Rocky Coast Romance

by Mia Ross

  She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I think it’s really sweet how you’ve kept the cabin and this building pretty much the way he left them. But someday it might be better for you to change them, just a little, and make them yours.”

  He had to admit she had a point. Since he wasn’t an eighty-year-old man, his taste ran nearly opposite to his grandfather’s. But the man—and the places he’d inhabited—had been a constant in Cooper’s life for as long as he could remember. “What you’re saying makes sense, but I’m not ready to redecorate everything just yet.”

  “Fair enough. When you are, let me know and I’ll help you take over that humongous space in there.”

  As he moved toward the connecting door, he nearly asked again what was bothering her. Then he thought better of it. She was a big girl, and when she was ready she’d tell him on her own.

  * * *

  When Cooper ran into Bree outside his office early the following morning, she gave him a quick once-over. “Casual Tuesday?”

  He grinned back, and she gave him a suspicious look. “What did you do?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Mrs. Andrews was in Portland visiting her daughter, so he and Bree had the office to themselves. When he opened the door and let her in, she stopped in the lobby and sniffed.

  “Coffee?” Cocking her head, she gave him an approving look. “You’ve been here awhile, haven’t you?”

  “Yeah.” He handed her a cup with nothing but coffee in it and fixed his with a little sugar. “I had an idea last night, and I wanted to see how it would work.”

  “An idea for what?” she demanded, glancing around the lobby. “I don’t see anything different.”

  “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Feeling like a kid about to test-drive his first bike without training wheels, Cooper led her back toward the private offices. From the hallway it appeared that nothing had changed, and she gave him a confused look. Grinning, he strolled past his own space and opened the door to the room that had been closed and dark for months.

  This morning, light streamed through the two large windows, unimpeded by the heavy velvet drapes he’d hauled down and carefully folded for his mother to use in her parlor. He’d pulled up the antique Turkish rug, nearly choking on the dust cloud he kicked up while rolling it to be put in storage. Several framed awards and commendations he’d stacked in the hall would hang out front, a tribute to Granddad and the long, successful life he’d enjoyed to the hilt.

  Bree crept in cautiously, as if she expected the judge to appear out of thin air and order her out of his domain. When that didn’t happen, she turned to Cooper with a bewildered expression. “You changed it.”

  “I know. I figured it was time.”

  Still clearly confused, she shook her head. “Why?”

  “It’s for you. You said you never had an office, and I thought it’d be nicer for you to work someplace besides my couch.”

  Her mouth fell open in a rare display of speechlessness, and he laughed. “I take it that means you like it.”

  Gawking at him, she slowly nodded. “I just can’t believe it. What possessed you to do all this work for me?”

  I want you to stay, he nearly blurted before he caught himself and went with something less terrifying. Shrugging, he said, “We keep tripping over each other in my office, but most of my stuff is in there. This just made more sense.”

  “I know how big a deal this was for you. No one’s ever gone to so much trouble to make me feel at home somewhere.”

  “Well, I figured it was time someone at least gave it a shot.”

  Finally he’d convinced her, and she bathed him in the warmest, most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “Thank you, Cooper.”

  Eyes gleaming with delight, she wrapped her arms around his waist for a grateful hug. Returning that gesture was the easiest thing he’d ever done, and he wondered if it felt as right to her as it did to him.

  Before he could second-guess his instincts, he leaned in for a kiss. As he felt her lips curve into a smile, he took it for approval.

  Until she murmured, “We have an audience.”

  “Funny.”

  “I’m serious.”

  Groaning, he dropped his forehead onto her shoulder and angled his head to find his mother framed in the window.

  “Morning, Mom.”

  “Cooper.” Picking up her little pooch, she waved at the blushing reporter. “Bree. Lovely day, isn’t it?”

  Reminding himself that she meant well, he summoned a patient tone. “Did you need something?”

  “Oh, no. Mitzy and I are just checking on our boy. You work so hard, we were worried about you.”

  Frowning, she rubbed noses with the little puffball, who probably couldn’t care less about Cooper. But his mother’s worry was genuine, he knew. Kooky as she was, no woman loved her child more than Amelia Landry. No matter what was going on, or where he might be, she remained a strong, steady part of his life.

  Sometimes—like now—her way of showing that love made him crazy, but he gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks, but I’m doing fine.”

  “Bree must be helping a little,” she commented with a coy look. “I mean, with gathering information and such.”

  Being a reasonably intelligent man, he wasn’t touching that one. “I’ll see you later. You and Mitzy enjoy your walk.”

  After hesitating a few moments, she set the Pomeranian down and continued on her way.

  Once Bree and Cooper were alone, she finally gave in to her giggles and laughed out loud. “You’re so busted! This’ll be all over town by noon.”

  “I’ve got news for you—it already is. Folks paired us off the minute you decided to stay here instead of going back to Richmond.”

  “For work.”

  “More than a few of them think you stayed for me. Including my mother.”

  She snorted at that. “That’s absurd. I never did anything for a man in my life.”

  “You really know how to build up a guy’s ego, don’t you?”

