The Newcomer (Thunder Point #2)(53)

“I want to ask you something. Try to be honest, okay?”

“I always tell you the truth. Not something I’ve always done, but always with you.”

“You were engaged twice. Was the other woman before or after Bridget?”

“After. And it might’ve been a rebound thing—it was Patti, and I was never so relieved as when it didn’t work out.”

Sarah turned in her chair, facing him. “I can’t wait to hear this.”

He chuckled softly. “Try not to be too amused,” Cooper said. “I was dating Patti. Same drill. I was the runaway boyfriend—in the States for a few weeks, away for long stretches, expecting the woman of the moment to be so thrilled by my occasional presence that she’d never think of asking more from me.”

Sarah just shook her head and snickered. “You were such a dog. I’ve known a hundred guys just like you.”

“Yeah, not really flattering to know I’m just another brute. Inconsiderate and self-absorbed. So, I was dating Patti and ran into, guess who? Bridget. At the grocery store, of all places. I hardly ever went to the grocery store. She was picking through tomatoes or something and she looked...” He just shook his head in wonder. “She looked amazing. Happier than I’d ever seen her. She had a rosy-cheeked one-year-old in her shopping cart and she was making him giggle. When she saw me, she gasped and laughed and threw her arms around me and said it was so good to see me. I knew she was married but I have to tell you, Sarah, the way I saw her that day? She was never that happy with me. We talked for about five minutes—she married a teacher, had a nice little house not far from her mom and dad, hoped to fill it up with kids. She asked me about how I was doing...I was doing the same thing. She had grown a family and I had grown a little savings account—contract labor outsourced by the Army was good money.”

“And that was when you wanted her back?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t remember feeling that way. What I remember was thinking I hadn’t been as smart as I thought I was. So, right after that I asked Patti to marry me and she was thrilled. What is it about women and the capture, huh? What did she have to be thrilled about? In two weeks I knew it was a mistake and we broke up. That’s all there is to the Patti/Cooper story. I think I was trying to reach back in time—I think I felt like I’d been an idiot. A fool. I packed up and left San Antonio, went to the Gulf coast, got a job for an oil company flying equipment and people to off shore rigs. Right then I made a decision to live alone for the rest of my life.” He squeezed her shoulders and grinned. “Until you came along.”

“You grieve her,” Sarah said. “You grieve Bridget and the life you might’ve had together.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s that simple, babe. I grieve the foolishness of my youth. But I’m grateful for all the things that happened, even the stupid things. I want to be here with you now and if I’d been smarter back then, this wouldn’t have happened. So, I’m sorry I was an idiot and grateful I was an idiot? Does that make any sense?”

Derek Stiles, Sarah’s ex-husband, instantly came to her mind. She had so wanted her marriage to work but now she was so grateful things had gone the way they had, allowing her to be here with Cooper. “I think I understand, Cooper. I’m just sorry you’re so sad.”

“She left a husband and young son,” he said. “That just shouldn’t happen.”

“It happens all the time,” she said. “It happened to Landon.”

“I think about that all the time,” Cooper said. “I know I can’t ever be a father to Landon. But you know what, Sarah? If something terrible happened tomorrow and Landon was left alone, I want you to know—I’d never abandon him. Never.” Then he laughed at himself. “I’d be his shadow. I’d stick with him.”

* * *

Cooper got better over the next week. He might’ve been a little bit quiet, but he was lightening up. And then the following weekend, she could tell something had changed. He was as morose and preoccupied as he’d been that first day he had returned from Texas.

Sarah went out on the bay on her board while he had customers in the bar and planned what she was going to say to Cooper, because this had to be resolved. Later that day she didn’t say anything and tried to ignore his mood until it was late enough for them to be alone. Sarah was sure that Bridget’s death had opened his eyes—he must know in his heart that he’d been in love with her and was sorry he’d let her go.

When the last four people from town were walking back down the beach she said, “Let’s get it over with. I want to know what’s going on with you. And I want it all, right now.”

He just stared at her for a second, shocked. Speechless.

“I know it has to do with me,” she said. “Just get it out. Stop with all this ‘I love you so much’ stuff and tell me the truth. What’s eating you?”

He smiled slightly. “I was going to tell you tonight. I’m sorry you had to wait,” he said. “Come here.” He put out his hand and led her inside.

Once they were in the shop and there was sufficient light, he pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through the pictures, handing it to her.

“Bridget wanted to tell me before she died that I have a son. She didn’t realize Austin was mine—it was an honest mistake that came to light when her whole extended family, including Austin, had blood tests to try to find a match for a bone marrow transplant. It revealed that Austin and Spencer, Bridget’s husband, weren’t a match. I had a DNA test while I was in Texas and was waiting for confirmation. The letter came yesterday afternoon. I’m a match. I wanted us to have some time to talk it over once I knew for sure.”