“Night you two,” she called as she wiggled her fingers at us.
I waved back and locked the door after her like Cooper asked me to do.
When I wandered back, he had the register open and was counting up the bills. “Can you count the change? Just mark down what it adds up to on here, and I’ll set up the till for tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted. “If I can have one more drink.”
“You’re supposed to listen to your boss because he employs you.”
“I will, as soon as he pours me that drink.”
Cooper clicked his tongue.
I grinned at him.
He fixed me up another round.
I started on counting up the funds.
Once everything was done, he locked it up in the safe in his office and came back out. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“Starving,” I said. “I’d kill for some cheese fries, but everything’s closed. And I forgot to buy groceries.”
“You could always come by my place and grab something to eat,” Cooper said as we stepped out of the bar and he locked up.
“I don’t think that’s a great idea, but I know there’s a diner not far from here. Let’s go grab something and then you can drop me off at home.”
Cooper’s brow shot up. “You’re very demanding once you’ve had a few drinks in you.”
I smiled. “That’s a compliment.”
He shook his head. “Fine. Let’s go get you those fries and then into a bed.”
“My own bed,” I said as I pointed at him. “Without you in it.”
“What do you think I’m going to do? Seduce you or something?”
“I remember how you used to be. You used to be able to talk your way into any girls’ panties. Even mine.”
“That was a long time ago,” he said as he opened the passenger door to his truck for me. “I’ve changed.”
“Does a leopard change its spots?” I asked as I climbed inside.
“I like to think so.” He grinned as he closed the truck door and leaned against it. “Maybe you should get to know the new leopard. Maybe count its new spots.”
I sucked in a breath. He was flirting with me. “Maybe I will.”
Cooper’s smile warmed me in all the right ways. His eyes lingered before he pushed off of the door. “You’ve changed, Jo.”
“Is that a bad thing?” I asked, slightly worried.
“From what I can see? Nah, I’m just getting to know you all over again.”
“Right.”
“Let’s Start Over?”
I smiled slowly. “Okay.”
“But first we go get you that meal.”
My smile became a big grin. “That would be amazing.”
Chapter Eleven
Ivy
Brian hovered over me, his face red. His hands tightened around my throat. The air in my lungs became like fire. I struggled, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t suck in a breath. My hands flailed and slapped uselessly against his body.
He only smiled and tightened his hands. I was going to die. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Brian’s body weighed me down, held me in place. I fought against him. I couldn’t scream no matter how hard I tried.
“Die,” he growled. “Die, you bitch!”
Spit hit my cheek as he pressed harder and harder.
“You'll never get away from me, do you hear me? If I can’t have you. Nobody can. I’ll find you...bitch.” His eyes narrowed and his hate drilled into me.
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t protest. My hands slapped against him, but it did nothing. Finally, I couldn’t suck in another breath and the world started to turn black around me. My vision faded, my head throbbed. Everything became black. He was laughing.
I died.
I jerked upright, my body covered in sweat. Sobbing, my hands flew to my throat and I scratched and tugged at nothing. My breathing refused to calm down as my head jerked back and forth around the room.
Nothing.
Moonlight streamed through the window. My entire body felt cold and I realized I was shaking. I pushed trembling fingers through my hair and sucked in a shuddering breath.
I’m all right. I’m all right. I’m all right.
The nightmare had been so real. I felt too afraid to close my eyes. I never wanted to see him again. I forced myself out of bed and went to the bathroom.
Stopping in front of the mirror, I glanced at my reflection. My eyes were puffy and red from crying. I lifted my head and around my throat was a bruise from his hands. I’d worn a high collar that concealed it yesterday, but in my PJs, it was so ugly and prominent. He did that to me. I detested him.
I grabbed the sink tightly and steadied myself before I turned on the cold water. Quickly, I splashed it onto my face to wash away the bad dream. It wasn’t the first nightmare I’d had about Brian. Once even before he showed his true colors, I dreamed that he was a dangerous animal who has hunting me through a dark wood. It was terrifying. He found me. It was a creature, but I knew it was really him. He got on top of me and began to hurt me. When I woke up, he held me close and told me it was my subconscious mind processing something that must have happened at work. The dream was never about the person, only what was happening in your head.
I’d believed him because I’d wanted to believe him.
I shivered in the cool air as I stripped off my clothes. I needed a shower. I needed to feel clean. In a few hours, I had to head to work. It was Saturday and Melanie said that it was busy on the weekends. I had to get there and help them out.
I turned on the shower and stared at the water as it heated up and steam rose from it. My mind drifted back to New York. The look in Brian’s eyes as he strangled me. Never, in my wildest dreams had I imagined anything like that would happen to me. It was wild. The rage he showed as he choked me. What had I ever done to him to deserve that kind of hatred? If I hadn’t gotten away, I knew I would be dead.
I wrung my hands. It was a horrifying thing to contemplate. Just knowing that I had been living with a psychopath shook me. I’d been with him for so long and put up with so much. What if I’d stayed?
