“Coop.” Jackson waved a hand in front of him. “Dude, you’re totally zoning out. You okay?”
He ran his gaze over his older brother’s serious blue eyes and chiseled features, both common traits of the four Wild brothers. Jackson was sitting with his arm draped possessively over Erica’s shoulder. Exactly where it should be. From the time they were teenagers until a month ago, Jackson and Erica—Laney, as Jackson had always called her—had been no-strings-attached fuck buddies. Cooper and their other brothers, Logan and Heath, had known Jackson and Erica belonged together, but Jackson was a stubborn son of a bitch, and like Cooper, he’d lost himself in between whatever sexy pair of legs was currently spread before him. That was, until Erica received a marriage proposal from another guy and Jackson realized he was about to lose the only women he’d ever loved.
“Yeah, I’m cool.” He eyed a group of women settling in at the bar, wishing the only woman he’d ever loved would appear. It was Jackson and Erica’s recent engagement that had pushed Cooper out of his long break from reality and into accepting this photography assignment—and finally reaching out to Celeste Fine. Watching his brothers’ happiness unfold had tripped memories he’d been burying deep inside ever since a random home invasion had left his father dead and his mother blind. To say the last four years had been a big mind fuck would be putting it lightly, but witnessing the love between Jackson and Erica and seeing Jackson almost lose it forever had sent Cooper’s mind traveling back to Bay City and the woman he’d never been able to forget.
Jackson furrowed his brow over his sharp gaze and glanced around the crowded bar. “She’ll be here, Coop. Just chill, man.”
Cooper had come to Bay City alone the first time, and he hadn’t told anyone about the week he’d fallen head over heels in love with the kindest black-haired beauty on the planet—except his mother. He’d mentioned Celeste to her only once, when he’d been hurting so badly he couldn’t see straight. It was about a year after the attack, and Cooper had been in no shape to even consider a relationship, but he’d wanted to reach out to Cici to apologize for falling off the face of the earth. It had been at his mother’s urging to follow his heart that he’d made the call. Even if you’re not ready, let her know you care, she’d said. But she’d never returned his call.
He’d intended to tell the world about Cici after he’d returned home from the festival four years ago, but the attack on his parents had changed everything. He’d grown since then, though, found his footing, reconnected with the man he used to be. And this weekend he was on a mission. Now that they were here, he was glad he’d revealed the truth to Jackson and Erica. He couldn’t have kept the nervous buzz traveling through him from either of them. They’d have seen right through whatever smoke screen he tried to erect.
He’d planned on coming to the film festival alone, but after he’d told Jackson about Cici, Jackson had gotten that older-brother worry in his eyes and had said he’d always wanted to photograph the festival. They were used to photographing the elite who came to them, not climbing on board a gravy train that half the photogs on the East Coast were taking part in. Jackson’s excuse was a load of shit, and they both knew it, but Cooper also knew how hard he’d fallen after his father had died, and the Wild brothers were steadfast in their protectiveness of one another. He couldn’t have dissuaded Jackson if his life had depended on it.
But Cici was here, and that was all that mattered.
“I wish you had a picture of her so I could help scope her out,” Erica said. “Jackson wouldn’t even let me search for her online.”
He’d checked the photographer list and had seen her name. She still had the same last name, thank fucking God. At least there was some hope she hadn’t gotten married. He could have had Logan, his oldest brother and a private investigator, check her out and give him the full scoop, but he wasn’t about to breach her privacy that way.
“Thank you for respecting my wishes with regard to not searching for her,” he said to Erica.
“I still wish you would have at least called her or gotten in contact with her somehow,” Erica added. “I mean, after the way you said you left things...”