“It doesn’t, but you have to remember that you’re one half of a team and not the boss of her life,” Tyler said. “You need to treat her like an equal.”
“And not let the fear overtake you,” Boone added. “If you keep this up, you’re going to drive her away on your own. It’s not going to matter what Astra does. You’ll be the captain of your own sinking ship, and I know that’s not what you want.”
Honestly, it was the exact opposite of what Cooper wanted. “I know. I ... .” He trailed off when he caught sight of Jacob, who was heading in their direction. “We need to table this conversation for now.”
“Yeah.” Boone’s expression was serious. “You already know what you have to do anyway.”
“Grovel,” Tyler teased.
“Shut up,” Cooper growled, although his lips curved. He wasn’t opposed to groveling if it became necessary. For now, though, he focused on Jacob. “How goes the investigation?”
“It’s slow-going,” Jacob admitted. “I went through the entire storage room and there were no other live rounds.”
“We know,” Boone replied. “We checked, too. Technically there was no live round in the body.”
“Yeah, none of it makes sense.” Jacob scratched his hand over his cheek. “I hate to say it, but until we figure out what’s going on, I’m going to have to order a shutdown of the town. I know it might be difficult for Ms. Hickok, but there’s simply no way around it.”
“I’m pretty sure she was expecting that,” Boone said. “She’ll understand.”
“I would like to be the one to tell her.”
“I’ll tell her,” Cooper countered. “She’s expecting me in her apartment anyway. We’re spending a bit of time together and ... the news will be better coming from me.”
For a moment, Jacob looked as if he was going to argue, but ultimately he nodded. “Fair enough. I’m going to do another swing around the town and then call it a day. I need to do some thinking. This one is truly baffling ... although your dead re-enactor obviously had something to do with it.”
Cooper didn’t believe that for a second, but he nodded all the same. “I’ll head over and tell Hannah the news. Thank you for your diligence.”
“It’s my job. You don’t have to thank me.”
“Still, we’re glad to have you on the team. I’ll talk to you later.”
COOPER FOUND HANNAH SITTING ON the couch with a huge history book open on her lap. Her attention appeared to be rapt, but he knew her well enough to recognize that her mind was drifting.
“A kiss for your thoughts,” he teased, sliding onto the couch next to her.
She lifted her eyes and accepted the kiss with a sigh. “I’m just ... confused.”
“Oh, yeah?” Cooper turned his attention to the book. “Have you figured out what a magical nexus is?”
“No, although I have found mention of it in this book. It says it’s a convergence of magical entities. To me, that seems to indicate that we have more than one big bad.”
Amusement slid over Cooper’s features. “Big bad?”
“It’s a thing,” she said defensively.
“That you saw on television?”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not a thing.”
“Fair enough.” He held up his hands in capitulation, amused despite himself. Then he remembered Jacob’s words. He’d been expecting the determination but that didn’t mean Hannah would be happy with the turn. “Jacob is doing another round and then leaving.”
“You saw him, huh? Did he say anything?”
“Not really.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“He did tell us that, until we know what’s going on, Casper Creek can’t be opened to the public.” Cooper braced himself for a meltdown, but she simply nodded.
“I figured. The truth is, I don’t want anyone up here until we know what’s going on anyway. I’m thinking we should send all the workers away, too. I can try to watch Tyler’s animals, although I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing. That way he would be safe, though.”
“Tyler isn’t going to leave and you know it.” Cooper forced himself to remain calm. She was already starting to wall herself off. “He won’t leave the animals ... and he won’t leave you either. That’s not who he is.”
“I know but—”
“No.” Cooper cut her off with a firm headshake. “We’re a team, Hannah. That means we’re in this together. As for the others, though ... .” He trailed off, thinking of Becky. “I’ll send word to Danielle. I think only the other coven members were hanging around today. I’ll make sure they don’t come back until we send word that it’s safe.”
Hannah nodded. “I guess that’s something.”
“It is.” He moved his hand to her neck and started massaging. “Tell me what you’ve found out about the nexus. I’m not sure I believe anything Astra says, but occasionally she has good information so I don’t want to dismiss it outright.”
“I haven’t been able to find a lot,” Hannah admitted. “I’ll bet there is more information to be discovered in the books once I dig in.”
“Is that your plan for the entire night?”
“Do you have another suggestion?”
This time the smile he offered was wide. “I might have one. I think you need a change of scenery.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning we’re going into town for dinner.”
“But I have research to do.”
“And it can wait until after you’ve eaten. You need a break from this place. I do, too. We’ll go to dinner and then come back and do research together.”
Hannah was prepared to shoot down the suggestion and then she thought better of it. “You know, a nice dinner sounds great.”
“I’m thinking red meat. Steak and potatoes.”
She grinned. “Comfort food.”
“Exactly.”
She cuddled closer. “Where do I sign up?”
He tapped his lips suggestively. “Where do you think?”
“Well, it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.”
“That’s my girl.”
9
Nine
Cooper picked a spot he knew on the lake. It was a restaurant Hannah had never been to before and she was absolutely delighted when she saw the twinkle lights on the patio.