Don’t think about that.
I closed my eyes and prayed that Brian wouldn’t find me here. I prayed that I hadn’t revealed my hometown to him in some unguarded moment. I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Only because I never talked about Springston. Too painful. Anyway, most of the time he paid no attention to my chatter.
I wanted to forget about him. About the cramped New York apartment along with all of the problems and indignities I’d suffered inside it. One day, Brian would be a distant memory.
Pushing Brian aside, I stepped into the shower. It was hotter than I was used to and my skin turned pink, but it was welcomed to stave off the chill that had settled into my muscles.
Chapter Twelve
Ivy
Maybe this outfit would be nice. I wonder what Cooper will…
I jolted. Was I actually wondering what Cooper would think about my outfit? I forced myself to think about what he had done to me. Frowning, I pushed through my clothes. I had allowed myself to get a bit tipsy and hung out with him the night before. I groaned as I thought about it. I shook my head.
“I cannot do that again.”
I needed to be firmer than that. Just because he’d given me a job, it didn’t change the way he’d treated me in the past. The way he’d taken my virginity and stabbed me in the back? That wasn’t okay. That would never be okay.
It was a pattern really. Cooper broke my heart and ignored me. Brian abused and pushed me around. No man was ever going to do that to me again.
I finally settled on a pair of jeans and a comfortable maroon t-shirt. I pulled my hair into a neat ponytail and I snagged the apron that I had washed and dried the night before. Then I headed out and walked to the Royal as my heart thudded in my chest. No matter how much I scolded myself… I couldn’t take my mind off Cooper.
&nbs
p; * * *
“There you are. I was about to call you and see if you weren’t planning on showing up,” Cooper called as I walked into the bar.
“Of course, I was. I just overslept a little. Bad dreams. Sorry.”
He tilted his head and stared at me.
Suddenly, I felt like he could see right through me.
“Alright, well get your things put away and come back out here and help. We’re already getting flooded.”
I glanced around. He was right. Already, the bar was filling up with patrons. People chatted and laughed as the smell of beer and alcohol filled the space.
I walked to the back and stored my purse away in Cooper’s office. Then I quickly tied my apron around my waist. When I turned around, I jumped. “God, Cooper. Why are you sneaking up on me?”
“I wasn’t sneaking. I walked right up to you and you didn’t hear me. Is something wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just ready to get started working.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I said as I picked up my order book and brushed past him. “I’m fine.”
I felt his eyes on me as I fled the office and took up my position in the bar. I would not drop anything tonight, I was going to focus. I wasn’t going to worry about Cooper. He was my boss. We didn’t need to be more than that.
“Four beers,” I said as I walked up to him and Mel.
“I’ll get it,” Cooper said.
“Oh, and three old-fashioneds.”
“Okay,” Cooper said as he grabbed everything. “Hold your horses.”
I leaned against the bar. At least leaning against the bar gave me a bit of relief. I lifted one foot after the other and rolled my ankle. The relief on my feet felt amazing and I was glad to have a short moment to myself.
“Coop, can I get another Manhattan,” a woman purred beside me. “And your phone number?”
I glanced at the woman out of the corner of my eye. She had big, red curls that spilled over her shoulders and a mischievous grin. She looked at Cooper like a predator assessing her prey.
“One second,” he called back.
“Me too, Coop,” another woman smiled as she pushed her tits forward. “Although I’ll have a real drink. Whiskey, neat, double.”
I watched the two women exchange glares and I shook my head. They’re falling all over him. It was ridiculous. But what truly surprised me was how Cooper seemed immune to it.
“One Manhattan and one whiskey, neat, double,” he confirmed back and got right into making their drinks.
I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips. No matter how much they threw themselves at him, Cooper seemed only to be focused on his job. He slung drinks, mopped up spills and smiled at everyone.
He wasn’t flirting with any of them!
Why do you care?
True, Cooper was obviously single and he didn’t need to ignore other women for me, but I still felt better that he paid them no attention.
“Here’s your drinks,” he said as he handed my order to me. “Hey, some of the other staff are coming in tonight, so we’ll be able to get a break in a while. Want to take it with me?”
I chewed my lip. “Why?”
“I just figured we could catch up some more. I tried last night, but you had your mind on one thing and that was fries.”
“I guess I was pretty out of it. Yeah, why not?” I picked up my tray. “Just let me know when.”
I supposed I at least owed him that much. He had given me a job and a good one at that. I was making more than I thought I would make and it wasn’t a bad gig. I could catch up with him for a bit and still be professional. Right?
I put my head down and kept working. Melanie was right about one thing, the more I smiled and joked with the customers, the bigger the tips were. And it was nice to talk to people who weren’t as preoccupied and jaded as folks back in New York. Some part of me enjoyed coming back home and settling into a peaceful life.
