by Avery Flynn
Helena looked up from the corner of the couch, a worn romance novel in hand. “Shouldn’t you be out making a further mockery of your mother?”
Damn that Alexis Sidwell and her blog. If West hadn't sent her a text warning her about its contents, she'd have been caught off guard just now. She refused to be sidetracked.
“I thought we could talk.” Savannah hadn’t meant to sound as she were pleading, but it was too late to adjust.
With no response from her mother other than to set the paperback on the cushion beside her, Savannah entered and shut the door behind her. Stood and let her eyes adjust. Took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself, although that turned into more of a stalling tactic than anything.
“Stop hovering,” Helena said.
Savannah took the nearest chair and sat on the edge, knees pointed in the direction of her mother on the love seat. "Three years ago, when Cooper left me, I didn't think I would ever get past it. Maybe I never did. I mean, he was home only a couple days, and I let him back into my life with barely a sniff. He's got his daddy's charm."
She regretted that last part the moment it came out. Then again, it was the only thing that fully grabbed her mother’s attention. Helena stared across the distance, eyes narrowed only slightly. A sign that she was at least mildly interested.
“Now that I think about it,” Savannah continued, “I’ve been obsessed with Cooper’s every move. Watching the games. Buying the magazines. Reading every online article. Insane with jealousy over every story of a possible new romance, thinking why not me?”
“Why not me?” her mother repeated, almost to herself, staring blindly into the fireplace.
"I never let him go. I thought I did. Here I was thinking I was making this new life for myself when what I was actually doing was rearranging the way I defined my relationship with Cooper. Keeping him close by making regular visits to see Josh. Making West my best friend. Not a single song I've written in three years isn't in some way about him."
Savannah watched her mother for a reaction. Any sign she was listening or cared or related in some way. Just when she thought she’d failed to reach her, a single tear slipped down Helena’s cheek.
“I’m at a loss as to where to go from here, Momma. I love Cooper, but I love you and Daddy too. I love you so much that I’m willing to give him up.”
She had her mother's full attention now. Helena's bloodshot eyes sluggishly searched Savannah's face for an explanation. Instead of responding, she pulled a business card from the pocket inside her purse and set it on the end table. The corners were a little tattered and worn from the months she'd been holding onto it but never had the courage to use it.
Helena glanced down and read the embossed, gold lettering. “Meadowlake?”
“It’s a rehabilitation center in Atlanta. I want us to make a break for it. Together.”
“I don’t understand.”
Why was she making her spell it out? “I’ve got some money saved up. I’ll get a temporary place nearby so I can be there at a moment’s notice. I want you to get well, and I want us to start over. Clean the slate without our pasts hanging us up.
“We deserve happiness, and we don’t need Daddy or any man by the name of Banks telling us where to find that.”
Voice hoarse, Helena said, “You know, don’t you? About Andrew and me.”
“It doesn’t matter to me.” Savannah reached over and took her mother’s frail hand. “I love you, Momma.”
Helena’s chin wobbled, and two more tears escaped. “I’ve hated you for so long.”
Savannah's throat tightened, but she refused to look backward. "I forgive you."
She rose and kissed Helena’s cheek. “Call me when you’re ready,” she said. “I’ll be with you every step.”
She left feeling lighter than before. No matter what her mother decided, a weight had lifted because she knew she’d done everything she could. It was refreshing.
Instead of returning home to pack—she would assume only good outcomes from her visit—she found herself parking in the Banks driveway instead. No one was home. She glanced at the dashboard clock and sighed; they were still at the cemetery. Where he’d planned to go after that was also a mystery. How was she supposed to say goodbye on today of all days? Everyone would be watching.
An incoming text from West stalled her from pulling out of the drive. It was a link to a short online video from Andrew’s gravesite. She gasped the second Cooper threw the Cup at the ground.
“Hope you’re happy, you son of a bitch. You got everything you fucking wanted.”
“No,” she groaned. “Cooper Banks, what did you do?”
Cooper’s rental car spun into the driveway behind her. She’d soon get her answer. As soon as she got over the shock of seeing a huge smile on his face.
“Where were you?” he asked. He grabbed her by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. “It was amazing.”
She blinked rapidly, trying to catch up. “But I just saw what happened. How are you happy right now, and where the devil is the Cup? Did you just leave it there?”
“Eddie was there. I think he wasted all of half a second saving it.” He let out a breath, and he somehow managed a wider smile. “I’m ecstatic because I feel so free. I realized that every choice I’ve made in my life was steered by my dad. Except for you. He sidelined me for three years, but now I’m back on track. I choose you. You’re the future I want. Oh, and I have to tell you about this plan—”
“Cooper, wait.” She held up her hands. He was talking a mile a minute, but she understood that he was planning a future with her that she couldn’t promise. “We need to talk.”
He retreated slightly, brows drawn together. “Did something happen?”
She bit her lip. “Sort of.”
“Why do I feel like you’re dumping me?” he asked.
She hated that he read her emotions so thoroughly. He always had. “I went to see Momma, and I offered her a way for us to start over. I think she might take it.”
