Her small hand held tight to his, he led her into the house until he was forced to stop when she nearly tripped over one of his bags. Shit.
"Are you going to stay somewhere else?"
Everything in his body wanted to tell her no, that he wasn't going anywhere, but he had to leave. It was time to move on and find out what he wanted to do with his life. Sophia deserved someone so much better than him.
"Cooper? Where are you going?"
She grabbed his hand that he'd pulled away without realizing. The pained look nearly knocked him to his knees.
He had to tell her. Before she helped him, he planned on leaving without telling anyone and now she was standing there in front of him, waiting for an explanation. "I'm leaving here."
"This house?" There was no way she would let it slide.
"I'm leaving town. I need to see what I want to do with my life."
She walked away and sat down on the couch. "You were going to just kiss me and then leave. Were you even going to tell me?"
When he didn't say anything, her eyes filled with tears.
"I can't believe you were actually going to leave town without telling anyone." Now the tears fell down her rosy cheeks and dripped onto her dress, leaving darker spots on the fabric.
Nothing in the world would keep him from comforting her. He sat down beside her and lifted her onto his lap. She swiped at her tears and let him, but didn't look at him. The avoidance killed him.
"I'm sorry. It's stupid of me to act this way. You shouldn't be trying to make me feel better. It just hurt that you didn't plan on telling me."
All he could see was the tip of her nose and her brown hair as she rested her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and did the only thing he could think of. Sing.
Once she fell asleep, he stopped and just let the feel of her body sink in. After an hour of just listening to her soft breathing, he laid her down onto the couch and covered her with the blanket. Kissing her lips one last time was worth the risk of waking her.
She sighed in her sleep and rolled over. It wouldn't be long and she'd find someone else who probably still wouldn't deserve her. She was special.
Knowing her brothers would worry; he shot a text to Jacob to let him know Sophia’s location and then grabbed his bags. He’d packed only what he needed. The biggest thing was his guitar. It had been a present from his grandparents while he recovered from his football injury. Maybe he'd have more time to practice playing it.
One last glimpse at Sophia, and he reluctantly walked out the door.
Heading out of the small town and the life he knew.
Chapter Two
Cooper spotted the sign to his hometown. Larger than he remembered, and around him, a lot more traffic than there used to be. Still, nothing like where he lived now. The buildings looked the same except for the new shopping center, which was probably a huge event coming to the town. It did suck to see the old market shut down, but after his grandfather had his heart attack there, he didn't think he'd have been able to take one step inside.
The barber shop still had an open sign in front, which made him smile. He always had his hair cut there until leaving. No one could seem to get it right since Kenneth cut it last. Cooper usually got his hair cut every three weeks, but waited to see Kenneth or anyone else who didn't try to put all the fancy crap in it. Finding a good old-fashioned barber shop wasn't easy.
He gripped the steering wheel tight in his new truck. The old Dodge his grandpa left him didn't run as well as it used to, so he finally broke down and purchased a new one. He didn't trade it though. He had it locked up in his garage. Safe. The crucifix now hung up in the new truck. It just didn't seem right not to have it with him.
Almost seven years had gone by since he'd left home. It was time to go through his grandparents' belongings and sell the house. His stomach churned. They would probably haunt him forever for selling it.
The long dirt road looked just the same as he remembered. Dust flew around the truck, showing the lack of rain. The Johnsons' house hadn't changed a bit and he could tell they kept up with it. Considering the big construction business in town was owned by them, Cooper didn't expect anything less.
He found his mind wandering to the brunette who lived there, or used to. If Sophia was married now, he wasn't sure he could handle it. Not that he should be upset since he’d left her in the first place.
Without slowing, he passed on by their house and then on his left, by the old tree house that still stood and seemed in better condition than he remembered. Apparently, they kept that up too. A ton of good memories and one bad one came to mind. He shoved the memory of the terrifying night away. No need to dwell anymore on the past.
