Never Falling Again: An opposites attract, Navy SEAL on vacation romantic comedy (Falling in Maui Book 3)

by Mercer Scott

  “I need more time.” It’s the only thing I can think of to say because I’m not ready to go back yet. I’m not ready to let go of Natalia. Not yet.

  “You’ve had more than eight months, dear. That’s long enough.” That’s just a counter. My mother loves a good negotiation. She may not officially work in the family business, but she finds ways to be ruthless other areas of her life. All the catering companies and event planners in Manhattan live in fear of Lillian Hamilton.

  “I need more time. What’s it going to cost me?” This isn’t going to end well for me. Negotiation was never really my strong suit.

  She looks down and picks an imaginary speck lint off of her sleeve. She’s thinking, weighing her options. Whatever she’s thinking, I’m sure it’s not good. Not for me anyways. But I need more time, so whatever the price is to stay on Maui longer with Natalia, I’m going to pay it.

  “I suppose your father and I could be patient for another month. But the company will be very busy by then, so your father will need your help at the office.”

  “That’s it. Another month to come and work at the company? Not exactly a fair trade, Mom.”

  “Everything’s fair in family and business, darling. Do you agree to my terms?”

  “Fine.” I bite out the word. I hate the idea of working at my family’s company. And I’m not qualified to do anything there anyways. They’ll probably put me in the mailroom like when I was in high school, but at least they’ll pay me like a vice-president now. And it’s not like I have any better plans.

  “Wonderful! Your father will be so pleased!” my mother says happily, clapping her hands together.

  “Is part of the amazingness of being a parent, extorting your children into doing exactly what you want?”

  “It’s not extortion when it’s done out of love, darling.” She gives me a self-congratulatory smile.

  My glaring down at her is interrupted by a knock on the door. I’m not expecting anyone, so the only person it could be is… Natalia. Shit. The last thing I need is my mother meeting my girl after I’ve spent the last couple of months trying not to scare her away.

  “I’ll get it.” I lunge towards the door in a panic before remembering that my mother doesn’t answer doors. So, there was no need for me to rush.

  I open it just a crack, and in march staff from the main house carrying trays and pitchers. For once in my life, I’m grateful not to see Natalia.

  “What’s all this?”

  “I had dinner sent down for us. I thought I’d give this place a chance and see what it is that you seem to like so much about it.” My mother is barely paying any attention to me as she directs the staff around like a conductor. “Yes, out on the terrace. Wonderful, thank you.”

  My mother is a tornado. An organized, bossy, purple-clad tornado. I can’t risk her getting anywhere near Natalia. We were supposed to go out for dinner tonight and then we were going to come back here for dessert, at least if I had anything to say about it. But now that’s obviously not happening thanks to my mother. I have to cancel on Natalia, even if I hate it. Because there’s now a ticking clock on the time that I have to spend with her, and I don’t want to waste a single second of it.

  Cooper: Hey, babe. I’m not feeling so hot tonight. Can I get a raincheck? I’ll make it up to you

  Natalia: What’s wrong? Do you have a fever? I’ll come over and take care of u

  Shit. Why was my first thought to tell a nurse that I’m sick? That was the worst thing to tell her to keep her away until my mother is on a plane back to Manhattan.

  Cooper: No. Thanks, babe. I’m all good. Just tired, and maybe fighting off a cold or something. Going to go to bed early. I’ll text you in the morning

  Natalia: Okay… but I can come over if you need me. just let me know. And I hope you feel better

  Cooper: I’m all good. But, thank you. I don’t hate the idea of you here making sure I’m still breathing, but then neither of us would get any sleep…

  Natalia: Haha. I can be a professional… when I need to be. Get some sleep xoxo

  “Cooper, darling? Lunch is ready.”

  Yup, I’m apparently spending the day with my mom instead of my girl. So, that’s happening.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Natalia

  Cooper sounded weird in his messages yesterday. I’ve spent every minute since then trying not to worry about it. People get sick. They feel under the weather. It doesn’t mean that anything’s wrong. It doesn’t mean that he’s lying to me. But I need to see him to make sure of it because the knot in my stomach is telling me that something’s wrong.

