Crazy in Love (Blue Lake #3)(47)

“Oh god. Cole, you’ve got five minutes.” Rita rolled her eyes and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. He didn’t miss the raised eyebrows and disapproving glare Rita gave him before she exited the room, and he didn’t care.

“This is quite the surprise,” Cole said, taking her hands in his. They were ice cold and trembling. “I’m about to go on.”

“I know, I know, and I thought maybe I should take the tickets and have Rita show me my seat, but I had to ask if I could see you.” She bounced up and down on her toes. “I had to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“Because you stayed at the inn these last few nights, the addition is finally coming together. I ordered the final touches this afternoon.”

Happiness radiated through him at the sight of her gigantic smile.

“That’s great,” he said. “It makes me happy to see you this way.”

And it did.

Damn, it really did. He loved watching her bounce up and down; it made him want to jump right along with her. He felt light, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

He was used to looking out for himself. Watching his own back without caring about anyone else. He didn’t do anything unless it benefited him. Now, seeing Rachael react this way to finishing her plans for the inn…it made Cole want to make her happy again. Send her flowers. Cook her breakfast. Help her paint and fix the freezing-cold water in the upstairs bathroom. He wanted that smile permanently etched on her face, even if that meant he wouldn’t get any immediate gratification from it.

Because seeing her happy made his chest feel oddly light…and warm.

“Anyway,” she said, her cheeks blushing pink, “that’s all I wanted to say.”

She turned to leave.

“Wait.” He caught her by the wrist and guided her back to him.

“Yeah?”

“If I’ve been an ass the last few days, I’m sorry. After what happened in Houston, I didn’t plan on coming here and finding someone like you. You took me off guard.”

Her face scrunched. “In a good way?”

“Yes, in an unexpectedly good way.” He laughed and touched the tip of her nose. “I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to thaw the ice sheet in my chest.”

She grinned as Rita forced her way into the room. “All right Cole, you’re on. Ready?”

Taking a deep breath, he pulled his shoulders back and met Rachael’s warm gaze. “Damn straight.”

Rita’s iPad pinged. “The album for your new cover hit my inbox!” She swiped her finger over the screen and gasped. “Oh my God, you have to see this!” She shoved the iPad in front of Cole’s nose. “You look delicious!”

He drew back so his eyes would adjust to the screen, and when he finally focused, his stomach dropped to his studded boots. The album cover was dark and gritty, with a zoomed-in black and white image of his guitar held over his chest and abs.

“Can I see?” Rachael asked, sliding beside him. “Ooh, that’s…wow.” She bumped his shoulder. “I’d buy it.”

“Me or the album?”

Rita laughed. “Whichever sells for more!”

Rachael didn’t seem to share Rita’s humor.

An email alert popped onto the iPad screen. It read: Cole Turner getting hot and heavy in Blue Lake.

“What’s this?” he thought aloud, and swiped his finger over the notification.

The email expanded to full form before Rita could take the iPad back.