  “You know what I meant. I’m here because this is where the story is.” Before he could blink, her look turned flirtatious. “Although if someone asked me under oath, I’d have to say you’re a pretty nice bonus.”

  “Thanks. You’re okay, too.”

  “Now get outta my office,” she ordered with a little shove. “We’ve both got work to do.”

  * * *

  Bree still couldn’t believe it.

  Sprawled out on a leather sofa even more comfy than Cooper’s, she surveyed the room that had been transformed by opening the windows and removing George Landry’s heavy-handed decorating touches. She’d never liked working at a desk, but the mahogany behemoth across from her was an impressive sight. If she squinted, she could almost see the judge sitting there, scratching out notes on a legal pad.

  Despite his resistance to changing anything related to the judge, Cooper had thrown open the doors of this hallowed space for her. Not only that, he’d opened his carefully guarded heart, allowing her a glimpse of something those models and actresses he’d dated in New York had never even gotten close to seeing.

  Kind and compassionate, he was also strong and relentless when something was important to him. Instinctively she knew he’d be all those things and more for the woman he truly loved. The one who blinded him to the rest of the women on the planet and held him so close he’d never even think of wandering away.

  Could that be her? she wondered, reluctant to embrace the notion. Because as much as she’d come to like Holiday Harbor, she wasn’t sure about settling down here.

  Yes, you are.

  The whisper drifted through her mind so quickly she almost missed the message. She looked at the open connecting door, hoping to find Cooper standing there, messing with
her.

  Except he wasn’t. She heard him on the phone, discussing potholes and how late in the year they could be repaired. Shaking her head to clear out the weirdness, she got up and searched the empty office, hunting for an explanation of the voice that wasn’t a voice. A furnace duct that was feeding a muted conversation in from the lobby, a radio picking up stray sounds from another station, anything. Hands on her hips, she stood in the middle of the room, glowering at nothing in particular.

  “That’s not a good look.” Hearing Cooper, she glared at him, and he held up his hands in surrender. “Whoa, really not good. What’s wrong?”

  “I heard something. Someone,” she corrected, still irked by the experience.

  “What did he say?”

  “It wasn’t a man. It was—” Waving her hands, she reached for something logical. “I don’t know. It’s hard to describe.”

  “You?” he teased. “At a loss for words?”

  “Don’t mess with me, Landry. I’m not in the mood.”

  Her temper had no effect on him whatsoever, and she regretted ever allowing him to see her softer side. He retrieved a file from the cabinet on the other side of the room, but he glanced back at her. “You sure you’re okay? You look a little spooked.”

  “It was just my imagination, or someone walking past the window talking on a phone. I’m fine.”

  She added a quick smile to ease the worry in his eyes. But as he left her alone again, she glanced around her new office. It looked completely normal to her, but she knew what she’d heard.

  And she wasn’t fine at all.

  * * *

  Around eleven Cooper glanced up when someone tapped on his open door. Julia stood there, and he got to his feet the way his mother had taught him to do when a lady walked into a room. “Hello there. This is a nice surprise.”

  That got him a faint smile, and she looked through the connecting door. “Is Bree here?”

  Julia seemed uncharacteristically nervous, and Cooper’s trouble radar started pinging loud and clear. But she hadn’t asked for him, so he tamped down his reaction and motioned to the neighboring office. “If you need me, let me know.”

  “Actually I need both of you.”

  When Bree appeared in the doorway, Julia visibly relaxed. They both sat in the chairs in front of Cooper’s desk, and his vaguely bad feeling ratcheted into red-line territory.

  Julia turned to Bree with a resigned expression. “You were right.”

  “Right about what?” he demanded. “What have you ladies been up to?”

  “You won’t like it.” Even while she cautioned him, Bree fixed him with a look that went beyond sympathy. Clearly bracing herself, she went on. “Derek’s been lying to you. All of you.”

  She relayed what she’d learned the night of the vote, confirmed several times along the way by Julia’s conversation with Derek earlier that morning. The clever toy store owner had artfully led him into boasting about his lucrative involvement with Ellington Properties. He’d even offered her the same opportunity, which she wisely told him she’d consider and then get back to him.

  Cooper listened in stunned silence, unable to accept that someone he’d known since preschool was capable of selling out the town to shore up his own precarious finances. “Derek’s always had money problems. That’s nothing new.”

  “This interest in developing Holiday Harbor is new,” Bree argued. “I hate to say it, but getting in as a partner with no financial investment is brilliant. Wrong, but brilliant.” Turning to Julia, she smiled. “I can’t thank you enough for your help with this. I know it was hard to do, but you pulled it off beautifully.”

  Standing, Julia said, “Cooper, I’m so sorry. I know how awful it feels to discover someone you care about isn’t who you thought they were.”

  “Not your fault, but thanks. Let me walk you out.”

  When he returned, he almost expected his office to be empty except for the snoozing Newfie. He was more than a little impressed to find Bree still there, curled up in the leather armchair, staring out the window. When she hesitantly met his gaze, he frowned.

