Page 53 of Rebels and Roses

“It explains a lot,” Tate whispered, pulling her into a quiet corner of the room away from everyone else. “His phone calls, his constant use of his laptop, other things. I knew he had something going but I thought it might be investing or something like that. I should have known it was writing. Cooper had a knack for telling stories when we were kids. I guess you’ve known for a while.”

“I didn’t look surprised?”

“Not in the least,” Tate confirmed. “And can I say that I think Cooper has finally chosen a woman that we can all cheer about? You two make a terrific couple.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“I know how he looks at you,” Tate replied. “I don’t need to know anything else.”

“Your father looks murderously angry. Where did he go? Is he going out there to confront Cooper?”

“Nope,” Tate scoffed. “He’d never do that. Dad has retreated into his office, and there he will stay for hours pacing and bitching to no one in particular. Later, he’ll pretend he knew all along. That’s how Dad works. But clearly, this is going to change things. Whatever plan my dad had cooked up to get Cooper gainfully employed at the family business isn’t going to work out. He’ll have to come up with Plan B.”

“Should we go stop Cooper from killing Fiona? He didn’t look happy either.”

“They’re fine. He’ll probably yell, Fiona will laugh and then maybe start crying if she thinks he’ll feel sorry for her. At least that’s what I think will happen, based on what Cooper has told me about his marriage. Nothing bad will happen. Stay here and have some dessert.”

“How can you eat at a time like this?”

“Sweetheart, this is nothing. You should see the family when we all really get wound up.”

That was something Jane hoped she’d never see.

Cooper wasn’t a violent man.He didn’t believe it helped any situation, and he’d made a practice of mostly just walking away when he was angry.

Tonight, however, he hadn’t done that.

He could have. He could have grabbed Jane’s hand and simply left his father’s home. No one would have thought much about it because it was a shock that he was there in the first place. But he hadn’t done that since he still hadn’t figured out why Fiona and Erica had been invited to dinner.

But…he was beginning to have a few suspicions. Now he needed to know if he was right.

“You’ve tipped your hand, Fi,” Cooper said when they were outside. “You better start talking.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes. “I’m sorry about telling your little secret. It just came out unexpectedly, and then I couldn’t backpedal. Are you very angry?”

“No, I was planning on telling them eventually. I don’t care that the secret is out. But you didn’t do it on accident. I saw your expression right before. You did it on purpose. The question is why? Why did you do it? For what reason? Just to make me mad? I don’t think so. There has to be something else.”

Fiona giggled at his questions, that self-satisfied smile back on her face.

“I don’t know about that. Making you angry is kind of fun.” She reached out and ran her fingernail along his jaw. “Remember the make-up sex after a big fight? It was alwaysbetter with a little fire in the furnace, right? How about we go back to my hotel, and we can make up from our little spat?”

Cooper jerked his head away, distaste on his tongue. Fiona might be a beautiful woman on the outside, but the inside needed major work.

“We are never going to get back together,” Cooper stated. “Not going to happen. Not in this lifetime or any other.”

“Because of that woman you brought to dinner? What’s her name? Jean? Janice? Jolene?”

“It’s Jane, and you know it. Stop acting like a bitch. It’s not your best look, Fi. It never was, to be honest.”

“Jane. Such a sweet name,” Fiona simpered. “Are you in love with her? Or is she just another in a long line of women since our divorce?”

That sentence made Cooper smile. Was she that delusional?

“Are you under the impression that I’m going from woman to woman because I’m heartbroken? That I can’t find another woman like you? That only you will ever make me happy? I can assure you that I’m not carrying a torch. I’ve moved on, and I hope you have, too.”

“With Jane?”

“Yes, with Jane.”

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