Chapter Fifteen
Emma
I studied Cooper’s expression, fighting the urge to spill my guts to him and get everything I was dealing with off my chest. It should be easy to do just that, but it had been a long time since I could put my heart, my emotions, out in the open. I didn’t want to do that again just to let another guy disappoint me in the end. And as I sat there across from Cooper, considering the kindness in his eyes, I wanted him to be different.
I knew the only way I would be able to move forward with whatever we had between us would be to trust him. So, did I think he was a trustworthy guy? Was I capable of taking that leap of faith again? I had never even told Tim, in months of dating, what I was contemplating revealing to Cooper. I wanted to share my struggles with someone, to have someone tell me that I was doing the right things, someone who would be there to tell me it would be okay when I felt like I’d failed my dad. All in all, I just wanted someone to be there beside me and try to understand what I was going through. In so many ways, I felt like Cooper could be that person.
“Okay,” I finally said, deciding to throw caution to the wind. Cooper had never given me any reason to doubt that he was genuine. I couldn’t think of a single way he wasn’t different from the rest of the guys I’d dated in the past. If anything, he’d given me hope. And that was something still very fragile for me. Something about Cooper had me thinking in terms of the future. I could only hope he felt the same.
Cooper reached across again and I allowed him to take my trembling hands in his, grateful for the support he was providing. “As you know, my mom died when I was young. Ten years old, actually. She died of cancer. For a while, it was just my dad and me taking on the world. He helped mold me into the person I am today.”
“He did a great job,” Cooper said softly, his thumb rubbing the back of my hand.
“Yes, yes, he did. Regardless of how I turned out,” I said, clearing my throat. I owed everything to my dad. “Well, about two years ago, he started to lose weight and he was coughing all the time. At first, we thought it was just a cold that he couldn’t shake but when I finally got him to the doctor’s office and they ran some tests, we found out he had cancer in one of his lungs.” Cooper’s hands tightened on mine and something in the depths of my core wished I had his arms around me instead, cocooning me in his warmth. I took a deep breath and continued. “They took out part of his lung and he went through a battery of treatments. He’s doing pretty good now, but his monthly medications are super expensive.”
I didn’t want to admit it to Cooper, but most of my paycheck and tips went toward Dad’s medical costs every month, leaving me very little for my own bills. Dad constantly fussed at me for attempting to take care of him, but I knew he couldn’t afford it on his disability checks alone. Besides, he was the only family I had left.
“How much are we talking about, Emma?” Cooper asked sympathetically.
“It’s, well, about a thousand dollars a month between the two meds,” I answered softly. “Sometimes more but never less.” It seemed like each month I thought I was doing pretty good, something would go up or Dad would need a different kind of medication and any thought of actually attempting to save money would go right out the window. It was a vicious cycle, one I wished we didn’t have to live in, but it was the life we were given and I was trying to make the most out of it.
Cooper whistled through his teeth, his thumbs still drawing lazy circles on the backs of my hands. “That’s a lot of money to be shelling out every month. How do you do it, Emma? How do you afford everything else?”
“Tips.” I shrugged, thinking that my tips had been extra good as of late. They kept me afloat and if money was ever running extremely low, I ate at the bar. Chris always gave me a discounted rate for food for both myself and Dad. He had saved me more than once from starvation. “It can be difficult, but I get by. I just do the best I can. Don’t we all struggle at some point in our lives?” I would like to think my lucky side of the coin had to be looking up soon, though. Was Cooper the start of something good and positive in my life? I wasn’t sure. I hoped so.
“I’m glad you shared this with me,” Cooper finally said after a moment, his expression pensive. “And I wish you would let me help you, Emma.”
“Oh no.” I laughed a little, gently pulling my hands free from his. “I didn’t tell you just for you to offer to help me, Cooper. I’ve been doing fine on my own and will continue to do so until I’m able to finish college and get a job where I don’t have to constantly worry about money. I am doing fine; my dad is getting what he needs.” I smiled back at the man who was clearly being sincere. “But thank you for listening. It feels good to get that off my chest.”
He didn’t look convinced so I was grateful when Enrique brought out two baskets of his specialty wings and beer-battered onion rings, giving us something else to focus on for a few moments.
“So, tell me something that happened today at work, something funny,” I asked, hoping to change the subject and lighten the mood.
