other day, and he found himself moving through the trees toward Cooper’s ramshackle home. Lexie might be his brother’s friend, but her revelation about her relationship with Cooper had rubbed Jake the wrong way. Cooper was a total player, and the guy could be a real asshole when it came to women. Love ’em and leave ’em was the guy’s middle name, for fuck’s sake.
So yeah, maybe Lexie was Nate’s buddy and not Jake’s, but someone had to look out for the ice princess what with her BFF being outta town.
Jake was surprised to find Cooper on the porch when he approached the cabin. The black-haired man was leaning against the railing, holding a steaming mug in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
“Did I order a wakeup call?” Cooper drawled when he caught sight of Jake.
Wiping beads of sweat off his forehead, he jogged up to the rickety porch and grinned. “Naah. I was out for a run and figured I’d stop by.” He glanced at Cooper’s hand. “Got one of those for me?”
“The coffee or the cigarette?”
“Both.”
Cooper tossed him a smoke. “Hold up. I’ll grab you some coffee.”
Jake lit up as the other man disappeared into the house. While he waited, he studied the exterior of the cabin, his gaze drifting over the weathered logs, the chipped paint on the front door and the uneven slats of the porch. Then he pictured Lexie Price’s place, the big, modern house surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn, and the difference in accommodations got him all confused again. What was Lexie Price doing with a guy like Coop? And vice versa.
Cooper returned with a second mug and handed it to Jake, then swiped his cigarette from the ashtray he’d left it in. “How’s it going, Bishop?”
“All right. You?”
“Pretty good. Work’s been busy, but that’ll slow down now that winter’s coming.” Cooper shrugged. “I’ll probably pick up some shifts at the lumber mill once that happens. Don’t wanna starve, after all.” He sipped his coffee. “You’ve stuck around in town longer than usual. When you heading overseas again?”
“Not sure yet.” Jake swiftly changed the subject. “So what’s going on with you and Lexie Price?”
Cooper looked taken aback. “What’d you hear?”
“Nothing much. But Lexie was over at my brother’s place yesterday and she let it slip that you two are seeing each other.”
“I doubt that.”
“That’s what she implied…”
“Yeah, well, seeing each other implies a helluva lot more than what she’s giving me. It implies saying a fucking hello in public, don’t ya think?”
Whoa. The bitterness oozing from Cooper’s rough voice was unmistakable.
And the pain in the guy’s coal-black eyes said more than Cooper had probably intended to reveal.
“You really like her,” Jake said, shaking his head in amazement.
“Why do you sound so fucking surprised?” Cooper lifted his cigarette to his lips, the orange tip flaring as he inhaled deeply. “You think I’m incapable of liking a woman? Or is it Lexie you find so unlikable? Because you don’t know shit about her.”
Double whoa.
“Touchy much?” Jake said dryly.
“Yeah, touchy much.” Cooper snuffed out his smoke and wrapped both hands around his mug. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m having a crappy morning and it’s not even nine o’clock yet.”
“My morning’s not so hot either.”
They fell silent, sipping their coffees, until Cooper let out a soft curse. “I do like her, okay? Actually, I more than like her. I’m in love with her, man.”
Jake’s eyebrows shot up.
Cooper chuckled. “Pretty fucking shocking, huh? But it’s true. I love everything about that woman. Every neurotic, aggravating inch of her.”
“Have you told her?”
“Nope.” Cooper shook his head. “She doesn’t want to hear it, man. She’s all about appearances, and she cares way too much about what her snooty family thinks. They’d never approve of her being with someone like me.” He snorted.
So yeah, maybe Lexie was Nate’s buddy and not Jake’s, but someone had to look out for the ice princess what with her BFF being outta town.
Jake was surprised to find Cooper on the porch when he approached the cabin. The black-haired man was leaning against the railing, holding a steaming mug in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
“Did I order a wakeup call?” Cooper drawled when he caught sight of Jake.
Wiping beads of sweat off his forehead, he jogged up to the rickety porch and grinned. “Naah. I was out for a run and figured I’d stop by.” He glanced at Cooper’s hand. “Got one of those for me?”
“The coffee or the cigarette?”
“Both.”
Cooper tossed him a smoke. “Hold up. I’ll grab you some coffee.”
Jake lit up as the other man disappeared into the house. While he waited, he studied the exterior of the cabin, his gaze drifting over the weathered logs, the chipped paint on the front door and the uneven slats of the porch. Then he pictured Lexie Price’s place, the big, modern house surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn, and the difference in accommodations got him all confused again. What was Lexie Price doing with a guy like Coop? And vice versa.
Cooper returned with a second mug and handed it to Jake, then swiped his cigarette from the ashtray he’d left it in. “How’s it going, Bishop?”
“All right. You?”
“Pretty good. Work’s been busy, but that’ll slow down now that winter’s coming.” Cooper shrugged. “I’ll probably pick up some shifts at the lumber mill once that happens. Don’t wanna starve, after all.” He sipped his coffee. “You’ve stuck around in town longer than usual. When you heading overseas again?”
“Not sure yet.” Jake swiftly changed the subject. “So what’s going on with you and Lexie Price?”
Cooper looked taken aback. “What’d you hear?”
“Nothing much. But Lexie was over at my brother’s place yesterday and she let it slip that you two are seeing each other.”
“I doubt that.”
“That’s what she implied…”
“Yeah, well, seeing each other implies a helluva lot more than what she’s giving me. It implies saying a fucking hello in public, don’t ya think?”
Whoa. The bitterness oozing from Cooper’s rough voice was unmistakable.
And the pain in the guy’s coal-black eyes said more than Cooper had probably intended to reveal.
“You really like her,” Jake said, shaking his head in amazement.
“Why do you sound so fucking surprised?” Cooper lifted his cigarette to his lips, the orange tip flaring as he inhaled deeply. “You think I’m incapable of liking a woman? Or is it Lexie you find so unlikable? Because you don’t know shit about her.”
Double whoa.
“Touchy much?” Jake said dryly.
“Yeah, touchy much.” Cooper snuffed out his smoke and wrapped both hands around his mug. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m having a crappy morning and it’s not even nine o’clock yet.”
“My morning’s not so hot either.”
They fell silent, sipping their coffees, until Cooper let out a soft curse. “I do like her, okay? Actually, I more than like her. I’m in love with her, man.”
Jake’s eyebrows shot up.
Cooper chuckled. “Pretty fucking shocking, huh? But it’s true. I love everything about that woman. Every neurotic, aggravating inch of her.”
“Have you told her?”
“Nope.” Cooper shook his head. “She doesn’t want to hear it, man. She’s all about appearances, and she cares way too much about what her snooty family thinks. They’d never approve of her being with someone like me.” He snorted.
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