Chapter One
It was a good thing Pepper Watson didn’t believe in bad luck, because otherwise it would be too easy to think she’d walked under a ladder, a black cat had crossed her path, or any of the myriad tales her great aunt, Ivy, used to tell. She had to assume everything that’d happened lately was for a reason. A very, very obscure reason. The latest of which was currently sitting in her kitchen, drinking her coffee without a care in the world.
She stood in the doorway and looked at him.
Ben Cooper. The last guy she wanted to see. The guy who always seemed to bring out the worst in her. Unfortunately, thanks to the fact he lived almost next door to Wishing Bridge Farm—and was best friends with her sister—avoiding him was as easy as avoiding oxygen.
Which was a problem.
She dredged up her most controlled expression. “Can I help you with something?”
“I’m guessing Bec forgot to call you.” A lazy smile slid across his face to reveal his perfect teeth.
Why does he have to be so hot?
Not that I care, because hello, so not in the market for a man. They all suck. Every stinkin’ one. But I’m not bitter or anything.
“Call me about what?”
“She wants me to pick up Ivy’s old oak dresser. Apparently, you said she could take it to the bed and breakfast and she said no. Then had a dream and is now convinced something terrible will happen if I don’t deliver it today. The thing is you weren’t here and I didn’t want to take it without telling you.”
“Oh.” Pepper pretended to busy herself with some dishes, even though the dishes had been done several moments after she’d finished her breakfast. Bec and Lincoln had recently bought a small bed and breakfast in Sunshine and were in the process of renovating it back into a family house before their baby was born.
“Do you mind?” Coop pushed back the chair and got to his feet. Her pulse flickered as he stood up. At six foot-two with tanned skin, short dark hair and even darker eyes, he was a sight to behold. Which was another reason she needed to leave Sunshine. Because lately, she couldn’t seem to control her thinking when she was around him.
Thankfully, her body wasn’t in charge of the show. Her brain was.
And my brain says no looking.
Especially since there was only one way that Coop saw her.
As the straight-laced friend of his twin brother, Simon. The sixteen-year-old girl Coop once felt obliged to rescue after finding her drunk and about to go skinny-dipping with a group of school kids. And I would’ve done it too if he hadn’t turned up. Instead, he’d stormed past the rest of the party, covered her with a towel and waited until she was sober before driving her home to the farm. All without saying a word about her nakedness.
And it might have happened over ten years ago but it was still humiliating.
It was a lesson she never forgot. To never be reckless again.
“That’s fine. It’s upstairs in Bec’s old bedroom,” she said before remembering the size of it. She glanced over to Coop. He was lean, but muscled and while he was more than capable of carrying most things, she was uncertain if could do it on his own. “Do you need a hand?”
“Relax, Pepper. You don’t need to spend time with me. I brought a cart so I can manage the dresser by myself.”
Heat rose in her cheeks at his misunderstanding. Still, it was better than him knowing the truth.
That lately, every time I see you, I want to rip your clothes from your body.
As far as inappropriate thoughts went, hers were gold-medal worthy.
“Okay. Well, if you’ll excuse me. I need to work on Emmy’s wedding.” She averted her gaze and ignored the flutter racing up her spine as he walked out of the room.
In the back of her mind, she could hear her Aunty Ivy telling her it was bad manners to not escort him, but she ignored it. Coop had spent half of his life at the farm, it wasn’t like he needed to be shown the way. And she had a wedding to organize.
Christopher had proposed to her sister and the pair of them had decided they couldn’t possibly wait until spring to get married, which was why they were planning a New Year’s Eve wedding—as in, four-weeks away. Still, until everything was sorted out with her ex, Paul, it wasn’t like Pepper could go back to Seattle.
No. You will not think about that jerk. Not right now.
I might as well be useful to someone.
The only consolation to her frustrating circumstances was it had brought her closer to her sisters.
