Page 4

Chapter 4

You could keep some clothes on

Cooper

“Kook!”

A finger poked my face and I blinked out of sleep. One of my favorite people in the world was beaming at me. “Kook!” she repeated.

I covered a yawn. “Are you poking me, Hails?”

“You sleep.”

Impeccable toddler logic. “That I was. Does your mom know you’re in here?”

Her blue eyes moved around the room. Her wispy blonde hair was falling out of the ponytail on top of her head, and she hugged a striped stuffed cat closer. “Wanna play?”

I held back the grin that threatened to cross my face. Hailey was a handful, and I knew damned well she’d been told not to wake me up. I was glad I wasn’t her parent because standing up to her was impossible.

I pushed myself up till I was sitting in the guest bed at Hunter’s place, careful not to let the bedding slip too low. “Faith! Come get your spawn!”

Faith’s footsteps sounded in the hall. Hailey’s eyes widened and she turned to face her mother.

Faith stood in the doorway, arms crossed. I’d closed the door when I settled in here last night, but Hailey had obviously opened it. Toddler brain didn’t remind her to close it again.

“Hailey! What did I tell you?”

Hailey fidgeted. “Play with Kook when he awake.”

Faith narrowed her eyes. “What else did I say?”

“B’ekfas?”

“I told you not to wake up Cooper.” Only Hailey got to call me Kook.

“He awake, Mommy.”

“Was he awake before you came in this room?”

Hailey turned big eyes on me for the save.

Faith pointed a finger at me. “Don’t encourage her or I’ll take her to your place to wake you up every day.”

No, she wasn’t going to do that. But I got the message. “Why don’t you take your devil daughter so I can get up?”

Faith came into the room and leaned down to scoop up Hailey. “You know, you could keep some clothes on when you stay here.” She headed out of the room, reaching a hand back to close the door.

Hailey’s eyes stared at me over her mother’s shoulder. “Kook has no clothes?”

“Every morning, Cooper!” Faith repeated before she slammed the door.

I finally let the smile loose.

Faith and Hunter were my best friends, and I adored their daughter, Hailey. I crashed in their spare room often, when Hunter and I were both playing for the Blaze and arrived back in the city late after away games or celebrated too much with the team. He’d been a little over-juiced last night after the charity dinner, so I’d brought him back. After pointing him to his own room, I’d stripped and climbed in the bed here.

I pulled on the pants from last night and the shirt, carrying my tie and jacket with me.

Hailey was at the breakfast bar in her seat, bright gaze on me. She pouted. “Kook has clothes.”

Faith frowned at me. I raised my hands. “This one’s not on me. You’re the one who mentioned clothes. It’s not my fault everyone wants me naked.”

That eye roll must have hurt her. But hey, there were pictures of me in nothing but my underwear across the city. They paid me for that for a reason.

“Not everyone, Cooper.” Faith snorted as Hunter joined us in the kitchen.

“Daddy!” Hailey almost knocked her stool over trying to launch herself at Hunter. He caught her, used to her enthusiasm.

Most of the time I was happy to be Hailey’s godfather, without the constant responsibility that Faith and Hunter bore. Sometimes, though, the three of them together made something in my chest ache. This little family unit made it seem worth the effort. It would be nice to have that kind of bond. But that wasn’t for everyone. These were some of the lucky ones.

Hunter leaned over to kiss Faith and I passed by them, opening the fridge to see what I could make for breakfast. “Omelets?”

Faith looked over. “You cooking?”

“Like you two are gonna? Someone has to feed Hails.”

“Right. She’s a neglected child.”

I ignored her and pulled out the eggs, milk and cheese. “What have you got to put in them?”

“Anything you find is fair game. I’m gonna dress my spawn.”

Faith took Hailey from Hunter. The girl started to tell her mother what she wanted to wear today as they headed back to the bedrooms. I heard pink and sparkles .

Faith already had the coffee going, so Hunts took out mugs for us while I arranged my ingredients and pulled out the pan and some bowls. I knew this kitchen almost as well as my own. I pursed my lips. Cooked more in this one too.

“Thanks for bringing me home. Oppy made us do shots while you were off doing…whatever.”

I shook my head. “Hunts, you’re a lightweight. You have to learn to say no.”

“Yeah, yeah. How come you brought me home? Didn’t find anyone?”

I whisked eggs while butter melted in the pan. “No one interesting.”

“Not even the woman in the dress?”

I looked up at him. Was he talking about Calliope, the ugly-dress woman? “What do you mean?”

Hunter set down his mug. “Well, after griping about that green dress forever, I saw you over by the auction table with her. She turned you down?”

As if. She had said she wouldn’t sleep with me, but I hadn’t asked, so technically… Anyway, that wasn’t why I’d wanted to talk to her. “I didn’t ask her to fuck, no, but I have her number.”

Faith returned, fortunately without Little Miss Big Ears. She peeked over my shoulder to see what I was making. “No single hotties for you last night, Coop?”

Hunts pulled her back against his chest. “No, just a redhead in an ugly dress that offended his taste.”

Faith shook her head.

