Chapter Nine
Lachlan
I hadn’t expected to be greeted by Taryn, Stephanie, and Cooper. I’d texted my flight information to Taryn so that if the plane crashed, she’d know the airline calling her was real.
I was a little neurotic that way.
Instead of being picked up, I’d assumed I would rent and car and drive myself to the Grand Hotel.
Beyond that, I had no plans.
As I exited the baggage area and caught sight of my sister and her wife, I grinned. They looked so incredibly happy—Stephanie with an arm around Taryn and Taryn tucked into her side.
Then I saw the man who’d haunted my dreams for the past couple of weeks. During the day, I’d think about the honeymooning couple. At night, Cooper was always there—just out of reach.
Well, he’s within reach now—are you going to go say hi?
Before I could act on the impulse to pull him into my arms and never let go, Taryn broke away from Stephanie and almost ran to me.
I bent to meet her embrace—ensuring I didn’t hit her with my messenger bag.
Cooper was there to relieve me of it so I could soak up my sister’s affection.
“Hey, it’s not like I wasn’t here three weeks ago.”
Taryn pulled back and swatted my shoulder. “You dolt. I always want you here. I miss you when you’re gone and can’t wait for you to come back. You’re my brother, Lachlan. I’ll always want you here.”
“Unlike me, who can quite do without my brother.” Stephanie said the words deadpan, but her bright eyes gave lie to her words.
“Hey.” Cooper frowned, but clearly his mock offense didn’t fool everyone as we all laughed.
Taryn remained tucked against me. “So, we’re all going to Fifties for dinner. Stephanie and I haven’t gone in weeks, and we’ve got a hankering for diner food.”
I glanced at Cooper. “Uh, all of us?”
“Oh, of course. Cooper’s going to drive you.” Stephanie grabbed Taryn’s hand and headed toward the automatic doors to the outside.
Cooper snagged the arm of my suitcase. He’d barely tipped it so the wheels would work when he scowled. “What did you bring, rocks?”
“Something like that.” I almost insisted he give it to me, but I liked watching his arm muscles flex under his tight T-shirt.
Arms that had held me just as snugly.
Arms I’d escaped from before the morning light on the day after the wedding.
Something I regretted to this day.
“I’ll lift it into your SUV.” I smirked. We hurried to catch up to the women.
“I’m quite capable.” He growled the words.
“Actually, why don’t you ride with Taryn and I’ll ride with Cooper?” Stephanie smiled. “That’ll give you a chance to catch up.”
“Right.” I put on the biggest smile I could. Losing alone time with Cooper was the exact opposite of what I wanted—but I’d never say that and risk hurting Taryn.
In the end, she helped me load my suitcase into the backseat of her SUV and we headed over the bridge from Abbotsford to Mission City.
Taryn chatted about relatively inconsequential things, and I did my best to make all the right noises, letting her know I was listening.
Which I was. I’d happily listen to her wax poetic all day about her honeymoon if that made her happy.
Which, apparently, it did.
It also kept me from obsessing about Cooper.
Or at least I tried.
Unsuccessfully.
Fifties wasn’t far, and we arrived at the same time as the other siblings. The diner was very much representative of the time it was named after. With posters of pinup girls on the walls, copies of old menus, as well as the article from the paper when it originally opened, over seventy years ago.
All of which I’d observed before.
Today, I kept casting furtive glances toward Cooper.
And he appeared to be pointedly ignoring me.
Well, two could play at that game.
“Hey, Sarabeth.” Stephanie beamed. “Booth for four.”
“Pick any on the right side of the place.” Sarabeth beamed, with her bright-blue eyes and her swish of a blonde ponytail. “And congrats on the wedding. Cooper said you had a great honeymoon.”
Both brides pivoted to Cooper, who colored a little—clearly in embarrassment.
He cleared his throat. “You’d just sent a text and—”
“And I wanted to see what he was smiling about. Dean’s mate Sam is quite a looker. Hope he comes to visit.”
Someone waved.
“Oh, I have to go. I’ll be with you in a minute to take your orders.” With that, she was gone.
Stephanie grabbed my hand and dragged me to the booth at the very back. She all but shoved me in, then plopped down beside me.
Taryn did the same with Cooper.
So he and I sat across from each other.
Stephanie pushed a menu before me. “We all know what we’re having.”
“Oh, we do, do we?” Cooper arched an eyebrow. “What if I want something different? What if I want something that’s not on the menu?”
Taryn frowned. “I suppose you can always ask Sarabeth to see if the kitchen—” She stopped abruptly and glared at Stephanie. “What was that for?”
