Cooper (Wild Boys After Dark, #4)(25)
That scared the shit out of him.
Had he been too honest? Scared her off with his confession of wanting forever? He was stewing on those thoughts when his cell phone rang with a call from Logan.
“Hey, bro. How’s it going?”
“Hey, Coop,” Logan said. “Everything work out okay for your girlfriend?”
“As good as could be expected. We taped up her window, police are searching, but you know how that goes.”
“It all sucks. I’m sorry she’s dealing with that. Look, Heath and I are at the travel agent’s office. Do you still want to go in on the gift with us?”
“Hell yes.” The three brothers were buying Jackson and Erica a trip to Paris for their honeymoon. Like the rest of the Wild men, Jackson made enough money to buy anything he or Erica could ever want, but his idea of a honeymoon was camping in the mountains in upstate New York, where he and Erica had gone camping since they were teenagers. Not exactly the most romantic getaway, or at least that’s what the three of them had decided.
“Cool. We’ll book it, then.”
Cooper maneuvered through the crowd to an open space and paced. “Logan, I need a favor.”
“Anything. Name it.”
If there was one thing Cooper could count on, it was that he and his brothers would help one another out without question. They’d banded together after their father died, and as each one had fallen off the deep end, the others had been right there to help them find their way back to the surface. They took turns visiting their mother daily and cared for her without question and without fail. He knew he could count on Logan to come through with his request—hell, he could do it himself if he had a computer with him. He’d finally seen the light for the first time in four years, and he knew exactly where he wanted to be. He just needed a little guidance on how to get there.
“I need you to track down an address for me, in Peaceful Harbor, Maryland. The name’s Fine. Celeste Fine.”
Chapter Nine
LEAVING COOPER WAS the hardest thing Cici had done in a very long time. Unlike the last time, when she’d left with her heart full of hopes and her mind full of dreamy thoughts of their future, this time her head was on dead straight, which was even more painful than having it floating around in the clouds. She hadn’t wanted to leave without telling him about Melody, but she couldn’t tell him and leave minutes later. And now, as she drove past the Welcome to Peaceful Harbor sign, she waited for the calm that usually washed through her when she returned to the sleepy little beach town where she’d grown up.
She rolled down the window and breathed in the salty sea air, waiting for that glorious comfort of being home to roll in like the tide. But her heart was still hammering against her ribs, and her stomach was knotted tight.
Stopped at a red light, she gazed out the window, feeling guilty for wishing she was back in Bay City with Cooper. Was he taking amazing pictures, swept up in the fun of the festival, or was he thinking about her? She thought of Melody, hoping she hadn’t been scared when she was with Tegan at the hospital. If she’d told Cooper about Melody, he’d surely be thinking about their daughter, too. Her chest tightened as these thoughts sailed through her mind, and her stomach sank. For the first time since Melody was born, she wanted to be in two places at once.
The light turned green, and she followed the road through town, past the beach and over the hill toward the bungalow she’d rented since before Melody was born. She parked in front of the little yellow house, cut the engine, and leaned her head back against the headrest, feeling guilty for not telling Cooper about Melody. And damn it, it felt a lot like she’d just had her heart ripped from her chest again.
The front door flew open, and Melody bounded out and across the lawn toward the car. A white and blue floral scarf was tied around her forehead. Her long dark hair flew out behind her like a wild mane. Her spindly legs sprinted from beneath a skirt Cici didn’t recognize. Cici smiled despite her clenching stomach as she stepped from the car and swooped her beautiful daughter into her arms.
‘“Mommy!” Melody squealed as she lifted her.
And finally, Cici breathed. She hadn’t even known she was so tense that her breathing had become shallow, but now, with Melody’s soft little lips pressed to her cheek and her tiny arms wrapped tightly around her neck, her world fell back into place. This was exactly where she was supposed to be, right here with Melody, not gallivanting around like a woman without any responsibilities.
“I missed you, Melly.” She kissed the tip of her nose, and Melody giggled. Her deep blue eyes danced over Cici’s, and it was there, in those happy eyes and in her perfect cupid lips, that she saw Cooper, and her heart tumbled in her chest again. She willed the tears to remain at bay and focused on her daughter.
Our daughter.
“What a gorgeous skirt and scarf,” she managed, unwilling to allow her emotions to affect her daughter. “Did Aunt Tegan take you shopping?” She grabbed her purse from the car and carried Melody inside.
“No. She made the skirt and scarf last night while I was sleeping.” Her voice was full of excitement as she ran her fingers over the cotton skirt. “Isn’t it pretty, Mommy? And it wraps around, so Aunt Tegan said she didn’t have to sew too much. She broke her ankle and we went to the hospital. I got to color and—” Melody wriggled from her arms as they walked into the house. She ran through the foyer and sank down on the couch beside Tegan, who sported a cast from midcalf all the way to her toes.