The tension in her chest eased. She wasn’t the sentimental type, but seeing Bec and Emmy happily running their vintage wedding business and falling in love with their respective partners, had given her unexpected pleasure. Was this how Ivy felt when she was raising us? It wasn’t enough to make Pepper stay in Sunshine, but she’d definitely be visiting more.
As long as Coop wasn’t around.
She smothered another inappropriate thought before it could take root and returned to the list she’d spent the morning working through. Candelabras. Emmy wanted the old silver ones and Pepper was determined to make her sister’s wedding perfect.
She was certain she’d seen them in one of the storage boxes in the small room behind the kitchen. Five minutes later, she pushed away the wooden stepladder, hugging the box like a trophy. It was dusty and she frowned as it blew into her face. Still, it wasn’t like anyone was going to see her.
She dumped it onto the table and pulled out the candelabras and reached for the silver polish. The sound of Coop opening and shutting doors drifted down to her but she forced herself to ignore it. He was a grown man. More than capable of moving a dresser on his own.
She yanked the lid off the polish and almost managed to spill it down the front of the denim shirt she’d borrowed from Emmy.
The other problem with having an extended visit was she’d been struggling to make her limited wardrobe stretch and had been forced to borrow things from both her sisters. Neither of which felt right. It was like wearing someone else’s skin, living someone else’s life. She could’ve bought more but her money was carefully budgeted down to the last nickel and she didn’t want her sisters to worry about her.
After all, she was the eldest. The one who’d gone to the city to carve out her big career. No way was she admitting just how bad things had become.
Upstairs, the wheels from the cart made a clunking noise as she splashed the polish onto a cloth and began to vigorously scrub the twisted stem of the candelabra.
Do not listen.
She flicked on the old radio. A bad pop song blared out, but Pepper didn’t care. If nineties boyband music helped with her denial process, then who was she to judge.
She reached for a soft cloth and began to methodically wipe away the polish as the song gave way to a news bulletin.
“Pepper? Could you come here for a second?” Coop’s voice drifted over the radio, his gravelly tone doing wicked things to her heart rate.
“This had better be important,” she warned as she walked through to the hallway to find him casually leaning against the staircase rail, his eyes fixed on the open door. An uneasy shiver raced up her spine as she slowly turned around to see the one person she wanted to see even less than Coop.
Paul.
No. No. No.
She raked her fingers through her neat hair. What part of her carefully worded text messages had given her ex-fiancé the idea she wanted to talk? Let alone get him to make the five-hour flight from Seattle to Connecticut. In front of Coop, of all people. Especially since she hadn’t told anyone about her engagement, let alone that it was now over. She just had to hope it didn’t come up.
“So, this is fun. By the way I’m Coop,” Coop said, as if feeling the need to address the silence in the room. He held out his hand, but Paul ignored it, his gaze never leaving Pepper’s face. The word awkward was invented for just such a situation.
“What are you doing here?” She studied the man she’d once intended to marry. His blond hair was perfectly in place, his chin was shaven and his suit was immaculate. There was nothing to give away he was annoyed, apart from the flickering in his jaw.
He was also nothing like Coop.
Is that why I’ve been having these fantasies about my sister’s best friend? About a guy I don’t even like? Because he’s not like the man I thought I was going to marry?
“Really, Pepper? That’s your first question?” Paul lifted an eyebrow. It was a move she’d seen many times before when he’d been working on a case at the firm. At his firm. Because apparently marrying him didn’t mean she was allowed to buy into the partnership she’d worked so hard for (not that she could afford to thanks to her sisters deciding not to sell the family farm, but that was another thing entirely). The point was he’d assumed once they got married, she’d quit work and run his household and his life.
Like what I want doesn’t matter.
“Yes, it is, considering I told you not to come here. Did you think it was subtext? When have you known me to be anything but straightforward?” she said.
A muffled cough came from Coop’s direction and she swiveled to where he was leaning against the stair rail, his dark eyes alive with curiosity and amusement.
Pepper sucked in a breath and turned back to Paul, who seemed indifferent to what she was saying. Which was part of the problem. When they first dated, she’d been impressed with the aura of authority and power. With how he could push ahead with a single-minded focus, but right now he was just a guy who didn’t like taking no for an answer.
