits for me until the weekend.”
She took the dress and tossed it in the backseat. “We can skip lunch, and I can help.”
He climbed into the passenger seat. “Are you kidding? Sharing a picnic with you is what I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
“Right, because you’ve known me always.”
“Feels like it.” He winked.
“I was going to let you drive.”
“You know where we’re headed. You drive.”
She wound through city streets then merged onto the highway. “I thought a picnic along Cibolo Creek in Boerne would be nice.”
He was falling way too hard and way too fast for this woman who didn’t give away much personal information. “Sounds wonderful.”
“The weather is nice, and we should probably get to know each other.”
“Because . . .”
“Really, Coop? If I’m going to date someone, I’d like to know something about them. All I know is that you have a younger sister, run a garage, and have a bench seat in your Ford. Oh, and that dancing with you is comparable to heaven.”
His heart thudded a bit faster than normal. “I know you own a Jeep, work at a big office, and look stunning in jeans or a fancy dress. And I know a handful of things you’ve never done.”
Her lips in a tight line, she stayed quiet until they reached the river. It was obvious her wheels were turning, so Coop kept quiet and enjoyed the Hill Country scenery.
When they arrived at the picnic spot, he carried the blankets and cooler to where she pointed. It only took a few minutes to get everything laid out and set up.
Coop stretched out and leaned back, resting on his elbows. “You’ve been really quiet, Nellie Davis.”
“Have you looked me up?” She opened and closed the cooler but never even reached in to get food.
He shook his head. “I have not. Should I?”
“No.” She scooted next to him. “I’m not on the top ten most wanted list or anything.” Her half-smile and raised eyebrow begged for him to laugh.
“I think that depends on whose list we’re talking about.” He watched her shoulders relax. “I’d put you at least in my top three.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Let’s eat.”
The cooler lid opened again.
“Nellie, whatever secrets you’re keeping—as long as they won’t get me killed or arrested—I’m willing to stick around until you’re ready to tell me.”
The cooler slammed closed. Her lips pressed to his, and he fell backward, pulling her down on top of him.
After a couple minutes, she sat up, her cheeks flushed.
He brushed a thumb along her red lips. “Should I shave my beard? Does it bother you?”
“Absolutely not and no.” She rested her head on his chest. “I want to tell you, but I like you, Coop, and I’m afraid things will change.”
He wrapped his arms around her, conflicted. “Maybe you can just tell me everything else, except that one thing
that might change things.”
She picked up her head, and big brown eyes focused on him. “You hungry?”
“Always.”
Nellie dug through the cooler and handed him a sandwich. “I grew up here in San Antonio. My parents still live here in town. I have one brother, and we are all pretty close.”
He unwrapped the store-bought sandwich. “What color was your room painted when you were growing up?”
“Purple. Still is—the room at my parents’ house.”
“And now?”
“Slate blue.”
“I grew up near the coast—the Texas coast. My parents moved to San Antonio when I was in high school but moved away about four years ago. I have three sisters. Two are married and live out near Houston, not far from my parents. Cara is about to be engaged, but that’s a secret.”
“To Seth?”
“Yep. After four years, he finally worked up the nerve.”
“What color are your bedroom walls?”
“White. My apartment manager frowns on people painting the walls.”
“You live alone?”
He nodded. “Roommates make peace and quiet impossible.”
“Pets?”
“None. Don’t see the point in paying the pet deposit for an animal I don’t have time to take care of.”
“I like cats.”
“Then I’ll learn to like cats.” He didn’t look up. “They always look like they are plotting my demise. Kinda scary.” He faked a shiver.
“Never have I ever been on more than three dates with a guy.”
Given that it was their third date, that seemed like a significant reveal.
He took a bite of the sandwich, wanting to ask her tons of questions, but he’d accept the little drips as a sign of goodwill until she opened the floodgates of truth.
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
She leaned in close and gave him a kiss. “Whatever you want.”
“You busy tonight?”
“All yours. What time?”
He had to be careful with how he worded his answer. “All night. I’m thinking—”
She shook her head. “I don’t . . .” Reaching for her shoes and clearly ready to bolt, she set her jaw, and those brown eyes darkened.
“Nellie, look at me, please.”
It took a full minute for her to pry her eyes from the blanket.
“With the weather beautiful like this, I’m thinking we should scratch one more never off your list. Thought we might pack a couple bags, get two sleeping bags, and introduce you to the fun of sleeping outside.” He held out his hand. “Stargazing, nothing more.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but you have to go home first, so that it counts as a separate date.”
“I’ll get the food.”
“I’ll grab the rest of what we need, but first, let’s finish our picnic.”
She pulled pudding cups out of the cooler. “Vanilla or chocolate?”
“Pudding cups? You are full of surprises.” He tugged her closer. “Never have I ever had pudding cups on a date.”
She handed him the vanilla. “I can fix that.”
Coop ran back into the office when she pulled out of the lot. Before he ran to the store, he needed to find an available campsite. It only took four calls, but he snagged the last available spot at a great campground.
After a quick stop by the sporting goods store, he had everything they needed. Without a burn ban in the area, hot food was a possibility. Back at the apartment, he tossed clothes in a bag and grabbed two pillows.
On the list of crazy stuff he’d done, this landed very near the top. Once packed, he shot off a text to Nellie: Ready. Where do you want to meet?
A knock sounded at the door.