He took a deep breath and put the truck into park. The tightening of his throat had him grasping at his t-shirt, trying to pull the collar away from his neck. Feeling smothered, he jumped out of the truck and removed the ball cap he wore. He dropped the hat on the hood of the truck and shoved his hands through his hair.
Shit. He had to get over this. After staring at the ground for what seemed like forever and studying each grain of dirt below him, Cooper finally focused back on the house again. He always loved the country style of the two-story home. Although old and well over-due for a paint job, it still appeared beautiful to him.
Maybe he was biased. His grandpa built the home in 1955 and nothing had been changed since except for the large workshop built out beside it.
He smiled when he thought about Grandpa’s story of how he won the heart of his grandmother. He had said her face lit up like the morning sun. That was when he dropped down on his knee and proposed to her.
Cooper imagined himself doing the same thing at one point in his life. Not anymore. The only person he pictured was not someone he could be with. Distraction at work and writing songs helped to keep his mind off her. Dating a few girls helped some, but he found himself comparing them to Sophia—and after only one shared kiss. Pathetic.
The crunch of the gravel had him turning around. He grabbed his hat off the hood of his truck and put it back on to block the blinding sun.
It was a nice truck pulling in, but he still couldn’t see who was driving. The black extended cab Dodge came to a stop in front of him. Cooper waited for whoever it was to get out.
The door opened and he smiled. Jacob Johnson.
"Well, damn. I saw someone drive this way, but I'll admit, I didn't think it was you. Didn't recognize the truck." Jacob came over and they shook hands.
"I just got into town. It was time to come back and get the house ready to sell." There was that sharp pain in his chest again. It hurt to even speak about selling the house. "I'm going to be around long enough to fix it up. From just the looks of the outside, I'll be here for longer than I planned. I've gotta check with the realtor to see what I need to do to get it on the market."
Jacob crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Not what I was expecting."
Not that Cooper went that way, but he could tell Jacob worked out a lot more than they did in high school. He was a little bigger than Cooper and that was pretty damn big. Hardly a day went by when he didn’t have a good workout.
"Yeah, I've got a lot going on and have a place in Texas already. This house just sitting here without anyone to fill it just isn't right." Still, someone else living there wasn't what his grandpa would've wanted and he expected him to find a way back to slap Cooper upside the head.
"I guess we all hoped you'd come back and stay here. Life has changed so much in seven years." Jacob glanced down at his watch. "I'd be happy to help you out at no charge except for materials, and for the labor of some men if needed. Looks like you'll definitely need a new roof."
"So that means you took over your father's construction company?" Last time Cooper had called Jacob, he was still unsure what he wanted to do. They only talked twice since he left and the last time had been three years earlier.
"Yes. I was the only one out of my brothers who want
ed to. Business is busy. We don't only work locally now. I've got a few different contracts for businesses outside of town." Jacob shook his head. "It's a pain in the ass sometimes and I just want to slap myself for taking it over."
"I bet." Cooper smiled.
"I've got to get going, but what are you doing tonight?"
Considering he just got to town, a whole hell of a lot of nothing. "I don't have plans. Still not sure I can step into the house yet."
Jacob placed his hand on Cooper's shoulder. "I know. Just remember my offer to help you with anything you need. Why don't you come over for dinner and drinks tonight? Everyone will be home. My father lives with his new wife now, and we're all still in the house. For the moment anyways. Mike's off tonight and Nick always has nights, except for football practice."
Nick was Jacob's twin and Cooper couldn't imagine how much trouble they'd have gotten in if they had been identical.
"Oh, and Sophia will probably be there. Not sure what her plans are."
His heart started to beat frantically. There was his opportunity to see Sophia again and he wasn't so sure he was ready for it. "How is she?"
"Good. She handles all the financial work and orders for me. Not sure if she had plans with Ryan or Seth tonight."
