4. Cooper

SKYE

4

COOPER

"Are you okay?"

Even though I knew that was a stupid question, I asked it anyway.

It was clear that Skye was anything but okay, considering all that I'd just heard and the way her chest was rising and falling with the slow, deep breaths she was taking to rein in her emotions. Not only that, but she was biting the side of her cheek while rapidly blinking back the tears.

So, it was obvious it was a stupid question.

But not asking her the question simply wasn't an option. I couldn't believe half of what I'd just heard.

Skye slowly shook her head and whispered, "No. No, I'm not. I just need a minute, and I'll pull it together."

I'd removed my hand from her hair, which had been as soft as I'd imagined the first day I saw her, and I slid that hand down to the middle of her back, where I was offering what I hoped were reassuring strokes.

Seeing her so distressed, recognizing how hard she was struggling, I felt something wash over me, but I couldn't pinpoint precisely what it was. I'd never felt anything like it before.

Normally, I wasn't the kind of guy who got myself involved in things that didn't concern me. I preferred to do what I needed to do in any situation, and only when I was asked for my help or opinion did I provide it.

But when I realized what was happening with Skye and the woman named Maria, I couldn't just stand there, doing nothing, and watch it unfold. My mind was spinning, trying to understand how Skye could be as sweet and pleasant as she was when this had happened to her mere months ago.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Skye," I told her. "I can't imagine how that must feel."

"Thank you for saying that. It's not exactly been easy," she murmured.

Distress was present in every feature on her beautiful face, and she couldn't even bring herself to look at me. I had a feeling she was embarrassed that this had happened while I was here to witness it.

"So, it was your boyfriend and your best friend?" I asked.

Nodding, she lifted her gaze to mine and corrected me. "They are now both formers of that, but yes."

It was unbelievable. Marco was my best friend. There wasn't a chance he'd ever cross a line like that with me. He'd never betray our friendship or my trust, so I was utterly baffled that Skye's best friend could do this to her.

"And did I hear that correctly? You learned the truth via an email?"

"I did," she answered, turning her head to the side, and looking down at the ground.

"I mean no disrespect to you when I say this, but he's obviously not a good guy," I remarked.

She rolled her eyes. "I know that now."

"And I'd like to say that your best friend is even worse," I added.

Skye winced, likely recalling seeing her former best friend walking into the store pregnant by the man she, Skye, used to date.

"Yeah," she murmured.

With each passing moment, it became obvious just how uncomfortable Skye was with this conversation. While I thought it might be a good thing to discuss it after what had just happened, the truth was that she didn't know me at all, and it was likely she simply wasn't comfortable.

Just as I was about to ask her another question, she lifted her chin up and pinned her eyes on mine.

"What is it?"

After swallowing hard, she asked, "Why did you step in?"

My eyes roamed over her beautiful face, wondering how it was possible a man could have a woman like Skye, so sweet and so pretty, warming his bed at night and not do everything in his power to keep her right there.

Granted, I didn't know everything there was to know about her, so perhaps there was something I was missing. But if what I'd seen was any indication of the kind of woman she was, I thought her ex was unbelievably foolish. Plus, even if there was something about her he was unhappy with, it didn't justify the cheating.

"I apologize if me stepping in upset you in any way. That was not my intent. I just… I have two sisters, and if anyone ever did to them what your ex and your former best friend did to you, I could only hope someone would step in to make it known that it wasn't my sister who lost anything in the end. I'd want my sisters to stand tall and proud of themselves, knowing they were better off without people in their lives who could betray them," I explained.

Skye studied me, her eyes seeming to take in every inch of my face. She looked like she had at least a dozen thoughts running through her mind, but when she spoke, I wasn't sure I got even one of them. "It was really nice of you to do that for me. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Following a brief pause, Skye muttered, "Now, I'll just have to hope Maria doesn't intend to come back here after I don't show up at the benefit."

Confused, I took a step toward her and asked, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't you go?"

Shaking her head, a small but appreciative smile washed over her expression. "It was wonderful for you to do what you did while Maria was here by pretending that you and I were a couple to help me save face, but I don't plan to go to the benefit."

"But from what I heard during that discussion, you've been going to it every year for years," I reasoned. "Why would you let them take that away from you?"

I couldn't miss the hurt that moved through her features. I didn't like the way it made me feel to see her so upset.

And that caused a whole slew of questions to pop into my head. Because although what I'd told Skye about my sisters and how I would have wanted someone to step in for them was the truth, the reality was that it had gone beyond that for me when it came to stepping in for her.

"I realize I probably shouldn't allow them to have control over me in this situation, but I knew months ago that I wouldn't be able to handle going there on my own and seeing them together," she explained. "Now that she's pregnant, it's even worse."

Nodding, I said, "I can appreciate why you wouldn't want to put yourself in the position to be around them on your own, but that's no longer a concern."

Confusion marred her features. "What?"

"I told you I'd go with you," I reminded her.

"Yeah, but you were just saying that while Maria was here," she noted. "You don't actually want to go to the event."

