Intercepting Love (Second Chances #5)(13)

Holy hell, how could this be possible? I thought, wide-eyed.

“Oh my God, this is a small world,” I marveled. “The connection is uncanny.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. So needless to say, Claire broke Cooper’s heart when she left him for Mason. After that he got hurt and started getting into trouble.”

“So that’s why he didn’t want to tell me,” I mumbled to myself. The love of his life left him for another man, and it just so happened that I’d met them. It’s so strange how paths cross like that.

When Cooper mentioned Claire’s name, I had no idea that it could even remotely be the same Claire I met a few months ago. She was amazing and we had such a good time together talking about her vineyards and about wine.

“I tell you what, Kate. Since you don’t need to be alone tonight why don’t you bring Cooper to the restaurant? I’d like to meet him and it’ll also get your mind off of everything,” Lara suggested slyly. “I’m pretty sure he’d be more than willing to accept.”

Getting in her car, Lara winked and waved at me as she pulled out of the parking lot. By the look in her eyes she knew she had sparked an interest in me. Okay, so maybe Cooper could be serious about women. Claire was a successful woman, beautiful, and down to earth; not like the other types of women I’d seen him in the papers with. It didn’t matter, though … I was only going to ask him out for a one night distraction and that was it.

Hopefully, I could hold up that end of the bargain.





By the time I got back to the field, the guys were taking a break and sitting on the side lines. I watched as Cooper bantered back and forth with the other players and how he seemed at home with them. At first, I thought he’d keep his distance and be an ass, but every time I turned around he surprised me. I guess it showed me how little I actually knew him.

When he saw me watching him, he came over to his car and I rolled down the window. He was dirty and drenched in sweat, but it didn’t make his smile any less sexy. The heat outside was probably in the mid-nineties, and with the sun blaring overhead I knew it had to be miserable for the guys in their pads.

“Did you have fun at your meeting?” he asked, leaning his arms in through the window.

“It was nice. I ate lunch with a friend.”

Cooper lifted a brow. “Was it a girl friend or a guy? Please tell me I didn’t let you borrow my car to meet up with another man.”

“No,” I laughed, “it was with our neighbor, Lara.” I didn’t know if I should tell him that I knew who his ex was. However, I figured if I mentioned it, it’d be best if I waited until he was done with practice.

“Ah, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her. I’ll have to stop by and visit.”

Visions of her making him brownies and him eating them off of her went through my mind at that exact moment. Damn you, Lara, for putting those thoughts in my head.

“No you don’t,” I blurted out. “She actually asked if I would bring you to her restaurant tonight after practice. You can meet her then.”

Cooper’s lips pulled up into a sly smirk. “Why, Kate Townsend, is this your way of asking me out on a date? I didn’t think I’d break you down so easily.”

“You didn’t,” I scoffed halfheartedly. “This isn’t a date, and I’m only doing this because Lara asked me to bring you. Now do you want to go or not?”

“Fine, I’ll go. Even if it’s not a date, I’d be more than happy to go with you. I’ll just have to take a shower first, but you’re more than welcome to join me. My shoulder’s been giving me some trouble, and I heard that those exercises you showed me work better in water. You up for that?”

“They work better in a pool, Cooper, not a shower. You might want to consider a cold one while you’re at it.”

Shaking my head, I rolled up the car window to cut him off. He thought it was funny and laughed the whole way back to the team. My body didn’t think it was funny; instead, I had forbidden thoughts of touching his bare body in the shower running through my mind. I felt wet all over with sweat already pouring down the back of my neck, moistening my skin. Even the spot between my legs tingled with the thoughts of a rendezvous under the heated spray of the dual headed showers.

My God, it’s been too long.





After practice was over, Evan stayed behind with me in the parking lot while Cooper disappeared to the locker room to take a quick shower. “How you holding up today?” he asked hesitantly. “Any contact from Scott’s parents?”

“Not yet,” I replied, releasing a heavy sigh. “It’s been a year since they last contacted me, so maybe they’ve moved on.”

Evan shrugged. “There’s no telling, but if they give you problems you need to let me deal with it, okay?”

“I can handle my own problems, Evan.”

“Kate,” he warned, glaring down at me, “don’t start with me. I’m only looking out for you.”

“I know,” I murmured softly as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“So what’s up with you and Cooper?” he asked. “Everyone was giving him hell about you today, but he claims nothing’s going on. Does Luke know you two are getting close?”