Page 24

CHAPTER 24

SCARLETT

I notice the questioning glint in Cooper’s eyes as he watches me say my goodbyes to Wyatt and Jesse. And then they turn to him, each shaking hands once more.

“We’ll be back in town in the spring for an event if you’d like to come,” Jesse says.

“Absolutely, that would be amazing,” Cooper agrees.

Once they’re gone, he turns to me. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve known them for a long time?”

I laugh. “Because I have. Wyatt is a second cousin of mine.”

“For real?”

“Yep.”

“Is he the reason you became such a big wrestling fan?”

“Mhmm. It’s pretty cool watching a family member on TV every week.”

“I bet. Well, I can’t believe I got to meet them,” I say, drawing her into my arms. “This was the best surprise ever.”

“I was hoping you’d think so. I figured with you on a forced break, it was the perfect opportunity to set this up with them since they’re in town for an event.”

He tilts his head down, claiming my lips with his. My mouth eagerly parts, allowing his tongue to slip inside. A throat clears behind us.

“Sorry, Tommy,” I say sheepishly, stepping out of Cooper’s arms. I grab my bag from the floor and place my headphones inside. “Let’s get out of here, Coop.”

“Sounds good to me.” He follows me out the door and down the hallway to the main entrance. The sun is still out when we step outside and the temperature is cooler than average for this time of year. In my jeans and sweater, I’m perfectly comfortable.

“What are your plans now?” he asks.

I tug my keys from the front pocket of my bag. “I don’t have any. I was going home to do some laundry.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun. How would you like to grab a bite to eat?”

I nod. “That sounds nice. Where are you thinking?”

“There’s a place right on the boardwalk I’ve been to a few times. It’s casual, and the food is fantastic.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“It’s only a few blocks from here, if you’re okay with walking.”

“Sure. We might as well take advantage of the lack of humidity. Let me throw this in my car first,” I say, holding up my bag. Opening the door, I grab some cash from the inside pocket and then toss the bag onto the driver’s seat. I hipcheck the door shut and move over, joining Cooper.

“All set?” he asks.

“Yep.”

He wraps his hand around mine, as if it’s completely natural now to do so. And I guess it kind of is. After all, any time we’re together like this, our hands tend to be joined.

We start strolling along the sidewalk. “Thanks again for having me on your podcast. I had a great time.”

“I did too. I’m glad you agreed to do it. You were a natural, by the way. The listeners are sure to love you.”

“Well, that’s because you’re such a good host. You made me comfortable.” He gives my hand a gentle squeeze.

“I can’t wait to see the viewer numbers. This might be my highest viewed episode yet,” I say, stealing a glance at him. The late afternoon sun casts a warm glow on him, making his dark-blond hair look golden and his blue irises stand out even more.

“I hope it lives up to your expectations,” he says.

I smile. “I have no doubt it will.”

We cross the street, heading toward the boardwalk. My stomach rumbles, reminding me how hungry I am. A gentle breeze stirs my hair, and I drag in a deep breath of the fresh air. God, I love everything about living near the ocean.

“This is the place up here.” He tips his chin to the left toward a restaurant with an enclosed patio with a yellow awning. We seat ourselves on the ocean side.

“This is cute. I’ve never been here,” I say.

“Cassie and I found it by accident.”

A waitress drops off glasses of water and menus, telling us she’ll be back in a few minutes.

“What do you recommend?” I ask.

“I’ve only had their breakfast and a burger but both were delicious.”

“Decisions, decisions.” I drum my fingernails on the table as I peruse the options. “I think I’ll go with the fish tacos,” I announce, setting my menu aside.

“Good choice,” Cooper says with a smile. “I’m leaning toward the bacon cheeseburger.”

When the waitress returns, we place our orders and hand back the menus. As she walks away, I turn my attention back to Cooper. “Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?”

“I need to be at the stadium for a meeting at eight in the morning, but I should be done by ten. Aside from that, I’m free.”

“How would you feel about taking a drive to Williamsburg with me? I’ve never been and I want to check it out.”

“I’m game.”

“I can meet you in the stadium parking lot and we can leave from there.”

He smiles. “Sounds like fun.”

“Maybe I’ll get an early jump on my Christmas shopping,” I say.

“That’s not a bad idea. I usually end up giving gift cards because I run out of time.”

“Well, I love Christmas. I go a little crazy on the decorating. Luckily, Autumn feels the same.”

“I’ve never even had a Christmas tree.”

“Ever?”