  Natalia: Hey, are you up for a visit from your friendly neighborhood nurse this morning? I want to make sure that you’re okay. I could give you a sponge bath…

  Cooper: Don’t tempt me. As much as I’d love that, I don’t want you to catch this bug, babe

  Natalia: I’m a nurse. I’m around germs and sick people all the time

  Cooper: I’m not your patient. I am only interested in extremely unprofessional touching from you. I promise I’m all good. I’ll see you soon, I promise

  Cooper brushing me off again is not exactly helping the knot in my stomach. Something just feels off about this. I was up most of the night worrying about him being sick, and now I can’t think straight because I’m worried that he’s not sick.

  I have one of those feelings. The kind of feelings that I used to have about Dr. Dick. The kind of feelings that I told myself were paranoid. But I wasn’t imagining anything with Dr. Dick. He was cheating on me, I didn’t want to believe it was true, and look how that turned out.

  I don’t think Cooper is cheating on me. Probably. But something’s up, and I need to find out what it is. Right now.

  After borrowing Lara’s Porsche again, I’m standing outside of Cooper’s house in fifteen minutes. But I can’t bring myself to actually knock. My arm is numb from me holding it up to knock and then chickening out and not actually knocking for five minutes straight.

  Two things could happen when this door opens. Cooper is actually sick – and I’m completely paranoid – or he’s lying to me. And I don’t like either of those options. Things have been so good with Cooper, and I want them to stay that way. At least for as long as I’m on Maui. But I can’t hide my head in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong when my intuition is telling me that something is wrong. Not again.

  After letting my hand fall down to my side, the pins and needles strike with a vengeance as blood rushes back through my arm. Even as I’m wincing from the pain, I raise my other hand to knock. And this time I actually do knock.

  I can hear some movement on the other side of the door and then there’s a long minute of silence before the door opens, and Cooper is standing in front of me. He doesn’t look sick. He looks perfect in jeans and the cat t-shirt I bought him. He looks like he always does. The man loves a uniform.

  “Hey… Natalia… what are you doing here?” Cooper glances back into the house and then steps outside, shutting the door tightly behind him.

  Oh, that wasn’t suspicious at all. If I wasn’t already worried before, I definitely would be now. The door may be shut, but it’s not soundproof. I can hear someone inside Cooper’s house moving around.

  “Who’s in there?” I demand, with a sick feeling in my stomach.

  This is Dr. Dick all over again. I knew Cooper Hamilton was too good to be true. No man is that sexy, and funny, and kind without there being a secret downside. It was only a matter of time until Cooper showed me his true colors.

  “No one.” Cooper glances back towards the door. How was this man a Navy SEAL? He is the opposite of stealthy with those guilty glances.

  “There’s no point in lying to me. I can hear that there’s someone in there. Let’s just get this over with, okay? Let me see her, and I’ll leave. I promise. No drama, no hysterics, no throwing Chinese food. I just… need to see her for myself.” I can hear myself saying the words, but I can’t believe ho
w calm I sound. I can barely believe that I’m capable of forming words at the moment with all the emotions running through me.

  “You don’t have anything to worry about, I promise.” Cooper tells me not to worry, all while looking extremely worried himself. “But this isn’t really a good time. Can I just call you later?”

  I shake my head. “No. There’s no point in making this go on any longer than it needs to. I’m such an idiot. I’m so freaking stupid. How could I let this happen all over again?”

  “Natalia, what are you talking about? Let what happen all over again? And don’t let me ever hear you calling yourself stupid!” He sounds like he means it. I could almost believe him. But he’s probably had practice lying to me. This has probably been going on the whole time I’ve known him. With who knows how many other women.