Cooper smiled an understanding smile and then launched into a story about Betty trying to juggle five tables at once. I just listened to his voice, letting the deep baritone wash over me and my inward sadness. It was nice for Cooper to want to help me, but I didn’t want charity. It was one reason I hadn’t told anyone at Keefer’s except Chris, who I knew I didn’t have to worry about spreading gossip, even with his big mouth. I was glad to hear that he hadn’t been the one to tip off Cooper. I didn’t want people feeling sorry for me. I was happy. Tired, but happy and glad that my dad was still around for me to take care of.
Cooper finished his story as we polished off the rest of the onion rings. Cooper protested when I attempted to pay, fighting to get his card to Enrique before I could get mine into his pudgy little hands. Then we ending up rolling with laughter as we both bombarded the poor chef with our preferred method of payment. In the end, I let Cooper win and together we said goodbye to Enrique before walking out to the car.
Cooper opened the driver’s side door for me, allowing me to climb in before he shut it and walked around, climbing in himself. “Those were perhaps the best wings I have ever had.”
“I told you,” I said smugly, cranking the engine and driving back to the bar. “Enrique wins the local wing cook-off contest every year here. He’s been the champ for eight years running.”
“I can see why,” Cooper answered as we pulled into the parking lot and I parked by his car, killing the lights.
I turned to look at him and found him staring at me, his gaze intense. “Would you like to take a walk? I haven’t been out on the beach at night yet and I’ve been wanting to.”
“I’d like that very much,” I replied. Breathing in a little salt air sounded like just what I needed. Cooper hurried out of the car and around to my side before I could open my own door. I had to admit, I was rather fond of his Southern manners. A girl could get used to being treated with such respect and chivalry. We stopped at the back deck of Keefer’s and removed our shoes, sticking them under one of the built-in benches for safe keeping.
To add to his Southern charm, he held his arm out as we started down the sandy path beside Keefer’s toward the shoreline. I slipped my arm through his and leaned gently against him as we walked. It was one of those perfect weather, cloudless sky nights. It was the kind of night that the moon offered enough light that you could go surfing and see down the coastline for a mile, only the waves were calm and low.
We had walked down the beach for about ten minutes before Cooper broke the silence.
“I hope I didn’t embarrass you tonight, Emma. I understand the need to protect your family and to provide for them. I would do the same for my mom.”
“Thank you, Cooper,” I said softly. “It means a lot that you understand how I feel about it. And I’d really like to keep this a secret from everyone else, okay?”
“You don’t even have to ask,” he replied.
“Good,” I said as I stepped away from him toward the water, wading in until it was up to my knees. I glared back at him mischievously and then splashed him. “Because if you start talking, I might have to hurt you.”
His face lit up with that heart-stopping crooked smile that I couldn’t seem to resist. “Is that so?”
“Yep. It is.”
He started toward me but stopped a few feet short, bending down to rake his hand slowly through the water, only at the end he rushed through and showered me with salt water. I immediately began my retaliation. We splashed back and forth for a minute, moving closer and closer to our respective targets with each attack. When I was merely a couple of feet from him, I took a step forward to splash him again but my foot landed in a hole. I lost my balance and fell into Cooper’s arms instead of bombarding him with water as intended. He pulled me up until I was securely on my feet once more. I looked up at him, his arms now firmly around my waist to steady me.
“We have really got to stop meeting like this,” he smirked and then brushed one finger gently across my forehead, pushing aside a strand of hair the ocean breeze had blown into my face. Our eyes locked and, without hesitation, his fingers traced back down my cheek and tangled themselves into the hair at the base of my neck. The simple touch of his skin trailing over mine sent a shudder through me, but it was nothing compared to the electricity that coursed through me as he leaned over and brushed his lips over mine, sending a shiver down my spine. His other hand came up to cup my cheek gently as he angled my face, his lips pressing ever so harder. I allowed my hand to trail up his broad shoulder and entangle itself in his hair, a wealth of feelings taking over in my body, my nerves drumming with anticipation.
His thumb stroked my jaw and I opened my mouth, his tongue sweeping in. Cooper tasted of peppermint with a hint of beer and wings. His tongue danced lazily with mine as he explored my mouth for the first time. The kiss was both heaven and hell, electrifying and extremely tender at the same time, making me want more and more of him. When he pulled back, I found that every cell in my body was disappointed by the broken connection. It was vastly different than what I was used to and I was okay with that.
