Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Jack
I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted my tie for the third time. Dark gray suit, burgundy tie that matched the shirt I’d worn earlier at the coffee shop—Cooper’s favorite color on me, though I doubted he realized his gaze lingered whenever I wore it.
The Valentine’s Day dance was the end of our four-week bargain, the night we’d agreed to reevaluate everything between us. The Boyfriend Bargain was officially over after tonight.
Four weeks. One month that had completely transformed my understanding of what it meant to be with Cooper.
I’d thought I’d known him before; after all, we’d been friends for years.
But being with him as more than friends had revealed layers I’d never imagined existed.
The way his hand fit in mine, the way he moaned in pleasure, the gentle way he touched my arm when he wanted my attention.
I’d fallen deeper in love with him than I’d thought possible, and I’d been in love with him for years already.
But had these past weeks been as transformative for Cooper?
I’d caught glimpses—moments when he looked at me like I was something precious, times when his touch lingered longer than necessary, the way he’d started unconsciously reaching for my hand.
Yet doubt gnawed at me like a persistent ache.
What if tonight he wanted to return to being just friends?
What if dating had shown him there wasn’t enough spark between us to continue as boyfriends?
The thought made my chest tighten with a pain so sharp I could barely breathe.
How could I sit at that table by the window every Saturday morning, watching him work behind the counter, pretending I didn’t know exactly how his hands felt when they traced my skin or how his voice sounded when he whispered my name?
Four weeks of being his boyfriend had ruined me for anything less.
I knew now what it felt like to wake up in his arms, to see the way his eyes softened when he looked at me.
Going back to casual friendship would be a constant reminder of everything I’d had and lost, like pressing on a bruise that would never heal.
If we were no longer boyfriends after this evening, I’d have to leave town entirely, cut off all contact, and pray that distance and time could somehow help me forget what it felt like to be his.
I ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.
Tonight, I would tell him I loved him. I’d lay my heart completely on the line, risk everything we had for the chance at everything we could be.
Because living in this indistinct space, this careful dance around our feelings, was slowly killing me.
I needed to know if Cooper felt even a fraction of what I felt for him or if I’d been imagining the depth of connection between us.
Either way, I couldn’t spend another day wondering.
I checked my watch, my nerves shot. Time to pick up Cooper.
The drive to his apartment was too short. I took a deep breath before knocking and steeled myself for the evening ahead.
Cooper opened the door, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. He wore a navy suit that fit him perfectly, with a red tie that complemented his moss green eyes. He’d styled his hair more carefully than usual, and he’d shaved close. He looked like everything I’d ever wanted.
“Wow,” he said before I could speak. His gaze traveled from my face down the length of my body and back up. “You clean up nice.”
I swallowed and grinned. “So do you. Very handsome.”
A flush of color touched his cheeks. “Ready to see if we’re crowned Valentine’s Day royalty?”
“As I’ll ever be.” I offered my arm in an exaggerated gesture that made him laugh.
The casual normalcy of the moment steadied me. This was still Cooper—my best friend and, for the moment, my boyfriend.
The festival committee had transformed the community center for the dance. Red and pink streamers cascaded from the ceiling, heart-shaped balloons clustered in corners, and tiny white lights twinkled along the walls. A live band played on a small stage, and couples already filled the dance floor.
“Jack! Cooper!” Mason waved from near the refreshment table, Caleb at his side. “The town’s golden couple!”
Cooper squeezed my hand as we made our way over. When had he taken my hand? I couldn’t remember, and that lifted my hope—these intimacies had easily become second nature.
“Congratulations on the event today.” Mason clapped Cooper on the shoulder. “The bookstore had record sales with all the extra foot traffic coming from the coffee shop.”
“It exceeded our expectations.” Cooper’s thumb stroked across my knuckles, the gesture heartening.
“To Seacliff Cove’s Valentines.” Mason raised his punch cup in a toast. “Everyone’s talking about those coffee sleeves.”
“Jack’s creativity at work.” Cooper bumped my shoulder with his. “He came up with most of the sayings.”