  “Stop lying! Just let me in, and then I’ll go. I promise. I just need to see her for myself.” I am not leaving without seeing whoever he has in there. Seeing her is going to be absolute torture, but wondering if every woman I meet is the woman that Cooper has been sleeping with behind my back is going to be worse.

  “Okay, fine. I’m sorry for lying. But how did you even know she was here?” Cooper asks, running a hand through his hair. He looks like I caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. I guess I did. Oh my god, what if her name is Cookie? And Cooper had his hand in her jar?

  “I’m going to be sick. I don’t know if I can do this. No, wait. I have to do this. Just let me in!” I shove against his chest with all of my strength being careful to avoid his left side, even when I’m so angry that I could kill him. But Cooper’s too strong. He doesn’t move an inch.

  “Move!” I shout at him. Then I lift my knee like I’m going to knee him right in the balls.

  “Woah, woah! What the hell do you think is going on here? Oh shit, I know exactly what you think is going on here. It’s not, I promise.” Cooper looks sincere. If only I could believe him. But I can’t believe him or any other man. This is exactly why I swore off men forever.

  “Let me in, Cooper!” I inch my knee up a little higher.

  “Woah. Just hold on,” Cooper begs, raising his hands to fend me off. “This wasn’t exactly how I wanted you to find out about her, but I guess we’re going to do this your way.”

  “This isn’t how you wanted me to find out about her? Did you think there was a good way for me to find out about her? You bastard!”

  Cooper starts laughing. “Careful. That one insults her more than it does me.”

  He’s laughing at a moment like this? When Cooper turns away to open the door and then looks back at whatever woman he has stashed away in his house, I seize my opportunity and wrench my knee up to make contact with his nuts. It’s a direct hit. And it’s a hard one.

  “What the hell-” Cooper wheezes, as he doubles over in pain. From his crouching position, he looks back over his shoulder and calls out. “Hey Mom, I want you to meet Natalia – my girlfriend!”

  “Your mom?” I cry out. “That’s who you have in there? Your mom is here? Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

  Cooper holds up a hand while he takes a deep breath in and then stands up to his full height, towering over me. “When exactly was I supposed to tell you that between the time you came here demanding entry into my you house and kneeing me in the damn balls? Getting injured in active combat may not have hurt my ability to have children, but that kick might have. Damn it, you have pointy knees!”

  “I’m-” I don’t get to finish telling Cooper how sorry I am for kneeing him in his very nice balls because into the open doorway steps the most glamourous woman that I’ve ever laid eyes on.

  She’s tall like Cooper with a sharp-edged blond lob – long bob – and the same light grey eyes that look violet. She’s stunning, from her full, red lips to her perfectly groomed eyebrows. She only looks about forty-five, but Cooper is twenty-nine, so I know that can’t be right. She must have had some work done. But whoever did it was an artist as much as a surgeon. This is the kind of work that other surgeons can’t even tell was done. The best money can buy, but I guess if anyone can afford that kind of plastic surgery, it’s Cooper’s super-rich mother. Even her perfectly, unlined forehead moves, which I know because right now it’s frowning at me.

  “Is everything alright, darling?” she asks staring back and forth between Cooper and me.

  Cooper takes another deep breath before answering. Men are so dramatic about their dumb balls. Seriously, like women don’t have it worse every single month for about forty years of their lives!

  “Mom, this is Natalia. I think she’s my girlfriend, but I’m sure she’ll tell you if she disagrees. Natalia, this is my mother, Lillian Rutherford Hamilton.” Cooper takes a step back, as his mother steps forward to look me up and down.

  I can’t imagine what she’s thinking about my inexpensive floral sundress and jean jacket. They cost a fraction of what those pale grey – almost lavender – silk palazzo pants and Angora turtleneck must have cost. Who wears a turtleneck on Maui? It must be ninety degrees today. I’d be a sweaty mess in that thing, but Lillian Hamilton’s skin is perfectly matte.