He yanked it open, ready to dismiss whatever solicitor waited to sell him something.
“Hi. I might’ve run through the grocery store. And I probably bought too much because I wasn’t sure if we’d have a fire.”
Coop picked up the bag sitting at her feet. “Cooler in the Jeep?”
“Yep.” She tucked a pillow under each arm.
Minutes later with everything loaded in the bed of the truck, she buckled into the middle seat, and he started the engine. Unless they hit traffic, they’d make it to the campsite before dark.
Chapter 9
Nellie tapped out a quick text to her mom: Going camping tonight. Be home tomorrow. Didn’t want you to worry.
After hitting send, Nellie started counting, anticipating a quick response. It took until twelve for the questions to start. Who is he? When do we get to meet him?
Not yet. Nellie couldn’t wait for Coop to meet her parents. They’d love him, and Tanner—he and Coop would get along, Nellie just knew it. She just had to reveal her wealth. If the night went as well as she hoped, maybe Sunday would be a good day for confession.
At least give me a name for safety reasons. Mom wasn’t giving up.
Nellie leaned her head on his shoulder as she typed: Logan Cooper.
“The problem with driving is that I can’t read those texts.” Coop dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head.
“I was telling my mom that we were going camping tonight.”
He paled. “I don’t want them to think . . . well, you know. I want your parents to like me.”
“They don’t, and they will.” She took advantage of the time and studied him. “Where are we going?”
“Lost Maples. The park is gorgeous in the fall. We might have to go again.”
She loved the idea of making future plans. “Should we play another round of Never have I ever?”
“You start.”
“Never have I ever gone camping.”
“Cheater.” He laughed.
“That’s not the same as sleeping outside.”
“Whatever. Never have I ever built a snowman.”
Nellie thought of the many family trips to Colorado and New Mexico. “What about a snow angel?”
“Nope. What I’ve seen you can barely call snow.”
When he pulled into the campsite, before opening the door, he cradled her face in his rough and massive hand. “What’s Nellie short for?”
“Eleanor, but please don’t ever call me that.” She closed her eyes, wanting to tell him everything but terrified of his reaction.
“Yes, ma’am.” Warm lips touched hers, the tickle of whiskers intensifying the sensation. His hand moved from her face to her neck.
Never have I ever felt this way.
She couldn’t say that.
He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb, and still, Nellie kept her eyes closed, savoring his touch.
“My grandfather calls me that, and I hate it.” She’d said more than she intended.
He kissed the tip of her nose, his blue eyes twinkling. “Well, my beautiful, brown-eyed Nellie, I will never call you that other name.”
Coop sliced open bananas length-wise and loaded mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips into the center of each. After wrapping them in foil, he set them on the fire.
“For someone who has never been camping, I’m impressed with your food choices.”
“I Googled like a mad woman while I was at the store.” Nellie snuggled closer when he sat back down. “I didn’t think to ask if you liked bananas.”
“That would have thrown a monkey wrench in the whole dessert thing, huh?”
“I’m supposed to laugh at that, right?” She shrieked when he tickled her.
“Shhh. You’ll wake up the bears.” He pulled her into his arms. “But I’ll protect you.”
If she’d known camping would be like this, she’d have done it ages ago. “Bears? Really?”
“Yep. They’re native to the Hill Country, you know, and starting to come back. But I’d take on a bear for you.”
Nellie thought of her grandfather and tugged Coop down to meet her kiss. “I hope you never have to.”
“Let’s have dessert and then we’ll move up to
the truck bed. I figured there’d be less a chance of being attacked by bugs off the ground. And I brought an air mattress.”
“Isn’t that kind of cheating?”
“You said outside, nothing about on the ground.” He handed over the banana boat and a spoon. “Dig in.”
“Coop, I haven’t enjoyed a date this much in a long time. Dancing came really close, but this is amazing.” She scooped up a bite of banana, marshmallow, and chocolate and offered it to him.
After he ate it, Nellie laughed and wiped the string of marshmallow off his beard.
“I think you’re amazing.” Unlike minutes before, there was no tease or flirting in his tone. “And I’m glad you broke down outside my shop.”
Nellie slid into her own sleeping bag and snuggled up to Coop. “Do you know the constellations?”
“Some.” He pointed to a group of stars low on the horizon. “See what looks like a W?”
Nellie nodded against his chest.
“That’s Cassiopeia. Some vain queen spinning in space forever, cast there by Poseidon.”
“At least she has the stars to look at. That one over there is the Big Dipper, right?”
“Yep. Part of Ursa Major. Told you there’d be bears.”
She couldn’t have ordered a better opportunity to spill her secret. “Coop—”
His phone rang, and he declined the call. “I’m listening.”
“I . . . I’m not sure where to start. My great grandfather—”
The phone squawked again.
“Answer it.” Nellie gave up trying to tell him.
Chapter 10
Frustrated, Coop swiped the screen. “Hello.”
Cara sobbed on the other end of the line. “Please don’t hang up on me.”
He felt a tad guilty for declining the first call. “Cara? What’s wrong?”
“I think maybe Seth is seeing someone else.”
“He isn’t. Why would you even think that?” Coop planted a kiss on Nellie’s forehead and whispered, “Sorry.”
Cara sniffled. “He’s been sneaking around. Said he was busy all weekend, but he didn’t say why.”
Dating the Billionaire's Granddaughter Page 5