Page 76 of Rebels and Roses

For the longest time, she and Cooper had been under wraps. It had been their secret together, and it kept the rest of the world out. It had been just the two of them in their little bubble. Now it was burst wide open, and they were exposed to the public. Everyone in Winslow Heights was going to have an opinion about their romance. Luckily, Jane didn’t give a hoot about most people’s opinions, and neither did Cooper.

And you know what they say about opinions…

“Is everything okay?” Tate asked when Cooper returned to the table after speaking with Fiona. “She didn’t look happy.”

“She’s not,” Cooper confirmed. “She wanted me to talk to Erica, try and convince her to drop the lawsuit for Tom’s body.”

“What did you say? Did you say yes?” Jane asked.

“Not in this lifetime,” Cooper assured her. “I gave her an unequivocal no, which pissed her off, of course. Fiona doesn’t like to hear that word. Her parents did warn me, but I didn’t listen. I thought she’d grow out of it.”

Sometimes, Cooper could be an unabashed optimist.

“Clearly, she didn’t,” Tate laughed. “Where is she now?”

“I hope she’s on her phone calling her attorney which is exactly what I told her to do. I don’t have a law degree, and I was going to be no help at all in a courtroom arguing in front of a judge. She was just being difficult and didn’t want to do it.”

Jane’s husband hadn’t ever done anything for her, so perhaps she had a skewed perception of relationships. It would never have occurred to her to ask anyone else - even Cooper - to make a phone call for her. She’d been independent for a long time, and frankly, she wouldn’t want to be any other way.

“If you’re not planning to talk to Erica about Tom’s body, what about asking her again about when she arrived in town?” Zack queried. “You said the hotel clerk was firm on her getting here the night before. That’s still suspicious behavior.”

“I do need to talk to her,” Cooper agreed. “I just hope I can convince her that there’s proof she’s lying.”

“Let me try and talk to Erica,” Jane suggested. “She might open up to a female. If she felt like Tom was making a fool of her, she would understandably be reluctant to admit that. I have some experience with that.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Cooper said with a shake of his head. “I know this is my problem. I’ve been dragging you into it, but I may need to back off. So far, nothing has come from this.”

He sounded so defeated she could hardly stand it. Cooper was pushing this because he cared about people. Fiona might make him crazy, and he didn’t know Tom all that well, but he gave a shit. Others would have blown off any suspicions or doubts they had, but he wanted to keep going until there wasn’t anywhere else to go. It might be dumb, but she couldn’t help but admire his persistence.

“You haven’t dragged me anywhere that I haven’t wanted to go,” Jane replied. “We still have an open question about Erica. I’d like to get an answer, too.”

After chatting for a few more minutes, Jane decided that there was no time like the present when it came to talking to Erica. She had a shift at the bookstore later, so she might as well go to the hotel now. Cooper walked her out to his car, handing her the keys. It would be quicker than driving to her apartment to get her vehicle.

“Thanks for this. I hope Erica opens up. You do have a way with people.”

“So do you. After all, you managed to charm me.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Cooper grinned before leaning down to brush her lips with his.

She’d kissed him many times, but she still felt an electric tingle up her spine when their lips met.

“Careful, someone might see. We’re in public,” she warned.

It was bright daylight outside, and people were milling about. Someone had surely seen them.

“Fuck ‘em,” he said, still smiling but there was something in his eyes, too. A tenderness that she hadn’t seen before. “I don’t care who knows we’re together.”

“I don’t either.”

It was a huge leap of faith for both of them. The importance of this moment couldn’t be underestimated. He leaned down closer, his lips next to her ear.

“I’m falling in love with you, Jane Taylor. So, if this isn’t what you want, you better run fast.”

“I’m not running anywhere.” She swallowed a lump in her throat that barely let her speak. “I’m falling in love with you, too.”

The confession didn’t scare her nearly as much as it should have. She should be hiding in her apartment, not answering her phone. Instead, she wanted to just be in his company even when they weren’t doing anything special.

“Thank goodness, because I didn’t want to have to kidnap you, and keep you prisoner in my basement.”

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