“Oh, wow.”
Cooper slid her a sidelong look, smiling at the way her eyes lit up. She filled him with joy even in the middle of a crisis. “They have good food, too,” he promised.
“I didn’t think I was hungry until you said that,” she admitted ruefully, slipping her hand in his. “I’m starving, though.”
“You’ve had a big day.”
“Yeah.”
“We’re going to talk about it after we order.” He was firm. As much as he wanted her to relax, he also wanted to touch on a few things that were bothering him.
“Are you angry?” Hannah looked almost pained at the prospect.
“No.” He attempted to reassure her by squeezing her hand. When her expression didn’t change, he heaved out a sigh. “I’m not happy. I understand why you went down there. I just ... you mean a lot to me, Hannah. I’m allowed to be afraid for you.”
She nodded without hesitation. “I’m afraid for you, too.”
He frowned. “Because of what Astra said?”
“I know you want me to say no, to discard everything she told me, but I’m not sure I can.”
“Well, we’re going to talk about that, too.” Cooper kept a firm grip on her hand as they moved to the hostess stand. “It can wait until after we order our food, though.”
“Fair enough.” Hannah slid closer to him so he could put his arm around her shoulders, lifting her eyes to the clear blue sky. “It’s a nice night for a fight.”
Amused despite himself, he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Believe it or not, I don’t happen to believe it’s going to be a big fight.”
“That will be nice.”
“Definitely.”
THEIR TABLE WAS LOCATED ON THE FAR edge of the patio, with a clear view of the lake, and Hannah sighed as she cocked her head and listened to the noises of the night.
“This place is beautiful,” she enthused, grabbing the specials menu from the center of the table. “I can’t believe you’ve never brought me here before. It feels like you’ve been holding out.”
Cooper snickered. “Honestly, I’ve never been here before. Boone told me about this place a few weeks ago, said it would be good for a romantic date, and he once brought me takeout when we were having lunch and it was very good.”
“And you’re just now bringing me?” Hannah let loose a teasing tsk. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“I wanted to save it for when we both needed something different.”
“Like a break from reality?”
“Like ... a night together.” He patted her hand as it rested on top of the table. “It’s going to be okay. I know it feels like a lot right now, but we’re going to figure it out.”
She shifted her eyes to him, thoughtful. “Do you ever get tired of telling me that? It seems to me that’s your usual refrain because I’m freaking out over one thing or another.”
“I never get tired of anything where you’re concerned,” he countered. “You’re one of those people who makes the world better simply by being in it. You’re magical ... on more than one level. I could never get tired of you.”
The waitress picked that moment to arrive at the edge of the table, her order pad ready, and she let loose a wistful sigh as she looked between the couple. “Oh, man. I just got dumped two weeks ago. You guys are going to make me believe in love again and take a chance on another loser. I hate you already on principle.”
Cooper flashed a smile, amused. “The trick is to find the right person,” he said, winking for Hannah’s benefit. “That makes a world of difference.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.” The woman’s name tag read “Jenn” and she was all smiles as she glanced between faces. “Geez. You two are so pretty you should be on the pages of a magazine. No wonder you’re falling all over each other.”
Hannah’s cheeks colored with embarrassment as Cooper offered up an indulgent smile. “It’s all her. She’s beautiful so it reflects on me.”
“Oh, honey, if you could only hear yourself.” Jenn shook her head. “You’re both ridiculously attractive and you say sweet things to each other. You guys are awesome ... and kind of obnoxious at the same time. I’m supposed to be on a break from men. Ah, well ... .” She graced them with a delighted smile. “Do you know what you want to drink?”
“We’ll have a bottle of your house red wine,” Cooper replied automatically. “I mean ... if that’s okay with you, Hannah?”
She nodded. “You mentioned red meat. That’s what I want. Nothing goes better with red meat than red wine.”
“Then you came to the right place,” Jenn said. “The house bottle has great flavor.”
“I want a glass of water, too, please,” Hannah added.
“I’ll bring out a pitcher of water,” Jenn reassured them. “Do you want any appetizers?”
Hannah’s initial instinct was to shake her head, but when Cooper nodded and reached for the menu she stilled. “You really must be hungry.”
“We’ve had a long day,” he replied, his brow furrowing as he studied the options. “Can we get one of the three-appetizer samplers? Um ... Hannah loves stuffed mushrooms, so give us those.” He flicked his eyes to his girlfriend. “Do you like mozzarella sticks? I’m trying to remember.”
“I like anything,” she automatically responded.
He frowned. “I don’t ever remember you eating mozzarella sticks. Let’s go with the stuffed mushrooms, zucchini fritti, and calamari.”
Jenn nodded as she wrote it down. “If you’re in the mood for a nice steak, we’ve got a great porterhouse on the specials menu. Also, there’s prime rib ... although you guys look pretty fit so you probably don’t eat a lot of fatty beef.”
“That’s where you would be wrong.” Cooper patted his stomach with a smile. “The reason I work out so much is so I can eat fatty beef.”
“Good point.” Jenn beamed at hm. “I’ll put your appetizers in and be back with your drinks.”