“He can ask. That’s why we’re here.” Stephanie batted her eyelashes.
Cooper put his menu on the table. “I knew you were up to something.” He glared at his sister. “You didn’t really need a ride, because Taryn was coming from the opposite direction.”
She put her chin on her hands and grinned.
Taryn looked back and forth between the siblings—clearly not in on whatever Stephanie was up to.
“Come on, Taryn. Let’s go.”
“What? I have Lachlan’s suitcase.”
“We’ll move it to Cooper’s SUV.” She held out her hands.
After a long moment, Cooper handed his keys over.
“It’s very heavy—”
Taryn’s outraged glare had me stopping.
“Sorry.”
“You should be.” She and Stephanie slid from the booth. “We’ll leave your keys with Sarabeth.”
“Yes, no interruptions. See if you two idiots can figure this out on your own without human intervention.”
With that, the women left.
“Jesus. Subtle as the freight trains that pass by here with regularity.” Cooper rolled his eyes.
Even as he said the words, a whistle blew.
I was startled.
He glanced out the window. “Oh, that’s the commuter train.”
“The West Coast Express?” Casual, right? Nothing to see here…
He arched an eyebrow. “Yeah.”
“It’s pretty reliable, right?”
He tapped his phone. “I get alerts if there are problems. I take it into the city a couple of times a month for client visits. Noel’s expanding the business and looking to hire someone in Vancouver. I mean, I can also drive in—”
“But nicer to ride in comfort and leave the driving to someone else.”
“Yeah.” He frowned. “I thought you lived close to your work. Are you thinking of moving to a suburb of Toronto? To get a bigger house, I’d assume. And you’re thinking of taking the train?” He fiddled with his menu. “Like, a house for you and Lydia?”
I snickered. “Lydia is now dating a partner in my firm. One who loves the limelight. They’re totally suited for each other.”
He frowned. “That’s gotta hurt.”
“Not one bit. Dodged a bullet, as they say.” I pushed the menu to the side, piling it with Stephanie’s and Taryn’s. Subtle as a freight train.
Finally, Cooper met my gaze. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” Here, I could be honest.
“You didn’t text.”
I winced. “I know. I wanted to. But there was too much to say, and I didn’t have the words.”
“Can you say it now?”
“Where did Stephanie and Taryn go?” Sarabeth stood at the end of the booth. She laid the keys on the table. “Are they coming back?”
Cooper held my gaze. “They left us alone. Because we have things we need to discuss.”
“Oh, well, I’ll leave you alone. Did you want to order?”
“Two burgers, fully loaded.” Cooper’s gaze was uncertain.
He needn’t be. Fifties had the best burgers in all of Cedar Valley. And I’d enjoyed the loaded burger the last time we’d been here.
I broke eye contact to meet Sarabeth’s inquisitive gaze. “And a strawberry milkshake to share.”
She scooped up all the menus. “You got it.” With a grin, she was gone.
Cooper pocketed his keys, then snagged my hand. “Can you say it now? Or do we need somewhere private?”
The diner was only half full, given we were in at three o’clock in the afternoon.
Soon, though, the dinner rush would start.
“Private can wait. I think if I don’t say this now, I might lose my nerve.
But, I’ve got lots inside me. I guess to sum it all up, I can’t stop thinking of you, and I want to be with you always. ”
His gorgeous blue eyes widened. “Really?”
“I even…” I drew a deep breath. “I’ve looked at real estate here in Mission City.
Way cheaper than downtown Toronto, that’s for sure.
I’m also thinking of hanging out my own shingle.
Starting my own practice. There’s a huge entertainment industry in Vancouver.
I do mostly contracts, which I can write from anywhere.
A few meetings downtown a couple of times a month—”
“You could take the commuter train.”
“I could take the commuter train.” I smiled. “We could even take it together.”
He pulled his lip through his teeth. “You…you would do that? For me?”
“For us. Will you give us a chance?”
“One milkshake divvied up. Here are your straws and cutlery, and I’m just going to leave this here and take off.”
Before I could thank her, Sarabeth was hustling back toward the kitchen.
I turned my attention back to Cooper. “Well?”
“Of course.” His face broke into the biggest grin. “I love you.”
“You do?” I frowned. “How do you know?”
He pressed a hand to his chest “That terrible pain in my heart for the past three weeks? That’s how I know.”
“Oh? You too?”
“Yep.” He squeezed my hand. “Can I kiss you?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
He scooted out of the booth, came to my side, and held out his hand.
I took it and let him pull me up.
He pulled me into an embrace.
Our lips met.
All was right in the world.