The next morning, while Phoenix inhaled her usual cup of coffee at the camp store, Coop came in, the dog held in one arm. Her ears bounced with each step he took, and she appeared to be smiling as she looked around at everyone and everything.
Such a happy little dog. Seeing her made Phoenix happy, too.
She needed a leash, a collar and probably a dozen other things.
As soon as the pup saw Phoenix, she wriggled to get down. There were very few people in the store this early, so Coop set her on her feet, and she came charging over, her ears blowing back, her frantically wagging tail visible in her whole body.
“Hello, sugar.” Phoenix crouched down and hugged the dog close, accepting the doggy kisses to her face.
“Sugar?” Coop asked. “Is that what we’re calling her?”
One more thing the dog needed: a name. “It was just an endearment.”
“She is sweet,” Coop said as he considered the dog, then he mumbled, “When I’m not trying to sleep, that is.”
Uh-oh. “She kept you up?”
“No, she slept fine—once I let her into the bedroom with me.”
Picturing that brought a smile to her face. “She slept with you?”
“In my closet, actually.” Coop gratefully took the cup of coffee that Maris handed to him, thanking her before taking a drink.
Making a sound of appreciation, he pulled out the chair next to Phoenix and sat. “She refused to sleep in the kitchen, as I originally planned. You should have heard her howling. It was pitiful.”
“Awww.” Phoenix cuddled the dog closer, then kissed the top of her furry little head.
“I couldn’t take it.”
“Of course you couldn’t. Neither could I. I bet she was scared.”
“After what she’d been through, then coming to an unfamiliar place, I’m sure it was all spooky to her.” He took another drink, then sighed. “Soon as I let her into the room, she ran around all crazy, on the bed, under the bed, into the connected bathroom. She kept going until she found the closet door open enough for her to burrow in.” He shrugged. “She didn’t come back out.”
Phoenix reseated herself, then lifted the dog into her lap. “She probably had to hide at night, you know?” From cruel men, as well as natural predators. God, how she hated that thought.
“That’s what I figured.” He reached out to scratch the dog behind the ear. She tipped up her face, let her tongue loll out and half closed her eyes. “I checked to make sure she wasn’t destroying anything, but she was just curled up tight in the corner behind my hanging clothes and a pair of work boots. I don’t think she needed it, but I got the blanket out of the kitchen for her, moved a few things around and let her get comfortable again. She slept there until I got up this morning.”
Not a bad compromise. “You were tired, weren’t you, sugar?”
“Let’s hope the good behavior holds out, because I got an early vet appointment for her today.”
Wow, that was quick. “How’d you manage that?”
“Small town.” He made a vague hand gesture. “Everyone knows everyone, so the vet is a friend. He fit me in before his regular business hours start.”
“That’s so nice.” One more way that showed how special a small town could be. Not that she needed another reason to love Cooper’s Charm—after her first week she’d been sold on the place. Now, knowing Cooper so well...
He reached over and tugged lightly on her ponytail. “While I’m gone, don’t go near the woods, or to any of the more private areas of the property.”
Well, that sounded ominous. Lifting her brows, she said, “Define private.”
Though his tone was mild enough, his jaw tightened. “If you have to go to the maintenance building, take someone with you.”
Incredulity brought out a laugh. “Like who?” Until Ridley had stepped in as housekeeper, they’d been shorthanded. Now they barely broke even on workloads.
“Just wait for me to get back, and I’ll go with you.”
The last thing she wanted was another person worrying about her. She had no one but herself to blame, of course, not after how she’d reacted yesterday.
“Should I point out that there are several campers using the primitive tent area near there?”
He leaned closer. “I don’t care who’s camping, I don’t want you alone that far from the congested areas.”
She frowned. Maybe it was more than her reaction that had him concerned. “You expect trouble from those men?”
“Actually, I don’t.” His hand lifted to her face, curving around her cheek. “But I’m not willing to chance it.”