“I hope you don’t mind, I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he said softly, a sincere look on his face. “I hope it was okay.”
“I don’t know. I think you need to try it again so I can decide,” I replied with a grin. I could spend all night with him kissing me that way. I felt cherished, safe, and not at all rushed or pressured like some men had made me feel in the past. Cooper kissing me was way beyond okay.
After several more minutes of me melting into Cooper’s embrace, he planted a soft kiss on the tip of my nose and then my forehead.
“I should probably let you get home. It’s getting kind of late, and I know you have to get up early.”
I doubt he saw it, but my mouth literally turned up in a pout. I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to the moment to end. It was perfect. By far the most perfect first kiss I’d ever experienced. Damn Cooper and his considerate, Southern manners.
I sighed. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Let’s head back, but I’m doing so in protest.”
He chuckled and kissed my forehead again. An action that just endeared him to me even more.
We walked back up the beach toward Keefer’s, pausing a couple of times along the way to get another kiss in. It took a little longer to get back than it probably should have, but I was okay with that. In my opinion, I reached my car much too soon.
“Good night, Emma,” Cooper said, opening my door. “Please be careful going home.”
“You, too,” I replied as he pushed it shut. I waited until he was safely in his car before I left the parking lot, turning toward home. My lips were still tingling from the memory of his kisses. What had just happened between us gave me a lot to think about on the ride home. I was ready for this, wasn’t I? After all, I had just told Cooper something extremely personal about me, letting him into that area of my life moved him up another rung on the relationship ladder. I felt like I was ready. At the moment, I didn’t feel any regrets for what I had done. Actually, the weight on my chest felt lighter than it had in a long time, the burden of my need to keep my life private had lessened somewhat. And that kiss . . . just thinking about it made a stupid grin break out on my face. That had definitely been right.
* * * * *
I pulled into a parking space at my apartment building a short while later, shutting off the engine with a sigh. I vaguely remember the building itself being a bright white stucco at one time, but the weather and salt air had reduced the gleaming finish to a dingy mess that was peeling in certain places. Its inhabitants didn’t seem to mind as long as the apartments were livable, myself included. Most of my neighbors were over the age of sixty-five, which made living in this building safer as a single woman. My apartment wasn’t much, smaller than the bar area of Keefer’s, but it served its purpose.
Stepping out of the car, I grabbed my purse and walked up to the building, using my key to push the door open and close it behind me, hearing the satisfying click in return. Instead of taking the stairs to my second-story apartment like I normally did, I walked down the hall to the super’s apartment, rapping on the door loudly. The sound of the evening news blared through the door as I heard the throwing of locks, putting a smile on my face as the door opened.
“Emma, my dear! I was wondering when you were going to make your way over.”
“Hey, William,” I said. “Got a minute?”
“For you, I got all day.” He grinned, waving me in. “Come in, have a seat. I’ll get you some tea.” I loved my landlord, I couldn’t ask for a better one than William. He was a feisty Englishman, accent and all, who had owned and lived in the building for over thirty years. If asked, he’d tell you he’s a confirmed bachelor. William and my dad had been great friends for as long as I could remember. Hence, me moving into a building where the population was mostly over retirement age when I had decided to strike out on my own. I considered William the uncle I never had and he treated me like family.
I made myself at home and took a seat on his comfortable couch as he banged around in the kitchen, presumably looking for a decent mug to serve the tea in. William was a crazy tea drinker and not tea like most Americans would drink. He preferred it hot, with a touch of honey and lemon. And he still had the leaves shipped in bulk from his home country so he could still enjoy a ‘good strong English tea.'
I smiled as he came out of the kitchen and handed me a steaming cup, settling into his favorite chair with a mug of his own. “So, my dear, what brings you by?”
“I just wanted to check on you,” I answered, blowing on the hot liquid.
William grinned and shook his head. “While I appreciate the sentiment, Emma, you’ve never just come to check on me, darlin’, unless I’m sick. So, spill the beans, tell me how it’s really going.”
I laughed. William could always spot something odd going on. Over the years, I’d found that I could tell things about my life to him that I couldn’t tell to Dad. I didn’t want my dad to worry about me. “Okay, so you got me. I’ve met a guy, I think.”
