date.
He went through his normal routine, looking through his emails and charts, getting ready for the day. It was odd to start in the middle of the day, rather than at the crack of dawn, but he’d needed the time to get groceries and sleep. He hadn’t had a day off in two weeks, and because he was open weekends to accommodate his working patients, he’d been at his wit’s end.
After three fillings and a child’s checkup, Jackson made his way back to his office, his temples throbbing. Nothing a little coffee wouldn’t fix. His two hygienists were working on cleanings so he’d have to go and finish the checkups soon.
As he took a sip of the dark brew from his fancy one-cup maker—his one splurge—he closed his eyes, trying to regain the energy he’d had as a man in his twenties and early thirties, rather than the man who was on the downhill slide to the dreaded forty.
Hell, he wasn’t ready to hit forty.
Wasn’t he supposed to have his whole life ahead of him? Yet, here he was, alone and a workaholic, watching as his magical younger brothers found the loves of their lives and were making a future for themselves.
Not that he wanted the wife and kids, but a future beyond work would be nice.
And he definitely didn’t want their magical abilities.
Holiday, Montana, seemed to be the mecca of holiday paranormals, and the Coopers were so deeply entrenched in it, Jackson wasn’t sure how he’d been spared. They had witches, Santa’s elves and executives, cupids, leprechauns, harpies, and ghosts. Even his new nephews and niece were half-gnome.
Magic and the paranormal seemed to touch everything in his life, and he was so dammed grateful he’d been spared.
Jackson hated magic.
Hated it all.
With magic came instability and the possibility of things he’d rather not think about. Enemies came with those powers, and one never knew when such an enemy would pop up and try to destroy it all. He’d had to watch as his brothers had been almost taken down one by one by magic forces, and Jackson had been helpless to fight against it.
He was the only Cooper untouched by magic, and he’d be damned if he’d let it happen to him.
There was a knock on the door and he looked up as his receptionist, Veronica, stuck her head in, an odd expression on her face.
“Yes?” he asked, annoyed his moment of peace was now over.
“Uh, Dr. Cooper, there’s a woman out there who says she needs to speak with you, but she doesn’t have an appointment.”
Jackson didn’t miss the curiosity in her gaze, but he ignored it. “Did she say exactly what she wanted?”
Veronica shook her head. “No, but she said it was personal. She also doesn’t look like one of those Cooper groupies, so I thought I’d ask you anyway.” She winked, and Jackson held back a smile.
“Did she say what her name was?” he asked, a little bit of that curiosity peeking through his stubbornness.
“Honor. Honor Bridges.”
Jackson coughed up the sip of coffee he’d taken then cursed as he spilled some on his shirt. Veronica’s eyes widened, and she stepped in the office. He held up his hand.
“I’ve got it. Hell, tell her to give me a minute while I change my shirt.”
His receptionist looked as though she desperately wanted to question his reaction and the fact that he wanted to talk to this woman, but she thankfully held her tongue.
“If you say so.”
He turned his back to her to grab a new shirt from his closet, and she left, closing the door behind her. As he buttoned up his new shirt, he tried to stop his fingers from shaking.
What the hell was Honor doing here?
He hadn’t seen her in…almost eight years.
He rolled his shoulders and made his way to the door. He’d just get this over with. There wasn’t anything between them—there hadn’t been for too long. He’d just nod and say hello to an old…friend…then get back to his day.
She stood in his waiting room facing the wall so he only saw her profile, and damn if he
He went through his normal routine, looking through his emails and charts, getting ready for the day. It was odd to start in the middle of the day, rather than at the crack of dawn, but he’d needed the time to get groceries and sleep. He hadn’t had a day off in two weeks, and because he was open weekends to accommodate his working patients, he’d been at his wit’s end.
After three fillings and a child’s checkup, Jackson made his way back to his office, his temples throbbing. Nothing a little coffee wouldn’t fix. His two hygienists were working on cleanings so he’d have to go and finish the checkups soon.
As he took a sip of the dark brew from his fancy one-cup maker—his one splurge—he closed his eyes, trying to regain the energy he’d had as a man in his twenties and early thirties, rather than the man who was on the downhill slide to the dreaded forty.
Hell, he wasn’t ready to hit forty.
Wasn’t he supposed to have his whole life ahead of him? Yet, here he was, alone and a workaholic, watching as his magical younger brothers found the loves of their lives and were making a future for themselves.
Not that he wanted the wife and kids, but a future beyond work would be nice.
And he definitely didn’t want their magical abilities.
Holiday, Montana, seemed to be the mecca of holiday paranormals, and the Coopers were so deeply entrenched in it, Jackson wasn’t sure how he’d been spared. They had witches, Santa’s elves and executives, cupids, leprechauns, harpies, and ghosts. Even his new nephews and niece were half-gnome.
Magic and the paranormal seemed to touch everything in his life, and he was so dammed grateful he’d been spared.
Jackson hated magic.
Hated it all.
With magic came instability and the possibility of things he’d rather not think about. Enemies came with those powers, and one never knew when such an enemy would pop up and try to destroy it all. He’d had to watch as his brothers had been almost taken down one by one by magic forces, and Jackson had been helpless to fight against it.
He was the only Cooper untouched by magic, and he’d be damned if he’d let it happen to him.
There was a knock on the door and he looked up as his receptionist, Veronica, stuck her head in, an odd expression on her face.
“Yes?” he asked, annoyed his moment of peace was now over.
“Uh, Dr. Cooper, there’s a woman out there who says she needs to speak with you, but she doesn’t have an appointment.”
Jackson didn’t miss the curiosity in her gaze, but he ignored it. “Did she say exactly what she wanted?”
Veronica shook her head. “No, but she said it was personal. She also doesn’t look like one of those Cooper groupies, so I thought I’d ask you anyway.” She winked, and Jackson held back a smile.
“Did she say what her name was?” he asked, a little bit of that curiosity peeking through his stubbornness.
“Honor. Honor Bridges.”
Jackson coughed up the sip of coffee he’d taken then cursed as he spilled some on his shirt. Veronica’s eyes widened, and she stepped in the office. He held up his hand.
“I’ve got it. Hell, tell her to give me a minute while I change my shirt.”
His receptionist looked as though she desperately wanted to question his reaction and the fact that he wanted to talk to this woman, but she thankfully held her tongue.
“If you say so.”
He turned his back to her to grab a new shirt from his closet, and she left, closing the door behind her. As he buttoned up his new shirt, he tried to stop his fingers from shaking.
What the hell was Honor doing here?
He hadn’t seen her in…almost eight years.
He rolled his shoulders and made his way to the door. He’d just get this over with. There wasn’t anything between them—there hadn’t been for too long. He’d just nod and say hello to an old…friend…then get back to his day.
She stood in his waiting room facing the wall so he only saw her profile, and damn if he
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