Page 9 of Rebels and Roses

The pastries must have been popular because there were less than six left, and Piper always brought two dozen.

“Did you have a rush of customers this morning?”

Jane bit into the confection and almost groaned with pleasure. It was damn delicious. The only way to make it better might be to warm it up a little in the microwave.

Nah, I’m too hungry. I’ll eat it like this.

“The usual. A few people waiting at the door for me to open, and then the early morning arrivers. It wasn’t bad.” Lucy tilted her head as her gaze rested on Jane. “Are you okay? You look pale. Are you coming down with something? Maybe you should go home and rest.”

Lucy wasn’t just a good friend, she was a great boss, too. She actually cared about her employees.

“I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep all that well last night.”

That much was the truth.

“Are you thinking about graduation? I know that you’re so close.”

“All I need is to finish this summer class, and I’m done. It is sort of overwhelming.”

But that wasn’t the reason she hadn’t been able to sleep. Lucy, however, didn’t know about Jane and Cooper.

I want to confide in her. She’s my best friend. But…I’m not sure I want anyone to know.

It simply felt like ten kinds of wrong to keep this a secret from Lucy. Her best friend hadn’t done anything to make Jane think she wasn’t discreet. Lucy wouldn’t tell anyone if Jane asked her not to. She wouldn’t judge either.

Cooper hadn’t seemed to want anyone to know, and Jane had been in complete agreement. Honestly, she hadn’t expected their “fling” to still be going on months later. She’d thought they might get to together a few times, maybe a bit more, but not this long. She was also pretty sure that Cooper was surprised as well. Usually, his attention wandered quickly.

Not that it meant that Jane was different than the other women he’d been with. She wasn’t that delusional. They were fuck-buddies at best. Friends with benefits. That sort of thing. They genuinely did like and respect each other, but she wasn’t looking for romance. If she had been, she’d be barking up the wrong tree with Cooper Winslow. He wasn’t the commitment type.

Maybe he was just slowing down now that he was in his mid-thirties. He wasn’t looking to change out the female in his life every couple of months anymore. He was going a bit longer with them.

Inwardly, she laughed at the idea of ribbing Cooper that he was getting older and slowing down. He’d probably toss her on the bed and show her exactly how young he felt.

“You have a weird expression on your face,” Jane heard Lucy say, pulling her from her reverie. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am,” Jane assured her. “So…is there any good gossip this morning?”

She wanted to make the question come out as casually as possible, not wanting to raise any more suspicious.

She might want to confide in Lucy, but it didn’t seem the prudent thing to do. She could only imagine the expression of horror on her friend’s face that would be quickly masked by great concern. Cooper was known for going through women like tissues during allergy season. It was madness to get involved with him.

It would be madness if I thought I could change him. If I had deluded myself into thinking that I would be different somehow. I know that I’m not. Feelings are to be avoided at all costs.Not that I’m in danger of falling for Cooper Winslow. I’m not.

“I don’t think so,” Lucy replied, her brows pinched together. “Why? Have you heard something?”

It sounded like the citizens of Winslow Heights didn’t yet have a clue that the ex-spouse of Cooper was in town. This would be big news when it was public. Huge. Colossal. All those adjectives. Every female in a hundred-mile radius - or more - would want to see what woman had managed to get the town’s most eligible bachelor down the aisle.

Jane couldn’t deny that she was curious, too. If she asked Cooper questions, he’d probably answer. He was an honest man - except for the whole mystery author thing - who didn’t pussyfoot around a subject. He either talked about it or would bluntly tell you that he was not going to talk about it. There wasn’t much gray area. It made him easy to deal with usually.

But if she asked him point blank…the whole topic was out there. As curious as she was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear him wax poetic about his ex-wife and how they fell in love. Especially if she and Cooper were naked at the time.

“No, I haven’t,” Jane said, bringing herself back to this moment in the bookstore. She was letting her thoughts drift. “Iguess I was just hoping for some casual gossip. Something to make my own hectic life disappear for a few minutes.”

“Hmmm,” Lucy replied, tapping her chin. “I can understand that. Escapism is nice every now and then. How about Albert Pilson is definitely courting Ruth Davis? Does that count? He met her for coffee a few days ago and brought daisies.”

“I hope he hurries because they have to both be in their eighties.”

“Zack and I have a bet going that they’ll be married before Labor Day.”

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