“Dammit, Pepper. We were engaged and then you just quit the firm and gave me the ring back?”
Coop coughed again but this time Pepper didn’t even bother to look at him.
So much for hoping the engagement wouldn’t come up.
“As normal, you’re leaving out just a little bit of the story,” she said, frustration throbbing in her chest. Like the part where she only broke off the engagement and quit the firm because he refused to change his mind, and he then called in every favor he had to stop her from interviewing at other places.
Leaving her jobless and in limbo.
And stuck back at Wishing Bridge Farm waiting for the whole mess to blow over.
Turning the life I’ve worked hard for, into a joke.
“Okay, I get you’re mad. But we can work through this,” he said before seeming to remember Coop was still standing there. “Is there somewhere else we can talk? Somewhere with a bit of privacy.”
“No.” Pepper shook her head, determined not to let Paul think there was going to be a conversation. “There’s nothing that can’t be said in front of Coop.”
“Are you serious?” Paul clenched his hands.
“Pepper isn’t known for her jokes,” Coop said, taking a small step toward her. Her skin tingled as his aftershave found its way into her nose.
“Neither is she known for spending time with country farmers,” Paul snapped, his neck reddening. A sure sign he was getting annoyed. Well, that makes two of us. And besides, Coop didn’t look like a farmer. Sure, he wasn’t dressed in a thousand-dollar suit, but there was nothing unsophisticated about his dark jeans and gray sweater that hugged his torso and did sinful things to her stomach.
Focus.
Coop’s sweater wasn’t the problem. The problem was Paul thought he could just barge back into her life and start calling the shots. It was unbearable. Especially when she’d told him the whole reason she was leaving was because she was sick of him being so bossy. No wonder she’d never been a fan of irony.
“Pepper, we need to talk,” Paul repeated, mistaking her silence for weakness.
“There’s nothing to discuss. I want you to leave.” She clenched her hands into two tight balls.
“We both know that’s not going to happen. I’ve come a long way to sort this out.”
“Not my problem.” Besides, if he really wanted to sort it out, he wouldn’t have made her life a living hell for the last two and a half months. Preventing her from getting another job, all in the expectation she’d go crawling back to him.
Now she had to figure out a way to get him to leave. After all, if the refusal to reply to his numerous phone messages, emails and texts, not to mention sending back the ring, didn’t help, she wasn’t sure what else she could do to convince him they were finished for good.
Send him a notarized letter?
Return all of the stupid emails he’d sent her over the years?
Turn up with a new boyfriend on her—
Of course. What better way to convince Paul to leave than by proving she had a new boyfriend? And Coop always played along with whatever scheme her harebrained sister came up with. Including the time Bec convinced him to break into the local vet’s surgery to check a litter of abandoned kittens were warm enough.
If he’d gone along with that, he would surely go along with this.
Okay, no. Stop. Worst idea ever.
Pepper winced. Yes, it was a terrible idea, but it couldn’t possibly be worse than having a pointless argument with Paul that would drag on for days as he pulled out every trick in the book just to get what he wanted.
Not going to happen.
Her life was mapped out. She’d been planning it since she was eleven years old when she’d visited the old wishing bridge. If this helped get that plan back on track, then it was worth doing.
She turned to Coop.
His face was relaxed, like he was watching an enjoyable movie, rather than her life imploding. Though, on closer inspection, his dark eyes were hooded and there was a hint of menace in them. His calm air had fallen away and his jaw was clenched. She sucked in her breath and before she could consider a counter argument, she threaded her fingers into his.
A current ran up her arm, so strong she was surprised there weren’t flames. Next to her Coop was completely still, the only acknowledgement of her touch was to lift a surprised eyebrow in her direction.
Surprised or indifferent?
