Last Good Man (A Crown Creek Standalone)

by Theresa Leigh

  Last Good Man

  A Crown Creek Novel

  Theresa Leigh

  Copyright © 2018 by Theresa Leigh

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgements

  This book was a long time coming, and it had a lot riding on it. Yes, it’s the first book written under my real name, but my name shouldn’t be the only one on the cover. I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supported and encouraged me to follow my heart with my writing. This book is dedicated to all of you.

  * * *

  Thank you to Amy Gamet who first planted the idea in my head.

  * * *

  Massive undying thank yous and unlimited gift cards to Wendy’s go to Amelia Wilde, who took the time to hash this whole thing out with me, told me to do it, then kept me from losing my mind when doing it seemed way too hard. Thank you also for being such a kickass beta reader and my editing pinch hitter. You’re the coolest.

  * * *

  To Becca Hensley Mysoor - so much more than just an editor - who immediately understood what I was trying to do, gave me all my good ideas, and also protected me from all my bad ones.

  * * *

  To Ashley, my new goddess, who helped me be a much better version of myself. I don’t know how I got so lucky to find you. I must’ve been a saint in a past life.

  * * *

  To Arijana from Cover It Designs, who inspired me with her absolute gorgeous covers, and helped me see the full potential of the Crown Creek series.

  * * *

  To Fiona Cole, who took my scattered vision and direction, and created the most beautifully comprehensive set of graphics I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much for helping me figure out who the heck I am, and for making me look like I have really good taste.

  * * *

  To Sherri Slade, a truly awesome coach, who took my grandiose plan, and broke it down into an actionable list of steps to take to make it happen.

  * * *

  To Willow Winters, who created a community of indie authors that I am so proud and grateful to belong to.

  * * *

  To Tabatha Kiss, who not only makes me laugh on a near hourly basis and keeps me on track when I’m clearly procrastinating, but also has a killer eye for design.

  * * *

  To the lovely ladies of the re-booted Lounge. I write for you.

  * * *

  To my fellow CNYRW authors. You all inspire me to be both a better author, and to be proud of the books I write.

  * * *

  To Ellie McLove, who loves my books, and helps them be their best possible selves.

  * * *

  To Viv Wood. I give you all my Vivianness. It’s yours now.

  * * *

  To Cora who so enthusiastically took on the arduous task of rebuilding my website. One day I promise I’ll get you everything you need to finish it.

  * * *

  To Roxie Noir, for making me think it’s gonna all be okay.

  * * *

  To Jenny. A friend like you was what inspired me to write the friendship between Cooper and Liam. I hope I did it justice.

  * * *

  To the family and friends who were so happy to see my announcement that they rushed to go like my Facebook page and join my reader group. As Katie said, I’ve got my village behind me now, and that is so, so cool.

  * * *

  To my rockstar cousin Rod, who immediately shared my post, encouraging everyone to read his cousin’s book. That was pretty cool of you. Hope I see you at Thanksgiving this year.

  * * *

  To Mike who keeps messaging me on Facebook with story ideas. Now that the book is done, I can listen to you. I’m a little scared to hear what you have to say though.

  * * *

  To the Mercy girls I’m about to see at our 20th reunion. Yeah, I absolutely did all this just to impress you. You are all so impressive, I figured I needed to do something drastic to fit in.

  * * *

  To my mom, Karen, who was so delighted when I told her I would be writing under the name she’d given me when I was born. Thank you for listening to me as I ramble on and on about book ideas, and thank you also for watching the kids so I can write.

  * * *

  And most importantly, thank you to B., my man, the inspiration for every single romance I come up with. The fact that I’ve loved you over half my life just goes to show what impeccable taste I have. Thank you for supporting me, and for being proud of me. Real life romance is the sweetest.

  I want the secrets you keep, the shine underneath

  Of the diamond I think I just found

  I want your red blushing stories

  Your faults and your glories

  That made you who you are right now

  Take me the long way around….

  - Brett Eldredge, ‘The Long Way’

  Contents

  1. Willa

  2. Cooper

  3. Cooper

  4. Cooper

  5. Cooper

  6. Willa

  7. Cooper

  8. Willa

  9. Cooper

  10. Cooper

  11. Willa

  12. Cooper

  13. Cooper

  14. Cooper

  15. Willa

  16. Willa

  17. Cooper

  18. Willa

  19. Cooper

  20. Cooper

  21. Willa

  22. Cooper

  23. Willa

  24. Cooper

  25. Willa

  26. Cooper

  27. Willa

  28. Cooper

  29. Cooper

  30. Willa

  31. Cooper

  32. Willa

  33. Cooper

  34. Willa

  35. Cooper

  36. Willa

  37. Cooper

  38. Willa

  39. Cooper

  40. Willa

  41. Cooper

  42. Willa

  43. Cooper

  44. Cooper

  45. Cooper

  46. Cooper

  47. Willa

  48. Willa

  49. Willa

  50. Willa

  Also by the Authors

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  Chapter One

  Willa

  The sun had slipped behind the trees. Without its warmth, the cold waters of Crown Creek chilled the warm summer air.