“Well, they were brilliant,” Caleb said. “I got ‘Steaming hot for you’ and ‘Love you a latte.’ I’m keeping them.”
I smiled, warmed by the praise. “Glad they were a hit.”
The next half hour passed in a blur of greetings and congratulations. It seemed everyone in town wanted to chat with us, to comment on the success of the coffee shop event, to tell us what a perfect couple we made. Each compliment was a beacon of hope.
Ethan stopped by to congratulate us on both the overwhelming success of A Latte Love and Shaw’s capture, his usual quiet smile broader than I’d ever seen it.
“Garrett’s still buried in paperwork at the station,” he said with a fond shake of his head, “so I’m flying solo tonight.
But he wanted me to tell you both how relieved he is that your nightmare is finally over.
” He clapped Cooper on the shoulder and gave me a knowing look that suggested he’d picked up on the changes between us over the past weeks.
“You two make a good team.” He melted back into the crowd and left behind a warmth that had nothing to do with the compliment and everything to do with the quiet validation that what Cooper and I had was visible to others.
And, in all that time, Cooper never left my side, his hand in mine or on the small of my back, his body angled toward me even when speaking to others.
The small gestures filled me with a cautious hope that maybe—just maybe—when we finally had our talk tonight, Cooper would want the same thing I did.
To stop calling this temporary. To move forward together beyond tonight.
I could only hope that when the music ended, and we found ourselves alone, he’d be ready to take that leap with me.
The band shifted to a slower song, and couples began moving to the dance floor. Cooper leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. “Dance with me?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
As we took our place among the other dancers, Cooper’s arms slid around my waist and pulled me close.
I rested my hands on his shoulders, conscious of every point where our bodies connected.
My heart hammered against my ribs. This felt intimate, perfect; he held me like I was something precious, the warmth of his breath against my cheek, the gentle pressure of his fingers at the small of my back.
Every nerve ending in my body was sensitive to him, and I didn’t fight the urge to hope this moment could last forever.
“You’ve been quiet tonight,” he murmured. He leaned back, and his eyes searched mine. “Everything okay?”
“Just taking it all in.” I was memorizing everything: the weight of his hands on my back, the faint scent of coffee and vanilla that still clung to him, the exact green of his eyes in the dim lighting. I wanted to remember this as a beginning, not an end.
Before Cooper could respond, the song ended, and Isabelle’s voice came over the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? It’s time to crown the royalty of the Ocean of Love dance!”
We turned toward the small stage where Isabelle stood, resplendent in a ruby sequined dress.
With theatrical flair, she raised a sealed envelope high above her head, letting the spotlight catch its pristine white surface as the crowd held its breath.
She tore it open with a dramatic flourish and withdrew the card inside.
She paused just long enough to let anticipation ripple through the room.
“And the winning couple of our Ocean of Love dance,” she announced, her voice carrying around the room, “is Cooper McKay and Jack Anderson! Our king and king of the dance!”
Heat flooded my face as applause erupted around us, and I wanted to disappear into the crowd. But before I could even begin to process the embarrassment, Cooper’s hands framed my face and his lips were on mine, kissing me with a tenderness that made the rest of the world fade away.
My gut swooped with pure happiness, a rush of joy so intense it nearly knocked the breath from my lungs.
This wasn’t temporary—not the gentle way his thumb brushed across my cheek, not the soft smile playing at his lips when we broke apart, not the way his eyes held mine like I was the only person in the entire room.
The crowd cheered around us, but all I could focus on was Cooper, and the way he looked at me like I’d just handed him the moon.
For a moment, I let myself believe this could be our future. That tonight wouldn’t change anything, that we really were the perfect couple everyone thought we were.
“Valentine’s Day in Seacliff Cove is a special tradition, and this year has been more romantic than ever, thanks in large part to our honorees,” Isabelle said.
“Their A Latte Love event brought the entire town together in celebration of love and community. As is tradition, our Valentine’s Day royalty will now have the floor for a special dance. ”