11. Birdie
11
BIRDIE
I clock Will and his brothers as soon as they enter the bar.
It's not only that. I felt Will come in, that same low-key buzzing started under my skin while something deep inside me told me to look up.
Unfortunately, I can't just stand there and watch him for a while since we've had a queue three deep most of the night so far. Even with me, Eric, and our other bartender Evie slinging drinks and taking food orders, it's been never-ending. It means we've got to keep the liquor flowing rather than do what I want to do more than anythin, which is talk to Will.
When I catch him leaving his brothers and joining the back of the queue, I get a giddy feeling inside. Suddenly, I become a super-bartender, serving every customer with a smile but doing it quickly.
Round after round, I feel his eyes on me, but I'm too focused on the task at hand to steal anything more than a glance in his direction. The bar is bustling with energy, laughter, and music filling the air. But amid the chaos, the man still manages to have a bubble of anticipation building inside me the closer he gets to the bar.
Finally, there seems to be a lull in the action for the first time all night, and standing in front of me with a sexy–maybe a little wary–smile is Will Cooper.
"Hey there," I say, my voice surprisingly steady despite the butterflies taking flight in my belly. "Fancy seein' you here. How can I help?"
"Four house beers thanks. Apparently, I owe my brothers drinks tonight."
"Did ya lose a bet or somethin'?" I ask, grabbing the bottles and popping the caps before placing the bottles on the bar top one after the other.
He pulls out enough bills to cover the bill, his fingers grazing mine and reminding me just how much the man affects me. "You're a hard woman to find, honey."
I shoot him a curious look. "I am?"
"Who'd have thought I'd have to trounce all around town to find the one woman I'm lookin' for."
I cock my head, a wry grin curving my mouth. "You been lookin' for me, Will Cooper?"
"Mmm hmm," he says, his eyes darkening. "Seems you and me have a bad habit of leavin' each other hangin' between visits."
I bite my lip. "Hmm. You noticed that too?"
"Yep. Pretty hard to miss, to be honest."
"Hmm. Would it help if I said that I've been so busy workin' and helpin' people out that I haven't had time to come up with a worthy first date location like you asked?" I don't even try to hide the hopefulness in my tone, and I'm rewarded with the sight of Will both brightening and relaxing at my explanation.
A slow-growing smile spreads over his face. "That definitely helps. Was startin' to think I might have to resort to takin' you on a date to the town's laundromat or somethin' just so we could see each other."
There's no controlling the laugh that bubbles out of me at the mere thought of that. Then again, it would be multitasking at its finest.
I go to give him his change and he waves me off. "Don't know about you, but nothin' says first date more than the smell of fabric softener and the hum of dryers in the background."
"Now there's an idea," he muses, his gaze lingering on me before glancing toward his brothers who are watching our interaction with poorly disguised interest from their spot across the bar. "But I think maybe we can come up with somethin' a little more excitin' than that. Any chance you're due a break soon?"
I glance at my watch. With the rush having died down, I turn to Eric who's wiping down the back of the bar while he has the chance. "Boss, you think I could take my overdue break now?"
Eric snorts. "Considerin' I tried to get you to sit down an hour ago, you can take as long as you like, Birdie." His eyes move to Will, widening slightly before somewhat of a curious look crosses his face. "You seem familiar," he says, walking over to stand next to me and offering his hand. "Eric Peterson, this is my place."
Will's eyes widen. "Wait… Eric? You used to come up to the Cooper Ranch as a kid with your dad, right?"
"Yeah… you're a Cooper?" Eric's eyes shift to where Will's brothers are sitting around a high table in the corner. "I know you!"
Will's grin grows wide and it's so breathtaking it makes my knees wobble. "That's us. It's good to see you again."
"Wait!" I hold my hand up, my head yoyoing between my boss and the man I've very much want to date–even if I did take a few more days than planned to contact him. "You two know each other? Jeez. Am I the only one who didn't know the Coopers before they came back to town?"
Will smirks and Eric laughs. "Dunno, Birdie. But how 'bout you go on that break before we get swamped again." He glances back at Will. "Good to see you again. Don't be a stranger now. And look after our girl. Make sure she eats whatever Margie has made for her too."
Then he's gone again, off to tend to another customer. When I turn back to Will, he's arching an expectant brow my way. "So, this break…?"
I nod down at the beers still sitting on the bar top. "Might want to deliver those drinks first. Can't have your brothers complainin' about the service and you did say you owed them."
