Page 65 of Tides of Discovery
“What do you think?” Cooper stepped back from a completed table.
“It’s perfect,” I said, and meant it. The small table looked like it belonged in a romantic café in Paris, not a coffee shop in a sleepy coastal town.
Cooper beamed with pride. “I think the whole town is going to love it.”
The bell above the door jingled, and Grayson from the bakery strode in, a pink box in his hands.
“I brought samples of the heart-shaped cookies I’ll be supplying for tomorrow.” He set the box on the counter and took in the decorations with an appreciative eye. “Amazing transformation! You two have outdone yourselves.”
Cooper hurried over to open the box while I sorted more sleeves.
“Grayson, these are gorgeous.” Cooper held up a cookie iced in lacy red.
“Just wait till you taste them,” he said with a smirk. “My grandmother’s recipe, with a few modern upgrades.”
Grayson turned to me. “Jack, come try one. You’ve been so good for Cooper. He never would have done something this romantic before you came along.”
The comment struck with unexpected force. I was good for Cooper—at least, I wanted to be. And tomorrow, I planned to lay my heart bare and ask to be his boyfriend beyond our bargain—if he would have me, if he felt even a fraction of what I did.
“Thanks, Grayson.” I accepted a cookie and took a bite to avoid having to say anything more. It was delicious—buttery and sweet with a hint of vanilla.
“You two are just the couple this town needed for Valentine’s Day,” he continued. “So, when’s the wedding?” He winked.
Cooper choked on his cookie, and I quickly handed him a napkin.
“We’re not there yet.” Though I hoped we would be someday. “One step at a time.”
“That’s the third time someone’s mentioned marriage.” Cooper shook his head.
“Well, you can’t blame us for wondering.” Grayson neatly folded the box lid closed. “When you find the right one, you know it.” He glanced between us with a smile. “And you two are definitely right for each other.”
Grayson’s words hit me like a physical blow, equal parts wonderful and terrifying. He was right: I did know. I’d known Cooper was the one for me for years, had carried that certainty like a secret flame that never dimmed. Cooper was warmth, loyalty, and laughter all wrapped into one incredible man.
But the real question was whether Cooper knew it, too. Did he see what Grayson saw so clearly? Could Cooper look at us and recognize that we fit together in a way that transcended friendship? That we brought out the best in each other? That we were stronger together than apart? I hoped so. I hoped that when the time came to have our conversation, Cooper would realize I wasn’t just right for him—I was perfect for him, the way he was perfect for me.
Grayson broke into my thoughts, promising to deliver the full order of cookies early in the morning, and left with a cheerful jingle from the door. Cooper and I worked in companionable silence for a while. I grouped coffee sleeves while he arranged the decorative jars of Valentine’s blend beans for sale.
“Mrs. Abernathy also asked me if we’d set a date yet,” Cooper said suddenly, his back to me as he adjusted the display.
My heart stuttered. “What did you tell her?”
“That we hadn’t discussed it.” He shrugged. “She said we shouldn’t wait too long. That when you know, you know.”
I chuckled. “She said something similar to me. People in small towns love to meddle.”
Cooper turned toward me. “What would you have answered? If she had asked you directly when we were getting married?” Was that hope in his eyes? No, I was dreaming.
But the question hung in the air between us, loaded with possibilities. What would I have said? The truth? That I’d marry him tomorrow if he asked? That I’d been in love with him for so long I couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t the center of my world?
“I—” I began, but the door chimed again and saved me from having to answer.
This time it was Isabelle, clipboard in hand and determination in her stride.
“There they are, Seacliff Cove’s favorite couple!” she called. “I wanted to check that everything is on track for the celebration. The entire town is buzzing aboutA Latte Love.”
“We’re almost done decorating,” Cooper assured her, the moment between us broken.
“Lovely!” Isabelle surveyed the space with approval. “What else?”