I sent her what I hoped was a reassuring smile and said, "If you're suggesting that I wouldn't have gone on my own, you'd be correct. But I'm more than happy to take you to it. Why don't you tell me a bit about it?"

Just then, we heard the front door open. While I hadn't finished with the installation, everything was done to the point where customers could walk in and out safely.

"Good morning," Skye greeted the two women who'd walked in together.

"Good morning," they returned in unison.

As they took off to find whatever books they were there to find, I returned my attention to Skye and shot her an expectant look.

She held my gaze briefly in silence before she said, "I don't mean to be presumptuous, but you don't seem like the type to be interested in books and literacy."

"I'm not an avid reader, if that's what you mean," I admitted. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about good causes or kids learning to read."

For the first time since Maria left, Skye's spirits seemed to have lifted a bit. "Okay. Well, as you guessed, the event is a fundraiser to help provide resources for childhood literacy. Not only do I believe that everyone should have access to books, but they should be able to learn how to read. This event helps to make that a reality for many people in Landing and other small towns in our state. It's a pretty big deal, and it's a formal event. It's being held at The Westwood Hotel."

The second the words were out of Skye's mouth, I couldn't stop my lips from twitching. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Um, no. Why would you say that?"

Unable to stop myself, I reached out for Skye's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm not sure if I mentioned this the day that piece of wood went through your front door, but my name is Cooper Westwood."

Skye's eyes widened. "Westwood. As in, the Westwood family that owns The Westwood Company and subsequently, the Westwood Hotel?"

"That's the one," I stated proudly.

Skye continued to stare at me with a look of disbelief and seemed to be struggling to come up with anything to say.

I took advantage of her silence and said, "I think, more than anything else, this is a sign that you should not avoid going to the charity benefit, and that you should allow me to take you."

"I… I just don't know," she said softly.

"If it wasn't for what happened with your ex, would you be going?"

Skye didn't hesitate. "Absolutely."

"Then there's nothing to be unsure about," I reasoned. "Look, I get it. You've had something really crappy happen to you, and I can't imagine how betrayed you must feel. But I don't think you should give up doing something that made you happy, especially if you don't need to do it alone."

For a few moments, Skye didn't respond. It was clear she was taking the time to consider whether she wanted to take me up on the offer. Surprisingly, even though it shouldn't have mattered to me either way what she decided, there was a part of me that felt like I was waiting on pins and needles, desperately hoping she'd accept.

I had plenty of things to do to keep me busy right now. The last thing I should have been doing was continuing to push for something that didn't necessarily make sense in my life.

Despite that, I still found myself making claims I shouldn't have been when Skye finally spoke. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"I promise. In fact, I'm really looking forward to it," I told her.

She took a few more seconds to think and ultimately agreed. "Okay. In that case, I'd love to go. I was a bit disappointed about having to miss it."

I grinned at her just as the front door opened again and another patron walked in. Turning my attention back to Skye, I said, "Perfect. How about I get back to fixing your door right now, and once I'm finished, we'll work out the details for that night?"

"That works for me. Thank you, Cooper."

I ignored how much I liked the sound of her soft, sweet voice saying my name, gave her a nod, and returned, "You're welcome, sweetheart."

Something washed over her expression, but before she had the chance to respond, I turned and walked back toward the door to finish the work I needed to get done. And for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel so irritated about the interruption to my already hectic schedule.

Over the last five months, there had been plenty of instances when I'd felt the need to have another employee around. Sometimes, the workload became too much on days that happened to be particularly busy. Joan and I often felt that pinch on the weekend.

Today, I didn't mind that Joan wasn't scheduled to arrive until the afternoon or that my new employee wasn't set to start working until Monday. Because I needed the distraction that the busy workload provided me with today.

Nothing had gone like I'd anticipated. Not Maria deciding my avoidance of her numerous phone calls wasn't enough of a reason to leave me alone and choosing to show up here, nor how Cooper had stepped in and pretended he and I were dating one another.

It wasn't that I hadn't appreciated what Cooper had done.

God, it meant the world to me that he'd taken that kind of action for me when he didn't even know me.

But now I was in a very tough spot.

Because I'd agreed to go to the charity event with him, and I'd already sworn off men. I wasn't quite sure how this was going to work.

If there was one thing I'd spent the very few moments of downtime this morning considering, it was how crucial it was that Cooper had a very clear understanding of where things stood in my life.

I had no choice but to share that with him. As it was, I couldn't stop stealing glances at him while he was working on the entrance to my bookstore, nor could I forget how it made me feel to hear his voice calling me sweetheart.

There was no question I might do something very foolish if I didn't find a way to spell my situation out to him. I just didn't want to do it and make him think I was ungrateful for all that he'd done to help me.

He seemed like a decent man, though. I had to believe he'd understand exactly where I was coming from, and I'd have nothing to worry about.

Plus, it was like he'd said. I needed to remind myself that Cooper's reason for stepping into the encounter I had with Maria was about a moral obligation he felt. He had been merely doing for me what he had hoped someone would have done for one of his sisters.