Whoa. What he said, how he looked at her while saying it, felt so intimate, it brought a flush to her face. After all the touching and teasing yesterday, she knew they were on the fast track to a sexual relationship. Knew it and anticipated it.
But she hadn’t expected so much emotional involvement, all the casual public touching and...and the concern. Caring for someone, worrying for them, had nothing to do with uncommitted sex.
She’d come to Cooper’s Charm to reassert her independence—but could she do that if she immediately fell into a relationship?
Phoenix hugged the dog closer, knowing that what bothered her most was how much she liked the idea.
How much she liked him.
To escape the lure of his golden eyes, she turned her attention to the dog.
Aware of Maris peeking at them, and Daron just coming in, she nodded. “Okay.” Giving in to him was the easier path to take, but she didn’t feel cowardly—just prudent. After all, if he thought there could be danger, it didn’t make sense to push. “I promise.”
She heard the wry note in his muttered, “Thank you.”
Had her promise sounded less than sincere?
Now that he’d gotten his way, he sat back and lifted his coffee cup again.
One thought led to another and she asked, “When are we meeting with them?”
The cup plunked back to the table. He didn’t pretend not to understand. “We? I don’t want you anywhere near them.”
That got her back stiff. “Why not? I have as much right to confront them as you do.” She thrust up a quick hand. “And no, don’t say it. It’ll be perfectly safe this time and you know it.”
With his jaw tightening again, he stared at her. Into her. “I’m the one paying. Unless you want to?”
She snorted, not about to fall for that nonsense. “Neither of us would give that Harry creep a dime, so don’t try to sell me that. Have you contacted the police yet?”
Cooper sighed. “Last night, actually.”
She leaned closer. “So you’re setting a trap for him?”
“If I say yes, will you stay away?”
The dog stirred, looking up at her worriedly, before gazing at Cooper.
Though Phoenix had just given herself a pep talk on uncommitted sex, it hurt that he wanted to cut her out.
That he didn’t trust her enough to let her be a part of it.
He probably figured she’d freak out again...and in all honesty, she couldn’t promise him that she wouldn’t.
Keeping all emotion from her tone, she said, “When it comes down to it, you don’t have to make up stories. After all, you’re the boss.”
Cooper stared at her, his expression even harder. His lips curved in a terrible attempt at a smile. “Maybe we could step outside for a minute?”
She shared her own attempt at smiling. “Of course.” She started to rise, but he surprised her by taking the dog from her first, then putting a hand to her back.
That meant she had to go first. Maris watched with amusement. Daron stood beside her, arms folded, a big grin on his face.
Did they both know she was in trouble?
That irked her so much that she ended up striding more rigidly than she’d intended. Once outside, she turned on Cooper—but he stepped around her, heading for a picnic table on the sandy lakeshore. The dog stared after her.
Huffing, Phoenix followed him until he finally stopped and set down the dog, his back still to her. She had a finger up to make a verbal point when Cooper suddenly turned, scooping an arm around her lower back and drawing her close.
“First...” His mouth lowered to hers, and despite the heat in his eyes and the grim set to his brows, the kiss was light and gentle. He put his forehead to hers.
“First what?” she managed to whisper.
“First I had to get that out of my system.” His warm breath teased her lips. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you since...”
“Since?”
He quirked a bemused smile. “Since the last time I kissed you, actually.”
“Oh.” Since she’d been thinking about it too, she savored the admission.
“Second,” he continued, his tone more stern, “this isn’t about you being an employee. And even if it was, you’re more than that now and you know it.”
Yes, she did, and it didn’t bother her as much as it should. “You write my paychecks,” she pointed out, softly now since he’d so nicely kissed her.
“That’s separate from this.” He kissed her again, not so light or gentle now.
The dog barked.
Cooper leaned back and, with a smile, straightened her glasses for her. “Now, could you tell me why you want to be there?”
That felt suspiciously like a trick question. “If you’ll tell me first why you don’t want me there.”
