Page 4 of Tides of Discovery
“So…Ryan,” Cooper said.
I mentally shook my head and tuned back into our conversation.
Cooper’s expression had turned more serious, the light in his eyes dimming.
I frowned, unease slithering through me. “Everything okay?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. “He wants me to go to his birthday dinner next Friday. My parents will be there.”
“Ah.” I knew how much weight was packed into those few words. “You going?”
“Told him I would. For him and Lily.” Cooper shook his head. “I shouldn’t have agreed, but he played the niece card. Said Lily’s been asking why Uncle Cooper never comes to family dinners.”
I winced. “Low blow.”
“Yeah.” Resignation tinged Cooper’s smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to see Ryan and Lily. It’s just…”
“Your parents,” I finished for him.
He nodded. “They haven’t exactly embraced my ‘lifestyle choice,’ as my mother calls it. They tolerate me because of Ryan, but dinners tend to be coldly polite at best.”
My hand twitched with the urge to reach out and comfort him. Instead, I wrapped it more firmly around my coffee mug. “That sucks.”
“It is what it is.” Cooper shrugged, but the casual gesture couldn’t mask the hurt in his eyes. “Anyway, enough about my family drama. How’s work?”
I recognized the deflection but didn’t push. Cooper had always been private about his emotions, even with me. “I need to get to it. But I really should look at your system more carefully. That crash wasn’t normal.”
Cooper frowned. “You think something’s wrong? Beyond a technical glitch?”
I hesitated, not wanting to alarm him needlessly. “Let’s try not to worry until we know for sure.” What I didn’t tell him was that I’d recognized signs of a deliberate attack in the code—not the random malware most small businesses occasionally encountered, but something targeted and elaborate. Someone with serious skills had accessed his system, and I needed to find out who and why. “I’ll stop by after you close tonight and bring dinner. I’ll look into it then.”
He nodded, but concern creased his forehead.
I took another sip of the excellent coffee. “Thanks for this, by the way. It’s exactly what I needed.”
A customer entered, the bell above the door announcing their arrival. Cooper straightened. Duty called. “Enjoy the coffee. It’s on the house.”
“You’ll go out of business giving me free coffee.”
Cooper walked backward a few steps, and that warm smile made another appearance. “Your payment for getting my POS back online.”
“That took me about ten minutes.”
“Then you’re vastly undercharging for your services, mister tech wizard.” He turned away and greeted the customer with the same friendliness he showed everyone.
I watched him go and allowed myself five seconds of unfiltered longing before I pocketed my phone. Five seconds to imagine a different reality where I had the courage to tell Cooper McKay that I’d moved to be near him. Every morning in this coffee shop was both heaven and hell—being close to him, but never close enough.
The truth was, moving to Seacliff Cove had been both the best and worst decision of my life. Best because I got to see Cooper nearly every day. Worst because seeing him every day was a constant reminder of everything I couldn’t have.
I glanced at Cooper once more, now engaged in friendly conversation with the customer. His genuine interest in people was one of the many things I loved about him. The way he remembered everyone’s drink preferences. The way his whole face lit up when he talked about a new coffee bean he’d discovered. The way he’d stayed until midnight helping me move into my apartment even though he’d had to open the shop at six.
My phone buzzed with a text. I looked down to see a message from Cooper, despite being only twenty feet away.
Thanks for listening. Means a lot.
I smiled and typed back.
Always here if you need to vent. Or if you need a human shield at that dinner.