So, this fake date to the charity event was just that—fake. Cooper was doing something nice for me, and that was all.

Would I look like a fool if I went out of my way to tell him that I wasn't interested in dating anyone? It would be mortifying to do that and have him fire back that he was just trying to be a nice guy and had no interest in me.

It was on that thought I decided I needed to refrain from saying anything. I just needed to wait. If, and only if, he made a move to turn this into something more than just a kind gesture, that's when I'd be entirely honest with him.

I'd just handed a bag filled with books to my customer and wished her a nice day when my eyes, once again, sought out Cooper. My body tensed when I found him, because he had his gaze pinned on me as he moved in my direction with a walk that was as confident as his voice sounded.

If I wasn't so set in my mind about not taking any more chances with my heart, I'd have instantly developed a crush on Cooper. There was so much about him to like, and I'd only had two in-person encounters with him. I could only imagine how anything else I'd learn if I gave myself the opportunity would make that crush turn into something much more.

Cooper came to a stop in front of me, a slight look of amusement on his face. "It's all fixed," he declared.

My eyes drifted to the entrance, where I saw no evidence that there'd been a huge hole in the door just that morning. Returning my attention to Cooper, I said, "It looks fantastic. I think it's even better than it was before it was broken."

"Well, that was the one thing that was a priority when I realized we weren't going to be able to reuse your door," he started, his chest seeming to puff up slightly with pride. "I didn't want to do something so drastically different than what had already been there and change the look of a building that's been here for years. So, while this was a more modern upgrade in many ways, it certainly kept that classic look, too.

"I agree. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job with it and for insisting on getting it fixed so quickly for me. I really appreciate it," I told him.

An appreciative smile spread across his face. "You're welcome. Obviously, it wasn't an ideal situation the day it happened, and I know that temporary solution wasn't pretty to look at, so I'm glad you seem to be happy with this."

My eyes shifted several times between my new entrance and Cooper, feeling genuinely impressed by the work he'd done. Nodding, my mouth quirking, I confirmed, "I really am.''

He smiled at me, and I instantly felt a flutter in my belly. "So, I know you're busy this morning, and I want to get out of your hair, but I was hoping to talk to you about something."

I ignored the nerves I instantly felt at the prospect of an extended conversation with him and replied, "Sure. What did you want to talk about?"

"I know that we've decided to go to the charity event together, and I definitely still want to do that, but I was thinking it might be a good idea for the two of us to get together at some point before then," he revealed.

"Pardon?"

That single word was out of my mouth before I had much of an opportunity to think about what to say to him.

Cooper offered a nonchalant shrug in response, as though this was all very casual for him. Evidently, he didn't feel the same nerves about any of this as I did. "I thought it might be a wise idea for us to go out for dinner one night and get to know each other better."

Okay.

So, perhaps I wasn't going to need to wait very long to tell Cooper where things stood in my life with stuff like this.

Shifting nervously back and forth on my feet, I fidgeted with my hands and said, "Um, well, I want you to know how grateful I am for what you did for me this morning, but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I'm not looking to jump into another relationship right now. In fact, I've pretty much sworn off men."

I didn't think it was necessary to mention that I also wasn't particularly interested in making any new friends, either.

He let out a chuckle, the sound of it holding me captive. "That's okay, Skye. I can understand why you'd want to do something so drastic. But I'm not suggesting we get together and officially start dating one another. I just thought it would be smart to prepare ourselves."

"Prepare ourselves?"

Nodding, he explained, "If we're going to convince your ex and your former best friend that you've moved on and are better off without them—the latter of which I'm already certain is the case—I think our chances of success will be much greater if we know a few things about one another. It'll make us both more comfortable on the night of the event, and our relationship will be more believable."

I wanted to slap my hand against my forehead. Why did I automatically presume Cooper wanted something more out of me? He was simply doing what was necessary to follow through on making Maria and Simon believe I was over what both of them had done to me.

Granted, I still wasn't quite sure why he'd want to do this if there was nothing in it for him.

But I couldn't deny Cooper had an excellent idea. The only problem was that I still felt uneasy about it. "Oh," I murmured. "I'm not sure if that's completely necessary."

"It's not," he assured me, taking a step forward and closing the distance between us. His voice dropped an octave or two when he added, "But I think you deserve a little bit of retribution, and I want to help you get it."

Great.

Just great.

He was handsome, confident, hardworking, generous, and competitive.

Maybe I had my answer as to why he wanted to do this.

Unfortunately, this was a recipe for disaster.

So, it was only natural that I ignored the warning signs and replied, "What exactly did you have in mind?"

A victorious grin spread across his face, which should have had me backtracking.

It didn't.

And barely five minutes later, Cooper had walked out the door with my cell phone number programmed into his. In exchange, I had his promise that he'd call me later tonight to work out the details of our pre-date date with me.

The worst part about all of it was that I didn't know what I was most excited for—getting to know him better, being able to prove to Simon and Maria that I was better off without them, or knowing I was going to hear Cooper's voice again in just a few hours.