  His temper was simmering, and he waited a few beats to be sure his voice wouldn’t come out in a shout. “You should’ve come to me first. This is some kind of misunderstanding, and it wasn’t fair to drag Julia into the middle of it.”

  “Oh, come on! You heard what he said not even an hour ago. How can you think there’s nothing going on?”

  “Derek likes to impress people,” Cooper reasoned. “Especially women. He exaggerates sometimes, but it’s harmless. He grew up here, just like I did, and I know he wants only the best for Holiday Harbor.”

  “Not everyone agrees on ‘the best.’” She punctuated her argument with annoying air quotes. “Derek’s no different from the owners who want to sell and move away, but he’s claiming he feels the opposite to trick everyone into voting him in as mayor. Then he’ll set up another vote, convince a few people to switch their opinions and voilà—here come the construction crews.”

  She made it sound so plausible, Cooper wavered on the edge of buying her argument. But this was one of his oldest friends they were talking about, and he just couldn’t make himself take that final step. “I’ve known Derek all my life, and we only met a few weeks ago. Why should I take your word over his?”

  “Mine and Julia’s.” She rose from her seat, as if looking down at him gave her some kind of advantage in this particular debate. “I learned the hard way not to go to press until I have all my facts straight.”

  Frowning up at her, he shook his head. “You’re wrong.”

  Rolling her eyes in frustration, she let out a muted scream. “No, counselor, you’re wrong. I just hope you figure that out in time to save this place from the bulldozers.”

  With that she charged into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cooper spent the next few days stewing about his latest row with Bree. She refused to answer his calls, even though he saw her around town, from a distance, while she continued working. The office he’d set up for her remained as empty as it had been before, and he chided himself for being so foolish.

  For all that, his biggest problem was the niggling feeling that it was possible—however remotely—that she’d stumbled on to something. He couldn’t put it out of his mind, and the more he considered it, the more feasible it became. Derek’s college loans were substantial, and he’d been complaining that opening his own practice was much more expensive than he’d anticipated.

  Then, a couple of months ago, a flashy car entered the picture, along with the pricey membership at Deer Run. Even for someone with Derek’s high tolerance for debt, those were significant purchases, and the money had to come from somewhere. His firm was no busier than Cooper’s, which meant he had another source of cash.

  Cooper ran through the list of usual ways for that to happen and came up empty. Unfortunately that left Harry Ellington, with his deep pockets and big plans for Schooner Point. The trouble was he couldn’t confront Derek without making it obvious Julia had shared a private conversation with him. In the end Julia’s involvement was what convinced him that Bree was right.

  She’d gone out of her way to enlist someone who could help her prove or disprove her suspicions. While it was professionally smart, Cooper understood she’d also done it to be sure she didn’t falsely accuse his childhood friend of something this serious.

  And that meant he owed her an apology. A big one.

  * * *

  Just before eight on Friday morning, Bree tapped on the antique glass door of Landry’s Books. Amelia popped out from the back room, waving as she hurried through the store to let her in.

  “Good morning!” she sang with a bright smile. “I’ve got coffee ready for you. Kona or French roast?”

>   Still foggy, Bree did her best to match the woman’s enthusiasm. “I’ve never had Kona.”

  “We’ll fix that right now. Come in and make yourself at home. We’ll chat until the others get here.”

  Done in cheery pastels, three seating areas were arranged around a center island that stocked gourmet coffees and scrumptious-looking pastries. Wandering through the aisles, Bree saw everything from mugs to locally made jewelry to collectible stuffed animals.

  For her, though, the main attraction was stacks of books, arranged on shelves and highlighted displays scattered through the shop. Flanking the door were floor-to-ceiling leaded glass windows that split the sunlight into rainbow prisms on the old wood planks.

  Amelia reappeared with coffee and orange scones that made Bree’s mouth water from several yards away. “This place is gorgeous, Amelia. Like a cathedral for book lovers.”

  “Oh, this is nothing,” she replied, waving off the compliment. “My treasures are upstairs. After you talk to the girls, I can take you up there, if you want.”

  If her collection was anything like Cooper’s, Bree was in for a rare treat. Just thinking about him still made her mad, so she pushed the stray thought back and moved on. “That’d be awesome. Thank you.”

  “So,” Amelia began, smoothing the skirt of her flowered dress. “You want to know what the women of Holiday Harbor think we should do for the future.”

  “I don’t usually categorize opinions that way,” Bree explained earnestly. “But I’ve spoken to the fishing crews and several male business owners to get their take. It occurred to me the women in town might have some different perspectives.”

  Sipping coffee from an exquisite china cup, Amelia’s eyes drifted toward movement at the door. Standing, she patted Bree’s shoulder in a motherly gesture. “I think you’re about to find out.”

  As the members of Holiday Harbor’s various book clubs filed through the door to join her, Bree stood and smiled. “Good morning, ladies. Thanks so much for coming.”

  “You want opinions,” one of the bakery sisters told her with a grin, “we’ve got plenty. For one, I think development is the quickest way to ruin this place.