someone called her name.
“Haleigh Rae!” came the familiar deep voice. She spun in time to see Cooper barreling down on her, the crowd parting as if Moses himself had demanded it. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched in his tone.
“I’m fine,” she lied, determined to act as normal as possible. If Cooper so much as sniffed a problem, he’d roll into fix-it mode. “I didn’t know you would be here. Is it always this crowded?” she asked.
Cooper’s chuckle hit Haleigh like the first bite into a warm brownie and served as a distraction from her mounting panic. “This is nothing compared to what the place will look like in a couple hours.” Taking her hand, he said, “Here. Walk in front of me and I’ll take you over to the others.”
“But I ordered a drink,” she said, using the excuse to send him on his way so she could leave without having to explain.
“Dana!” Cooper yelled.
The brunette turned his way. “Heya, Coop.” Her smile was friendlier than Haleigh deemed necessary. “What can I do you for?”
“Bring her drink up to the table, would ya?”
With a nod, she said, “Sure. No problem.”
Great. Now she would have to explain why she couldn’t touch the glass once it arrived. Before she could find another solution, Cooper slid his body behind hers to navigate them through the room. The crowd grew thicker away from the bar, forcing Haleigh to slow down, which put their bodies in constant contact. At this rate, she was going to need a cigarette by the time they reached their destination.
When they finally arrived at a small raised area adjacent to the dance floor, Haleigh spotted Lorelei talking to Snow and Carrie, while Spencer and a man Haleigh didn’t recognize conversed behind them.
“You look great,” Lorelei said after the greetings had been exchanged. “That outfit is adorable.”
Haleigh looked down at her dress. “You think so? I didn’t know what to wear.” Speaking like a normal person was proving difficult, and not only because of the alcohol around her, as Cooper remained pressed against her back.
“It’s perfect,” Lorelei assured her. “You know everyone, right?”
In need of space, Haleigh stepped to the side only to have Cooper’s hand fall to the small of her back. She had to admit, the touch had a calming effect on her nerves. Unfortunately, Spencer called him over before she could regain total control.
“I’ll be close by,” Cooper whispered in her ear, as if he knew how much she needed his steady presence. His breath on her neck spiked her temperature, and Haleigh struggled to remember Lorelei’s question.
“I don’t know the guy talking to Spencer,” she answered, proud of her ability to still think. “Should I?” Next to Cooper, the stranger was arguably the hottest guy in the room. Haleigh doubted she’d forget having made his acquaintance.
“That’s my husband, Caleb,” Snow said, sharing the smile of a happy newlywed. “He was at the hospital when Carrie had Molly, but I’m not sure if you two met.”
“You’re a lucky girl,” Haleigh muttered before she could stop herself. “Wow. That was seriously inappropriate.”
Snow laughed. “No worries. Lorelei drools over him on a regular basis. I’m getting used to it.”
“How long are we staying?” Carrie cut in, looking even less happy to be there than Haleigh was.
Lorelei nudged the new mother. “We haven’t been here an hour yet. Molly is fine. She probably doesn’t even know you’re gone.”
Carrie looked stricken. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
Having just left a doting mother, Haleigh had to agree with Carrie. Telling a woman that her child didn’t miss her was like kicking a puppy.
Wrapping both arms around Carrie’s shoulders, Lorelei grew serious. “Stay with me, girlfriend. You know what I meant. Granny is ecstatic to have Molly all to herself, and I’m sure your little one is being ridiculously spoiled as we speak. You deserve a little
“Haleigh Rae!” came the familiar deep voice. She spun in time to see Cooper barreling down on her, the crowd parting as if Moses himself had demanded it. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched in his tone.
“I’m fine,” she lied, determined to act as normal as possible. If Cooper so much as sniffed a problem, he’d roll into fix-it mode. “I didn’t know you would be here. Is it always this crowded?” she asked.
Cooper’s chuckle hit Haleigh like the first bite into a warm brownie and served as a distraction from her mounting panic. “This is nothing compared to what the place will look like in a couple hours.” Taking her hand, he said, “Here. Walk in front of me and I’ll take you over to the others.”
“But I ordered a drink,” she said, using the excuse to send him on his way so she could leave without having to explain.
“Dana!” Cooper yelled.
The brunette turned his way. “Heya, Coop.” Her smile was friendlier than Haleigh deemed necessary. “What can I do you for?”
“Bring her drink up to the table, would ya?”
With a nod, she said, “Sure. No problem.”
Great. Now she would have to explain why she couldn’t touch the glass once it arrived. Before she could find another solution, Cooper slid his body behind hers to navigate them through the room. The crowd grew thicker away from the bar, forcing Haleigh to slow down, which put their bodies in constant contact. At this rate, she was going to need a cigarette by the time they reached their destination.
When they finally arrived at a small raised area adjacent to the dance floor, Haleigh spotted Lorelei talking to Snow and Carrie, while Spencer and a man Haleigh didn’t recognize conversed behind them.
“You look great,” Lorelei said after the greetings had been exchanged. “That outfit is adorable.”
Haleigh looked down at her dress. “You think so? I didn’t know what to wear.” Speaking like a normal person was proving difficult, and not only because of the alcohol around her, as Cooper remained pressed against her back.
“It’s perfect,” Lorelei assured her. “You know everyone, right?”
In need of space, Haleigh stepped to the side only to have Cooper’s hand fall to the small of her back. She had to admit, the touch had a calming effect on her nerves. Unfortunately, Spencer called him over before she could regain total control.
“I’ll be close by,” Cooper whispered in her ear, as if he knew how much she needed his steady presence. His breath on her neck spiked her temperature, and Haleigh struggled to remember Lorelei’s question.
“I don’t know the guy talking to Spencer,” she answered, proud of her ability to still think. “Should I?” Next to Cooper, the stranger was arguably the hottest guy in the room. Haleigh doubted she’d forget having made his acquaintance.
“That’s my husband, Caleb,” Snow said, sharing the smile of a happy newlywed. “He was at the hospital when Carrie had Molly, but I’m not sure if you two met.”
“You’re a lucky girl,” Haleigh muttered before she could stop herself. “Wow. That was seriously inappropriate.”
Snow laughed. “No worries. Lorelei drools over him on a regular basis. I’m getting used to it.”
“How long are we staying?” Carrie cut in, looking even less happy to be there than Haleigh was.
Lorelei nudged the new mother. “We haven’t been here an hour yet. Molly is fine. She probably doesn’t even know you’re gone.”
Carrie looked stricken. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
Having just left a doting mother, Haleigh had to agree with Carrie. Telling a woman that her child didn’t miss her was like kicking a puppy.
Wrapping both arms around Carrie’s shoulders, Lorelei grew serious. “Stay with me, girlfriend. You know what I meant. Granny is ecstatic to have Molly all to herself, and I’m sure your little one is being ridiculously spoiled as we speak. You deserve a little
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