Say You Won't Let Go Google(9)

My heart slams against my chest and my hands tingle. How has this happened to me so quickly? How has just two nights of being with him caused me to feel so much? It’s crazy and way too fast and so…right.

“For how long? How long are you willing to wait?”

He shakes his head, and his eyes are full of hope. “I don’t have the answer to that. I know that I’m willing to do what I can. Are you?”

It’s not as if I’ve never wanted a man; I just wanted the right man. I saw no reason to waste my time on silly crushes because nothing was worth it. Now I’m sitting here with him and it feels like everything is new. The sun is brighter, the sky is bluer, and the world is more exciting because I’m seeing it for the first time.

The words fall from my lips as my skin prickles. “I’ll wait. It’s only a month, and then, when I’m back in Tennessee, we can see what this is.”

Cooper’s fingers touch my cheek, and he slides his hand back, cupping my face. “A few weeks and then you’ll fall in love with me.”

If he only knew how I felt already. Last year, when he and Grace were no longer a possibility, I felt something. I thought it would go away, but it clearly hasn’t. Instead, it’s grown stronger than I ever imagined. There won’t be weeks. I’m pretty sure I’m already in love with him.





Chapter Four


My day with Cooper is magical. We spend it doing all kinds of tourist things like having lunch at the most amazing barbeque place and then standing on the grassy knoll where the alleged John F. Kennedy killer stood. Everything is perfect, and there isn’t any more talk about what we could be or what we already are, just light and fun.

Until the sun starts to fall.

Then we know that the time we’re enjoying is drifting away from us. When the sky moves from beautiful purples and blues to black, our spell is broken.

“I should get back,” I say with my forehead resting against his.

“You don’t want them to leave without you,” he agrees.

Don’t I? I don’t want to leave Cooper.

Which is fucking stupid and exactly what I am trying to avoid being.

My fingers grip the sides of his flannel shirt, and I tug. “I don’t want to go.”

He cups my face, waiting until my eyes meet his. “I don’t want you to either, but you have a music world to conquer, and I’ve got an expo that I skipped out on today.”

“Always the responsible one.” I rib him.

“Not at all. If I could have my way, we’d be up in my room right now. I’d be kissin’ you and convincin’ you to stay with me.”

My lips part, and I think about how much I want that. I want him—so much. “Coop.”

“But it’s not right and not what I promised you.”

I nod. “I hate bein’ right.”

Cooper laughs and brings his lips to mine. “Go. Before I change my mind and lock you in my room.”

I raise my brow and grin. He chuckles again, and this time, I lean up and kiss him hard, hoping to convey just how much I don’t want to leave. I would happily stay with him, learning more about the man who is quickly stealing my heart.

Damn adult responsibilities.

“Is it crazy that I miss you and I haven’t even left?” I ask and instantly wish I hadn’t.

He’s been open and honest, though. He’s told me clearly how he feels, and as much as I hate being vulnerable, it’s just true. The fact that tomorrow I won’t see him makes me sad.

“I think it would be crazy if you didn’t miss me. I’ve been told that I’m a catch.”

I roll my eyes and grin. “Yes, I guess you’re lucky I’m so good at fishin’.”

Cooper looks down at his watch and groans. “You gotta go, darlin’.”

Darlin’.

I’ve heard it my whole life. Daddy called Mama that, Zach called Presley it, and Lord knows, Southern boys love saying it when they’re trying to blow a girl’s skirt up. When Cooper says it like that, though, I could cry. Two syllables laced with so much emotion that it forces the word to take on a new meaning.

It’s a song and a prayer.

It’s a promise filled with hope.

It’s a sign of something more between two old friends.

If I don’t walk away now, I won’t go. My feet move back, and my fingers hold the fabric, letting it slip from their grasp. “I’ll call you.”

He smiles. “I’ll be here.”

I move backward. “Go learn about cows and shit.”

Cooper shakes his head. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

“I’m countin’ on it.”

I turn my back and get in my car as he stands there with his hand up. I touch the window and smile. “Bye, Coop,” I say, and he winks.

My phone dings with a text from Vince, and I know I can’t wait any longer. I have to go. Putting the car in drive, I try not to look at him, and I move forward, leaving Cooper in the rearview mirror.





The bus is parked in the new arena in Houston. We had an issue with Luke’s bus and ended up not leaving Dallas until two in the morning, but I slept restlessly the four hours it took us to get here, wishing I were with Cooper. If I don’t get more rest, I’m going to be a bear for the show. I toss and turn for another thirty minutes before there’s a knock on the door.