Page 17 of Once Upon a Winter
Laura gazed out the window at the snowflakes lit up by the outdoor spotlights. “I love the snow when it’s falling—provided I am safely inside and warm.”
Cooper leaned back on the couch, gazing at Laura with warmth in his eyes. “You know, when I drove past your empty driveway, I was worried.”
Laura turned to him, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of gratitude and curiosity. “Thanks. I appreciate that and your hospitality. I would have spent the night wrapped in blankets and shivering by the fireplace. This is much nicer.”
Their gazes locked, and his gentle, unwavering look made her heart swell. He had to have felt it too. But the stove alarm went off, and the moment was gone. Cooper returned with their pizza, and they agreed on a holiday movie. Whatever Laura had sensed in that moment was gone. When the movie was over, they headed upstairs to their respective beds.
Cooper had that searching look in his eyes again, but he kept a respectable distance. “Good night, Laura. Sleep well.”
“Thanks. Good night.”
As she closed the door softly behind her, she drew in a breath and exhaled.Am I imagining this? I’m not even sure what this is. Electricity? Excitement? Terror? All of the above.
Cooper retiredto his room and sank into his chair at the window that looked out on the bay. Outside, the storm showed no sign of letting up, but inside, he had his own storm to contend with. His emotions were out of control. When had Laura crept into his heart? He’d grown used to being his own man, in charge of his feelings and enjoying a life with no emotional risks. He kept women at bay so relationships never got messy.
Messy relationships. Thoughts of Sandra, his high school sweetheart, sprang to mind. She had promised him the world only to tear his heart apart.
He still remembered the dizzy euphoria of first love, having found someone who made him believe in happy endings again after his father’s tragic death. For a while, it seemed Sandra might fill the void in his heart—until the day she shattered his trust.
It was his senior year, after the homecoming game. He walked out of the locker room to find her waiting for him. It was a great game. A couple of college coaches were showing serious interest in him, so a college scholarship was almost within reach. Right there in the hallway, before dozens of people, he got down on one knee and proposed.
It had never occurred to him she might say no, but Sandra later confessed she’d never truly loved him. Utterly wrecked, he vowed to never make himself so vulnerable again. For the next several years, he turned to casual flings with no strings attached. It had worked for him until Laura came into his life.
Being with Laura made all those old feelings surface once more. Try as he might to resist, he was falling for her. It terrified him. People fell in love all the time. Other people. Not Cooper.
He spent too much time thinking of Laura. And there she was in his house. And he liked it. He liked having her there. Heck, Duke even liked her.
A gust of sea wind whistled, sending the falling snow swirling. How had one woman managed to turn his life upside down?
Eight
The next morning,Laura woke up to the rosy hue of dawn filtering through the guest bedroom window. Despite the unexpected events of the previous day, she’d slept surprisingly well. She stretched languidly, feeling refreshed and wonderfully energized for the first time in weeks. She snuggled deeper into the cozy warmth of the flannel sheets.I should sleep here more often.She stopped herself.No. No, I shouldn’t.Choosing instead to dwell on more practical matters, she sat up and made some phone calls, showered and dressed, then headed downstairs.
The now-familiar open-concept living area welcomed her with its soaring ceilings and large windows. But the morning sun flooded the space with natural light. A breathtaking view unfolded before her eyes. The house sat perched on a hill overlooking the picturesque harbor of Mistletoe. The snow-dusted ice dotted with boats was a tranquil backdrop that added to the charm of the house.
She was searching for coffee when Cooper arrived, looking attractively sleepy. Looking that good in the morning really set the bar high. He asked her if she’d slept well.
“Fantastic! In fact, it’s the best night’s sleep I’ve had since I moved here.”
He grunted. “I wish I could say the same.”
“Oh. Sorry. Was I too loud this morning?”
Cooper raked his fingers through his hair. “No, not at all. It’s me. I just couldn’t sleep.”
“If you tell me where it is, I’ll make coffee.”
The kitchen hadn’t seemed small until the two of them started making coffee together. Cooper pulled some coffee out of the cupboard and filled the coffeemaker with water, while Laura ground the coffee and got out two mugs. At every turn, they seemed to be in each other’s way, reaching in the same direction then apologizing and turning, only to bump into each other the next moment—all the while apologizing and saying “excuse me” until they had to laugh. As they stood face-to-face, inches apart, their laughter faded. Cooper’s gaze wandered from her hair to her lips.
Her phone rattled on the countertop. Laura flinched and looked around. “That might be the tow truck. I called earlier.” She glanced at her phone, but she would have to reach past Cooper to get it. He followed her gaze, picked up the phone, and handed it to her.
“Delia.” She turned the phone face down and whispered, “My sister.” After stepping from the counter, she settled on a stool on the kitchen island and continued the call. FaceTime would not have been Laura’s choice, but it was too late. She should never have answered. She blamed it on her precaffeinated brain. The best she could do at that point would be to end the call with a promise to call Delia back.
“I figured by now you’d see how boring small-town life is and be ready to move back.”
Laura inwardly groaned but assumed a cheery demeanor. “I love it here.”
With a sigh, her sister said, “Well, I guess if you don’t mind staring at water.”
