Page 22

ISLA

I’m just finishing up in the back of the restaurant when Birdie appears next to me with a huge grin on her face.

“Your man’s waitin’ for you outside.” There’s no ignoring the happy feeling that courses through me hearing Case being called ‘my man’.

“Look at that smile, and you're blushin'. Isn’t the Call a wonderful thing,” she says in a singsong voice.

I tilt my head and stare. “The Call?”

“Yeah. That’s why you and Case are so ridiculously cute together.” My mouth drops open but my oblivious best friend presses on. “I’d say I miss those lustful early days myself but I’m with my One so every day is like that. Especially now that we’re engaged.”

“This isn’t some magic courtin’ spell spun by a fictional mountain being. B. I know you believe in it, and I respect that. But me and Case? That’s not us.”

“Mmm hmm, whatever you say Iz.”

“When did you get here anyway?” I ask.

“Just now. The chef is puttin’ together a lunch order for me to take back to Dad. He’s knee-deep in city ordinances and letters from residents today, so it’s the only way I can make sure he eats .”

Birdie’s dad is a workaholic and even though she lives up the mountain with Will now, they still go to her old house every Sunday to meal prep for the mayor.

She also works as his secretary so when she’s not working at the restaurant or the bar, she’s orderin’ him around like she’s the boss.

It’s hilarious but I don’t think either of them would have it any other way.

“We’re headin’ to City Hall too.”

She nods. “That’s right. You guys are goin’ to look at the city records.”

“Yep. I know you and I have talked about the Cooper/Wilson rivalry before, but I’m hopin’ that we can find out whether the MW from the tree trunk is one of the Wilsons might help us make a connection between the families other than sharin’ a mountain.”

“One can only hope. There has to be some reason why Ridley left clues for the brothers. They’ve got to mean somethin ’.”

“Let’s hope Case and I find some answers then,” I say just as the chef calls out her order.

I grab my purse and follow her out, spotting Case leaning against his truck.

Stepping close, he slides a hand around my side and guides me in for a soft and disappointingly fleeting kiss.

When he pulls back though, he stares deep into my eyes before he mutters something I can’t quite hear.

Before I can think about it too much, he’s kissing me again.

This time it’s not soft, and definitely not fleeting.

In fact, by the time I tear my lips from his to suck in some much-needed air, I’m not only breathless, I’m hot all over and thankful he’s holding me steady so that I don’t melt into a puddle on the pavement.

“What was that ?” I breathe, my lips tingling, my heart galloping in my chest. All I can think about is wanting–no needing –to kiss him again.

His slow-growing smirk is filled with heat. “That was hello.”

“Damn. Can’t wait to see how you say goodbye, Case. Jeez. Warn a girl next time,” Birdie says, fanning herself. A giggle escapes while Case laughs right along with me.

“You can’t talk, Birdie,” he says. “I have to witness your public displays of affection with my brother on a daily basis.”

“Well, yeah …” Birdie replies. “That’s in the privacy of our own home. You just made out and claimed Iz in the middle of Restaurant Row. That’s goin’ to be the talk of the town now.”

Case looks deep into my eyes, arching a brow the longer he does it. “Do you feel claimed, beautiful?”

I answer his smile with a bigger one. “Oh yeah. I look forward to bein’ claimed again soon.”

He growls, his gaze narrowing as I lick my lips.

Obviously needing a distraction, he moves to give Birdie a hug before looking down at the takeout bag in her hand. “Want a ride to City Hall with us? It’ll save you carryin’ all of that.”

“That'd be great.”

Once we’re all bundled inside the truck, Case pulls away from the sidewalk and a few minutes later, parks on the street outside the town’s oldest–and some might say, most important–building.

Case laces his hand with mine, Birdie shooting me a smirk when she sees it before walking ahead and leading us inside.

“Dad?” she calls out as we all walk into the Mayor’s chambers.

“Hey, Little Bird. Did you get me the good stuff?” Mayor Walker asks hopefully as he appears in his office doorway. “Oh hey, Case. Isla. I forgot y’all were comin’. Nice to see you.”

“You too, Pete,” Case says, releasing me so he can shake the mayor’s offered hand.

Birdie’s dad holds his arms out for me, his eyes crinkling at the sides as I step in for the same big bear hug he gives me every time we see each other. “Seems you got yourself a good Cooper man of your own, Iz,” he murmurs for my ears only.

I move back to Case’s side, loving the hum of approval that rumbles in his chest when he wraps his arm around my back again.

“Just one moment,” Pete says, disappearing back into his office before returning with a set of keys in his hand.

“Birdie said you wanted to look through the old town records. We’ve got births, deaths, and marriages as well as land deeds and the like.

I have to say it’s a bit of a mess in there.

Feel free to rummage through and see if there’s anythin’ of interest to y'all in there. I really should put out calls for someone to digitize everythin’. ”

Case takes the keys and I catch curiosity in his gaze. “How many records are we talkin’?” he asks. “Because as it so happens, I might have some time on my hands.”