"She has a boyfriend? Or two?" He fisted his hands and bit the inside of his mouth to keep from yelling or punching something.
"She has a boyfriend, Seth, and for now he's still living. Ryan is her friend and more than likely she has plans with him since I think Mike and Seth have opposite shifts at the fire department." Jacob looked at his watch again. "I'm sorry to rush, but I've got to make a phone call before it's too late."
"No problem, I'll be there. As long as you keep your clothes on this time. What time should I come?"
Jacob laughed. "Come on, we were just teenagers."
"Whatever. It happened every time." Jacob was definitely one of those drunks who had to remove clothes before the end of the night. Nick was the loud one and Mike always seemed pretty laid back and watched everyone else do stupid shit. Cooper usually sat back with him.
"Alright, alright. We can reminisce about all that tonight, or not. It's four now, so six would be good." Jacob was already opening the door to his truck.
"I'll be there." Not too much of a problem as long as he could make it from his truck to the house. Just the thought of seeing her had his knees shaking. She's just a girl who isn't single anymore. The one he always wanted, but just a girl.
Chapter Three
"What're you up to tonight, Baby Bear?" Nick wore his raggedy hat at the table as usual and used the nickname she hated as a child, but grew to love over the years.
"I'm going to the movies with Ryan." She had some personal things to discuss with him. Heat rose to her cheeks just thinking about it with her brother right there. Way too personal.
The door swung open and Jacob came through with his perfect hair, black V-neck cotton shirt and a goofy grin on his face. He had the phone up to his ear. "Alright, thank you so much."
He touched the screen to end the call and grinned at her. "We got it."
"Great! More work for me, but that's awesome." Another contract for a chain was a huge deal.
"And I've got some more news. Guess who I saw just a few minutes ago?"
"Elvis?" Nick answered as he took a ridiculously big bite of his sandwich.
They resembled each other enough that people who just met them would mix them up sometimes. Until one of them spoke and you could tell the difference. Nick was constantly joking, while Jacob usually behaved a little too uptight and serious.
Mike stepped into the room with only a towel around his waist while using another to dry his blonde hair. With his personality a mixture of Jacob's and Nick's, he was the only one out of them who inherited their mother's hair color while she, Nick, and Jacob inherited their father's dark brown hair. "He's not really dead. Everybody knows that."
Sophia couldn't stop her laughter as she listened to her idiot brothers. It didn't matter that they were older than she. They were all still immature. She turned her attention back on Jacob and smiled. He didn't seem the least bit happy with Nick or Mike's comment. "Who'd you see?"
After a few more seconds of glaring at the other two, Jacob kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Baby Bear, for caring. Even my twin doesn't care. He can only make jokes."
"Come on now, let's hear it. It better be pretty damn good since this conversation has built your news to be more interesting than it probably really is." Nick ducked as a banana went flying at him. "Hey! Don't waste food like that."
"Anyways, Cooper is back in town." Jacob grabbed the other half of Nick's sandwich and took a bite. Not that it mattered since Nick had already started eating the banana his brother had thrown at him. "I invited him over for dinner and a couple drinks."
He spoke with his mouth full but Sophia was too shocked to fuss about his rudeness. "Cooper?"
"Yep. He's staying back at his grandparents' old house."
"Sounds good to me. I'll get dressed and head out for some groceries." Mike left the room.
Sophia couldn't stop her stomach from turning. He's back and I’m not single. It didn't matter, because what happened between them had been nothing more than his emotions getting out of control. That would be the only possible reason why he’d kissed her.
Waking up from Jacob saying her name that night had been heart-breaking. She had silently hoped he'd stay anyways, but he left. Seven years had gone by and he decided to show up.
She now dated one of the hottest bachelors in town. Other than her brothers, but that was just gross to think about. Every single woman in the area tried to get her brothers' attention.
Especially, since she had Seth all to herself. Now Cooper had come back and the feelings she had for him were coming back with him—and she hadn't even seen him yet.
