11
Andi peeked out the window for the four-thousandth time in the past fifteen minutes. Nope, that car going by wasn’t Cooper pulling in their damn driveway either.
She squeaked when Reed laid his hand on her shoulder.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He brushed his thumb over the knotted muscles there. “I’m sure he’ll be home soon.”
“Come on. Sit down,” Simon called to her from the couch.
He opened his arms and she flew into them, settling onto his lap. “Sorry, I know you guys are worried, too. I’m sure I’m not helping.”
“You know what you told us the other night? In the hotel?” Reed sat next to them and brushed her hair from her face so he could stare into her eyes. “About how you’re afraid we’re going to break up?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip to keep it from wobbling.
“It’s not going to fucking happen,” Reed promised.
“That means he has to choose.” Andi sagged, settling closer to Simon, who held her tight. “Us or his job. He loves both.”
“One more than the other.” Simon sounded nearly as stern as Reed. “It’s his choice. You have to let him pick, and I’m sure he’s not walking away from this.”
“He’ll hate me—”
“He won’t.” Reed said it before she’d even finished. “You didn’t put him in this position, remember that. The ignorance of others did. No matter what happens today. It’s not your fault.”
That was harder to believe.
Andi tried. It still tangled her guts up to know that Cooper could be hurting right then—because of her, indirectly or not—and she couldn’t stop it. All she could do was wait for him to come home and give him everything she had in her heart and hope it was enough to make up for his loss.
Her foot jiggled on the sofa until Reed covered it with his hand.
They might have gotten into an argument, or ended up with him tying her to the bed to keep from escalating the apprehension he must have also been suffering from, except just then headlights illuminated the window.
“He’s here!” Andi would have bolted to her feet if Simon hadn’t held her closer.
“Let him come to us,” Reed cautioned. “He might need some time.”
“Oh.” She hated that he was right. The distance between them might already be forming.
When Cooper’s key turned in the door and he opened it quietly as usual, then calmly took off his shoes and set his briefcase beside them on the floor like he always did, Andi felt her entire soul being ripped out of her body. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why wouldn’t he look at them?
It was happening. Just like she’d dreamed in her nightmare.
Except then he turned to face them, and when he lifted his head, his gorgeous wide smile was impossible to miss. He was so damn sexy it hurt. Especially right then.
“Everything okay?” Reed asked cautiously, as if the reaction might be that of a man pushed over the edge into madness.
“Yeah. Amazing, actually.” Cooper seemed several inches taller than he’d been leaving their house that morning, the weight of their decisions heavy on his shoulders.
“You told them to fuck off and it felt incredible, didn’t it?” Simon asked, speculating just as Andi was about the source of Cooper’s unexpected joy.
“It did.” He nodded. “Even better, they didn’t fire me.”
“They didn’t?” Andi couldn’t be contained then. She squirmed free of Simon’s grasp and launched herself at Cooper. “Oh, thank God.”
He caught her when she snaked her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. His wide hand cupped her ass, keeping her close. “Actually, I think I got a promotion. Or at least a job offer. They said they want me to come on fulltime once I’m done with school and the bar.”
“Seriously? That’s great,” Reed said as he and Simon came to stand beside them.