“You think?” he questioned, raising his eyebrow. “Honey, if you don’t know if he’s a guy, you might want to stay away from him.”
“No, no,” I said, red-faced. “Smarty. He’s most definitely a guy. He’s from out of town and is here visiting his family.”
“A long-distance relationship then,” William replied.
“More like cross country,” I muttered, thinking about the possibility that Cooper might have to return home. Was he considering living here? I mean, he had gotten a job and everything. “But, he’s working at Keefer’s, so I don’t know.”
“Well, is he a nice lad?” William asked as he sipped his tea. “I hope he’s better than that Tim was.” He mumbled something incoherently under his breath that I was certain he’d tell me wasn’t intended for the ears of a lady.
“He’s much better than Tim was,” I replied, a hint of a smile on my lips as I thought about the tender kisses we had shared just an hour before. “He’s nice and considerate and kind. He even opens my doors for me. I really think he likes me.”
“Well,” he said. “It sounds like this guy is a no brainer then.”
“I just worry about trusting him,” I sighed, taking a sip of my tea. “I told him about Dad, but I don’t know if I can fully trust him with . . . well—”
“With you heart, you mean, darlin'.”
I shook my head. My heart was still fragile and the last thing I wanted to happen was for it to be crushed yet again by another guy I thought I could trust. “Am I crazy?”
William chuckled and shook his head, looking at me over the rim of his cup. “Crazy? No. There should always be a small degree of concern when it comes to matters of the heart, my dear. Love is a funny, fickle thing. I guess my question would be, do you feel safe with him?”
I thought about all the times I had been in Cooper’s presence, from the first moment we met, to the night he protected me from Tim’s rage inside the grille, to just a little while before when I had practically told him my life story. There hadn’t been a single shred of doubt from any of those times that Cooper hadn’t made me feel safe.
“Yes,” I finally said, my voice soft and full of emotion. “I do feel safe around him.”
“There you go,” William announced. “Keep that close to your heart and remember that. Everything else will fall into place. You’re a smart girl, Em. You know when it’s not going to work out or when you’re being played.”
I nodded, thinking about all the times that internal warning light had gone off with the different guys over the years, including Tim. I didn’t have those with Cooper. In fact, every moment I spent with him made me want to spend more and more time with him. He made life seem a little bit brighter each day.
“Thanks, William,” I replied, taking another sip of my tea. “You always put things in perspective.”
“That’s what I do.” William grinned, holding his cup in the air in a mock toast. “Now let me tell you what Mrs. Wiggins did today.”
* * * * *
“Miss, oh miss!”
Pasting on a smile, I walked over to the table where the woman was waving me down with her napkin. I had just served her table their meals and so far they had been quite the needy group. “Yes?” I asked.
She pointed to her burger, where the top bun had been peeled off. “I asked for no onions. There are onions on here.”
“I’m so sorry.” I frowned, thinking that I didn’t remember her making that request as part of her order at all. “Let me remedy that for you.”
I reached for her plate and she stopped my hand, shaking her head. “No, I know what cooks do when you send food back. I’ve watched those shows on TV. I will just take them off, but I wanted to let you know that you got my order wrong.”
I gave her a tight smile and forced myself to walk away, thinking the woman was loony, just like the rest of our customers had been today. No one was pleased by anything so far, complaining about the food, the service, and even the way Betty’s shoes had squeaked when she walked by. It had to be a full moon or something that would explain this weird behavior!
I pushed the door to the kitchen open and stepped through, passing Betty, who was on her way out with her hands full of plates. “I’m going on my break, okay?”
“Sure, go ahead,” she responded, giving me a smile as she pushed through the door. I stepped to my locker and extracted the brown bag lunch I had fixed myself that morning. I headed outside, wanting to get out of the building for a few moments. There was a picnic table off to the side of the employee parking lot, giving us full access to view the main parking lot. I sat down, placing my bag in front of me. I enjoyed people watching on my break, but it also gave me a good idea if the place was filling up and I would need to cut my break short. I didn’t want to leave anyone swimming in customers.
Pulling a sandwich and an apple from the bag, I surveyed the parking lot, noticing a gorgeous, older model Corvette in excellent condition parked in one of the spots. It stood out amongst the new model cars and I casually wondered if it was the angry woman’s I had just dealt with inside. If so, I wouldn’t be expecting a big tip from her. She hadn’t asked for any modifications to her burger, but for some reason she felt the need to say so after the fact. I chuckled aloud at the idea that she really believed we wiped the floors with people’s food or spit on it before we served it back to them.