To her surprise, he agreed. “All right.” Taking her hand, he led her the rest of the way to a sun-bleached table. The dog, playing a few feet away, dug in the sand.
After they’d both taken seats, he said, “As you know, I called the local police. Officer Gibb Clark, a friend, is going to join me. We’re hoping the bastards show up, but it’s doubtful. If they do, it could get ugly.”
Her eyes flared. “You would fight with them in front of an officer?”
“That’s not my plan, but anything is possible. What I meant is that Gibb will likely take them in—one way or another—for some answers. That’s if they even show. Either way, I’d as soon the men not focus on you more than necessary. If they do put in an appearance, things won’t go the way they’re hoping and I’d prefer they see me as their problem, not you.”
Actually...that all made sense. Even without the past that influenced her reactions, he was certainly better able to handle them than she’d be. “All right.”
“Thank you.” He caught her chin. “Now tell me why you wanted to be there?”
The urge to look away made her heart beat faster, but she didn’t want to be a coward anymore. “Mostly I wanted to prove to myself...” What? She shook her head. “Something. Anything.” That sounded so lame she groaned. “I don’t want them to know that they intimidated me.”
Cooper slowly nodded. “Okay, I get that.”
Because he would feel the same? She couldn’t imagine anyone intimidating him. He seemed so self-possessed and sure of himself.
“You understand, though,” he continued, “that anyone in that type of disadvantage would feel intimidated?”
“I do now, yeah.” She cracked her first genuine smile. “Ridley gave me hell last night. She called me melodramatic and a few other things.” When he started to scowl, she laughed. “It was her way of telling me the same thing you’re saying. Plus, she insisted that I’m doing great now, much better—and she’s right. For a while there, I’d...lost myself.”
“You weren’t used to being afraid.”
“No, and believe me, I don’t like it.”
His brows pulled together. “Yesterday was a setback.”
“Maybe a little. But I realize that, most of the time, I don’t even think of the assault anymore.” Which meant she really had come a long way. For a while there, she’d lived in the memories, unable to escape them for more than a few minutes at a time. Now the opposite was true. She thought of it less and less—while she lived more and more.
Relief showed in the loosening of his shoulders. His frown eased. “I’m glad to hear it.”
She watched the dog jump after a butterfly. “Will you let me know what happens?”
“Yes. Right afterward, we’re supposed to go for the lawnmower—and dinner. We can talk about it then.”
Very aware of his warmth beside her, his big powerful body and those beautiful eyes, she leaned closer but kept her gaze on the dog. “Mmm. And after that?”
He stilled, but then his hand slid under her hair, clasping the back of her neck. “After that I’m hoping to have you alone.”
She glanced at him, then away, struggling to look blasé. “For sex?”
“Eventually.” Proving he was aware of her game, he growled, “I want to get you naked first. Seeing you at the creek, your shirt and shorts clinging to your hot bod...”
Warmth spread inside her.
“That was a hell of a tease, Phoenix.” His hand moved over her shoulder, down her arm to her elbow, then onto her waist. “I’m going to need at least an hour just to look and touch.”
Anticipation nearly sucked away her breath. “Sounds like a plan.” She turned and kissed him, fast and hard. She had to go now—while she still could. “I should get to work.”
He stood with her, and she saw that his eyes were brighter, his nostrils flared.
He really did want her, and it thrilled her.
He clasped her chin. “We’ll leave at five.”
“I’ll be ready.” She’d have to finish early enough to shower and change. For once she wanted Cooper to see her dressed as a woman, not just as the head groundskeeper.
He continued to look at her, the tension mounting—then he tore his gaze away and whistled for the dog. “C’mon, Sugar. Time for your appointment.”
The dog tipped her head, letting one ear touch the ground while the other flopped over her forehead. Then she lunged, racing toward Cooper, stopping short, darting away again.
He shook his head. “She has these running fits...”
Phoenix laughed. “You’ll really name her Sugar?”
