Page 66 of Tides of Discovery
“We’ve got five unique Valentine’s Day drinks, and the custom sleeves.”
“Great.” She made a note on her clipboard. “I’ve put you down as the highlight of theOcean of Lovetour. I’ll be bringing the senior group through around ten, then the young professionals club at two.”
“We’ll be ready,” Cooper promised.
Isabelle turned to me. “Jack, has Cooper convinced you to help on Valentine’s Day? Guests will want to see the power couple in action.”
Before I could answer, Cooper jumped in. “Jack’s my secret weapon. He’s already volunteered for the full day.”
The way he said it—with such casual certainty, as if my presence in his life was a given—made my stomach flutter.
Throughout the morning, a steady stream of local business owners dropped by, ostensibly to coordinate last-minute details for the festival, but mostly, it seemed, to comment on what a perfect couple we made. Each observation sent a thrill through me. Not because I needed their validation, but because they were all seeing what I’d known for years: that Cooper and I belonged together. I just hoped Cooper could see it too, could recognizein their words the same truth that had been growing clearer between us with each passing day.
By the time the lunch rush approached, we had finally transformed the space.
“Want to see how it looks without the overhead lights?” Cooper asked, excitement dancing in his eyes.
I nodded, unable to deny him anything when he looked at me like that.
Cooper dimmed the lights and switched on a few LED tea lights. Then he plugged in the fairy lights we’d woven through hearts strung along the walls. The effect was magical—warm, intimate, and undeniably romantic.
“Wow,” I breathed.
A murmured “Ooh” rose from the customers.
“It’s perfect,” Cooper said softly, coming to stand beside me. “Better than I imagined.”
In the gentle glow, with Valentine’s Day decorations surrounding us, Cooper reached for my hand and twined his fingers through mine. My heart surged with a persistent, dangerous hope.
“Cooper,” I began, not even sure what I intended to say, only knowing I wanted to confess everything.
He turned to face me, his features softened by the twinkling lights. “Yeah?”
Words crowded my throat.I love you. I’ve always loved you. This doesn’t have to end.But the coffee shop during lunch hour wasn’t the time or place for my admission. The conversation I needed to have with Cooper deserved better than stolen moments between coffee orders and the constant chatter of customers. I wanted somewhere quiet and intimate, where we could talk without interruption, where I could look into his eyes and tell him everything I’d been holding back.
“It’s…really beautiful,” I said instead, and gestured to the decorated space. “You should be proud.”
Something like disappointment flickered across his face so quickly I might have imagined it.
“We did this together.” He squeezed my hand. “Like everything else.”
Except we hadn’t done everything together. I’d been carrying my love for him alone for years, but hopefully that was about to change.
Cooper’s phone chimed and broke the moment. He checked it quickly. “Another group just requested to attendA Latte Love—the book club from Tides & Tales.”
“That’s great.A Latte Loveis going to be a huge success.”
He switched the lights back to normal and let go of my hand, the sudden absence of his touch leaving me bereft. With one last smile for me, he joined Jessica and Marco to help with the lunch rush.
Valentine’s Day would be my last chance—the last day I had to prove to Cooper that what we had together was too good to throw away. If I’d failed to convince him over the past four weeks that we belonged together, then tomorrow would be my final opportunity to show him what our future could look like. I was going to make the most of every moment, every touch, every shared glance. I’d pour everything I had into making the day magical for him, and maybe, just maybe, by the end of it, he’d realize that he didn’t want our dating to end any more than I did.
The insistent buzz of my phone shattered my thoughts like glass hitting concrete. I pulled the device from my pocket and saw the notification blazing across my screen.
My scalp prickled at the stark white text against the crimson security alert background—the color coding I’d programmed specifically for the most serious threats.
Unauthorized Remote Access Attempt Detected.
The words seemed to pulse with malevolent intent, each letter a warning I’d hoped I’d never see outside of my worst-case scenario testing. The chill that raced down my spine cut through the lingering warmth of Cooper’s smile.
