Page 27

ISLA

Pulling into my driveway after a long day at the hospital, I’m pleasantly surprised to find Case’s truck parked to the side.

Case and I had planned for him to come down the mountain to have dinner with me and Mom since he’s leaving for Anchorage in the morning.

But since it’s only four, I wasn’t expecting him to be here yet. Not that I’m complaining.

I’m met with silence when I walk into the house. That’s until I hear Mom’s peel of laughter through the open kitchen window.

Following the sound, I step outside, coming to a standstill as I take in the scene.

Mom is sitting in a deck chair with a wine glass filled with iced tea in her hand. On top of her head is a big wide-brimmed hat, making her look like she’s a lady of leisure overseeing her very handsome gardener.

Who just happens to be my handsome boyfriend, grinning over his shoulder at Mom from where he’s kneeling on the ground and pulling out weeds.

“Oh, Lala. You’re home,” Mom beams when she sees me. “Look who’s here.”

I shoot her a smirk. “You corrallin’ Cooper men to do your biddin’ now, Mom?”

She shrugs. “Just your Cooper man, sweetheart. Case turned up early and offered to spend time with me in the garden. I did tell him he didn’t need to do anythin’.”

My gaze swings to Case who just mimics Mom’s shrug. “I was here and wanted to help. I will say though, you didn’t tell me how particular Jessica is about her plants.”

“Believe me,” I laugh, “had I known you’d be gardenin’, I would’ve warned you.”

“I’m right here, you know,” Mom replies, making Case and I grin at each other.

Brushing his hands on one of Mom’s aprons he seemingly commandeered, he stands and moves toward me. But he doesn’t come empty-handed, a single Forget Me Not stem is pinched between his fingers.

“Hey, beautiful,” he says softly, sliding a hand over my hip before leaning in for a far-too-brief gentle kiss that leaves my lips tingling when he pulls away.

I nod to the flower bed. “You know you didn’t have to do that.”

“I don’t mind. Especially if it helps you two out. You’ve been workin’ all day and it’s good seein’ your Mom smile. I also figured you’d get time to relax and get ready for dinner without needin’ to rush.”

I marvel at how this man is real. He’s thoughtful and kind. He turned up early to see Mom and didn’t hesitate to do something to put a smile on her face when he saw she was having a bad day.

Staring into his eyes, it hits me that my thinking has changed. My life is no longer split into before Mom’s diagnosis and after. There’s another important distinction now–before loving Case and now.

My heart stops dead in my chest as the realization hits me. I love him–like to the depth of my soul in love with him. And by the look on his face, his soft and gentle expression that has my very being drawing close to him, the feeling is one hundred percent mutual.

“You OK, Lala?” Mom asks. Her head is cocked to the side, her wine glass with iced tea in it still perched in her hand but now she has her pinky flicked out to the side.

The scene is still so surreal to me, and on top of the other momentous discovery that just rocked my world, I giggle. Then snort, covering my mouth with my hand to stop myself, but to no avail. Soon I’m just laughing for no reason.

Case eyes me curiously, which just makes me snicker all over again. It’s that look that probably made me fall in love with him all those months ago anyway. My curious stranger. I can’t believe I thought he was an accountant!

“I think she’s lost it,” Mom muses with a chuckle of her own.

Wrapping an arm around my waist, Case pulls me into his side and brushes his lips against my temple. “That smile will get you anythin’ and everythin’ from me, beautiful,” he murmurs for my ears only. “Every. single. time.

I tilt my head back to meet his amused eyes. “Anythin’?” I ask, arching a brow before dropping my voice to a low whisper. “Everythin’?”

His devilish grin is all the answer I need. He dips his head and touches his mouth to mine. “Oh yeah.”

Mom sniffs, wiping her eyes. “Seein’ you two together like that, so happy and taken with each other, makes this old mom very happy.”

“Mom!” I say, shaking my head. “You’re not old!”

She waves me off, flipping the brim of her ridiculously pompous hat and raising her glass as if to toast. “You, my child, are—and always will be—my favorite.”

I roll my eyes. “I’m your only child, Mom. I have to be your favorite.”

“Pfft. Not at all. You could be an absolute terror. You never know your luck with kids.” She winks at Case whose answering laugh vibrates from his body to mine in the best possible way. “You two lovebirds go on in and get ready for your date. I’ll tidy up.”

“Aren’t you comin’ to dinner? We weren’t goin’ to be out late.”

A knowing smile curves her lips. “I’ve never liked bein’ a third wheel, sweetheart. So as much as I love y’all, I think I have a date with that TV show about farmers tryin’ to find a wife.”

