by J. Sterling
“Oh no, I didn’t notice,” she said, her eyes glued to his body.
The dorms weren’t far away and Katherine found herself partly disappointed that the night was about to end, and partly relieved. She could only take so many of those knee-buckling kisses from Cooper in one evening.
“I’m sorry I’m bringing you back so soon, but I have to be on the ice at five tomorrow.”
“In the morning?” she asked him, horrified.
“ ‘On the rink with the roosters!’ ” he told her enthusiastically as he quoted someone, but she didn’t know who.
“Huh?”
“It’s what my coach always says.”
Katherine scrunched her face. “I’d tell him I’d rather be on the rink with whatever gets up later.” She looked around at the few students strolling in and out of the dorm and silently hoped they wouldn’t notice who she was with.
“Eh, I’m used to it. Just part of the job,” he said with a wink.
“Thank you for an incredible evening, Cooper. I had a great time.” She didn’t know if she was supposed to hug him, or kiss him again, or what. Not wanting to seem too eager, she simply stood there and waited for him to make a move.
“No, thank you. Thanks for moving here and coming to my school and falling head over heels for me.”
She interrupted his speech with a sarcastic, “Uh-huh,” but he continued to talk. As he spoke, he leaned closer and closer to her lips, forcing her to forget that other people might be around.
“Thanks for being gorgeous and smart and fun. And thanks for—” He leaned in and kissed her before he finished his sentence.
With Cooper’s hand around her waist, Katherine let herself get lost in that kiss. If she fell this time, he’d either catch her or go down with her. Her pulse sprinted just as quickly as it had with their first kiss. But then it happened.
An image flashed in her mind and she realized without question that it was the guy from her dream. It happened so quickly, but she recognized him instantly. His expression had looked hurt, or confused. Her stomach flipped and she struggled to breathe as she gasped and pulled back from Cooper. Throwing one hand over her heart, her chest felt like it had collapsed inside of her as she fought for air.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Cooper tightened his grip on her, but it only made it worse. She pushed away from him before realizing what she was doing.
“Sorry, that was weird. I thought I saw someone.”
Cooper crossed his arms. “Wait a minute. You were kissing me with your eyes open? This isn’t a good start to our relationship, California. I think open-eyed kisses mean we’re doomed.” He said it in a joking tone, but there was a touch of concern in his voice.
“No, no. My eyes were closed. It was in my head. I mean, I thought I saw someone in my head.” Katherine knew if she tried to explain, it would sound as crazy as she felt at that moment, so she just stopped. “Never mind. I’m sorry. Talk to you tomorrow?”
“I’ll call you after practice.” He gave her a quick kiss good-bye and she turned to walk into her building. A group of girls walked out as she walked in and squealed when they saw Cooper. Katherine hung back for a minute to watch the display. She could tell this sort of thing made Cooper uncomfortable, and she took a certain comfort in that.
“Hi, Cooper!” said one of the girls.
“Where are you going?” asked another.
“Yeah, Cooper, where are you going? Can we come along?” the prettiest of the girls asked. Cooper told them he had to go so he could be ready for practice in the morning.
“We can help you be ready.”
“Yeah, Cooper, let us help you.” The girls were relentless. They begged and pleaded and said the kinds of things that girls shouldn’t say. Cooper was nice, but firm. He told them good night and continued to walk through the parking lot toward the restaurant.
One of the group pulled out their cell phone and held it in Cooper’s direction as it flashed, obviously taking a picture. Katherine heard the faint conversation about “his butt” and “how hot” he was, and then a lot of giggling. She couldn’t believe the way girls treated him. Glancing in his direction one last time, his eyes met hers. She gave him a quick wave before she turned around and headed inside her building. Right before she walked through the door, her cell phone beeped. It was a message from Cooper.
“Thanks again for the great evening. Sorry about the girls. Call you tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
Katherine walked through the door, wondering if Taylor would be home from Danny’s yet. Then she heard Taylor’s voice yell excitedly, “Ahhhh! Tell me everything! Did you kiss? Do you love him? Does he love you back? Dur, of course he loves you. Where did he take you? What did you do? WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING ME YET?”
