Chapter 41
AMARA
The Cobras were blessed with a late bye week this year, and we’re on our way to Rehoboth.
Although wintertime isn’t exactly the best season to open a bakery in a small beach town, Natalia was dead set on making it happen. They don’t have one yet, which means she’ll be the go-to for all the locals.
We spend the whole day setting up, and I watch her bake all of the pastries, carefully laminating the dough.
The DJ shows up, setting up her equipment, when a man I instantly identify as her lawyer neighbor, judging by the permanent scowl, crosses the street, flinging the door open.
“What are you doing?” he asks, rubbing his salt-and-pepper beard.
She looks up from where she’s rolling croissants, and I step in front of him. “Whoa, buddy. You need to leave,” I say firmly, but he doesn’t even look at me.
“I have clients today. You can’t be blasting music.”
Natalia rolls her eyes. “Do you really think a bakery is going to be blasting music? A DJ doesn’t automatically mean that the music is going to be loud, idiot.”
Okay, well, she could have done without the insult, but that’s okay.
“I—” the man sputters, clearly unsure of what to say to that.
“If I give you something to complain about, then come over here. But I’m sick of you making issues from nothing.
” Natalia comes out from around the counter, wiping her hands on her apron.
“I’ve lived here my whole life. And you?
” She scoffs. “A damn transplant. Not only that, but you’re a fucking lawyer.
Do you really think that starting issues with someone who’s lived here forever is going to go over well, old man? ”
He starts to back off, his bitchy glare enough to kill a guy.
He huffs off with a cough, stomping back to his office.
“What a pussy,” Natalia mumbles with an eyeroll, going back to her task.
“What the hell was that?”
It was insane, that's what it was. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man randomly come into a store and demand something that hasn’t even happened yet.
“I’m telling you. I think that his wife probably just left him or something, I don’t know. The guy is grumpier than grandpa was at the end, and that’s saying something.” Her eyes widen. “It’s nothing that I can’t handle, though.”
And I believe her.
Once the baked goods are done, we set up everything else. Food is delivered from the catering company, balloons and flowers are set up at every table, and a small raffle is set up with gift cards to other local shops.
The two of us stand back to examine our work, a sense of pride swelling in my chest.
Natalia’s hand reaches for mine, squeezing it as we lock fingers.
“We always did make a great team, didn’t we?”
My smile breaks free, and I squeeze her hand back. “We really did. I’m happy that you came back into my life.”
Her head rests on my shoulder. “I’m happy you’re back in mine, too.”
A beat passes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
I shake my head.
“No, I am. I should have followed up. I should have reached out more. There was just so much going on, and taking care of Grandpa was a full-time job, you know? And then he was gone, and I was just swept under—”
“While I was hurt,” I start, taking a deep breath. “I won’t pretend to know how hard it was for you two. But you went through hell, and I’ve only heard a few pieces of it. I’m sorry that I’ve been so rough on you.” I swallow. “On both of you.”
We let a few moments go by before she drops it, asking, “So, speaking of, are you going to stay with my brother after all of this?”
It feels like I walked into a glass door.
“I’m not sure,” I tell her honestly. “I’d like to, but I’m not the only one who gets to decide. And part of me is still hurt, you know?”
She nods. “I know. But I think that at some point, you have to accept that everyone is deeply flawed and live in the moment. Do you love him?”
I think about it.
I do. But I’ve always loved him. Even when I hated him and wanted nothing to do with his stupid face, I loved that boy with my whole heart.
The door opens before I can answer, and most of the team walks in.
And I mean it. If they weren’t on a vacation to the Bahamas this week, Cooper made them make the trip here.
They stream into the store, a shocked look on Natalia’s face.
The DJ starts playing music, and I look across the road to find Mr. Grump’s face pressed to the window, his permanent scowl even more pronounced somehow as he watches at least a dozen giant men enter the store.
The guys are followed by my girls. Heidi runs over to wrap me in a warm hug, and the others follow, looking around the place in awe.
“Okay, we need to come back here in the summer,” Zara muses, smelling some of the flowers on the coffee table. “This place is magical.”
“I do miss it.”
And I do. I miss it a lot.
I feel the moment Cooper walks through the doors, his presence immediately puts me at ease. He’s followed by the camera crew, and this time, I don’t even care.
They melt away as I watch him hug his sister first, handing her flowers.
They talk for a moment before he heads over to me, immediately wrapping me in a hug.
Mila watches us carefully, and I see her lean into Briar. “God, I hope whatever curse your sister-in-law put on all of us doesn’t touch me.” She looks behind her, but I don’t see who she’s looking at.
She looks almost, ashamed?
There’s nothing I want more than for this moment to go on forever.
Winters in Rehoboth are generally mild, so it’s not surprising that it hasn’t snowed here yet.
It’s a good thing, considering we have to spend the night at Grandpa Kenny’s house. The idea of having to shovel snow makes me want to puke.
Cooper grabs my knee and squeezes it. “You look gorgeous today,” he muses, and I blush.
“You look even better,” I admit, my eyes sizing him up.
He’s wearing jeans and a nice t-shirt that fits his muscles like a glove, showing every little crevice. His tattoos make my mouth water.
It almost concerns me how much I think about sleeping with him.
We pull into the garage area and jump out.
I follow Cooper into the house, watching as he immediately gets to work making something.
Although there’s not much here, Cooper made sure to stock it with necessities for when we’re here. His sister told him she’d like it if he came back to visit more, and he agreed that he hasn’t been back as much as he should.
He also agreed to finally go through his room and get rid of anything he doesn’t want.
Warming up some milk that we are definitely bringing home with us in two mugs, Cooper dumps a packet of hot chocolate into both, stirring.
When he’s done, he hands it to me carefully and walks out the back door.
I’m a curious person, but something tells me to just go with the flow, so I follow silently as he takes us out onto the beach, the wind blowing our hair. I pull my hat further down over my ears as we sit. It’s a little warmer, with the dunes blocking some of the wind.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask quietly.
Cooper worries his lip thoughtfully. “I always feel like I’m a little too impulsive, you know? Like I need to think through things a little more.”
Oh.
My thoughts start swirling in my mind, and suddenly, my cheeks feel hot.
“Us?” I whisper, taking a sip of hot chocolate, almost grateful for the way it burns my tongue.
He studies me, his eyes intense. “I think you’re the one person that I’ve always been set on. And I think that’s why I fucked up so badly.”
I bite my cheek. “Do you—do you think you’d mess up again?”
He shakes his head, but I hate how doubt settles onto my shoulders, the breeze rattling my skull.
As much as I’ve loved all of this, I don’t think I can go through what happened again.
We watch the ocean crash against the sand for a while before we both run out of hot chocolate to warm us. Cooper stands, offering his hand.
I take it gently, a little more cautious in the moment than I was hours ago.
I’ve learned to trust him again. He’s won me over.
But I think I need to make sure that my heart is set on this, too. Cooper knows what it feels like to be abandoned, whether he lets it in his heart or not.
Even as kids, he never spoke of his father.
But losing his mom young was hard on him. Losing Grandpa Kenny, though, seemed to be the final string that caused him to unwind.
I need to make sure I’m not going to hurt him, too.