“He got her number.” Hunter had his chin on Faith’s shoulder and looked content.

Damn it, something was wrong with me if I was suddenly getting spooked by these two. They’d gotten together back in college, thanks to me, so I should be used to them.

“Are you gonna call her?” Faith asked, breaking out of her husband’s arms to grab plates.

I took my moment and flipped the omelet. Perfectly. “I told her I’d give her golf lessons.”

Faith paused while passing the plate to me. There was a moment of silence, and without looking I knew they were exchanging glances. I took the plate from her and slid the omelet on before giving it back to her.

“Golf lessons,” Hunter repeated.

“Yeah, she needs to play to make partner or something, and a dickhead was hassling her about it.” Silence again. I turned my head and this time I caught them carrying on their wordless conversation. “What? I can do something nice for someone. I don’t have a lot going on this summer.” Especially after losing the finals but I pushed that thought aside.

Faith took the plate to the table and started to cut up some of the omelet for Hailey.

Hunter put a hand on my shoulder. “You do a lot of nice things. But you’re not sleeping with her, just golfing? You don’t do that. Or is that why you’re giving her lessons?”

I shook my head and poured in the eggs for the next omelet. “No, I’m not doing this to get her into bed. She’s a lawyer and not my type.” I wasn’t even sure what kind of body she had hidden under that ugly dress. “But we made a deal. I’ll teach her golf and she’ll go to my sister’s wedding with me.”

I could give her other lessons that would be a lot more fun. She’d frown, and have that crease in her forehead, but when I took her apart?—

“What?” Faith was staring at me like I’d grown another head. Good thing she couldn’t read my thoughts. I tried to explain. “It’s an excellent deal. I’ll take a lawyer to my sister’s wedding and freak out my family, and she won’t think it means anything serious.” They were doing the looks. Again. “Come on, spit it out. What’s your problem?”

“She’s going to pretend to be your girlfriend?”

Shit. I’d almost burned the omelet. I pulled the pan off the heat, checking that I hadn’t ruined it. I turned to see my friends still staring at me like I was a new zoo exhibit. “No, we’re not pretending to date. She’ll just be my plus one, as a friend. It’s a straight exchange of assistance. Come on, you know taking someone to a wedding can give that person ideas.”

I didn’t mention that I still had to convince Callie of this plan by doing well at golf lessons. It was a technicality, after all. I’d ace that.

I had to grab the next plate myself because Faith and Hunts were still staring at me. I slid the eggs on and jabbed the dish at Hunter who roused himself enough to take it.

Hands on my hips, I glared at them. “Or I can just not call her and then you two don’t have to freak out about this.”

Faith poked Seb. “No, sounds like you’ve thought this out. You’re old enough to know what you want.”

That was a quick change. What was she up to? She avoided my gaze, carefully setting out the cutlery on the table. She was getting some kind of weird idea about this whole thing, but that wasn’t my problem.

“Seb, can you get Hailey out to eat? She was setting up her stuffed animals to play with Cooper.”

I let whatever Faith was worried about slide. I had my best girl waiting to play with me after breakfast. Things were good.

* * *

Callie

I jotted down a quick note. The latest CPA opinion on the appropriate presentation of tax liability for environmental obligations and the penalties for refusing to follow them was supposed to make things clearer, not add more gray areas. A noise disturbed my concentration. With an impatient huff of breath, I looked up.

I wished I hadn’t. I set my hands on my desk, sighing internally while I kept my expression blank. Benson would use anything he could find to complain about me.

I’d had three firms competing to hire me when I graduated. Because of that, I’d been able to negotiate a good contract for my employment here. There weren’t that many people willing to commit to the time involved in being a tax attorney. There was a lot of demand, so that was why I’d chosen this specialty. My ultimate goal of using it to become partner would take a while, but I had the brains, and the willingness to put in the time, and they needed me. My weakness was people skills, but I was working on that.

Benson had been on my case since we both were employed here. I did my best to avoid him and didn’t give him any ammunition to use against me. I took care of my own shit and did my best to ignore everyone else’s. He’d tried to throw shade my way in some meetings, but I’d been able to hold my own. Fortunately, he didn’t handle tax issues, so we didn’t run into each other often.

“Did you enjoy the benefit?” he asked.

What the fuck did he care? I didn’t need to waste valuable time chitchatting about a party, of all things. “Yes, it was fine.” I didn’t ask him if he did, because that would only encourage him to keep talking.

“You didn’t win the golf lessons, did you? Too bad.” The fake sympathy in his voice was almost comical.

A petty part of me wanted to tell him a hockey player had offered to teach me. But first of all, I didn’t want him to keep talking, and that would definitely have him asking questions. Secondly, I didn’t think the hockey player was going to call, and wouldn’t Benson just love to bring that up as often as he could? “No, I didn’t.”

I looked back down at my computer, wanting to be sure I got this penalty issue right before I answered the email I was working on.

“No golf tournament this year?”