"Too true," he replies but he seems just as reluctant to leave as I am to watch him go. Not that the sight of his behind is anything to sneeze at.
"Do you want to go do that and meet me by that door over there?" I jerk my head toward the kitchen. "We'll grab my dinner and head up to the rooftop where we go for our meal breaks and to get a break from the mayhem down here. We can decide when and where we're havin' this first date that we seem to be so terrible at organizin'."
"Only if you eat. Boss's orders, remember?" God, the man's eyes are so addictive. I swear I want to get lost in them and never be found.
Will picks up the beers and nods, a smile playing on his lips as he heads over to his brothers.
Taking a deep breath, I quickly wipe down the bar and grab myself a soda before telling Eric I'm leaving. I grab my jacket and move toward the pass, where I find a scowling Margie holding out a plate of fries and my special-order cheeseburger–with extra mayo and pickles, thank you very much. "You better eat all of that up, sweet Birdie. You ain't workin' your tail off and not eatin' while you do it. Not on my watch."
"In my defense, we've been run off our feet all night."
"Birdie…" she growls, but I know she's doing it out of love.
"Yes, Margie. I promise I'll eat this all up. Thank you."
"All good, sweetie," she says before looking up, curiosity filling her features. "Well, hello there, handsome."
Looking over my shoulder, I follow her line of sight to find the man I've been waiting for. "He's with me, Margie. We're just goin' up to the rooftop for my break."
"Off with you. And you —" she says, pointing to Will, "please make sure she eats all of that. Can't have our Birdie keelin' over. She's the sunshine that lights the world around all of us. You hear?"
"Sure thing, ma'am." His gaze meets mine, his eyes crinkling. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she eats every last bite." He slides his attention to her and winks, and I swear she blushes—as is the power of Will Cooper's attention. Whereas I'm just standing here struggling not to melt into a puddle on the floor.
With a shake of her head, but also a smile, she shoes us away.
Will takes the plate of food from me and I lead him toward the rickety wooden steps that take us up onto the rooftop.
As soon as we step outside, we're met by the icy evening air.
Will glances around the rooftop, taking in the view of the parking lot, the motel, and the gas station. "This is a lot nicer than what I was expectin'," he says before his eyes slide over to meet mine. "Thank you for bringin' me up here."
"I know there's not much to see, but we've tried to make the space a bit more welcomin' so that when we're up here. Like a little oasis, a haven for us to escape to when the chaos and party down there gets a little too much," I say. "An old co-worker of mine helped make it what it is before she left to live at Eagle Mountain Ranch with her husband."
Will cocks his head as he slowly arches a brow. "She married a Barnes?"
"Yep. Beau, he's one of the quiet ones out of the lot of them." I nod. "You really do know all the locals, don't ya?"
He looks over to the bench and table set up we have made to eat meals. It's under a big awning and there's even an outdoor heater that I turn on to at least try and take the bite out of the air.
"Shall we sit? I have a promise to keep to Margie. I don't think she's a woman I should cross." He winks and I can't help but laugh.
I snicker. "Margie's a little protective of all of us. I call her the bar's mother hen. But to me, she's like my adopted grandma."
He closes the distance between us, and I hold my breath. Of course, my brain and my heart are thinking different things, but I should've known that Will would be nothing but a consummate gentleman. And yet I'm still not sure whether you be pleased or disappointed.
Resting his hand against the small of my back, he leads me over to the table, placing the plate down before a frown appears.
"What's wrong? I ask, not trying to hide that I'm watching him.
He looks from the bench to the table, then to me. "I was tryin' to work out how to pull your chair out, but it's a bench… so, I'm kind of at a loss here," he chuckles. Oh, my heart !
Without thinking, I place my hand on his arm, the instant heat and vibrating energy between us is unmistakable. Will doesn't pull away though and neither do I. He just stares at the point where my palm touches his skin before slowly lifting his gaze to where our skin meets.
"You felt that too, right? I don't know why that keeps happenin'," he says.
Feeling bold, I give him a gentle squeeze before pulling away and sliding along the bench, patting the wood and urging him to join me. "Maybe we've just got that spark people talk about," I say.
I try to keep a straight face for as long as I can but fail the moment Will's eyes narrow. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself with that one."
He chuckles. "Do you have any ideas as to why it feels different whenever we touch? Is there somethin' in the air in this town? It sure feels like it."
Seeing the opportunity, I decide to take a chance and test the 'Mountain's Call' water–so to speak. I figure if Will knows anything about the prophecy and the mystical mountain spirit giving away soulmates like a TV game show, then now would be the time for him to say something.