“Why not? She’s pretty damn sweet.” When the dog ran close again, he caught her up against his chest and she immediately started licking his face.
So far, Sugar had gotten more kisses than she had, Phoenix thought.
But tonight, that would change.
The issues of a relationship faded away behind ripe anticipation.
* * *
Now that she’d already done this once, Ridley discovered a pattern and so she did very little backtracking, which meant she finished the chores more quickly. Plus, after the thorough cleaning of yesterday, today was mostly upkeep of the areas she tended, with the addition of two locations where campers had just checked out of cabins.
When she finished early, she made a decision.
Throughout the day, she’d only seen Baxter from a distance, but with every second that passed without him seeking her out, she stewed with indignation...and her determination grew.
She would have him, hotly, thoroughly—and then she’d be the one to walk away. Let him be the one left wondering.
Oh, she’d make it so good, so outrageously incendiary that he’d want her again and again...but she would decline.
It was a powerful fantasy, very unlike her usual risqué dreams, which focused more on the activities, not the ending of them.
But for now it’d do.
In order to play that out, she needed privacy. No way would she be trapped at Baxter’s home—wherever that was—and she definitely couldn’t see a sexual marathon happening in Phoenix’s small, low-ceiling loft.
Especially with Phoenix living there, too.
Mind made up, Ridley put away her gear, grabbed a quick shower and headed up the long drive to where she’d left her car. She wasn’t exactly sure where she’d go, but a gas station attendant could probably give her some direction.
Along the way, she passed Daron, the flirt, and asked him, “You’re going the wrong way, aren’t you?”
He grinned. “Coop asked me to watch his new dog while he wined and dined your hottie sister.”
Making a theatrical display of it, Ridley looked around. “And yet I don’t see the dog. Lost her already?”
“Maris kept her for me while I helped a camper get everything stored away. He’s new to RVing and wasn’t sure about...anything.”
“Like?”
“How to park it, how to hook it up to the water and electric, how to turn on the fridge or television—all basic necessities.”
So Daron knew how to do all that? It didn’t surprise her. He was an incredible handyman with a knack for tinkering that, according to Phoenix, could make anything run.
“Fascinating,” she said, already thinking ahead.
Ignoring her observation, Daron nodded approvingly at her fitted summer dress and strappy sandals. “And where are you off to, looking so fine?”
Yes, she did look fine. She’d specifically chosen the peach-colored casual pull-on dress because it hugged her figure and came close to matching her skin tone. Now if only Baxter would notice...
She no sooner had the thought than she turned and saw him, a good distance away, staring at her and Daron with arrested attention.
Oh, now, that was nice. “Thank you for the compliment.” She sidled closer to Daron and touched his chest. “So you know all about the setup and running of RVs, do you?”
“Sure. They’re easy once you get the hang of it.”
“Then maybe, if you wouldn’t mind, you could assist me?”
One brow lifted and he grinned. “Assist you in making Baxter jealous? Sure.”
His accurate insight made her laugh. “Not exactly what I meant, but that’ll do in part.” She wrinkled her nose. “He is rather obtuse, don’t you think?”
“Nope. I think he sees everything. My guess is that you’re both playing the same game.” His grin widened. “Can’t wait to see who wins.”
“I will.” She resisted the urge to look at Baxter again. “Now, I need to buy myself a camper of some sort. Can you direct me to the nearest location selling them?”
Blank surprise filled his handsome face. “You’re buying a...?”
“Yes.”
Both brows lifted. “Planning to stay on?”
Her brows came down. “Why not? I’m good at this housekeeping stuff.” At least she thought so. “And the position is open, right?”
Jumping on that, he said, “Yes, and you’re hired.”
“Is that your decision to make?”
“Trust me, Coop will be thrilled. Everyone else quits after the first day.”
Ridley gave an elegant shrug. “Everyone else is a wuss.”