“You sure, Jessica? We’d love you to join us. You’re always welcome.”

Mom’s eyes crinkle at the sides. “You’re a good man, Case Cooper.”

Case grins, almost preening before glancing down at me. “You heard her, beautiful. Your mom thinks I’m a good man.”

I roll my eyes playfully. “Like you don’t know that already. Sheesh. Mom’s your biggest fan. You took her wildflower pickin’ and weeded her garden. If she believed in arranged marriages, we’d be talkin’ dowries, not dinners.”

Case sneaks a glance Mom’s way. “Dowries you say? What’re we talkin’ here? A few goats? Kitchenware? A servant?”

She points between the two of them like they’re negotiating a secret deal. “We’ll talk, yeah?” Mom winks. “But don’t let me keep y’all. I can clean up out here.”

Case clicks his tongue. “Sorry, Jessica. There ain’t no way I’m leavin’ a mess for my girlfriend’s mom to clean up. My mother would be mortified.” Girlfriend… swoon . Seriously, is there anything better than a man claiming you in front of your mother ?

“Well, if you insist,” Mom replies, sounding just as affected as I am.

“Good,” he says, grinning proudly. “Gotta keep the Murray women happy and looked after.”

Not for the first time where Case is involved, I swear that hearts shoot from my mother’s eyes when he says that. I can’t blame her though, mainly because I’m sure I do the same thing every time I look at the man too.

“Did your Mom seem OK to you?” Case asks as he helps me out of the passenger seat of his truck.

I step onto the sidewalk as he closes the door. “What do you mean?”

“When I arrived, she seemed a bit… low. Like how I get. I know the cause of my moods most of the time, but I don’t know your mom as well as you do.” He laces his fingers with mine. “I just wanted to put a smile back on her face. I hope you didn’t mind me?—”

I can’t take him being so damn perfect anymore. I lift on my toes and crush my mouth to his, sliding my hands up into his hair, holding on as I pour everything I’m feeling into a far from appropriate kiss outside the diner.

He rubs his hands over my back as we slowly—reluctantly—ease ourselves apart. “Not that I’m complainin’, but what was that for?”

“You’re too good. Too perfect.”

He nudges my nose with his as he stares deep. “As long as I’m perfect for you, that’s all I care about.”

“Ugh! See!” I throw my hands in the air. “Perfect.”

His gaze is full of amusement as he leans in for another kiss. I almost fall under his swoony, handsome, perfect spell before I manage to step back and narrow my eyes. “If we kiss again, I’m goin’ to get a reputation for neckin’ with my boyfriend on Restaurant Row.”

His lips curve into a smirk. “And?”

“And…” I can’t think of a response to that when he’s standing there looking all… Case -like. “And I’m hungry. I worked all day and haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“Better get my girl fed then,” he says, resting a hand on the small of my back and leading me toward the diner.

The familiar sound of clinking plates and chatter washes over us the moment we step inside.

Mack greets us with a warm smile, gesturing to a booth near the window. “Hey there, you two. Here for dinner?”

“You know I love your food, Mack,” I say as Case takes the offered menus from the man and leads me toward a booth. “Can we start with a couple of root beers?” Mack salutes us by way of an answer.

I slide in first with Case following after me, both of us sitting on the same side which has become our way on our dinner dates.

With work and Mom and the ranch taking up a lot of our time, we’ve made it a point to carve out moments like this where we can just connect. I like them so much I’ve found myself looking forward to them just as much as our nightly phone calls.

“So,” Case starts after handing me a menu. “Do you know what you want to order tonight?”

I side-eye him. “You make it sound like I’m an Icebox Diner connoisseur.”

“Nope. I have noticed you like tryin’ somethin’ different every time though. You haven’t ordered the same meal twice in a row yet.”

I cock my head, watching him curiously. “You really do pay attention, don’t you?”

He leans over and runs the tip of his finger down the side of my face. “To you? Always. You captivate me, beautiful. Always have.”

Melting into him, I tip my head and brush my lips over his, smiling wide while I do it. “No wonder I let you drag me to your hotel room that night. You sure know how to win a girl over, Case Cooper.”

His eyes widen and he pulls back, his expression one of amused surprise. “I dragged you, did I?”

Straightening in my seat, I return my attention to the menu. “Yep. Totally.”

Case's deep chuckle vibrates through me. "Well, if that's how you remember it," he teases, nudging my shoulder with his.

I glance over at him, the warmth spreading through me having nothing to do with the temperature inside and everything to do with him.

“Best decision I ever made,” he says but I can see in his eyes that there’s something more he wants to say.