Cooper watched her go with a half-smile and then turned his full attention to Hannah. “I think she’s hot for me. You should probably move your chair closer to protect me in case she makes a move.”
Hannah snorted and shook her head. It somehow seemed wrong to be happy in the face of what was happening at Casper Creek, but Cooper brought out the best in her and she legitimately enjoyed their time together. “I’ll fight for your honor if it comes to it.” She wasn’t surprised when she felt Cooper’s legs move to either side of hers under the cozy table. He was a tactile individual and his proximity was enough to get her to relax. “I haven’t had prime rib in a long time.”
“Then you should definitely get that,” Cooper enthused. “I know that’s what I’m getting.” He leaned back in his chair and studied her. The moonlight on the patio lit her features in such a way that she almost looked as if she was glowing. “Have I ever told you that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen?”
Hannah jerked up her eyes, surprised at the naked emotion in his voice. “I ... you ... .”
He smirked at the way she shifted on her chair. “You’re horrible at taking a compliment.”
“That’s because I think you’re exaggerating,” she said after a beat. “It’s nice to hear all the same, though.”
“Oh, I’m not exaggerating. You’re beautiful.”
“I ... .” Uncomfortable with his probing gaze, Hannah shifted her eyes to a nearby table. There, a man sat by himself, eight plates of food scattered over a large table, and methodically plowed through each offering. The sight was somehow jarring. “That’s ... a lot of food.”
Cooper recognized she was trying to change the subject, but he looked all the same. “It is,” he agreed. “It looks like he’s eating the prime rib now if you want a better look.”
“I ... .” Hannah frowned as she studied the man in question. She didn’t like making snap judgments about the appearance of others, but this individual was large, to the point of being unhealthy, and he was steadily shoveling in food as if it were about to be outlawed. “That’s a big piece of beef.”
Cooper’s eyebrows hiked at the observation.
“I mean ... the prime rib,” she added hurriedly, annoyed at herself when she realized that what she said could’ve been taken as an insult. “I didn’t mean him.”
“Uh-huh.” Cooper didn’t look convinced. He also didn’t appear bothered. “I think the prime rib looks good.”
Hannah surprised herself when she reached for the menu a second time. “I might just look again.”
“Knock yourself out.” Now that they had a lull while waiting for the waitress to return, Cooper decided it was probably time to turn the conversation to more serious subjects. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t go down to the creek alone until this is over with.”
His voice was soft, but the strain behind it was enough to have Hannah snapping up her head. “It wasn’t a conscious choice,” she started.
“Oh, it was.” He made a clucking sound with his tongue and shook his head. “You wanted to talk to Astra. Admit it.”
“I ... .” She couldn’t lie to him. It was one thing to lie to herself. Him, though ... . “I was hopeful she might be down there,” Hannah admitted after a beat. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but she knows more about this stuff than I. She ... is smarter than I am.”
His frown was pronounced. “She is not smarter than you. She’s simply been around this stuff longer than you. I don’t like it when you cast aspersions on your intelligence. You’re the smartest person I know.”
His reaction was enough to garner a genuine smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m being serious.” He folded hi
s arms over his chest and regarded her. “You’re too smart for your own good sometimes. Pretending otherwise is ... stupid.” He smirked at his own joke. “Astra is not smarter than you.”
“Maybe smarter isn’t the correct word,” Hannah conceded. “She is more knowledgeable ... especially when it comes to stuff like this. She came up with the nexus information.”
“And we’re not sure if we’re dealing with that,” Cooper pointed out. “In fact ... I know you want to cut down on the people who are allowed on the grounds at Casper Creek right now, but I don’t think it would be the worst idea in the world to allow Jackie out there. As head of the coven, she might be able to help us.”
Hannah glanced around at the word “coven” to see if anybody was listening. Her eyes immediately went back to the man at the center of the restaurant, who had moved on to another plate of food. “I ... don’t ... know.”
Cooper followed her gaze. “You’re not going to eat the prime rib now, are you?”
“I haven’t decided.” In truth, Hannah felt sick to her stomach, which wasn’t her normal reaction when someone was enjoying a good meal. She couldn’t put her finger on why this response had somehow been triggered, but she couldn’t shake it. “I might get soup and a salad.”
“Oh, you’re not getting soup and a salad,” he fired back, his gaze moving to the tables on the other side of the hungry man. To his utter surprise, he found the people sitting at them — most who looked to be on dates like Hannah and him — were shoveling in food faster than they could chew. “You’re getting the prime rib.”
After monitoring where Cooper’s eyes went, Hannah shifted her attention to the other side of the patio. There, every table was taken ... and the people sitting in their chairs were eating so fast that food was flowing down the fronts of shirts and landing on cheeks. “Cooper ... .”
“I see it.” Instinctively, he reached across the table and gathered her hand.
“This isn’t normal, right?”
“I’ve been hungry a time or two but never this hungry,” Cooper replied, slowly getting to his feet. “I know you liked the view and everything, baby, but I’m thinking we should go someplace else.”
The Monstrous Seven (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 4) Page 9