His responsive smile was instant and breathtaking.“That’s great. What did you say?”
God, he looked so relieved. It broke her heart.
She told him about Meadowlake and how she'd offered her mother as a fresh start in Atlanta. "As part of the deal, I promised I would be with her every step of the way. Before, during, and…" She paused and lowered her eyes. "And after."
Savannah heard nothing but the beat of her heart in her ears while waiting on Cooper’s response. Her mouth was dry suddenly, her palms clammy.
He took a single step away. "After?" His Adam's apple bobbed deeply. "Does this after plan have room in it for me?"
The question held so much pain in it that she flinched. She tried to recover with a smile, infusing all the hope she could muster. “She could turn me down, Cooper. If that happens, then I don’t know. We can talk about where we go from here.”
It was a flimsy answer, but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him so completely. What if her mother said no? Then she’d be free to explore a new future with Cooper. Not that she had any clue what that might look like. But she couldn’t do that if she and her mother stood a chance at connecting the way she’d always dreamed.
He spun around, raking hands through his hair. “I can’t believe this.”
"Would you begrudge me this chance? Isn't this what you wanted?"
“Not at the expense of us,” he said, face turning bright red. “This was what our father’s wanted. Not us. If the last three years has taught me anything, it’s that we have to stop putting each other last. There has to be a way for you to have both.”
“She needs to see that I’m all in, ready to make the same sacrifices she did. To throw our relationship in her face now will only make things worse.”
Cooper swallowed the ground in swift steps. Clasped her face in desperate hands. “Please. I’m begging you.”
How was she supposed to respond to that? Three years ago, he hadn’t even given
her the consideration of looking her in the eye. Hadn’t even so much as sent a string of emojis spelling out their new status. Or lack thereof, as it were. Nothing. But there he was, begging.
Savannah’s phone chimed with a text. It took the air straight from her lungs, and Cooper’s eyes refused to blink. Dared her to let him go.
Savannah pushed free. “It could be West. He’s probably wondering if I saw that video of you.”
It wasn’t West. The message from her mother read I’ll be ready in an hour.
The landscape tilted beneath her. Hot tears sprang to her eyes. She’d never felt so elated and heartbroken at the same time. “It’s Momma. She agreed to go.”
She didn’t dare meet Cooper’s eyes. It was enough to see his feet retreating.
“I guess you have your answer,” he said, tone harsh.
Too stunned to do anything else, she looked up. He tried so hard to appear angry. Refused to look anywhere but away. Nose flaring. Hands on hips. But the tips of his ears were red. He couldn't stop blinking. Knowing him the way she did gave her more insight into what he was going through than he probably wanted.
Savannah crossed over and stole his face the way he’d stolen hers. He resisted the way she tried turning his head toward her, but eventually gave in.
“I don’t know if this is all we’re going to get,” she whispered, voice cracking. “I just know I’m so grateful to have gotten these last few days with you. The way you tried means more to me than anything.”
His hands rubbed up and down the length of her arms. A final, reserved gleam of hope shone in this eyes. “Do you have to leave now?”
She felt her head nod as if through a thick cloud. “I need to pack. I only have an hour. I’m going to stay close by in Atlanta while she’s there.”
“I have some time off,” he started. “I could come with you and—”
“This is hard enough. Please don’t make it harder.”
His chin dropped, weighted. Finally, he nodded.
Savannah pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Lingering, selfishly thieving every second. After all, this could be her last.
“Do you like me?” he asked, trying desperately to smile and keep their goodbye light. “Check yes or no.”
Her heart squeezed, and she kissed him a final time before answering. "No. I will always love you, Cooper Banks."
11
Cooper shut Betty’s door and met Josh on the sidewalk. Together they strolled down St. Peters Street toward Jackson Square. It wasn’t Cooper’s first time in the French Quarter, but it was a first with Josh, so he got to experience it all over again. The smells. The shops. The street performers. The art. The women. Good God, the women. From all walks of life.
Except he wasn’t seeing them. Hadn’t seen them for weeks. Not since Savannah walked away from him.
“I don’t know how you live here,” Josh said, turning his nose up at one of the many bars they passed.
“Hockey and Hurricanes,” Coop replied. “Speaking of, the best drinks are right up here.”
“Any old IPA will do.”
"Spoilsport. When in Rome, or in this case, New Orleans, you have to have a Hurricane."
Josh scowled. "C'mon, bro. I didn't come here to be a tourist. What the hell are we doing here? I'd be happy hanging out in that ridiculous high-end apartment of yours. It's clean, and the fridge is stocked. Done."
“It’s called vacationing. You should try it sometime.”
“This isn’t a vacation.”
“Well, it should be. You’ve been working your ass off.”
Cooper turned the corner into an open space compiled of wood from the warped floor to the questionable stools to the sticky bar top to the leaning walls and low ceiling. Behind one bartender, in the place where racks of premium liquor bottles would, anywhere else, glow under bar lights, stood a row of frozen drink machines.
“Two frozen Hurricanes,” Cooper ordered.
Josh grudgingly took a stool with his brother, took one obligatory sip, and ordered the IPA he would have preferred in the first place. “You’re a hard man to get a hold of lately.”
