one place, huh? I thought the beach was my private place to mope.”
“You still can. Just do it with Brad. You might cheer each other up. Honestly, I think he’s as sick of us looking over his shoulder as you are. Heading to the shore was his idea. He should be there in about, oh, twenty minutes, depending on traffic?”
Crap. Just about twenty minutes to sunset. So much for his romantic date. “Thanks for all the advance notice.” He hoped the thick layer of sarcasm frosting his words came through loud and clear.
“We didn’t want to give you a chance to stop him. Look, when Brad came up with the idea, it was the first non-snarly thing out of his mouth in weeks. I didn’t have the heart to make him wait til you sort out your love life. Sorry. Put some clean sheets on the bed, okay? Love you!” Cammie wisely hung up before Coop could begin to let loose his irritation. Guess Brad would get the brunt of it when he arrived.
“So do you really have a beach house here, or is it more of a commune?” Darcy teased.
“Technically it’s a house. But everyone in my extended family uses it as a landing pad from May through October. Without much notice, as you can see.” He scowled at his phone. “It can sleep sixteen, with eight bedrooms. Fourth of July week, we shovel in a few more on air mattresses. My grandparents knocked it together back in the era of cheap land and big families.”
Her petal-soft fingers continued to rhythmically whisper across his upper arm. “Is this unexpected visitor your brother?”
“Cousin. He’s a cop, too.”
“Hmm. Does that mean he’s coming out here to check on you?”
“Nah. I’ve got five sisters who take care of the coddling. Brad’s fiancée dumped him a few months ago. From the way he bites my head off every time we talk, I’d say he’s not dealing with it well. I think the family sent him out here so they wouldn’t have to stare at his sour puss any longer.”
Darcy laughed. “Misery loves company?”
Coop rested his forehead against hers. “I was looking forward to spending more time in your company.”
“Ditto.”
“Sunset here really is something. They play the 1812 Overture right as the sun sinks below the horizon.” He shut his eyes. Again with the stalling. “Sorry, but I have to cut our date short.”
“There are other sunsets.”
To his surprise, she seemed to be taking being ditched in stride. When he added easygoing to being sexy, smart and not shy about sassing him, Darcy appeared to be his dream woman. Maybe Fate had gotten tired of kicking him in the nuts. Or maybe Darcy really was too good to be true. Either way, he wanted the chance to find out. Easing back, Coop draped both arms over her shoulders.
“Look, I can’t let Brad show up to an empty house. I can leave him to fend for himself any other night, but if he’s as upset as Cammie says, I’ve got to get him settled.” Coop closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his nose. God, he hated talking about touchy-feely stuff. But he owed Darcy the full truth for walking out on their date like a complete jackass. “He’s like a brother to me. Brad helped me hold it together when Doug died. Even drove me to my PT appointments for six weeks straight. I can’t let him twist in the wind by himself.”
“I’ll admit the concept is somewhat foreign to me, but all in all, I think it’s sweet that your family is so close.”
Her kisses probably tasted a damn sight sweeter. “I’m sorry. Can we rain check? I’d really like to continue right from where we left off.”
Playfully, Darcy patted her chest with both hands. “Gosh, I don’t think I can give you my phone number. There just wasn’t any room in this dress to hide a pen and paper.”
“No complaints,” he growled.
“But you know where to find me. The 139th Street dune crossing, and about two hundred yards toward the ocean.”
She looked so beautiful. It took a heroic act of will to step away. “Don’t let me
“You still can. Just do it with Brad. You might cheer each other up. Honestly, I think he’s as sick of us looking over his shoulder as you are. Heading to the shore was his idea. He should be there in about, oh, twenty minutes, depending on traffic?”
Crap. Just about twenty minutes to sunset. So much for his romantic date. “Thanks for all the advance notice.” He hoped the thick layer of sarcasm frosting his words came through loud and clear.
“We didn’t want to give you a chance to stop him. Look, when Brad came up with the idea, it was the first non-snarly thing out of his mouth in weeks. I didn’t have the heart to make him wait til you sort out your love life. Sorry. Put some clean sheets on the bed, okay? Love you!” Cammie wisely hung up before Coop could begin to let loose his irritation. Guess Brad would get the brunt of it when he arrived.
“So do you really have a beach house here, or is it more of a commune?” Darcy teased.
“Technically it’s a house. But everyone in my extended family uses it as a landing pad from May through October. Without much notice, as you can see.” He scowled at his phone. “It can sleep sixteen, with eight bedrooms. Fourth of July week, we shovel in a few more on air mattresses. My grandparents knocked it together back in the era of cheap land and big families.”
Her petal-soft fingers continued to rhythmically whisper across his upper arm. “Is this unexpected visitor your brother?”
“Cousin. He’s a cop, too.”
“Hmm. Does that mean he’s coming out here to check on you?”
“Nah. I’ve got five sisters who take care of the coddling. Brad’s fiancée dumped him a few months ago. From the way he bites my head off every time we talk, I’d say he’s not dealing with it well. I think the family sent him out here so they wouldn’t have to stare at his sour puss any longer.”
Darcy laughed. “Misery loves company?”
Coop rested his forehead against hers. “I was looking forward to spending more time in your company.”
“Ditto.”
“Sunset here really is something. They play the 1812 Overture right as the sun sinks below the horizon.” He shut his eyes. Again with the stalling. “Sorry, but I have to cut our date short.”
“There are other sunsets.”
To his surprise, she seemed to be taking being ditched in stride. When he added easygoing to being sexy, smart and not shy about sassing him, Darcy appeared to be his dream woman. Maybe Fate had gotten tired of kicking him in the nuts. Or maybe Darcy really was too good to be true. Either way, he wanted the chance to find out. Easing back, Coop draped both arms over her shoulders.
“Look, I can’t let Brad show up to an empty house. I can leave him to fend for himself any other night, but if he’s as upset as Cammie says, I’ve got to get him settled.” Coop closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his nose. God, he hated talking about touchy-feely stuff. But he owed Darcy the full truth for walking out on their date like a complete jackass. “He’s like a brother to me. Brad helped me hold it together when Doug died. Even drove me to my PT appointments for six weeks straight. I can’t let him twist in the wind by himself.”
“I’ll admit the concept is somewhat foreign to me, but all in all, I think it’s sweet that your family is so close.”
Her kisses probably tasted a damn sight sweeter. “I’m sorry. Can we rain check? I’d really like to continue right from where we left off.”
Playfully, Darcy patted her chest with both hands. “Gosh, I don’t think I can give you my phone number. There just wasn’t any room in this dress to hide a pen and paper.”
“No complaints,” he growled.
“But you know where to find me. The 139th Street dune crossing, and about two hundred yards toward the ocean.”
She looked so beautiful. It took a heroic act of will to step away. “Don’t let me
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