Page 58 of Claws and Feathers

Cooper had offered to come by and help her finish painting, and Abby had suggested inviting Kate and James as well. Maybe she thought they could finish faster, butmostly, she was a little bit terrified of being alone with him all day. She didn’t trust her impressionable heart.

Cooper, James, and Kate entered her home shortly before noon. Kate held up a pizza box and plastic bags filled with beverages as she strolled into the kitchen. “I know you said painting party, but all I heard was party, so I brought pizza and alcohol.”

“Alcohol?” Abby puckered her lips. “It’s only lunch time.”

“Oh, nothingcrazy,” Kate insisted. “I only got some Bloody Mary mix and an obscene amount of vodka. Painting and booze kind of go hand in hand.”

Cooper and James joined them around her brand new kitchen island.

“It looks great in here,” Cooper noted, his eyes dancing around the bright white kitchen with granite countertops. “You have good taste.”

Abby was gazing at him, semi-dreamily.Mmm. Good taste.She shook her head, bringing herself back to cabinetry. “Um,yeah. I’m basically the long lost Property Brother,” she joked.

Kate snorted. “I helped pick out the backsplash. Give cred where cred is due.” She popped the caps off the bottles as a slice of pizza dangled from between her teeth. “Time for bloodies.”

Abby and the men took their plastic cups as Kate passed around the cocktails. Abby shuddered as she took a sip, realizing why Kate never worked behind the bar. Her alcohol to mixer ratio was just atadoff.

“Want to go to the bedroom?”

Cooper’s question made Abby choke mid-swallow. “What?”

“The bedroom. To paint.” Cooper let a grin surface when he caught onto the innuendo. “Kate said it was just the kitchen and the bedroom left that needed painting. I figured we could split up.”

Kate turned to her brother and slapped him on the chest with both hands. “And this is why you’re single.” She then tugged James by the arm, pulling him out of the room, and leaving Abby and Cooper alone in the kitchen.

Abby was trying not to turn as red as her tomato juice. “Sounds like a good plan. Now that I understand the plan.” She cleared her throat and took a delicate sip of her beverage, her eyes falling everywhere but on Cooper.

He chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry that came out a little ambiguous.”

Abby took a few more gulps, then led Cooper down the hall towards her bedroom. She had chosen a sea breeze paint color because she thought it was calming. Peaceful. It made her happy. Cooper was leaning against the opposite wall, watching her as she poured the paint into a tray and unwrapped the rollers. She brushed away a strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail as she glanced at him. “What?” she inquired. Abby felt self-conscious beneath his gaze. She wondered if she should have worn something nicer than leggings and an old t-shirt that was tied up on one side with a scrunchie.

Cooper swallowed down his cocktail. “Are you okay, Abby?”

“Why? Do I not look okay?”

He stepped towards her, inching his way into her bubble. Abby began to feel warm, but she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol orhim.

“I mean… the other night. I wasn’t sure if you were okay when I left. I would have checked in sooner yesterday, but there was that armed robbery at the gas station, and –”

“I’m okay, Cooper.” She smiled at him, relishing in the way his features softened at her response. “Thank you. I’m kind of embarrassed, honestly. But I appreciate you staying with me and giving me a shoulder to cry on.”

He ducked his head slightly, taking another step forward. Abby’s eyes floated over him. He was wearing a simple white shirt and old blue jeans with worn holes. The white t-shirt emphasized his skin, bronzed from the summer sun. His brown hair had golden flecks that glimmered beneath her recess lighting. She gulped when he stopped in front of her, so close she could reach out and touch him. Abby squeezed the paint roller in her hand to keep herself from doing that.

“If you ever feel like that again, please call me. I’ll come over. You’re not alone.”

His words gave her comfort because she knew he was serious. Abby hadn’t scared him away. “Thanks. I will.”

Cooper nodded his head and drank down the rest of his beverage. “Ready to paint?”

As it turns out, painting and boozedon’tactually go hand in hand. Abby had gotten more paint on herself than she had on the walls. Cooper wasn’t exactly impressing anyone either.

She turned to him, her roller held high and dripping paint onto the plastic cover protecting her floors. She was an aquamarine dream. “Okay. Wesuckat this. Bad.”

Cooper laughed. “It’s the Bloody Marys. My sister must have spiked them with shitty painting skills because I’m usually much better at this.”

“You know what? I think you’re right. I’m going to ask her.”

Abby skipped out of the room, then returned a few seconds later, doubled over laughing.

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