Until Cobi (Until Her/Him #7)(48)

“What?” His head jerks back and he frowns. “How does that question even make sense after what I just said to you?”

“I don’t know.” I toss my hands out. “You’re being intense and scary. I just don’t know if you’re doing it to scare me off or to warn me of what the future might look like if we keep going forward.”

“I’m letting you know the kind of man I am, Hadley,” he says with a frustrated grunt.

“Okay then, I get it. You’re overprotective and possibly crazy. Can we be done talking about this now? I’m kind of hungry. I also think I heard you talking to Brie and Kenyon. If they’re here then they’re probably worried and I need to make sure they know I’m okay.”

“Seriously?” he asks in disbelief.

“What? Did you want to tell me more about what a caveman you are?” I deepen my voice. “Me go look for food, you stay here and sweep cave, pop out babies and cook.”

“What the fuck have I gotten myself into with you?” he asks, tipping his head back toward the ceiling.

I grin, then lose hold on my smile and rest my hands against him. “I’m good, you’re good, and I’m not sure I could stop falling in love with you if I tried. I’m over my freak-out for now, though I do reserve the right to have another. But right now I’m okay. Okay?”

“Yeah, baby.” He brushes his mouth over mine and leans back smiling.

“Though I think you might be the crazy one between us, just so you know.” He might be right thinking about all the emotions I’ve gone through the last few hours I feel like I might be crazy.

“It’s a possibility,” I agree while he pulls me from the counter. “You might want to run for the hills while you still have the chance.”

“I like crazy.” He pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me, keeping his head dipped toward mine. “A lot.” His mouth touches mine in a soft sweet kiss.

I open my eyes when he pulls his mouth away and ask, “Who’s here?”

“My parents, Brie, and her man.” He takes my hand to lead me from the bathroom then stops before opening the door to the bedroom and looks down at me. “My family all wanted to come but mom told them to give you a couple days. They’re worried about you.” I melt against him. “You have a lot of people who care about you, baby.” He wraps his hand around the side of my neck and smooths his thumb along my jaw.

“Because of you.”

“No, because of you. Because of the person you are.”

“Don’t make me cry again. I think I’ve reached my quota for the day,” I tell him, not really joking.

“I don’t want you to cry. I just want you to know that you’re worth worrying about, worth caring about. That you deserve to have good people in your life because you’re a good person.”

“I’m starting to believe that,” I say quietly, and I am. I don’t know if it’s talking with my doctor, or what Brie has been telling me forever, or if it’s Cobi beating down my defenses, but I’m starting to believe that I’m someone worth knowing. Someone worthy of a guy like him. A good man who sees something in me I don’t always see in myself.

“Now come on so I can feed you and you can reassure the people who care about you that you’re okay.” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he touches his mouth to mine and leads me from the bedroom, out to his family and mine, to the people who I know really care about me.





Chapter 13


Cobi

“SO HOW’S EVERYTHING GOING with Hadley?” my partner Frank asks, studying me.

We stopped at Banks, the bar next to the station, after we both got off duty. Me, because I needed to kill time before going home, since Hadley is at her doctor’s appointment. Frank, because his wife and three daughters are home—in his words—driving him up the wall about putting in a pool while the costs are down this winter. Having met his wife, Stacey, and his girls, ranging from ages twelve to seventeen, I can see this. Though, I know Frank and know he’s gonna give in to them; he just needs to do it in his own time.

I take a drag from my beer while I pull my elbows from the table and lean back against the chair. “She’s healing. The bruising is just about gone. But she’s still worried about Shelp.”

“He’s in jail. She knows he can’t hurt her again, right?” he asks, concern filling his voice.

“It’s not about that. She’s never liked the part of her job that involves splitting up families, and she knows with what he did he’s going away for a while. She doesn’t like that she’s the catalyst for that.”

“It’s his own damn fault for not pulling his head out of his ass,” Frank grumbles.

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know. It’s just her; she’s soft, thinks that most people, given the time and chance, will do the right thing.” How she’s not jaded after the way she grew up is anyone’s guess, but she’s not. She really believes everyone is good or has good in them.

“It’s good with her job she thinks like that, but sometimes people just don’t give a fuck about anyone but themselves.”

“You’re not wrong.” I glance at my cell when the screen lights up with a text from her, letting me know she’s out of her appointment and heading to her car. After I read it, I look at Frank.