Taylor hopped onto Katherine’s bed, her eyes wild with enthusiasm. Taylor’s craziness was one of the things she loved about her roommate. When she got this excited about something, it was really hard not to get excited with her.
“He really is amazing,” Katherine admitted. “And those lips…”
“So you did kiss! Who kissed who…tell meeeee,” Taylor begged, her eyes wide.
“He kissed me. It was perfect. His kiss was perfect, the moment was perfect, everything was…perfect.”
“Is there anything this guy does that isn’t perfect,” Taylor asked, but it wasn’t really a question. It was definitely more of a statement.
“Seriously,” Katherine said.
Taylor crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap. “So…what did he want to show you? I asked Danny what he thought it was, but he said he had no clue.”
Katherine took off her shoes and kicked them underneath her bed. “Oh! He took me to the hockey rink. He told me all about it and why he loves it. He brought me on the ice and everything. It was really sweet,” she added as she tried to untangle her hair with her fingertips.
“He brought you on the ice? Interesting,” Taylor said in a different tone.
“What?” Katherine asked her nervously.
“That’s kind of a big deal, Kat. He took you to the rink and showed you where he lays his heart on the line every day. And he took you on the ice. Hockey players don’t bring girls on the ice, Kat!”
Katherine shrugged her shoulders and gave her a funny look. Taylor started again. “Ugh! Let me put this in terms you’ll understand. It’s like if you were dating a baseball player and he brought you onto the field. Guys don’t bring just any girl onto the field, Katherine. Don’t you get it?”
Katherine bit her bottom lip as she grabbed her pajamas from her dresser drawer. “I get what you’re saying, but I don’t get what you mean.”
“Cooper Donovan is totally falling for you. Can I spell it out any more clearly?” Taylor leaned forward, exasperated.
“And you can tell that because he brought me on the ice?” she asked, stepping out of her jeans and into her boxer shorts. “You’re crazy, Taylor.”
“Fine, but you’re doomed. He’s going to love you and every girl on this campus is going to hate you for it.” Katherine laughed out loud, but she knew there was an air of truth to what Taylor said and it made her nervous.
“If that isn’t motivation to start dating the guy, I don’t know what is.” Katherine smirked. “I’m tired, Tay. I need to get ready for bed.”
“Me too!” Taylor followed her in the bathroom and the girls washed their faces and brushed their teeth. After moisturizing, Katherine gave Taylor a quick hug and walked over to her bed. She crawled under the covers, her sheets all chilly except for where Taylor had sat moments before.
Katherine found sleep quickly, but not before thinking about the flash of the face she saw as Cooper kissed her. She couldn’t quite figure out why this strange guy wouldn’t leave her thoughts. She hoped that if it meant something deeper, he’d come back to her and explain it. Silently she held out the hope that he would reappear.
Katherine knew that way of thinking might be illog
ical, so she kept her thoughts to herself. Hadn’t she promised Taylor she’d get over him? Didn’t she just have an incredible evening with Cooper? She fell asleep replaying every moment of that first kiss with a smile on her face.
****
Katherine walked along the deserted beach, kicking up sandy mud with each step. The air was warm in the waning afternoon light, and the waves drenched her bare feet as they crashed around her. Glancing in front of her, she saw a short silhouette running in her direction. Before she had time to react, a golden retriever playfully jumped and barked at her, wagging its tail. Katherine instantly dropped to her knees, petting and hugging the large dog. She stroked its body with both hands as it began to enthusiastically lick her face. The dog acted like it knew her. Or maybe it was her imagination?
“Come here, Brody! Brody, come!”
Her heart instantly started buzzing with life as her mind raced to place the familiar voice. Looking up, she saw a boy smile at her. His muscular frame was silhouetted by the sunset, but there was no missing that body. Her hazel eyes immediately settled on his blue ones and her heart skipped a beat. Literally. As though it didn’t need to continue beating in normal time anymore. Not with him around.