“Case…” Birdie warns, but she does it with an amused look on her face. “You’ve just found yourself more time and you’re already lookin’ for another job?”

He shrugs. “This is different. It would be helpin’ the town. Maybe there’ll be someone else with a family mystery to solve.”

I hide my snort against his shirt, giving up the fight when he flexes his fingers on my back. I meet his dancing eyes. “What?”

“Your brothers talked you into givin’ up your city job to have more time for the ranch.

” When Case told me he’d sent in his resignation letter to his old company, he said that Will, Sutton, Jude, and Wyatt had staged what he felt was an intervention of sorts.

I could tell he wasn’t mad about it though because of the relief in his voice.

If there’s one thing I have learned since we met up again, it’s that he feels deeply.

Especially when it comes to his family and the ranch.

He told me that when he first found out about his grandfather’s will, he was approaching a crossroad in his life, struggling with the realization that he had sleep and work and nothing else.

He had confessed as much during our time in that dark corner of the random Anchorage bar.

With the ranch repairs, the tree farm project, and the guest ranch they’re restarting very soon, he feels he has a purpose now.

But apparently, he’s still looking for ways to give back–this time to the town.

“You sayin’ you might be interested in modernizin’ this office and the way we do things?” Pete says, slipping seamlessly back into his Mayor role.

Case nods. “I think we could brainstorm some ideas if you were interested. I’ve managed a lot of digital projects and tech rollouts over the years. Once we have some direction and I know what the budget might be, we can meet up and talk through it.”

I don’t know what it is, but I’m seeing the same light in his eyes that he gets when he talks about his Christmas tree farm. He’s inspired, invigorated… alive .

Not for the first time, I’m witnessing Case Cooper’s big heart and propensity to help others. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s a big turn-on for me.

“A man with a plan, I like it,” Pete says, looking as happy as a clam. “Two problems solved in one day, I’m on a roll.”

Birdie frowns and cocks her head at her dad. “Two?”

“Yep. My records problem, which is as old as Moses and far from useful in its current state.” As if right on cue, his stomach grumbles. “And my darlin’ daughter deliverin’ lunch to my door.”

“Just in time by the sound of that ,” Birdie nods at his belly.

We all laugh at that before Pete gives us directions to find the records room.

As Case and I walk back down the stairs toward the basement, we come across Derrick Wilson and his dad, Sully, in the lobby.

“Derrick,” I say with a polite smile. His eyes dart to Case and our joined hands.

“Isla Murray, is that you?” Old Man Wilson says, his smile falling and eyes narrowing as he sizes Case up.

“Sure is. It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Wilson,” I reply warmly, although inside my fight or flight instinct is already kicking in.

The last time Mr. Wilson saw the Coopers in town, he caused a scene at the diner in front of everyone.

Birdie told me he was ranting and raving nonsensically until Mack asked him to leave.

“You’re one of those Coopers ,” he spits out, his haggard face twisting with disgust.

“Cayson Cooper.” Case offers his arm to the old man. When he scoffs and grumbles under his breath, Case shifts it Derrick’s way. I breathe a sigh of relief when Derrick shows a hell of a lot more maturity than his father and shakes Case’s hand.

“Damn Coopers, can’t just stay away,” Mr. Wilson growls.

“Dad…” Derrick warns under his breath before shooting me an apologetic look.

“You here on ranch business?” I ask Derrick.

Derrick’s gaze flickers between the two of us before fixing his eyes my way again. “Yeah. Seein’ Micah. You?”

“We’re off to see the town rec?—”

“We were just visitin’ Birdie and the mayor for lunch,” I say, interrupting Case and fudging the truth a little. I mean we did see them and they were having lunch…

Derrick nods and although I can feel Case’s eyes on me, I somehow manage to stay on task. “Don’t let us keep you. Y’all have a good day.” I plaster on my sweetest, most amenable smile and wave goodbye.

“Why’d you talk to them?” Mr. Wilson mutters under his breath as his son leads him toward Micah the lawyer’s office. “They’re Coopers. They don’t get to have anythin’ good . They lie and cheat and renege. That’s all they do.”

“Dad…” Derrick sighs loudly before they disappear.

Case turns to me just as I look up to him. “I don’t even know where to start with that ,” he says, his brows furrowed.

“To be honest, neither do I,” I say with a sigh.

“He definitely doesn’t like anyone with the name Cooper, even if the family rivalry stems from years ago.”

I shake my head. “Seems that way. I guess that’s why we’re here though, right? To find out why?”

Case grins. “Very true. How ‘bout we don’t think about it and just get this date started.”

I hold my hand on my heart and bat my lashes, making a show of swooning dramatically. “Be still my heart. Me, my man, and the smell of musty old town records. You sure know a way to swoop a girl off her feet, curious.”

He chuckles and pulls me into his side, touching his lips to my temple. “I aim to please, beautiful. I aim to please.”