He shrugs and I let out a silent, but no-less-significant sigh. Moving on…
"May I also note that I appreciate your desire to be a gentleman and pull out my bench, but since that would be a bit awkward—and this furniture is heavy as hell—it's unnecessary. Although I still would've been impressed if you'd been able to do it."
His whole body relaxes at my playful musings and for once I'm happy that my mindless rambling can put him at ease. That bodes well for the future if we are soulmates.
Will nods to my food. "Please eat. I promised Margie, remember?"
"You did, did you." With nothing else to do, I grab the burger, lean forward over the plate, and take a big bite, moaning at just how good it tastes after a long busy shift so far. I've never been the type to worry about making a good first impression, if only because I'm not one to act any other way but as myself. And since eating is a natural part of life, and there's no way I'm ever eating a burger with a knife and fork, I put all thoughts out of my mind of what I look like and focus on the deliciousness that is a Margie-special cheeseburger.
"That good, huh?" Will muses.
"Mine!" I growl playfully, not missing how his whole face lights up.
While I'm enjoying my dinner, I nudge the bowl of fries toward him and nod. "Help yourself. There's no way I'm going to be able to eat all of this. The least you can do after stalkin' me at my work is help me eat." I bat my lashes, earning a half-hearted eye roll for my troubles.
He reaches for the fries and shrugs. "The things I have to do to talk to a girl," he murmurs.
"So, you did stalk me?" I press. "You ain't denyin' it?"
"In my defense, my brothers were far too encouragin', and it has been five days since you got my number. I get the feelin' you're not the type to make me wait just because I lost your number, so–"
I lift a brow. "Huh? How do you know that?"
"That you wouldn't do that?" he repeats. "Easy. I got a good feelin' the first time we met, and my gut has never let me down." Just like that. No games. No lies. Just Will. My expression softens and I know he sees it. "You like that," he adds, almost as if to himself more than anyone else.
"Yeah, I do," I say, before returning my attention to my burger, mainly to stop myself from doing something a woman like me shouldn't do before a first date. "Is this a first date?" I say around my food.
Will scoffs. "Hell no. I told you I wanted our first date to be special."
"Mmm hmm, you did."
His lips twitch. "So no, this isn't a first date per se. But I did stalk you–as you so eloquently put it–so that we could arrange it."
"Is it still stalkin' if I knew about it?" I ask. "Because Isla sent me a text message saying–and said–and I quote–'a hot guy came in lookin' for you and wouldn't leave a message. Hope you find him because he sure didn't look like a local'."
"What does that mean?"
"Because she said you were hot, meaning someone she hadn't seen before since she would've named you otherwise. That's why she said you weren't a local," I explain.
"So how did you know she was talkin' about me?"
I can't help myself. I look him up and down, finishing on his handsome face, his eyes bright despite the night sky and the chocolate brown stubble covering his jaw added a new ruggedness that ups the 'hot' factor. "Because you're the only hot guy I know that she doesn't."
He stares at me, his gaze full of wonder. "You really just say it like it is, don't you?"
"Yep," I say, popping a ketchup-covered fry into my mouth before chasing it down with my soda.
He copies me, but instead of one chip, it's three. "I like it. It's refreshing. A lot different from in Chicago, that's for sure."
"Is that where you moved from?"
"Sure is," he replies. "I had my own company there."
I swallow my mouthful, my brows jumping. "Oh yeah, doing what?" I can totally see it. He has 'boss man' written all over him. A go-getter. A man who hunts a woman's workplaces to track her down.
"Construction. Spent my years tearin' down and rebuildin' residential houses then expanded onto commercial properties as well. It was a grind, but I enjoyed every minute of it for the most part." Will pops another fry into his mouth and leans back against the bench, watching the night sky above us.
Something about his words grabs my attention. Now feeling full, I push away the plate and shift back on the bench a little. "For the most part?"
The corner of his mouth twitches, his eyes twinkling in the fairy lights Margie and I put up here over Summer and never took down. "You don't miss a thing. Do you, honey?" The way I melt whenever he calls me that…
"Nope. My dad always said I was as sharp as a tack from the day I was born. Ain't nothin' and nobody that has ever been able to get somethin' passed me."
"Might just have to remember that," he murmurs. "But you ain't learnin' anythin' else about me without puttin' out."
I gasp and stare at him incredulously. " What? "
"I meant a date , honey. What did you think I meant, huh?" he arches a single brow and it's a look that should be as attractive as he's making it. I can't do anything but shake my head and hope my blush isn't too bad. "What are you doin' on Wednesday?"