  Despite whatever she thinks of me, Lillian extends her hand towards me like she’s the Queen of England. Does she expect me to curtsy? Kiss the back of her hand? Being raised on a commune, etiquette when meeting super-rich people wasn’t really a big focus of my education. I settle for gently shaking her hand before stealing mine back from her perfectly manicured fingers and hiding my chipped nail polish in the pocket of my cotton sundress.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, dear,” she says, then glances back at Cooper before turning to study me. “Unfortunately, you’ve taken me somewhat by surprise. My son didn’t mention that you were visiting. In fact, he didn’t mention that you exist at all.”

  I’m not sure she meant it as an all-out attack, but that’s definitely what it felt like. I would never have expected Cooper to tell his parents about me. What would he even say? I have no idea what we are. But when she says it like that, I feel totally out of place. I probably shouldn’t even be here at all. Except Cooper did call me his girlfriend. But he was probably still in shock from me kneeing him in the balls.

  “Lyle Cooper Hamilton IV, why is this the first that I’m hearing that you’re seeing someone?” Lillian demands, turning her back on me to face Cooper.

  I feel entirely dismissed. Cooper’s mother is the queen of whatever room she’s in, and she’s making me feel like then lowly servant girl who dared to think she had a chance with the prince. This is so awkward. My soul is currently shriveling up inside me from all the awkward.

  “I should-” I start trying to make up an excuse to leave.

  But Cooper speaks over me. “And when should I have told you about my girlfriend, Mom? I haven’t seen you since you first brought me to Maui.”

  Gulp. Girlfriend. He said it again. Twice. After I kneed him in the balls. So, maybe Cooper does really want me to be his girlfriend? He has called me his girl before, but that’s not the same thing at all. Is it?

  “Perhaps in one of those calls, emails, or texts that you failed to answer, darling?” Lillian has a smile on her face, but maybe she seems a little bit sad when she accuses Cooper of blowing her off.

  Cooper reaches around his mother and takes my hand. He tugs me until I step through the doorway into his bungalow. Before today, I was feeling pretty comfortable here. But it’s entirely different now that his mother is here.

  Cooper pulls me to his left side and puts his arm around my shoulders.

  “Like I said, Mom. This is my girlfriend, Natalia.”

  “I see that, darling. No need to be obtuse. Why don’t you change into that new suit I bought you, and we can all go to dinner? I’d like to get to know Natalia a little better.”

  “I’m not wearing the damn suit. You know I hate suits. Dinner sounds good, but were you planning on actually inviting Natalia or just ordering her to attend?” Cooper shakes his head, but
he has a smile on his face.

  “Of course, it’s an invitation, darling. What are you going on about? Natalia, dear, would you care to join my obtuse first-born and I for dinner this evening?” Lillian smiles politely at me, but doesn’t look like she’s waiting for my answer.

  “Ummm, I guess? If that’s what Cooper wants. I’m sorry I crashed into whatever this is… I just thought… Actually, it doesn’t really matter what I thought. I’m so sorry for interrupting your family time. I should probably go…” I trail off, feeling completely ridiculous.

  “Why would you go anywhere, dear? You’re here now, and of course you’re coming to dinner with us. Please talk Cooper into wearing the suit I bought him because I already know he won’t listen to me.” Lillian smiles ruefully at her son. But there’s real love there. Sometimes the families we’re born into don’t always get us, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t love us.

  Glancing over at Cooper, I’m still unsure. “I’m happy to come to dinner… if that’s what you want?”

  Cooper nods, and I turn back to face Lillian. “Okay. Thank you for the invitation to dinner. But I’m sorry, I can’t help you with the suit. I don’t think I’d even recognize Cooper in a suit.” Just the thought of Cooper in a suit seems ridiculous. Cooper Hamilton isn’t a suit kind of guy – and that’s exactly how I like him.

  “More’s the pity. Well, he can change his shirt, at least. I know this is Maui, but even on this island there are still some social mores that must be followed. A t-shirt is not appropriate attire for dinner. Find something with buttons, please.” Lillian frowns at Cooper, like this should have been obvious to him without her having to interfere.