“Cooper and I are just friends . . . really,” she said somewhat hesitantly.

“If you think that, then you have some more growing up to do of your own,” Sherman told her, not unkindly.

She wanted to change the subject fast.

“What about Ace? Why is he angry at his brothers?” she questioned.

“He felt betrayed by his brothers when they did exactly as their father had wanted, getting jobs, changing into the men we always knew they could be,” Sherman said with a shake of his head. “He’s been on a mission to do the opposite of what his father insisted on since the reading of the will, but I know he’ll come around. He loves his family too much to stay too far away. I see him once in a while and it fills me with joy when I do. He can’t stay away from his brothers even if he tries to.”

“Why don’t they just make him talk to them?” She couldn’t imagine anyone refusing the Armstrong brothers when they were determined to do something.

“They most likely will do that eventually. They have to find themselves first, though, before they can save their brother.”

“I feel like I’ve invaded Cooper’s life by hearing this,” she admitted.

“Honey, I have a feeling you’re going to be the one saving Cooper.”

Stormy was silenced by his words. Long after Sherman left, she sat in the loveseat in the living room watching the fireplace flicker as the weight of his words rested on her shoulders.

She wasn’t even sure if she could save herself, let alone someone else . . .

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Was there really a way to measure time? People make comments such as I’m running late, or There’s no time to do this or that, or Time is running out . . . But really, time keeps on turning no matter how you try to measure it. There are the same amount of hours in each day, and the same amount of days in each year. Time doesn’t stop. It’s steady. It’s reliable.

And time kept on passing as Stormy remained in Cooper’s house. The cottage had been long fixed, but he’d insisted there was a mold problem in it now from the water damage. She didn’t see any mold, but she didn’t want to argue because she wanted to enjoy each moment of time she had left with Cooper.

Time. It truly was a curse, she thought. If she could have one superpower, it would be to freeze time, or at least to slow it down. Because she didn’t want her time with Cooper to end—not anytime soon.

On this beautiful summer morning, Stormy sat in the lighted bedroom with her legs curled beneath her, notepad in hand, while she sketched a pattern on paper. Pulling away, she smiled as she looked at the intricate bracelet she’d created—swirls of metal came up around a circled compass.

She’d spent days perfecting the design, originally wanting to create something for Cooper, but now knowing it was far too feminine for a man. Maybe she could use the compass to create a pin for his suit, though. It was something she’d have to think about.

Glancing up, she noticed the faint outline of the red alarm clock and the blurry numbers. She blinked to clear her vision. Once the world came into focus, Stormy realized that she’d been sitting in the same spot for hours.

She had a whole day off and the entire house all to herself so it didn’t really matter, but the cramps in her legs insisted she had to get up and move around.

The peaceful silence of her perfect morning was interrupted when her cell phone began vibrating. She smiled when she saw that it was Lindsey.

“Hey, Lindsey,” she croaked, before laughing. “Sorry, I’ve been drawing all morning. I’m just coming back to the real world.”

“Hey, darling. I need girl time. Are you free later?”

“I have the day off, so yes I am.”

“Yay. I came down last night for a medical conference, and I don’t have to be back to Bellingham until tomorrow morning.”

“What time is your conference over?”

“I’ll be finished up by noon, or should be. I’ll text when I’m done and we can meet up?”

“Okay, sounds good. Talk with you soon.”

Hanging up the phone, Stormy leapt up and decided it was time to get ready for their lunch. She could sit in the perfect light and draw all day, but she missed Lindsey so she headed into the bathroom.

She saw a bright blue envelope taped to the mirror and slowly approached it, a smile on her lips.

Before Cooper, she’d never received notes before. She liked it.

Her name was beautifully written out in calligraphy on the back of it, so she carefully took it down and ran her fingers along the seal before opening it.

Inside was a card and a pressed rose. She pulled both out and gently set the rose on the counter before reading the note.

My Dear Stormy,

Meet me at Trans Pacific’s hangar number 7 at eight tonight.

Wear a dress—and nothing else.

Cooper

Instant heat surged through her at the words. She had wasted too much time not being in Cooper’s bed, and now that she’d had him again, she couldn’t get enough of the man.

“It seems I have a date to get ready for,” she whispered as she glanced at herself in the mirror. Then to her surprise a giggle escaped.

A new dress was certainly in order. Though time kept on ticking, Stormy ignored it. Because as long as they were together, she wanted to make sure he never forgot her again.

That meant she was going to knock his socks off—and his pants, too.

Rushing to get dressed and ready so she could run out the door the minute Lindsey called, Stormy found herself restless as she sat on the back deck checking her phone every two minutes.