“No, I havena ever heard that.”
Cooper waved a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is this…”
My eyes widened as Cooper stepped up to Adwen and placed two of his fingers right in the center of his chest.
“If you spend more time like that with my Aunt Jane and you don’t like her, I don’t really think that’s okay. It’s like those kids at school who would pretend to be your friend just so they could blame something on you. It’s not nice, and it will make her sad. If you make Aunt Jane sad, I might just have to hurt you.”
“I willna make her sad, lad. I care for her verra much.”
“Good. Then let’s go to New York.”
Cooper spun, yanking his suitcase out from under Adwen’s feet and marched over to the doorway so quickly I didn’t have time to move. He opened the door and stared up at me, completely unbothered.
“Oh hey, Aunt Jane. I think everybody is ready to go now. Are you?”
“Uh, yes.” I stood blinking, still trying to regain my composure. “When we get back will you remind me to tell your mother something?”
He rolled his bag out into the hallway. “Yeah, sure. What?”
“Remind me to tell her that we need to move your bedroom somewhere else.”
One corner of Cooper’s mouth pulled up in agreement as he nodded. “Yes, please. I would like that very much.”
CHAPTER 32
It surprised Adwen to see Jane so bothered by Cooper’s words. Of all the things that came out of the lad’s mouth, his observation and warning seemed no less out of place than the rest of the bold things he said. To Adwen, it made him admire the ornery boy even more.
“Jane, I remember my own parents tupping no farther than the toss of a stone from me and my brothers. We were all aware of what men and women do together well before Cooper’s age.”
“What?”
She stirred from gazing out the window, exhaling in a way that caused her lower lip to tremble as the air blew over it. Adwen wanted to pull it deep into his mouth.
He leaned across the armrest to grab onto her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the smooth skin. He’d never touched a lass whose flesh was so soft, pale, and unmarked by neither the sun nor hard labor. She’d led a life of privilege much like he had, yet somehow she’d turned out so much better, so much kinder, so much more deserving than he; he only hoped he could be the man she deserved. “Even before my mother died, we took many a journey together. We often camped in close quarters or shared a room at an inn. Ye are worried about Cooper, I can tell it. There’s no need, lass.”
She twisted at his words, looking back to make sure Cooper wasn’t listening. He laughed as he pulled her close, whispering in her ear.
“They’re asleep, lass.”
“Good. I’m not worried. Just rather shocked and embarrassed.”
“I doona think Cooper is bothered by it, Jane.” He kissed her ear as he spoke, smiling against her as she sighed and leaned into him.
“You’re right. If he is damaged, I suppose it’s Grace’s job to deal with him. Not mine. Although, I feel like he’s part mine—a lot of people feel that way, I think. Why aren’t you sleeping? You have to be just as tired as they are.”
“No, I canna sleep.” Sleep was the last thing on his mind. All he could think of was how badly he wanted to see her blush. “I dinna stay up half the night seeing that the rest of us were ready for today’s journey, and I dinna have to do all that ye did this morning. ’Tis ye that should be sleeping.”
She shrugged and nodded in the direction of the cup that sat on the tray in front of her.
“I’ve shoved five cups of coffee into a body that has grown accustomed to running on none. I probably won’t sleep for a week.”
He liked that idea very much, though he didn’t understand how the lass could drink five cups of the muddy poison. He’d had but a sip and had nearly choked to death on the filth.
“I’d rather drink my own blood, lass, than have another glass of that. I’ve seen a great many strange things here, none as strange as that. And so many drink it like ’tis ale or water. ’Tis astonishing.”
She laughed and, as she did so, her hair bounced toward him, sending a scent to his nose so delicious, his lower abdomen surged with need of her.
“What did ye do to yer hair, lass? The smell of it…” He closed his eyes, leaning to take in another breath.
“That’s shampoo. One of those lovely things you get to use in a shower. It’s nice, yes?”
It was more than nice; he found it intoxicating, just as he did everything else about her.
“I misspoke before, lass. There is one thing I find more astonishing than yer coffee.”
“Hmm…what’s that?” She leaned into him, her hair landing on his nose and sending him wild. She did it to tease him, he knew.
“With yer blunt tongue and the way ye came to me in the sitting room, I’d no have thought ye a lass who is easily embarrassed. But ye are.”