Skepticism stole his good humor. “You’re sure you’re not just doing this to spite Baxter?” Pretending a pleading look, he said, “Don’t toy with me, doll.”
“Oh, I’ll spite Baxter, count on it.” And she planned to get started on it right away. “But the job has nothing to do with him.” No, the job had to do with her sister—and the strange self-satisfaction she felt in the work. She let out a breath. “So... I need some digs and there’s no time like the present.”
He worked his mouth to the side, then asked, “RV? Fifth wheel?”
Ridley waved her hand, unsure which was which and simply said, “Yes, one of those.”
“For here?” Daron clarified.
Definitely here. How else could she provoke Baxter? “I’m going to reserve that nice spot over there—” she pointed “—with the woods behind it. I already checked and it’s available.”
Daron turned to stare at the spot she indicated. “There?”
She shrugged. “It’s not the ideal location, I admit. I’d much prefer to be near the creek. Fewer bugs, and the sound of water moving is so soothing. But the spot by the woods will have to do.”
Bemused, he asked, “So you’re going to live here, permanently?”
Why did he keep saying it as if she’d be moving into a cave? Maybe there was something she didn’t know. “It’ll be a...” she pursed her lips, looking for the right words “...long-term reservation.”
“Huh.” Daron glanced toward Baxter, then shook his head with a huffing laugh. “Poor bastard.”
Ridley affected a look of affront. “Are you insulting me?”
“Nope. Just admitting that you’re a ruthless player of the game.” Hands on his hips, he asked, “Have you ever driven an RV? Or pulled a fifth wheel?”
“No, but it’s not a problem because I’ll have it delivered.”
“When?”
“Tonight, if possible.”
His face went blank, but he quickly recovered. “Tonight? Not unless you’re paying cash—”
“Oh, I am.” Few benefits remained from her disastrous marriage—lots of money being one of them.
“Do you have any idea what a nice RV costs?”
“I searched the internet, so I think so.”
He chewed the corner of his mouth a moment. “You want it as soon as possible?”
“Yes.” She was most anxious to start her provocation of Baxter.
“I want to show you something.”
Teasing, she said, “Oh, honey, I’ve already seen it all.”
“Ruthless,” he muttered with a grin, then gestured. “This way.”
“Oh, all right.” She really wanted to get on her way, but she could indulge him for a moment—especially since she felt Baxter still watching them. Was he closer now? Getting the wrong impression?
She hoped so.
How dare he ignore her after they’d come so close to—
Daron stopped in front of a massive RV with a FOR SALE sign in the window of the entry door. “Here you go.”
“Here I go?”
“You want an RV, this one is for sale, it’s by the creek and already paid up for the rest of the summer. If you stay on as housekeeper, Coop will reimburse you some of the rental fees—a perk of the job.”
“It’s yours?” For some reason, she thought he lived outside the park.
Daron laughed. “No, but I’m taking a commission for showing it to interested people.” He dug keys out of his pocket. “Come on. Check out the inside.”
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t keen on buying anything used.
“It’s only a year old,” he hurried to say, as if he’d known her thoughts. “And it’s in pristine condition.”
“Then why is it for sale?”
“It’s a divorce situation.”
“Ah.” She waited while he unlocked the door and automatic stairs came down. Then she gasped, blindly following Daron as he stepped inside. The interior was... “Decadent.”
“Right?” He stood back while pointing out obvious features. “Four-door refrigerator, full dinette, leather couch and wing chairs—and the driver and passenger seat swivel, so when you’re not traveling, they become part of the living room.”
Ridley had no idea a moving house could be so plush. Daron was waxing on about the engine and auto-leveling or something, but she wasn’t concerned with that.
Heading down the hall to see the rest of the interior, she passed a microwave oven, three-burner stove, solid-surface countertops and lots of kitchen storage.
In the moderate bathroom, which was still far bigger than what Phoenix used in the cabin, she found twin vessel sinks and a shower curved to fit into the space. The shower wasn’t large, but then, she wasn’t a large woman. “No bathtub.”