Cooper would have gotten a big kick out of that had he been working. But, it was his day off and I sorely missed him. After my talk with William, I found myself wanting to see Cooper and test the theory of the warning lights once more, just to make sure. I didn’t expect anything different to happen, though, and for that reason alone I was anxious to see him again. Maybe this really was what I had been looking for. Maybe Cooper had appeared at just the right time.
With a sigh, I finished my lunch and cleaned up my mess, walking back through the kitchen to let Betty know I was back.
“Oh, hey, here this was left for you,” she said, pulling an envelope out of her pocket and handing it to me.
I frowned as I took it, turning it over in my hands. “Which table was it?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Betty said with a shrug. “The woman approached me and said to give it to you for the lovely service.”
I put the envelope in my pocket with the rest of the meager tips I had garnered and looked at the table that had given me trouble early. Sure enough, it was empty, the scattered plates waiting for cleanup for the next party. On a whim, I walked to the front of the bar and peered out into the parking lot, seeing that the car I had ogled earlier was now gone. Maybe I had been right, maybe that woman had owned the car and decided that she had been mistaken in the order after all.
Patting my pocket, I turned back to the bar. It was time to make the rest of these customers happy as well.
* * * * *
After three long hours, I wiped down the last table and threw my rag into the nearby bucket, my back aching from all the running I’d done since arriving at work. The second half of my day had been just as difficult as the first part, the customers just as unhappy with their service, food, whatever . . . you name it, they complained about it.
“God, what a day,” Betty sighed as she slid into the booth I had just wiped down, emptying her pockets of the tips she’d garnered. “I didn’t make nowhere near enough to make up for the abuse I endured today.”
“It wasn’t just you, I promise,” I said as I grinned and did the same, the envelope I had forgotten about falling out onto the table with the rest of my tips. “Might as well see what this is about,” I said as I pulled open the flap and extracted a handful of travelers checks. I counted them in disbelief and did a double take at the amount on each of them, blood rushing to my ears. “W-who did you say that woman was?” I asked Betty.
“I don’t know,” Betty replied. “Emma, are you okay? You look kinda pale.”
With shaking hands, I pushed the check over to her, watching her eyes widen as she read the amount. “Ten grand for a tip? You’ve got to be kidding me! Is this legit?”
I picked up the checks and looked at each one, seeing nothing that stood out to say it wasn’t. The name payable to scribbled on each one was my name. “I . . . I guess so.”
“What did you do to get that kind of tip?” Betty asked as she counted out her bills with a pout on her face.
I shrugged and stared at the check, still unsure of what to do with it. Surely they had meant to leave me ten dollar checks instead of ten at a grand each. It had to be a mistake. I should call this woman immediately and tell her she made a mistake, but there was no name, return number, or address on the checks. I hadn’t seen that amount of money at one time, ever. It would do so much for me at this moment, the bills for Dad’s medication were overdue by two months. I could pay them off and do so much more. But should I accept these?
Grabbing the envelope and the rest of my cash, I stuffed it back into my pocket and climbed out of the booth. “I’m gone.”
“I would be too if I had that kind of cash burning a hole in my pocket,” Betty said dryly. “Seems it’s your lucky day, my friend.”
“Yes, yes, it does,” I replied as I hurried to my locker to grab my stuff. After waving goodbye to Chris, I walked out to my car, pulling out my cell phone excitedly. I knew exactly who to call.
Dialing the number, I let it ring once and smiled when his voice filled my ear. “Hey, Cooper.”
“Emma,” he said. “How are you? Did you have a good day?”
“I had the best,” I rushed out, climbing into the car. “Something crazy happened to me today, Cooper, something really crazy.”
“Well, this I have to hear,” he said, humor in his voice. I pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the main road, my pulse bounding. “Cooper, some lady left a huge tip! I don’t know who it was or what I did to deserve it, but . . . I just, my God, I just can’t believe it.”
Cooper whistled in my ear. “Wow, Emma. That is crazy. Why would someone do such a thing? I mean you’re great and all but I have only ever heard stories of people being tipped like that before.”
“I know, right?” I said, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. “What should I do with it?”