“Pre-season’s starting soon. Plus my publicist controls my every spare minute. I had to lie and claim a stomach virus to get out with you today. She’s a fucking nightmare.”
One he put up with to keep Saul happy. Plus, busy wasn’t such a bad thing. Kept his mind off things he couldn’t change.
“Well, it’s working,” Josh said. “The town might occasionally curse your name, but everyone’s pretty excited about the process you’ve made with the warehouse. And the Banks Scholarship Fund thing is genius. Not to mention that on top of all that, the fundraisers for Homes for our Troops? You’ve been busy, bro.”
Coop shrugged. “You know, you’re just the kind of guy HFOT needs, Mr. Handy Home Rebuilder. All I do is host fundraisers and spread awareness. I’m basically useless.”
"That's bullshit, and you know it," Josh argued. "Any help is still help. I'm proud of you."
“Thanks.” He waited for Josh to swallow a gulp from his frosty beer. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but if this isn’t a vacation, what are you doing here?”
“I finished the renovations on the house.”
Shock zipped up Coop’s spine. “Already?”
“Once things got back to normal, I was able to knock it out.” Josh took out his phone and opened the Photos app. He scrolled through pictures of each room from four different angles, a slanted smile on his face. “Gotta admit, I’m a little bittersweet about it. It’s done, but it’s done. You know? I’ve suddenly got too much free time.”
“What’s the plan now? I know you have one.” Josh didn’t do anything without a followup plan that had a followup plan.
“First order of business…” Josh took out his wallet and slid a familiar, worn check to Cooper. “Buy your half. And just so you’re fully aware, I took out your share of the renovation costs.”
He snorted a laugh. “Seriously? This again?”
“Yes, this again. Look, I know it’s been in the family forever, and we’ve never discussed who should take over ownership. But with your career taking you all over the place, do you honestly want anything to do with the house?”
"No, but I do like making you squirm. Just tell me this. Are you planning to sell? Because I might have a problem with that."
"Hell no," Josh said, and laughed. "Dad would roll over in his grave."
“Then what’s the deal? You getting married and having kids in the next couple weeks or something?”
Josh dragged out the next thirty seconds, pulling a long gulp from his beer. “I want to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast.”
“Are you fucking for real?” Cooper shot out. That was the very last thing he ever expected to hear. “A B&B?”
"I'll eventually hire a groundskeeper, chef, and housekeeper but that'll have to wait until I can turn over profit. Until then, I think I can handle it. I've done a lot of reading up on the business, and I don't want that degree in hotel management to go to waste."
Cooper beamed and slapped his brother on the back. "It'll do great. I know it."
His brother turned sheepish. “You think so?”
“With you at the helm? Hell yes. But you should consider hiring that chef from the jump. Your cooking isn’t all that.”
“Can’t afford one yet.”
His eyes fell on the payment with a lot of zeros he didn’t need. There was probably a hundred things he could do with that money, and not a one of them would make him truly happy.
“Keep the money, and take the house. I want you to have it.”
Josh’s reaction wasn’t all that surprising. Okay, it was expected. “I can’t do that,” he said. “Dad meant for both of us to have a share, and it’s only right.”
Their dad meant for Cooper to have a lot of things, and didn’t necessarily care what Cooper wanted. Right then, all he wanted was for Josh to have his dream free and clear. He’d worked h
ard for it. “It’s only right that you get started with all guns blazing. It would make me immensely happy to be able to do this for you. Please?”
His older brother rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll keep the money now. As a loan. I’m paying you back.”
“I’ll settle for a free room whenever I’m in town on business.”
“Done.”
They laughed, and Coop hit the rim of his plastic cup against Josh's beer. By the third round of drinks, Josh seemed to relax and enjoy the sounds of jazz blaring in from outside. He'd stopped touching the bar with a look of disgust, which was a feat in and of itself.
Josh spun the conversation to old times, which inevitably turned into the raucous tales of Cooper and Savannah. Try as he might to keep up the cheerful mood, Coop felt himself dragged down. He missed that girl like crazy, and he didn’t see himself moving on without her. It just wasn’t in the cards.
Josh noticed his brother’s change in mood, and the smile dropped from his lips. “Have you heard from her since you left?”
“I text her sometimes. Sometimes she’ll text me back. One word replies mostly.”
He nodded and motioned for another beer. "She's back home. Saw her the other day in town."
The bitter part of Cooper wanted to ask how bad she looked. The rational part knew this was just his need to be sure she was as miserable as he was.
“Her mom bought a small house near the water,” Josh continued. “And get this; she filed for a divorce.”
Cooper nearly choked on an intake of air. “You’re kidding.”
“Came straight from Savannah’s mouth.”
Josh quit speaking and blew out a slow breath as if he were bored and had run out of things to talk about.
Cooper made an impatient wave. “How’s Savannah taking the divorce? What’d she say?”
"Nothing much. It's all part of Helena's recovery, and she seemed incredibly proud of how that was going. It's still early, of course, but she believes moving away from William will be the best thing for Helena."
