Page 70 of Courageous Hearts

My words stutter to a halt, and Cooper looks over at me.

“All right?” he asks.

I nod slightly, watching the sign pass by. “It’s hard comin’ back here,” I admit.

Cooper doesn’t say anything for a minute. As we’re rolling slowly along Main Street, past the brick-faced shops and country-garb-wearing folks walking down the sidewalks, he finally speaks up. “I can’t say I know how you feel on the inside about this town. You’ve told me enough for me to have a pretty good idea, but I can’t feel what you do. This place…” He sighs lightly. “It’s home to me. But I know it’s not for you.”

“No, it’s not,” I say softly.

“But there’s a lot of good here,” Cooper goes on gently. “A lot of change that’s happened in recent years. Maybe you can make some new memories while you’re here. Override some of the bad.”

I make a startled hum of sorts, taken off guard by Cooper’s words. Although why, I’m not sure. The man is endlessly optimistic.

Maybe he’s right, though. Maybe I can turn this trip into something good.

“So where to first?” he asks. “I took the day off, so I’m tagging along whether or not you like it.”

I chuckle as Cooper sends me a little wink.

“Aunt Sara’s,” I answer automatically, taking the turn off Main Street that will lead us toward our aunt’s cabin. “Let’s visit family, Coop.”

Chapter 21

Jameson

A familiar ringtone is the first thing to pierce my consciousness in the morning, and with a mad scramble, I grab my phone off the nightstand.

“Bo?” I ask, grinning like a fool as I blink blearily, trying to get my bearings. The angle of sunlight streaming through my window indicates it’s near noon.

There’s a raspy chuckle in my ear, followed by Bo’s sweet voice. “Pull the phone back.”

Doing as they request, I squint at the screen, and Bo gives me a cheeky grin.

“Video call,” they say.

I settle back against my pillow, holding the phone above my face. “I’m glad you called.”

“Really?” they ask. “Even though I woke you?”

“Really. Wake me anytime,” I say with a sigh, casing Bo’s face as my eyes gain some focus. They’re wearing subtle makeup today. Mascara, a line of color over their eyes that makes the blue of their irises pop, and a tinted lip gloss, if I had to guess. But it’s the smile on their face—the way they look happy to see me, too—that has my insides warming. “You look nice.”

Bo’s face tips down, a little smile on their lips. When they glance back up, that blush I so love is sitting on their cheeks.

“You look like sin,” they reply, the words sounding extra dirty with the way that accent of theirs rolls over the syllables.

My cock gives a happy, hearty twitch that I do my best to ignore.

“What were you doin’ sleepin’ in so late anyhow?” Bo asks.

“I covered Andrea’s shift last night because her kid wasn’t feeling well,” I answer.

Bo hums. “Sweet of you.”

I shrug. It was no big deal. “What are you up to today?” I ask.

“Mm, catchin’ up with Sara,” they reply. “She was excited to hear about you.”

“Yeah?” I say with a smile, secretly thrilled to hear so. “Will you tell me more about your aunt?”

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