Page 81 of This Time Around
Twenty-Six
Rebecca
It usually took me until coffee cup number two was complete before all synapses fired correctly.As Cooper spoke, I hoped my confusion came from the lack of caffeine.
“I’m sorry.”A yawn hit me, and I covered my mouth.“Can you repeat that?”
Cooper’s hand was at my temple, sliding down to cup my neck.“I’m sorry to wake you, but I got a call from Max earlier.I need to get home.”
Home.My eyes closed from the force of those words and my chest went hot.
He was leaving?
“Why?”And worse, why did he look okay with this?Happy, almost.Last night, the bath—afterwards— all of it rushed through my mind.It had been incredible.The connection between us almost otherworldly.I had never thought of allowing another man to touch me and yet at the first kiss from Cooper last night, Joseph had never once entered my mind.
Only hours after offering Cooper more than my body, my heart was being put through a food processor.
“Camilla’s throwing a fit and refusing to sign the divorce agreement until I meet with her.And worse, there are photos of you and me at Down Home last week.Someone must have recognized me and snapped a picture.”
Oh, snap.I shot up in bed, brushing my hair off my face.Cooper’s hand fell to my lap and then rose, bringing sheets with him.“What are you talking about?”
“Cover yourself,” he teased, holding the sheets to my chest until I took them from him.“Or I’ll never get out of here.”
That was the last thing I wanted.A lump lodged in my throat.My heart pounded.This was not fair.
“Tell me what happened.”
His smile was beautiful.A bit sexy with a side of cute and I stared at his mouth.I couldn’t meet his eyes.I couldn’t let him see what was swimming in mine.He was leaving and it was happening too quickly.
“Max said Camilla saw it.She said I either fly back to L.A.and deal with her there or she comes here, and trust me, no way in hell is she stepping into Kansas.”He quirked his lips.“A house might fall on her.”
I didn’t smile.This was no joking matter.
“You’re leaving,” I whispered.My voice was dry from sleep and my fear coming true.God, why had I thought I could be with him and keep my heart out of it?
“I’ll be back in a day or two.As quick as I can.”
That made no sense.“Why?”
“What?”He shook his head as if my question was ridiculous.“But I do have a favor to ask.Do you mind if I take the truck in the garage?It’ll take too long to get an Uber.”
Maybe this was a dream.A really, really bad one.Like the kind I used to have after Joseph died, that he was still alive.I hadn’t had one in weeks, months.But this felt like the same, agonizing pain.
Now he wanted to drive Joseph’s truck, something I’d been debating recently about selling.Maybe donating.Or just giving to a high schooler in town.I didn’t need it, but Joseph loved it.He treated it like a queen and I often teased him that it was in incredible condition for being fifteen years old, minus the garbage he couldn’t be bothered to clean.
“Yeah, you can take it.But…” This was all happening so fast.I wasn’t prepared to steel my heart against the possibility of saying goodbye to him.“Why would you come back?You sign those papers and your divorce is over.Camilla will go away and the paparazzi will move on to someone else.There’s no need—”
He slammed his mouth to mine.I tasted mint and inhaled a whiff of his cologne.Plus, he was dressed, freshly showered.He’d gotten ready in the guesthouse and came back to say goodbye.Had he had to debate it?
“I’ll be back,” he stated, eyes narrowed as he spoke.“And I’ll call you while I’m gone.Then we’ll talk.But I gotta get going.Max already has his plane in the air and the sooner I get there, the sooner I put this bullshit behind me.”
And the closer he was to being able to return home for good.
“Cooper—”
“You’re sleepy.We’ll talk when you can make sense of what’s happening here.”
He kissed me again, his hand at the back of my head, one on my shoulder.His tongue slid inside and I pressed against him.If this was our last kiss, it had to last me for a long, long time.