By the time my break rolled around, I was ready for it. My feet ached and I needed about a gallon of water to rehydrate. Mel gave me a bottle from behind the bar and I walked outside.
The smell of blue bonnets clung to the air and I inhaled deeply. I closed my eyes and my body relaxed. Smelling those flowers reminded me of being young again. Exploring the woods with my friends. And it reminded me of my first time with Cooper. The way he’d held me in his arms and made me feel so important before he’d ripped it all away.
“Are you okay?”
I jumped out of my memories. Why am I so jumpy? It bothered me that I seemed on edge around everyone lately. Mostly, men. I thought about Brian and the way he’d jumped on me and I wrapped my arms around my body. “Yeah, I’m all right. I was just thinking.”
Cooper’s eyes examined me and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew something was up. It was uncanny how much he seemed to be able to see.
“Want to sit in my truck and get off your feet?”
I nodded. “Actually, that would be amazing.”
“After you,” he said as he nodded toward his truck.
Chapter Thirteen
Cooper
There was something troubling Ivy. I could see it from the way she shielded herself. She seemed withdrawn and quieter than she’d been the night before. What was going on with her? She looked like a woman haunted by something.
“Man, that’s better.” She sighed as she sank into the seat and leaned it back a bit.
I slipped my key into the ignition and turned on the radio. Dolly Parton’s voice drifted over the waves. What else would it be but Jolene? “Are you going to tell me why you decided to quit your prestigious job and come back home?” I asked.
Ivy laughed. “Prestigious. That’s a laugh. It was just a job like any other place.”
“Do you miss it?”
She shrugged. “Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“No. Not even one bit. I thought I would miss at least some of it, but the job was nothing like what I thought it would be. It was a glorified secretarial position.”
“I’m sorry, Ivy. Did you never get to report on anything important?”
“No. I was thrown scraps. Small, local things no one cared about that they could stuff into the back of papers, and on webpages no one read.”
I watched her carefully. Her voice was flat and empty and she wouldn’t look at me either, but I knew instinctively that something else was bothering her. What? “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” She sank deeper into the seat and propped her feet up on the dashboard. “I guess I didn’t sleep well. What about you? Is this what you always wanted to do in life?”
I shrugged. “Not really, but I like what I do now.”
Ivy nodded. “Tough hours to have a girlfriend though.”
I glanced at her and saw the way she eyed me. What was she looking for? My eyes automatically zeroed in on her juicy bottom lip and I had to fight the urge to reach out and run my thumb over it. God, I wanted to kiss her. I turned away from her and stared straight ahead.
“The bar does take up a lot of time, but I’m not exactly ready to date anyone right now. Most of the women that come in here get too drunk and want to round the night off with me, but I’d rather get to know someone.”
“Like you got to know me?”
I raised a brow. “Are you talking about high school?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “I guess I am.”
“Are you still pissed about that?” I asked softly.
“Hmm, let's see. You told me how great I was, hung out with me all the time, then you took my virginity and disappeared, so yeah I’m pretty pissed about it.”
“Look, Ivy, I’m real sorry about how I was back then. I was a conceited, egotistical asshole, and what I did to you was fucked up. I don’t have an excuse for my behavior. All I know is I was young, dumb, and reckless. I thought the world was my oyster and I could just reach and take anything I wanted. No co
nsequences, no regrets.”
“Cooper—”
“No, I mean it. I’ve always regretted leaving you like that. You were special. It was only after I went to college and realized the world didn’t owe me nothing was when it hit me that I’d left an important person behind.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “You don’t have to say all this.”
She didn’t believe me, but it was true. Leaving her was the thing I regretted the most. Ivy back in high school was the smart one, but she was funny too and kind when it came to helping others. I’d thought she was hot back then, but when I left I realized it was more than that. I loved being around her. She made me feel like I could do anything, and I had taken all of that for granted. “Do you think you can ever forgive me?” I asked as I searched her face.
Ivy seemed to think it over. Her face scrunched up before she slowly shook her head. “No,” she said quietly. “I appreciate you giving me this job and everything, but what you did was awful. It messed me up for a long time, and I can’t just forgive you like that. Sorry.” Then she hopped out of the passenger seat and the door closed quietly behind her.
I would have preferred it if she had slammed the door.
She stalked off to the bar, yanked the door open and disappeared inside.
I sighed and ran a hand down my face. “Shit.”
It would be a lot harder than I thought it would to make up for the past. And for her to let go of it. On top of that, I had other problems. Like the fact that whenever she was around I lost my marbles, wanted to throw her against a wall and pound the hell out of her. Life had pushed us back together for a reason, and I wanted to listen to it the second time around.
After a few more minutes alone, I slid out of my truck and locked it up. When I walked back into the bar Ivy was smiling at a group of guys and laughing as if she was having the time of her life. I wanted to throw those leering bastards out of my joint. I hated them, but there was not a damn thing I could do about them. Or any man who made eyes at her. Not yet, anyway. But soon…
Let’s Start Over Page 5