  I shivered as I grabbed another beer from the cooler tethered a few feet out into the water. The fire was starting to die down. Cooper had planted himself next to it at the very beginning of the party, declaring himself "Fire Keeper," so for obvious reasons I'd been avoiding sitting by it most of the night. But as I stood there listening, I realized I couldn't hear him anymore.

  I glanced over to the fireside. One, two, three heads silhouetted. And - thank God- none of them belonged to Cooper Grant.

  But one of them was definitely Liam.

  “There’s the man of the hour!” I called as I plopped down onto the log next to my best friend. “How is it? Is this the send-off you’d hoped for?”

  Liam was grinning. Which meant he was halfway to trashed already. I hoped he wasn’t so drunk he wouldn’t remember tonight.

  After all, he was leaving tomorrow.

  “A party by the creek just like old times." He nodded in that slow, serious way he had even though there was a dopey s
mile plastered across his face. "What could be better?”

  “You’re going to call me as soon as you get to New York, right?” I heard the tremor in my voice and cleared my throat to keep it still. “You know I’m going to be worried sick until you do.”

  “I know. That’s what you do.”

  I shoved him with my shoulder, then looked down to see I was picking the label off my beer bottle rather than start crying like I wanted to. “Fuck yeah it’s what I do." Gruff sounded better than sad, I hoped.

  He drained the rest of his beer and set the bottle by his feet, then lowered his voice. “You know, I never really got to properly thank you for what you did for me," he started to say.

  Out of habit, I looked around to see if anyone was in earshot. Across the fire, Claire and Ethan had fallen silent. From Claire's stiff pose, I could tell she was straining to eavesdrop. I loved her, but she was the nosiest person in the world.

  It wasn't safe for Liam to talk about this here.

  “You’ve thanked me a thousand times," I cut him off. Before he revealed more than he was ready to reveal. "And I think I’ve told you not to worry about it a thousand and one, so let's not talk about it here.”

  He pressed his lips together and looked up, suddenly as sober as a judge. When he saw we weren't alone, he looked back down again, nodding his thanks to me for catching him before he spilled the beans. Then let his arm fall heavily on my shoulder. “Willa. You’re the best, you really should know that...”

  "Stop. I don't want to start crying."

  "Don't cry. It’s not sad.“

  "I know." I sniffed. "I'm proud of you."

  He scrunched his nose. "I would have never survived it here." I held my breath and nodded. "If it weren't for you. You're the kind of friend that -"

  Whatever sentimental speech he was about to begin was drowned out by a cascade of logs tumbling onto the fire, sending out a shower of sparks that had Liam falling back and me jumping to my feet to avoid being set on fire. The fire leaped up.

  And so did my rage.

  “Cooper, what the hell?” I shouted.

  Cooper stood back up and wiped his hands together with his smug smile firmly in place. “Fire was going out.”

  “Yeah," I seethed. "We were letting it go out on purpose.”

  “Why? Party’s not over. Liam, stop hiding and get over here, we’re doing shots.”

  I snorted. “What are we, fifteen?”

  “What are you, my mom?”

  “If I were your mom, I would have raised you not to interrupt when people are having a conversation."

  “If you were my mom, I would have run away from home a long time ago.”

  “Guys!” Liam interjected. He looked at me beseechingly. “He was just putting more logs on the fire.”

  I opened my mouth to object because clearly it was more than that. And one glance at Cooper’s triumphant grin told me I was right. He’d interrupted on purpose. “You shouldn’t drink anymore,” I said instead. “You’re pretty wasted already, and you have a plane to catch.”

  “You’re trying to police him at his own party?” Cooper shook his head. “God, you really can’t help it, can you? Being a pain in the ass is like a compulsion for you.”

  “Takes one to know one.”

  “Sick burn.”

  “What are we, in eighth grade with the insults?" I mimed confusion, then smacked my forehead with my palm. "Oh wait! That’s where you peaked! My mistake.”

  “Guys!” Liam cried. “I need a lot more to drink if I have to listen to you all night.”

  “Good. Come do shots with Ryan, Ethan, and me. Ethan get up, you're coming too.”

  Liam got up, staggering a little, and followed Cooper and Ethan, with only one apologetic glance backward.

  I smiled and waved him on.

  Then lifted my finger to Cooper’s back.