“Sorry about Brody. He’s a really bad dog. His owner must be a schmuck.” His lips twisted into a smirk and she found her gaze locked onto them.
She laughed easily, finding a comfort in his presence. “It’s okay. I love dogs.”
He reached out his hand for her to take. As she took it, electricity shot through her with a force so strong, she almost let go. Scenes suddenly flashed through her mind, glimpses of memories, but she wasn’t sure whose. He gave her a small smile, and chills raced one another for first place down her spine. She knew that smile, but she couldn’t remember from where.
****
Katherine was jolted out of her slumber by the sound of a ringing cell phone. “Hello?” she mumbled into it before looking at the caller ID.
“Perfect, you’re up!” Cooper chirped happily in her ear.
“Well, I am now,” she whined, wiping her eyes with the back of her free hand.
“Get Taylor and meet us outside in twenty. We’re taking you girls on a picnic!”
Annoying. He was so damn cheery that it made her want to punch something.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Ha!” He laughed loudly into the phone. “See you in twenty!” He hung up and she looked over at Taylor, who was already sitting up in bed asking what was going on.
Katherine shook her head as exhaustion tore through her. Dreaming with this guy seemed to take a lot out of her. She wanted to curl back up in her sheets and go back to sleep, but she propped herself up instead. “That was Cooper and Danny. Apparently we’re going on a…picnic?”
“Are you kidding me? That is so cheesy! But also kinda sweet,” Taylor said as she shot out of bed and into the bathroom. “We better get up. They’re always on time, you know.”
Katherine rolled her eyes, determined to move as slowly as she wanted. “I know. And it is sweet, but Cooper Donovan on a picnic? Really?” Katherine couldn’t for the life of her imagine either Cooper or Danny on a blanket eating out of a picnic basket. The thought alone made her laugh.
“We should definitely make fun of them,” Taylor teased, “but not until after we eat.” She walked out of the bathroom completely dressed, her hair in a long ponytail.
“How the hell do you do that?” Katherine asked, still wearing her pajamas.
“Do what?”
“Get ready so fast?”
Taylor huffed out a breath. “It’s a gift. You better hurry.”
Katherine grabbed some clothes and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She didn’t always close the door, but her head was still spinning from her dream this morning. Briefly, she considered telling Taylor about it, but then decided it wasn’t the right time.
Her cell phone beeped and she looked down at the text from Cooper. “They’re here,” she shouted at Taylor through the closed door.
“I’m ready,” Taylor yelled back.
After dressing quickly, Katherine brushed a coat of light mascara on her eyelashes before checking her reflection one last time. Deciding she looked good enough for only being half awake, she walked to the pile of shoes hidden under her bed. She reached for a pair of black knee-high boots and pulled them on over her jeans.
“Do I need a jacket?” Katherine asked Taylor, who waited by the door, tapping her foot.
“Do you own a jacket?” Taylor sniped and Katherine snarled before sticking out her tongue. “Bring a sweatshirt just in case, but we should be fine.”
Taylor burst through the building doors as Katherine followed closely behind. She spotted the guys waving at them from the Jeep parked at the curb, then noticed a few girls from the dorm loitering around to see who Cooper Donovan was picking up. The girls gave Taylor and Katherine a once-over and then stayed to watch. Apparently, it was too much for curious girls to resist and anxiety rippled through Katherine.
“You girls look so good,” Danny said loud enough for everyone gathered around to hear.
Katherine’s gaze met Cooper’s and nerves shot down her spine as she braced for his response. “Yeah, but my girl looks the best,” he said as he hopped out and gave Katherine a hug and a quick kiss on the lips. “No offense, Taylor.” The crowd of girls started to whisper when he said “my girl” and Katherine knew it was about to start.
“Oh, please. We all know I’m ridiculously hot and you just don’t like blondes. Your loss,” Taylor remarked in her usual sarcastic tone as she slid her sunglasses over her eyes.