She glanced at her watch and gasped. "What time is he coming?"
"I thought you were going out with Ryan?" Nick smiled at her.
"I am. I was just curious." She couldn't stay.
Jacob sat down on the free stool. "Just invite Ryan to eat here. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
"I think we already have plans to see a movie tonight. I'm sure I can see Cooper another time." Or not.
"So I don't need to get you any drinks?" Mike walked back in with his blue jeans on and his usual plaid shirt with two buttons undone at the top.
"I'm good, thanks." She didn't wait on her brothers to say anything else, but ran up the stairs to the second bedroom. If she hurried, she could be gone before Cooper showed up. Luckily, she already had clothes laid out on her bed—a pair of faded jeans and white tank top.
She'd throw on some boots and be ready to go. After she got her clothes on, she studied herself in the mirror and winced. No make-up and frizzy hair didn't suit her. She spent a little more time than usual at straightening her hair and then applied powder and blush to her face. She wasn't into wearing a lot, but at least she had some color.
If she wasn't planning on stopping in at the fire station after the movie, then she wouldn't bother. And of course, if she happened to run into Cooper, then she'd make sure he regretted leaving.
She pulled on her boots, ran back downstairs, and took a glimpse of her phone. A text from Ryan said he was on his way. Good, it was only five-thirty and she would be gone in time.
Just then, the doorbell rang and she smiled. Thank you, Ryan.
Nick stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Can you get that, Sophia?"
"Yea! It's Ryan anyways. I'll see y'all later." She grabbed her purse and opened the front door. "Shit."
Cooper's dark brows rose and he took a step back.
"I mean, hi." She couldn't breathe. No, no, no. Why did the man have to look so yummy?
The worn out jeans had a few holes in them and a brown leather belt held them up. That white t-shirt of his showed off his tan well, as well as his thick arms. Sheesh! No one should be that tempting in a
t-shirt. She spotted a tattoo on his left arm, which only added to his sex appeal, and she wanted his shirt gone to see how much of him the tattoo covered. His tanned skin made her mouth water and to top it off, he had to be wearing a camouflage cap. She always did have a thing for him in his hats.
Even more so when he had them turned backwards while he worked on his old truck or just out in the yard. Maybe she'd catch him doing that like old times…
Then she focused on his mouth and licked her lips. A well-trimmed moustache and beard framed his mouth and covered his jawline. The one time they kissed, he’d been clean shaven and she had the strange urge to kiss him just to feel the scruff against her skin.
Damn it, Sophia. No! You need to leave now.
He wasn't the boy she remembered. No, he’d become a man. She could see he'd aged over the years, but in an incredible way.
A throat being cleared had her jerking her gaze back up into those eyes and she was lost. They were bluer than she remembered. Then he smiled and she nearly fell to the ground. If somebody didn't save her, she was going to jump him. A crazy thought, but she truly itched to touch him.
"Sophia?" Ryan's voice pulled her out of her X-rated thoughts. She glanced past Cooper to see her friend had walked up behind him.
Cooper still hadn't spoken or she was just too lost in her own mind to realize if he had.
"Hey, Ryan." She moved out the door and past Cooper. Ryan had saved her once again and she gave him a huge hug. She had to be wrong, but she swore she felt Cooper's stare.
When she turned, he was glaring at Ryan and didn't look like he wanted to shake hands. If anything, she felt like she should stay right where she was to keep Ryan alive. "Cooper, this is Ryan. He's my best friend. Ryan, this is—"
"Cooper. I've heard a lot about you." Ryan smiled down at her and then held his hand out to Cooper, who took it.
Jacob picked that time to come up to the door. "Are y'all going to let all the air out and all the bugs in? Ryan, Cooper is in town and I invited him to dinner. I told Sophia to invite you, but she said y'all had a movie to go to."
Lost Chances Page 2