Daron leaned close. “You’re welcome to use mine when you feel the need to soak.”
Grinning at his cheesy—and surely playful—come-on, she headed into the bedroom. “Hmm. This is tight.” The king-size bed took up most of the space, with drawers built underneath and a stationary dresser/clothes closet on the opposite wall, a TV in between.
Lounging in the door frame, Daron said, “I hate to break it to you, but they don’t make them bigger than this. If you want more room, you’ll have to go custom, and that’d be months before it was ready.”
The idea of months made her wrinkle her nose. “Really?”
“Afraid so.”
Not all that disappointed, Ridley ran a hand over the padded headboard, the surface of the nightstand, and then the velvety soft coverlet—and made her decision. “I’ll take it.”
Blinking, Daron straightened from his lounged position. “You’ll take it?”
“Everything has been cleaned, yes?”
“The bedding, yeah, but you’re now the official housekeeper. I’d go over it all again if I was you.”
“Of course you’re right.” She ran her finger over a layer of dust.
A little disbelieving, he looked around. “Do you want to know the price?”
“Is it fair?” she inquired.
“A bargain, actually.”
She thrust out her hand. “If I pay you now, how soon can I move in?”
Appearing dazed, he accepted her hand, his brows up so high they disappeared under his tumbled brown hair. “Er...” He looked around again, then shrugged. “Whenever you want.”
“Perfect. If you’d like to ride with me to the bank, we can get it taken care of right now.”
A grin slowly spread over his face. “Let me see if Maris can keep the dog a little longer.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket.
While he made the call, she started back through to the living area, admiring the tasteful decor while also making a mental note of the things she’d like to buy. New throw pillows, a rug for the entry, maybe some fresh flowers for the dinette. She opened the cabinets and found most empty, but dishes and glasses remained in a few.
“Maris is a go.”
Of course she was. Not only was the dog adorable, but Ridley suspected Maris would do just about anything for Daron, even though they appeared to have a contrary relationship. “The dishes stay?”
“Sure, if you like them. Matching towels in the bathroom, too.”
She nodded, thinking that she’d have to go to the BMV next, then the grocery, and of course she’d have to call her insurance agent—
“One question,” Daron said from behind her.
Absently, her thoughts full with her to-do list, Ridley asked, “Yes?”
“How rich are you?”
At the open front door, she turned to face him with amusement. “My ex had scads of money—and so I took what I could when he filed for divorce.”
“He filed?”
A smirk hardened her smile. “Hard to believe, huh?” She gestured down her body. “Me being such a catch and all.”
“Actually, yeah.” Daron folded his arms over his chest. “So what happened?”
“Nosy much?”
“Curious, yeah. I admit it.”
She shook her head, denying him. No, she wouldn’t go into it. Not here, not now.
Maybe not ever.
“Let’s just say he wanted more than I could give him, and leave it at that.” Before he could press her any further, she took the first step out—and almost ran into Baxter.
Judging by his expression, he’d heard every word.
No. No, she definitely didn’t want him to know of her rejection so instead she said with sugary politeness, “Baxter, what a surprise. I’m afraid Daron and I weren’t expecting...company.”
Baxter’s gaze went past her and she knew Daron stood right behind her.
When the slightest hint of amusement narrowed Baxter’s eyes, she looked behind her and found Daron shaking his head in the negative.
She glared.
Daron grinned, then said to Baxter, “I was showing her the RV, nothing more.” He sent an apologetic glance to Ridley. “Not from lack of interest, understand. But I do like for that interest to be reciprocated.”
She lifted her chin. “Who says it’s not?”
“My intuition?” he asked. “My eyes? My sense of self-preservation?”
Baxter, the ass, actually laughed.
“Thanks for nothing,” she growled at Daron.
Shrugging, he explained, “Baxter is bigger than me.”