“Yeah, Cooper,” Katherine added, putting on her sunglasses as well.
Cooper shook his head. “What just happened?”
Katherine watched as Danny propped the passenger seat forward and helped Taylor inside by firmly planting his hand on her ass and lifting. Then he pulled himself in and plopped next to her.
“Danny, I can sit in the back,” Katherine offered.
Danny smiled. “No way. I want to sit in the back with my girl.”
Cooper appeared next to Katherine and placed his hands on her waist. With a gentle lift, he helped her into the oversized Jeep. She buckled the seatbelt and waited, avoiding the cold female stares like the plague.
The foursome peeled away from the crowd of gawking girls. “If I see so much as the hint of a picnic basket, I’m outta here,” Taylor informed the guys. “Like really. I’ll jump out of this Jeep, I swear.”
Katherine turned her head toward the backseat and reached back to give Taylor a high five.
“We like you and everything, but what kind of guys do you think we are?” Danny quipped in response.
“The kind that apparently take their girlfriends on picnics,” Taylor retorted.
“Well, as sweet and romantic as real picnics are, I’m sure…we have our own style of doing things. We just didn’t know what else to call it,” Cooper said.
Katherine sighed in relief. “So, where are we going?”
“Hold your horses, California. We’re not going far.” Cooper glanced at her and gave her a half smile. That simple look made her heart flutter. She wondered if he’d ever stop having that effect on her.
The changing landscape passed by her passenger window with a blur. The sprawling suburban campus was quickly replaced by trees for as far as the eye could see. Katherine wondered where they were headed, but realized it didn’t matter. She wasn’t familiar with anything outside of the college, so it would be new to her.
Cooper pulled the Jeep into a paved area in a parklike setting and the group hopped out. Danny and Cooper grabbed shopping bags and a cooler from the tiny trunk hidden behind the spare tire. “Come on.” Danny threw his free arm around Taylor while Cooper grabbed Katherine’s hand and led her away from the concrete and toward a small patch of grass.
Hearing the sound of rushing water, Katherine dropped Cooper’s hand and walked unt
il she reached the edge. She looked out at the river, which was nowhere near raging. The sound of Cooper’s footsteps forced her body to tighten as it awaited his response. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his lips against her neck.
“I thought you might miss the water. I know it’s not much right now, but when the snow starts to melt in the spring, this little river turns into something else.”
She turned to face him, his arms still locked around her. “Really?”
“Really.” He pressed his lips against hers as her body molded itself against his. He reached for her hand, leading her back toward their friends.
The cooler and bags sat on the ground as Danny started to unfold a blanket and Taylor watched. Katherine waited for a smart-ass comment to tear from Taylor’s lips when Danny remarked, “It’s either this, or we sit in the mud.”
Taylor jumped up and grabbed the other half. “I’ll help you.”
“It’s really pretty here,” Katherine commented as she looked around at the trees surrounding them.
Suddenly Taylor whined, “Aw! You saw Dominic without us?”
Katherine whipped around and glared at the boys, who were kneeling next to the brown paper shopping bags. “No fair!”
Cooper and Danny started to remove the deli sandwiches they had bought from Dominic’s restaurant. They pulled out a bag of fresh homemade potato chips with parmesan and truffle and another bag of homemade garlic knots. The smell wafted straight toward Katherine’s nose and her stomach growled. She pressed her hand against it and hoped no one heard.
Danny opened the cooler and took out an assortment of bottled waters, teas, and soda. Then he sat down on the blanket and patted the spot next to him for Taylor to join him. She scooted close to him as Katherine and Cooper sat down facing them.
“This is really nice, you guys. Thank you,” Katherine said to both Cooper and Danny as she unwrapped her chicken panini.
Cooper smiled. “Nice, but not too nice? You still think we’re manly, right?” He tossed a whole garlic knot into his mouth and chewed.
Katherine eyed Taylor before responding. “That’s a tough one.”
