Page 8 of Rebels and Roses

“I work for Erica’s dad. He owns a chain of small boutique hotels and a few resorts in exotic locales. That’s how I met her, actually. I was on vacation with a few friends, and we were at theresort nightclub partying a bit. Erica and I ran into one another - literally - at the bar. I offered to buy her a drink… That’s how it all began. I absolutely fucking love her. We have so much fun together, and she’ll be a terrific wife and mother someday. We both want lots of kids. I’m planning to propose soon.”

“And the woman in Chicago?”

“She’s just some fun,” Tom replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Like I said, it’s not serious.”

But Tom was still going to see Chicago-girl while planning to propose to Denver-girl who also came from money?

“It’s good to see you buckling down with a career,” Cooper said. “Do you like your job?”

“Fuck, no. But Erica told me that her dad would never let us get serious or married if I didn’t get a job. He offered me one, and I took it. It’s a stupid, thankless grind. This nine-to-five bullshit is crazy.”

“There are jobs that don’t have those kinds of hours.”

“Once Erica and I get married, I doubt he’ll fire me,” Tom chuckled. “I just have to keep my nose to the grindstone until then. Plus, Dad is thrilled that I have a career now.”

With a plan like that, how could Tom lose? Have a trust fund, and then marry another one. Set for life.

“We’ll finish our beer, eat the pizza, and then we’ll get out of here,” Cooper said, motioning to the almost empty mug. “I’m just down the street a bit.”

Tom obliged by chugging the remainder, a big grin on his face. If he was worried about being followed, he wasn’t at the moment.

“My suitcase is in my rental car parked outside.”

“You can grab it on the way. Let’s get out of here.”

In the morning, Cooper would try and talk some sense into Tom and then send him back home. Why he was evenentertaining his former brother-in-law at all was something he didn’t quite understand.

Maybe guilt? He’d been a lousy husband to Fiona. If he helped her brother, would that satisfy that heartless bitch karma?

Probably not. But he wasn’t going to send Tom out into the night alone. Tomorrow, he’d give a pep talk and send the young man on his way.

The one bright spot in all of this?

He hadn’t seen Fiona after all.

3

The next morning, Jane crawled out of bed after a restless night. She hadn’t been able to shut down her brain after Cooper had told her the text was from his ex-wife. What did she want? Why was she here?

Did she want Cooper…back?

It wasn’t unheard of for divorced couples to reunite. Jane would rather cut off her right arm than get back with her ex-husband, but she was sure that there were other people out there who might not feel the same. Was Cooper one of them?

They weren’t a couple. Yes, they were exclusive. That didn’t mean that they were in love or committed. It just meant that they weren’t screwing around with random people.

I don’t love him or anything. If he wants to get back together with her, it will be fine. I should be concentrating on school and my new career anyway. It’s all good.

After class, Jane headed to the bookstore for her shift. The store seemed quiet and boring with only a few patrons browsing the shelves. She made a beeline for the coffee pot in the cafe area, pouring herself a large with lots of cream and sugar.

“Piper dropped by with some lemon pound cake if you’re hungry. There are also cinnamon rolls, too,” Lucy said, clearing up some clutter around the coffee pot.

“With raisins?”

Jane hated raisins with a passion. They didn’t belong in cinnamon rolls, messing up a perfectly lovely pastry with their unneeded presence.

“Piper knows you. Not a one. I don’t mind telling you that I polished off one already, and I have a backup on my desk for later. They’re to die for.”

“Then don’t mind if I do. I’m starving. I didn’t have time for breakfast.”

---