She knew that had nothing to do with it. More likely, it was some stupid male code of honor or something. Daron had sensed the chemistry between them, so he wouldn’t get involved. “Whatever. You’re useless.” And she was losing her touch.
“Hey,” he objected. “I did show you the RV, right?” He coaxed her, adding, “That has to count for something, right?”
“Not really.”
“Are you buying it?” Baxter asked.
Before she could tell him to mind his own business, Daron chimed in with, “She is. The lady has good taste, and apparently deep pockets.”
Incredulous, she glared at him again.
Daron drew on an expression of innocence. “Was it a secret?”
Baxter spoke up again. “So you’ll be around for a while?”
“I’m obviously not needed for this conversation.” She gave Daron a small shove. “He has all the answers, after all.”
Theatrically, Daron grabbed his shoulder, saying, “I’m injured.”
“Keep it up,” she warned, “and you might be.”
Baxter gave her a long look—a look that seemed almost tender. “I’ll let you two finish settling things.” He hesitated before adding, “Welcome to the park, Ridley.”
* * *
Trying to disguise her trembling anticipation, Phoenix sat at the table across from Cooper toward the back of a quaint, family-run restaurant. They’d already bought the mower, arranging for delivery to the park by the first of the week. Now they’d almost finished their dinner at a local steakhouse.
Soon they’d be on their way to Cooper’s house.
God, she could hardly wait. As if she’d already indulged in foreplay, her breasts felt heavy, her skin too sensitive, and throbbing heat gathered at her center.
“Dessert?” Cooper asked her.
She wanted him for dessert. “No, thank you.” Mostly, she wanted to be alone with him. She forced herself to say, “But if you do—”
He shook his head, then to her consternation, ordered coffee for them both.
He didn’t seem in much of a hurry.
Trying for some normal conversation, she asked again, “Nothing else happened with the goons? Officer Clark didn’t find out anything—”
“I’m not keeping anything from you. Gibb and I waited, but they didn’t show up.” He shrugged. “Gibb went by the neighborhood where they live, but he didn’t see them. He only knows one address, but no one answered the door when he knocked. He said he’ll drive through there a few more times, and of course if we see them again, we’re to call him.”
“That seems like an awfully simple story.”
“When there’s more to tell, I’ll tell you. So far, that’s it.”
She didn’t like it. She wanted some sort of resolution...
“What?” Cooper gently asked, studying her frown.
Not much got past him, she thought with a sigh. “I detest open-ended problems.” It was a rare thing for her to share, but tonight, with Cooper, the words just came out. “The men who assaulted me are still out there somewhere, an unknown threat. And now this.”
They both went silent as a server set steaming cups of coffee in front of them.
Once she was gone, Cooper reached for Phoenix’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Even that simple touch made the need inside her flare. “Don’t be. I’m fine.” This was not a night for negativity. Tonight was for moving forward. For living. She wanted to make the most of it, and thinking that had her smiling. “Better than fine, actually.”
With his thumb, Cooper explored the back of her knuckles, then her blunt nails.
“I have calluses,” she said, self-conscious with her work-rough hands. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a manicure. Why bother when she spent her days digging in dirt?
Cooper smiled. “Everything about you fascinates me.”
Because she was so different from his wife? She wouldn’t ask...but she couldn’t stop from wondering.
He seemed to debate with himself before finally saying, “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable tonight.”
Having no idea what that meant, Phoenix said softly, “I’m not.” Not anymore. Not with him.
His fingers curled around hers and his gaze lifted to her face.
God, she loved his eyes, so calming with the whiskey-colored centers encircled by a rich brown. Golden striations made his eyes very unusual—and oh, so appealing.
When he said, “My wife died five years ago,” she snapped out of her musings.
Tension added angles to his face, rigidity to his shoulders; she felt it in the grip on her hand. The conversation might’ve been awkward with any other man, but this was Cooper: natural leader, defender of puppy dogs, friendly boss to a resort that made everyone feel welcome.