Pepper swallowed down her humiliation. Besides, she already knew what he thought of her. She was Bec’s straight-laced sister. His twin brother’s friend. The starched-up girl who needed rescuing from something that every other teenager in town had done. Worst thing was, she was only there because she’d promised Simon before he died that she’d be more reckless. After all, he’d followed the rules. Done everything right and he hadn’t lived past his sixteenth birthday.
Her spine stiffened. She didn’t need Coop to like her, she just needed him to help.
He seemed to be studying her face before a knowing smile tugged at his mouth and he nodded his head. Yes.
“Seriously, Pepper. You think holding hands with some random guy is going to get me to back off?” Paul folded his arms.
“No,” Coop cut in before Pepper could answer. “The fact she’s asked you to leave is what should make you back off. And for your information, I’m not random. Pepper and I have a history, don’t we, babe?”
Babe? Pepper had to choke back the words dancing on the tip of her tongue as Coop untangled his fingers from hers and threw his arm around her shoulder. Fireworks exploded in her chest as his hip grazed hers. There was a small chance she was going to melt into a puddle.
She needed this to end. Now. For Paul to leave, for Coop to stop with the knowing smile and step about a thousand feet away from her.
“Sure.” She nodded her head and tried to look loving. “A history.”
“You. And him?” Paul raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention to Coop. “I know Pepper, and she’d eat someone like you alive. Besides, we were together for two years, Pepper. Can you really turn off your feelings so easily?”
“And, yet here we are.” Coop gave him a lazy smile as his arm tightened around her shoulder, his touch burning into her skin. Goosebumps jittered along her arm. Oh Lord. This was all getting out of hand. “We’ve always had chemistry. Isn’t that right?”
No. No. A thousand times no.
What Coop had was charisma. The kind of charm that made everyone in Sunshine fall for him. That wasn’t science, it was just luck. And Pepper didn’t have room in her plan for luck.
I don’t have room in my life for Paul, either.
“Yes, absolutely.” She nodded as annoyance filled her belly. This was her house. How dare he turn up and act like this? Try and tell her how she should feel, or whom she should feel it for. Pepper didn’t often act rashly. She could count the instances on one hand, but, as Paul continued to study Coop like it was a big joke, adrenaline thrummed in her veins.
“I’m not a patient man, Pepper and if you want to act childishly then this really will be over.”
“As opposed to when I said it was over?” she said.
“We both know you only did that because you were angry. And, on reflection I can understand. Which is why I’m here. But if you persist in this game you’re playing then I’ll walk away right now and we’ll be done for good.”
Pepper returned his gaze as her heart hammered.
Next to her Coop shifted and lifted a finger up to her cheek. His touch was like a heat-ray and it wasn’t until he dropped his finger and mouthed the word ‘dust’ she remembered the candelabra.
She clamped down on her tongue to steady the fluttering sensation in her stomach as she turned her attention back to the real problem. Paul.
Her ex-fiancé might be stubborn and controlling to a fault, but he never liked to contradict himself.
All I have to do is piss him off and he’ll walk away.
Exhilaration at finally getting her life back pumped through her veins and before she could stop herself, she did the one thing she swore she’d never allow herself to do.
She stood on her toes and searched for Coop’s mouth, her cheek still burning from his touch. The plan was to give him a small peck on the lips. Just enough to prove to Paul just how serious she was.
The reality was, the moment her mouth brushed his, her stomach swirled and her entire body tingled. Big mistake. She tried to pull away but forgot Coop’s arm was still around her shoulder and, as his lips formed a smile, he used his other arm to drag her closer, trapping her against his chest.
Somewhere in the distance Paul’s footsteps echoed against the wooden porch. But, it wasn’t until the sound of his engine roared into life she stepped away. Coop was grinning, as if kissing her was the biggest joke in the world.
“Well,” he said in a husky voice as he leaned against the staircase. “That was interesting. And now how about telling me what the hell’s going on?”
Which part? Where I finally got Paul to take me seriously, or that you kiss better than any man has a right to?
Either way, as far as Pepper could tell, she’d solved one problem by creating another one and now she was in trouble. Big, big trouble.