Rubbing my chin, I think about my week ahead. "Wednesday mornin' I'll have to put in a few hours at the office with Micah—he's the lawyer I work for. Dad's out of town for the day and I haven't been put down for a shift at the Grill, so that means my afternoon and evenin' are free."
"Not anymore, they're not. You'll be busy goin' on a date with me."
A man with a plan, I like it.
"Sounds good to me. What did you have in mind?" I ask, propping my head in my hand against the table.
"Well, I've been thinkin' about that, and I was wonderin' if you'd ever taken someone on a tour of the town? You know, shown them the best sights of the place you call home?"
A slow-growing smile curves my lips at his idea. Why didn't I think of that?
"Think that might just be the best idea I've ever heard. Well, apart from you trackin' me down."
"You liked that?" he says quietly.
"Oh yeah. Shows you like me, Will Cooper."
"Does it now? I'll have to remember that," he replies, looking tickled pink–if a six-foot-four, broad-shouldered mountain of a man could ever be called that.
He looks at his watch before cocking his head. "I don't want to keep you too long and don't want you catchin' a chill out here. How 'bout we head back down? Need to make sure my brothers aren't causin' any trouble."
"Naw, don't think they could cause any more trouble than the locals would. Especially not city boys like them," I tease.
"We spent every summer of our formative years in this town, honey. We may be city men, but we're country boys at heart."
I shoot him a wink. "Good to hear. Means less trainin' needed to help you fit in with us locals."
"Guess I'll have to prove to you just how city I am on Wednesday, won't I?" With that, he gets to his feet, gathers the cleared plate and empty bottles then holds out his empty hand. Helping me up from the bench, we walk together toward the door and back down the stairs again.
'So, Wednesday?" I say when we reach the hallway. Right now, the very last thing I feel like doing is going back to work.
His gaze softens as he takes me in, his look telling me I'm not playing this whole thing cool at all and he knows I don't want to go.
Will reaches up and smooths one of my bangs behind my ear, the tip of his finger grazing ever so softly against my cheek. When a smile curves his lips, I feel myself sway toward him–just a little. "Nothin' could keep me away from our date this time, Birdie. I don't know what it is, but there's somethin' about you that has me willin' to break my own rules and play hooky with you for an afternoon."
My lips quirk up. "Sometimes a little mental health break from work can be good for the soul." I straighten and shrug. "I won't tell your boss if you don't tell mine."
The way he throws his head back with a laugh this time has me enthralled, and I'm not ashamed to say I stand there just to watch the way his Adam's apple bounces.
"I'm goin' to go get my brothers and let you get back to work."
"You're welcome to bother me whenever you like–at work or otherwise," I add, wondering whether my honesty policy will ever get too much for him. He wouldn't be the first.
Some men like a bit of mystery with their women, some walls to scale before they get to the core of her. But I'm an open book. What you see is what you get with me and that has and never will change. You either like what you see, or you don't, and that's not on me either way.
His eyes roam over my face. "You're one of a kind, Birdie. I hope you know that," he murmurs before he leans in, my breath catching as he brushes his lips whisper-soft against my cheek. The way his warm breath fans over my skin makes my heart explode into a thousand pieces of glitter confetti as my heart stomps a parade in my chest. If he affects me this much by kissing my cheek, I don't think I'll survive him kissing my lips.
Not knowing he just rocked my world–and with just a kiss on the cheek, no less–he steps back and gives me another soft, gentle smile, one that washes over me like the hot summer sun. "I'll get your number from Eric and message you tomorrow, honey. Make sure you reply."
With a parting wink, he walks backward until he accidentally bumps into the door, clumsily righting himself. I swear he blushes underneath his shortly cut beard before shooting me a grin and disappearing back into the bar.
Needing a minute to myself before getting back to work, I lean back against the wall, laughing under my breath and smiling goofily at the floor, as I run our time on the rooftop over again in my head.
Will Cooper is unlike any other man I know. He's open, honest, kind, and caring. A gentleman with a quick wit and a sexy smile. It's like he was truly made for me. I just hope that I'm the one made for him too.
"Sweet Birdie, if you don't snatch up that man, then I will," Margie says from the kitchen doorway, jolting me from my giddy daze. I look her way and don't even try to lose my goofy grin.
"I don't think you have to worry about that. We've got a date on Wednesday."
"Good!" And you won't believe it, but I swear Margie's answering smile might just be brighter and wider than mine.
And that's saying something…