To let him know it was okay, she squeezed his hand in return and asked softly, “What was her name?”
The question threw him for a moment. “Anna.”
“She was beautiful.” His hand was big and warm...he was big and warm. A powerful man, capable—but she knew he’d suffered and it killed her. “I can’t imagine what you went through, but I know it had to have been terrible. You loved her.”
His mouth tightened. “We’d only been married two years. In a lot of ways, it still felt like a honeymoon—” His gaze shot to hers.
His uncertainty brought out her encouragement. “I’m sure it did. Were you the same age?”
He shook his head. “She was a year younger.”
“In her photo, she looks like a happy person.”
“She was. Very happy.” He stared off to the side and said low, “Everyone loved her.”
“You lost her suddenly?” She knew the story her sister had relayed, but sensed Cooper needed to tell her himself.
“She called to say she was on her way home but that she was stopping for a few things from a convenience store. She was killed there in an armed robbery. I was expecting her home any minute...and then police were at my door.”
Tears burned the backs of her eyes. “I am so sorry,” Phoenix whispered. No one should ever have things change so drastically, in such an awful way.
He hesitated, still reluctant, before meeting her gaze. “What few people know is that she was pregnant.”
Dear God. It felt like she took a blow to her heart, making her hand go slack in his.
He held on, his gaze locked on hers. “I’ve not shared that with anyone else.”
Emotion choked her and she swallowed hard, doing her best to hold back tears. “It’s private. I understand.”
He nodded. “I just wanted to explain—”
“You don’t owe me any explanations.” She leaned forward, holding his hand in both of hers. “You loved her, Cooper. A part of you will always love her.” She gave him a sad smile. “Just as a part of you will always mourn.”
After a long look, he seemed to settle more comfortably in his chair. “For the first year I was a complete bastard. I hated everyone and everything. I raged often, even at my own family.”
She understood that. Hadn’t she turned away from everyone who loved her? “I’m sure each person reacts differently to grief.” Hers was to hide away. “Yours was a show of anger.”
“I got into too many fights—or more like brawls.” With a short laugh, he said, “I’d frequent all the local dives, but I rarely drank. Mostly I waited for an opportunity...”
To let go of some of his hurt. She nodded. “Go on.”
“I almost got arrested once, but the guy I’d knocked out was a serious asshole who needed it, so instead the cop told me to go home and not return.”
Wow. She’d felt his confidence, especially when he’d faced off with three grown men he’d called boys, but she’d never imagined that he’d honed his skills with actual bar brawls.
“The second year,” he continued, “wasn’t much better, but at least I got my temper under control. I was still pissed at the world, but I kept it in check.”
“That took a lot of willpower.” Did he know that she admired him?
Apparently not, given his shrug. “The third year... I came here.”
“Cooper’s Charm?”
“That’s not what it was called then, but yeah. Giving up my nine-to-five job was a relief. I could hide here.”
Sadness stole her breath. “Surrounded by people?”
His gaze bored into hers, seeing far too much. “Sometimes that’s the best place to hide, because others don’t realize what you’re doing. For a proud person, the perception matters.”
Knowing he meant her, she sucked in a breath, and her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose. “I suppose it does.”
With a small smile, he reached out and straightened them, then smoothed her hair before sliding his fingers around to cradle her skull. “When we leave here, we’ll go back to my house.”
For sex, she reminded herself. “Okay.” It was important to remember that this was about sex and only sex—especially after he’d just shared such a private history with her.
His hand fell away and he sat back in his seat, no longer touching her at all. “When I said I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable, I meant that I put away most of my wife’s photos.”
A tidal wave of shame washed over her. She felt like an interloper. “But you didn’t have to—”
“I know, but I did it for me, too.” Withdrawing his wallet, he pulled out several bills and laid them on the table. “As you said, I’ll always love Anna.”
“Of course.” Why did the assurance make her so gloomy?
He stood to pull back her chair. “But I don’t want to mourn anymore.”