Page 23 of Once Upon a Winter
But she couldn’t.
As they stood at her door, the air between them was charged with electricity. Slowly, Cooper leaned in, hesitating just before their lips met. The anticipation was exquisite torture. Unable to wait any longer, Laura closed the distance between them. The kiss began tentatively at first, both savoring the newness of the moment. The kiss was real. No one was watching or forcing it on them. Soon passion ignited, and Laura threaded her fingers through Cooper’s hair, pulling him closer. Lost in the heady rush, they clung together. Cooper’s brawny arms encircled her waist.
When at last they broke apart, breathless and flushed, Laura knew in her heart that it was meant to be. No kiss had ever felt more right.
Amid the emotions coursing through her, a brisk wind from the sea swept ashore and chilled her through, reminding her that inside, it was warm. But going inside would lead her to a place she couldn’t go. She wasn’t ready for where her impulsive yearning would take her. Cooper would never hurt her on purpose, but succumbing to the moment would give him the power to break her heart. It was too soon to risk that. So, ignoring the wind and the cold, Laura melted into the warmth of his arms and savored the moment as he kissed her again.
When it ended, he slowly shook his head. “Laura Everly.” He gazed with a look of wonder, and time seemed to stop. It was as if they were each deciding what to do next.
With an abrupt good night, Cooper kissed her on the cheek and headed to his truck.
Once inside her house, Laura leaned on the door for a moment, then, tired but not ready to sleep, she turned on the fire and sank into her chair with two vivid thoughts on her mind: Cooper’s kiss and the sight of her sister’s husband with Blair.
With a sad sigh, she whispered to herself, “I’ll have to tell Delia tomorrow.” She groaned. “I wish someone else would. Anyone but me.”
Ten
Cooper arrived earlywith a pair of plumbers and had a tile guy scheduled for the afternoon, all in an effort to finish the work before Christmas.
Laura appreciated how hard they were working but wished for time alone with Cooper. The events of the party had changed things between them. She wanted to believe it was for the good, but he was all about work now. Could he be having second thoughts?
While Cooper worked upstairs, Laura busied herself hanging pictures, shelving books, and installing curtains, but her mind was on Cooper. His kiss at the party might have been no more than a gesture of kindness to spare her from Delia’s friends, but once home, he didn’t have to kiss her good night. That had to mean something.
Desperately, she wanted something—anything—to break the silence between them, but it wasn’t coming from her. Courage failed her. The longer she remained silent, the worse it would be. In a sudden bold move fueled by desperation, she walked toward him and stumbled over the words. “Cooper, w-why did you kiss me last night?”
He turned around slowly, his eyes wide open in apparent surprise. His mouth opened then closed again without uttering a single word.
Laura didn’t know how to feel about Cooper’s silence. She only knew it was unbearable, and she needed to break it.
“Please say something,” Laura whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Cooper closed the distance between them and quietly said, “Because I wanted to.”
Unable to believe him, Laura said, “Because if it was to save me from Delia’s friends, I just wanted to thank you. It was a kind thing to do.”
Cooper shook his head. “I wasn’t being kind. I couldn’t stand seeing you hurt. I had to do something. I don’t know…” He looked thoughtful but reserved. “Maybe I just wanted to shield you from them.”
Laura glanced downward to hide her disappointment. It was far from the answer she’d hoped to hear. Still, despite his assurance to the contrary, it was a kind thing to do. “But you kissed me good night. You didn’t have to do that.”
Frowning, he shook his head. “That was a mistake.”
His words felt like a stab in her heart.
His forehead crinkled in concern. “I’ve hurt you. I’m sorry. The truth is, they forced a situation we weren’t ready for. And… I got carried away.”
Maybe he wasn’t ready for it. When she first caught sight of him in that suit, all dressed up for the party, he could have kissed her right there—for as long as he wanted. She felt as though she had tripped and fallen—for him. But now all she could feel was the pain from the fall. When she was able to, she lifted her eyes to meet his.
Cooper said gently, “We’re just getting to know one another. Let’s give it some time.”
Laura nodded easily enough. “Sure.”Time.She forced a smile. “That makes sense.” And it did. But her heart didn’t care about sense.
A worker called out from upstairs. Cooper glanced upward, gave her shoulder a squeeze, and headed up to work. When he was well out of sight, Laura grabbed her purse, scribbled a note saying she’d gone out to run errands, and left it taped to the door with a piece of packaging tape.
With no actual errands to run, Laura went to a dockside café, where she stayed for a couple of hours, drinking coffee and watching the waves. The serenity in the ocean’s movements soothed her aching heart.
Cooper hadn’t rejected her outright. And upon reflection, she probably needed as much time as he did. Her move to Mistletoe was the culmination of a dream. She’d planned it for her favorite time of year, Christmas. She hadn’t expected how emotional it would be. By the time the events of the party had unfolded, her emotions were raw. Cooper’s kiss tipped her over the edge.
Christmas was an emotional time. Jumping into a relationship was an emotional step, and the holiday season added pressure. Perhaps taking time was a wise thing to do, or perhaps it was merely a way to let her down easily. She wished she knew which it was.