  “Saw that,” Claire piped up from the shadows.

  “I wasn’t trying to hide it,” I sulked. But I dropped my hand anyway.

  Seething, I drained my beer as I watched the flames leap and dance. Cooper had built it way too high. Now we’d be out of fuel before the sky fully darkened.

  Idiot.

  "Want me to kick him in the balls?" Claire offered. "Wouldn't be the first time."

  I snorted into my empty bottle. "Tempting." I grimaced, wrestling with how big of a deal to make out of it, then finally gave up. "You saw that though, right? He interrupted on purpose."

  Claire shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. He could just be oblivious."

  I nodded as if that seemed plausible, but I knew in my heart it had been deliberate.

  "Don't let him get his way." Claire got up, shaking her bottle at me. "You want more? I'm heading down."

  I considered, then shook my head. "I gotta be up tomorrow. Jakey's missed the bus three times already this week. If I have to drive him in, I'd rather not be hungover. Drop-off is already hell when I'm sober and caffeinated."

  "You should make him walk," Claire declared. "No other big sister in the history of the planet spoils her little brother more than you do."

  I waved her off, laughing. "Weren't you supposed to be getting a beer?" I laughed again as she huffed her exasperation, but my smile faded as soon as her back was turned.

  And I stuck to my promise not to drink anymore, even as the party descended into drunken shenanigans around me. The day’s warmth had drained away after sunset and even though I was practically sitting on top of the fire to stay warm, I was still glad I’d brought a hoodie to zip up against the chill.

  By full dark, the music was blasting, and Ryan had thrown Ethan into the creek fully clothed. Someone made another beer run, but the case sat in the mud unopened because the guys had all switched to hard liquor by then, roaring after every toast.

  By eleven, Liam was stumbling around, so drunk his eyes were crossing. Which both disappointed and worried me. Disappointed because he was too drunk for me to say a proper goodbye now. And worried because... wow, he was really trashed.

  He was leaning against the trunk of the thick tree whose branches skimmed the surface of the creek when it ran high in springtime when I checked in on him again. “Hey there.” He acknowledged me with a humming noise but didn't open his eyes. "You okay there, Mulligan?" I lifted his arm and watched it drop right back down.

  But his eyes snapped open. "Hey Will." They slowly closed again.

  I wrinkled my nose. I would excuse the nickname because of how drunk he was, but I hoped no one else heard. Only he was allowed to call me that. "You're flagged," I declared. "Mom has spoken."

  He mumbled something unintelligible. Frustrated, I hissed in a sharp inhale. This was not how I'd hoped tonight would go. I wanted a real, proper goodbye, with hugs and promises of weekly calls. One where we laughed about the stupid stuff we did as kids and promised we’d keep doing them until we were well past the age where it was appropriate.

  But Cooper had robbed me of that with his fire stunt, and then that stupid “shots” bullshit and now Liam was barely able to string a sentence together.

  Fucking Cooper.

  "Fuck it," I said. I was going to say my piece, and if he heard me, he heard me. ""We go back a long way," I started. "And I want you to promise we'll keep going, okay? You're my best friend, Liam. You’re not getting rid of me. Just cause you’re going to the big city doesn't mean you're off the hook. You know how I am.”

  I waited, holding my breath.

  Slowly, Liam started nodding. His eyes opened a little and he smiled. “I know how you are, Will.”

  The relief fizzed through my veins. It was short, but it would have to do. I hesitated, then hugged him tightly.

  He hugged me back and I tried not to cry thinking about how long it was going to be until I could do this again. We'd talked about me coming down to visit him, but with my brother's schedule, it was almost impossible. And his days were going to be full of New York stuff these next few weeks - apartment hunting, networking events, h
appy hours and... I dunno what else they did in New York... sushi eating? - so his next visit up here was still up in the air. So I hugged him tight and tried to remember to be happy for him instead of sad for me.

  “Ew gross Liam, you got something on your shirt."

  How the fuck had Cooper snuck up on us like this. I turned to glare at him and he recoiled. "Oh God it's Willa, get it off, quick!”

  Liam dropped his hands to his sides. And I threw mine up in the air. "Jesus Christ, Cooper. Why are you such a dick?"

  He ignored me and turned to Liam. "Why are you wasting your goodbye party hanging out with your cheating ex?"

  "Hey!" Liam drunkenly objected.

  That was the last straw. I saw red and in two steps I was up in his face, up on my tiptoes so I could stab my finger under his nose. "Shut up," I hissed. If my mother hadn't raised me better, I would have slapped the mocking grin right off his face, and the effort it took not to do just that had me gritting my teeth. "Just shut up, Cooper. You don't know anything, so shut the fuck up."