* * *
Cooper
Thank goodness he’d changed the sheets that weekend.
Not getting home until six in the morning had been brutal. Seeing Emma curled up in his duvet like a dormouse made resisting the urge to climb into bed next to her only harder. Instead he backed out of the bedroom and went to turn on the coffee maker. The donors would be arriving at ten, and he had to get some sort of presentation set up that Prof would consider sufficiently impressive.
Coffee brewed, porridge steaming hot, he poked his head back into his bedroom door.
‘Hey.’
‘Hey.’ Emma was sitting up in bed, scrolling through her phone, her blonde hair sticking out in several different directions.
‘Welcome to my humble abode.’
She looked up, squinting. ‘You look exhausted. Did you just get home?’
He nodded. ‘I’ve got about thirty minutes before I have to head back. Sorry I missed your messages.’
‘No worries. I was with Bridget when she got summoned. Should have realised you’d be there too.’
‘Yeah, I probably should have said. But, you know, we were working flat out trying to get the lab in a fit state.’
He didn’t add, and hoped she didn’t need to hear, the unspoken subtext:working, no time to notice Bridget, to feel happy to be spending an extra ten hours with her, or think how a few months ago spending the night with Bridget would have been a dream come true. Although, of course, even if there was time, I wouldn’t have, because now all my spare happy thoughts are about you…
‘Did you manage it?’
She didn’t seem mad. But then, she had no reason to. She knew Bridget and Cooper were workmates, friends.
‘I think we’ve pulled it off. Cole might feel differently when he finally rocks in. Anyway, coffee’s ready when you are.’ He left her to get up, still nervous about where the privacy boundaries lay. They hadn’t kissed properly since Derbyshire. Hadn’t talked properly, really. It was beyond selfish and heartless to even consider it, but from an objective point of view Sam’s accident couldn’t have been worse timing. He was prepared to be patient while Emma did what she needed to do for her family – after all, they were his family now.
But it wasn’t easy, living in relationship limbo.
Especially working with Bridget every day.
Right now, Bridget was still the person he automatically thought of when he saw an advert for a new tapas bar, or heard a crazy story he wanted to share, or simply wanted someone to sit and veg on the sofa with after a long day. If he could spend more time with Emma, so they could get to know each other properly and create some more memories, then he was sure she’d become his go-to person.
He could at least start by having breakfast with his wife.
Emma came out of the bedroom in her running gear, and sat at the kitchen table with her coffee while he ate.
‘So, was breakfast in the B & B a one-off?’
‘At work I’m constantly sampling whatever I’m making. That’s more than enough.’
He nodded at her outfit. ‘How often do you run to work?’
‘Maybe four days a week. I usually keep the van at the Cakery.’
‘I run with Ben most weekends. But we could run together. If you wanted.’
She eyed him over the rim of her coffee mug. ‘I’m not sure I could keep up.’
He eyed her back, porridge spoon halfway to his mouth. ‘I think I might end up eating your dust.’
Emma smiled, dropping her eyes, and Cooper breathed a sigh of relief. He liked Emma. It wasn’t hard to find her attractive. They just needed more chances to create moments like this.
‘What time will you be home this evening?’