Why the hell did he have a stick up his ass over that? I’d shortlisted places I could get lessons. It should be a quick decision, where to learn about golf, but Benson and Cooper had made me aware that it wasn’t just the game itself that mattered. And I wasn’t sure how to add that behavioral aspect into my decision. The “fitting in at a country club” part.

My cell phone rang, so I offered Benson a fake smile and picked up my phone. “Callie Smith. How may I help you?”

Benson oozed out of my doorway as I spoke.

“Calliope! Glad to catch you.”

I blinked. Who was calling me Calliope? “Who is this?”

“This is your own personal golf pro. We need to set up a date.”

My jaw dropped, and I was glad this wasn’t a video call. Also glad that Benson was gone. “Um…Cooper?”

“Exactly. My schedule is fairly open right now. I’m tied up for the next couple of days with a sponsor thing, but I’m available all weekend. Should we start Saturday? I assume you’re at the office on weekdays.”

I was. I worked most weekends too, at least one day. There was a lot to keep up with in tax, and I needed those billable hours if I was ever going to make partner. Taking Saturday off? “I don’t know…” I rolled my eyes at myself. I didn’t dither. I knew what I was doing, and I had my time planned out. Cooper was disrupting things, and I didn’t like disruptions.

“Come on, Callie. I have no idea how much I’ll need to teach you, so we should get started now. And you’re going to need to book some time off for the wedding.”

“You’re going too fast.” I hadn’t promised about the wedding. And I didn’t like being pressured.

“I always go too fast. That’s what they pay me for.”

He was trying to fluster me. He wanted to push me into agreeing to something before I was ready. Not happening. They paid me to be calm and prepared and never taken by surprise. This guy was already pushing my buttons.

“I have work to do this weekend.” I absolutely did.

“Are you saying this golfing thing isn’t important?”

Damn it. It was. For all kinds of idiotic reasons involving networking and social interactions that shouldn’t affect my job and my chance of being partner but did. “I’m not saying that it’s not important. It’s just not the only thing that’s important.”

I heard him sigh. “Okay, Callie, how about Sunday? That give you enough time to work?”

I wanted to say no. He was too confident, too sure. I didn’t know this man. Just that he was a hockey player, had an ego the size of a hockey rink, and was a member of the country club that the firm’s golf tournament was played at. I could guess at a lot more things.

Like, I doubted he’d ever worried about whether he’d be able to have his next meal. Or a bed. Or if he’d be robbed or worse if he fell asleep. He had the confidence of the privileged. Something I was working on. But I’d never forget my past, and that would always shape my future.

I needed to be able to fake some of that confidence. I had no idea why it amused him to offer to teach me to play golf, but I should take advantage. He might flake after, but it was a start.

There would be a price for this, because he wasn’t asking out of the goodness of his heart. Everyone wanted something. I could go this once and find out. I’d at least get to see the place, even if I decided his price was too steep to do this again.

“Callie? Are you there?”

“Yes. I was thinking.”

“Do you have to think that much about a golf lesson?” He was teasing, but this was serious.

“Going to this much effort for someone you don’t know doesn’t make sense.”

He paused, recalibrating his plan of attack. “I told you, I need a date for the wedding.”

“Still seems excessive.”

Another pause, and then he laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. But you’re not the one I’m trying to make pay. That make you feel better?”

I wasn’t sure. “Is it going to jeopardize my position at the firm?”

“No, it’s not going to hurt your job.”

I wasn’t sure he’d know if it would hurt my job, but Mr. Anderson had been impressed that Cooper talked to me. Pushing him like this instead of agreeing was probably too much my own insecurities talking, and not the smartest option. I could gamble on one lesson. “Okay, then. Sunday. What time should I be there?”

“Oh, no. That won’t work. You’re my guest, so I’ll pick you up and drive you.”

I didn’t like the idea of not having my own transportation. But I didn’t know all the rules of a country club, and I didn’t drive. I doubted buses went up to the country club doors, and as exclusive as the place was, I’d never get in on my own. I had to set aside this defensiveness.

“I could meet you somewhere.” Did I want him to know my home address? No.

“Uh uh. I need to make sure you look right.”

What the hell? “What do you mean, look right?”

“Callie, I saw that dress. We can’t have another disaster like that.”

I drew in a breath, ready to tell him what he could do with his judgmental attitude, when I remembered Darcy’s horrified reaction to it.

“What size do you wear?”

I looked around my office, hoping no one was close enough to hear even my side of this conversation. “That’s none of your business.”

“It is if you’re my guest. Are you going to tell me your size, or do I have to guess?”

I sat up straight at my desk. “Don’t worry. I’ll find something appropriate to wear.” And then I could have smacked myself. Where would I find the time to hunt down and shop for something to wear to an exclusive country club?

“If that’s how you’re going to play it, fine. Text me your address. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Wait, what? “Seven in the morning?”

“Bring sunscreen.” He hung up.

I stared at the phone for way too long, trying to process what had just happened. I was getting at least one golf lesson at the country club. That was good. No matter what happened after, I would have some valuable information.

But I was very suspicious of what was going to happen when Mr. Cooper showed up at my place on Sunday morning.

Thank goodness I had Darcy.