The One Real Thing

No way was Dana taking this happy moment away from him.

“Everything’s great, Doc.” He threw off the sheet. “Let me have a quick shower and I’ll get you back to the inn.” She was far too tempting standing in his doorway. He pressed into her instead of passing her by and stole a sweet kiss from her. Cooper loved how she just melted into him at the first touch. “You sure you don’t want to shower with me?”

She caught her bottom lip with her teeth and reluctantly shook her head as her hands explored his chest. “I shouldn’t.”

“You should do whatever you want.”

“If I get in the shower with you, I’ll make us late.”

That sounded too good to pass up.

Cooper took hold of the hem of her dress and drew it up over her head. Jessica raised her arms to help him relieve her of the fabric. He threw the dress in the direction of the bed and then scooped her up into his arms.

Jessica whooped with surprised laughter and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Pure joy shone out of her big hazel eyes as he carried her back into the bathroom and placed her gently on her feet in his shower.

When he got in beside her, moving her out of the way of the water—because it came on freezing cold before it turned hot—and conveniently placing her up against the wall, she said, “Best morning ever, Coop.”

Those four little words made his chest go tight with a warm ache.

“Yeah,” he murmured against her mouth. “Not going to argue with that.”

There were only a few occasions when Cooper had been late getting to the bar to open up, but each of those times he’d been able to rely on Jace to open the place. Jace had worked as a bartender at the pub for the last five years and had a key.

Sure enough, after Cooper dropped off Jessica at the inn and then pulled into the parking lot behind his bar, he saw Jace’s and Crosby’s trucks parked there.

He was really late.

But damn it had been worth it.

He grinned as he walked around front instead of going in the back door through the kitchen. When Crosby was setting up he liked peace and quiet. In fact, Crosby liked peace and quiet, period. His least favorite time of year was the current busy season because Cooper always hired another cook to help him out.

The grin Cooper wore immediately died when he stepped inside his bar. Dana was sitting on a stool, smiling and talking to Jace. They both looked up at his entrance, Dana’s eyes lighting up at the sight of him like they used to when they first started dating.

Jace had the good sense to look concerned.

“Back room. Now,” Cooper said to him, ignoring Dana completely.

His bartender reluctantly followed him into his office.

“Look, Coop, before you saying anything, you know I was angrier than anyone for what Dana pulled on you, but I found her outside and she was crying, man. She really seems like she knows she’s fucked up.”

“Jesus Christ, Jace.” Cooper glowered at his idiocy. “That woman is the most manipulative person I’ve ever met. Do you want to know why she’s really here?”

Jace crossed his arms over his chest, looking uncomfortable.

“She’s here because word reached her that I’m seeing Jessica. She knows I’ve moved on and she’s not too happy about me doing that first.”

“Fuck,” Jace muttered, running a hand over his head, looking more than a little sheepish.

Cooper walked over to him and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll forgive you once for letting her into my bar, because you’re young and when I was your age I was stupid enough to let my cock do my thinking, too. Warning, Jace: Dana is beautiful and she can be sweet . . . but then she gets her hooks in you and that all turns to shit pretty quick.”

“Coop, I’m sorry, man.”

“Wait here while I get rid of her.” He sighed, not looking forward to that task, especially pissed that she’d have to ruin the best morning he’d had in a long time.

“Cooper,” she said breathily as he walked back into the bar. She stood up from her stool and he took in what she was wearing with more than a little annoyance.

It was a tight-fitting white summer dress that contrasted with her even tan. She wore it with wedged heels with white ties that wrapped around her slim ankles. The first day she’d walked into their kitchen wearing that outfit he’d been so taken by her beauty he’d made love to her right there and made her promise to wear that dress only for him in the future.

But that was back when he thought the passion between them was enough.

Now the sight of her left him cold. Like he was staring at a pretty doll and nothing more.

He ignored her intended manipulation with the dress. “You need to leave. Right now.”

Dana hurried over to him, stopping just short of touching him when he warned her with his stern expression to not even dare. “Look . . . I stopped coming around because I knew you needed more time . . . but I can’t wait any longer. Cooper, you have to know how deeply sorry I am for what I did. I was feeling adrift from you and instead of being mature about it, I got mad and stupid and did a thing that I can’t even believe that I did.” She begged him with her eyes. “Please forgive me. Please. I miss you so much.”

Cooper wasn’t sure he didn’t believe her. The missing-him part. After all, he had taken care of her. Dana didn’t have to worry about being an adult with adult responsibilities when he was around. He felt almost sorry for her now. She was a woman who needed to be taken care of completely. And right now she was so busy seething at the idea of someone else having what she considered hers she couldn’t see far enough in front of her to realize there were any number of stupid men out there who would take care of her.