A smirk hardened her smile. “Hard to believe, huh?” She gestured down her body. “Me being such a catch and all.”
“Actually, yeah.” Daron folded his arms over his chest. “So what happened?”
“Nosy much?”
“Curious, yeah. I admit it.”
She shook her head, denying him. No, she wouldn’t go into it. Not here, not now.
Maybe not ever.
“Let’s just say he wanted more than I could give him, and leave it at that.” Before he could press her any further, she took the first step out—and almost ran into Baxter.
Judging by his expression, he’d heard every word.
No. No, she definitely didn’t want him to know of her rejection so instead she said with sugary politeness, “Baxter, what a surprise. I’m afraid Daron and I weren’t expecting...company.”
Baxter’s gaze went past her and she knew Daron stood right behind her.
When the slightest hint of amusement narrowed Baxter’s eyes, she looked behind her and found Daron shaking his head in the negative.
She glared.
Daron grinned, then said to Baxter, “I was showing her the RV, nothing more.” He sent an apologetic glance to Ridley. “Not from lack of interest, understand. But I do like for that interest to be reciprocated.”
She lifted her chin. “Who says it’s not?”
“My intuition?” he asked. “My eyes? My sense of self-preservation?”
Baxter, the ass, actually laughed.
“Thanks for nothing,” she growled at Daron.
Shrugging, he explained, “Baxter is bigger than me.”
She knew that had nothing to do with it. More likely, it was some stupid male code of honor or something. Daron had sensed the chemistry between them, so he wouldn’t get involved. “Whatever. You’re useless.” And she was losing her touch.
“Hey,” he objected. “I did show you the RV, right?” He coaxed her, adding, “That has to count for something, right?”
“Not really.”
“Are you buying it?” Baxter asked.
Before she could tell him to mind his own business, Daron chimed in with, “She is. The lady has good taste, and apparently deep pockets.”
Incredulous, she glared at him again.
Daron drew on an expression of innocence. “Was it a secret?”
Baxter spoke up again. “So you’ll be around for a while?”
“I’m obviously not needed for this conversation.” She gave Daron a small shove. “He has all the answers, after all.”
Theatrically, Daron grabbed his shoulder, saying, “I’m injured.”
“Keep it up,” she warned, “and you might be.”
Baxter gave her a long look—a look that seemed almost tender. “I’ll let you two finish settling things.” He hesitated before adding, “Welcome to the park, Ridley.”
*
Trying to disguise her trembling anticipation, Phoenix sat at the table across from Cooper toward the back of a quaint, family-run restaurant. They’d already bought the mower, arranging for delivery to the park by the first of the week. Now they’d almost finished their dinner at a local steakhouse.
Soon they’d be on their way to Cooper’s house.
God, she could hardly wait. As if she’d already indulged in foreplay, her breasts felt heavy, her skin too sensitive, and throbbing heat gathered at her center.
“Dessert?” Cooper asked her.
She wanted him for dessert. “No, thank you.” Mostly, she wanted to be alone with him. She forced herself to say, “But if you do—”
He shook his head, then to her consternation, ordered coffee for them both.
He didn’t seem in much of a hurry.
Trying for some normal conversation, she asked again, “Nothing else happened with the goons? Officer Clark didn’t find out anything—”
“I’m not keeping anything from you. Gibb and I waited, but they didn’t show up.” He shrugged. “Gibb went by the neighborhood where they live, but he didn’t see them. He only knows one address, but no one answered the door when he knocked. He said he’ll drive through there a few more times, and of course if we see them again, we’re to call him.”
“That seems like an awfully simple story.”
“When there’s more to tell, I’ll tell you. So far, that’s it.”
She didn’t like it. She wanted some sort of resolution...
“What?” Cooper gently asked, studying her frown.
Not much got past him, she thought with a sigh. “I detest open-ended problems.” It was a rare thing for her to share, but tonight, with Cooper, the words just came out. “The men who assaulted me are still out there somewhere, an unknown threat. And now this.”
They both went silent as a server set steaming cups of coffee in front of them.
Once she was gone, Cooper reached for Phoenix’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Even that simple touch made the need inside her flare. “Don’t be. I’m fine.” This was not a night for negativity. Tonight was for moving forward. For living. She wanted to make the most of it, and thinking that had her smiling. “Better than fine, actually.”
With his thumb, Cooper explored the back of her knuckles, then her blunt nails.
“I have calluses,” she said, self-conscious with her work-rough hands. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a manicure. Why bother when she spent her days digging in dirt?
Cooper smiled. “Everything about you fascinates me.”
Because she was so different from his wife? She wouldn’t ask...but she couldn’t stop from wondering.
He seemed to debate with himself before finally saying, “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable tonight.”
Having no idea what that meant, Phoenix said softly, “I’m not.” Not anymore. Not with him.
His fingers curled around hers and his gaze lifted to her face.
God, she loved his eyes, so calming with the whiskey-colored centers encircled by a rich brown. Golden striations made his eyes very unusual—and oh, so appealing.
When he said, “My wife died five years ago,” she snapped out of her musings.
Tension added angles to his face, rigidity to his shoulders; she felt it in the grip on her hand. The conversation might’ve been awkward with any other man, but this was Cooper: natural leader, defender of puppy dogs, friendly boss to a resort that made everyone feel welcome.
To let him know it was okay, she squeezed his hand in return and asked softly, “What was her name?”
The question threw him for a moment. “Anna.”
“She was beautiful.” His hand was big and warm...he was big and warm. A powerful man, capable—but she knew he’d suffered and it killed her. “I can’t imagine what you went through, but I know it had to have been terrible. You loved her.”
His mouth tightened. “We’d only been married two years. In a lot of ways, it still felt like a honeymoon—” His gaze shot to hers.
His uncertainty brought out her encouragement. “I’m sure it did. Were you the same age?”
He shook his head. “She was a year younger.”
“In her photo, she looks like a happy person.”
“She was. Very happy.” He stared off to the side and said low, “Everyone loved her.”
“You lost her suddenly?” She knew the story her sister had relayed, but sensed Cooper needed to tell her himself.
“She called to say she was on her way home but that she was stopping for a few things from a convenience store. She was killed there in an armed robbery. I was expecting her home any minute...and then police were at my door.”
Tears burned the backs of her eyes. “I am so sorry,” Phoenix whispered. No one should ever have things change so drastically, in such an awful way.
He hesitated, still reluctant, before meeting her gaze. “What few people know is that she was pregnant.”
Dear God. It felt like she took a blow to her heart, making her hand go slack in his.
He held on, his gaze locked on hers. “I’ve not shared that with anyone else.”
Emotion choked her and she swallowed hard, doing her best to hold back tears. “It’s private. I understand.”
He nodded. “I just wanted to explain—”