“Not since I’ve been an adult. Maybe this year I’ll get one.”

“If you don’t, I’m going to force you.”

He laughs. “I guess I better, then.”

The waitress swings by, dropping off our food, and we thank her before she rushes off to another table.

Cooper’s burger is massive. I don’t know how he’s going to eat that with only one hand. “Would you like me to cut that in half for you?”

He glances down at his plate before his eyes swing up to meet mine and he nods, pushing his plate toward me. “Please.”

Grabbing a knife, I carefully saw through the bun and thick beef patty. “There you go.” I slide the white plate back over to him.

“Thank you.” He shakes his head. “This sling is a nuisance, but I forgot to tell you, starting tomorrow I no longer need to wear this around the clock.”

“That’s awesome.”

“I can’t wait.”

Neither of us utters another word until we’re well into devouring our meals.

“Great idea, Coop. This is delicious.”

“Glad you like it.”

“It’s so close to the studio too. I can’t believe I haven’t been here.” I take another bite of my taco, then say, “I bet your teammates are missing you.”

“I’ve gotten texts from them almost every day, asking how I’m coping and when I’m coming back.”

“Aww, that’s so adorable. Who knew those big macho guys are such softies?”

He laughs. “They’ll never admit they are.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t mention a word about how they’ve been checking in on you.”

“I don’t mind if you do. They give me shit over pretty much everything just for being a rookie. A little payback for them is welcome.”

“What have they done to you as far as hazing goes?”

“They haven’t done anything horrible. But a couple of weeks into training camp, most of the team went out for dinner and drinks. I got stuck footing the bill.”

I wince. “Ouch. That had to hurt.”

“All I can say is it’s a good thing I had a credit card with me. The guys drank and ate extra, knowing they weren’t paying for any of it.”

“You’re only a rookie for this season and then it’ll be someone else’s turn.”

“Yeah. Then it’s my turn to eat and drink,” he says with a chuckle.

“I never asked you if the Silverbacks were the team you were hoping to play for.”

“It was at the top of my list.”

“Why?”

“Coach Chubb is amazing and so are the rest of the staff. The Wilkins family are extremely supportive owners, and the stadium is only a few years old.”

“Is playing for them as great as you imagined?”

He grins. “It’s even better.”

“So you wouldn’t want to play anywhere else?”

“No. I don’t know what the future holds, but as long as the coaching staff doesn’t change, I can’t imagine wanting a trade to another team.”

After we’re finished eating, Cooper pulls out his wallet.

“Put that away. This is my treat.”

“No, I asked you to dinner.”

“So? That doesn’t mean you need to pay for mine.”

“Put your money away. I’m not letting you give me a dime toward this bill.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for being on my podcast.”

“And here I was thinking I should be thanking you with dinner.”

“How do you figure that? I get more out of you being on than you do.”

“Are you kidding? I got to see you in action. I got to talk to you and spend time with you. And I met my favorite wrestlers. What more could I ask for?”

“Okay,” I relent. “Next time, then.”

“We’ll see.” He hands cash to the waitress and we leave the restaurant. We walk to where the boardwalk meets the sand, and stop. “What a view.”

“My favorite part about Virginia Beach is having ocean all around. Especially after growing up near the beach, I could never live away from it. At least not for a long period of time. It’s so soothing for me.”

“Yes, for me too. I may not have grown up near the ocean, but I definitely have an appreciation for it now.” He stretches his hand out to me, and I thread my fingers between his as we slowly make our way back to the studio parking lot. “Jesus,” he says, laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“You didn’t see that guy in that blue truck that just drove by checking you out?”

“No.”

“He whipped his head in your direction so fast, he’s going to have a stiff neck tomorrow.”

“Too bad for him, I’m already taken.” Or at least I wish I were.

“Damn straight,” he says, playing along.

For the rest of the walk, I pretend we really are a couple. When I’m standing next to my vehicle, Cooper cages me in, backing me into the driver’s side door. When his face slowly lowers to mine, my eyes fall closed and I wait for the first contact of his lips. He plants a kiss on me that makes me dizzy and has me longing for more. I hear the sound of a door banging shut and footsteps scuffing against the pavement just before Cooper raises his head, and I open my eyes, flicking my gaze to the side where I find Tommy walking toward his car. He mutters something about coming up for air, and Cooper and I lose it, laughing. We watch him pull away before I turn to Cooper. “Do you think he thought we were standing here making out that entire time?”

“Sounds like it. You know, as delicious as my burger was, it doesn’t even compare to the taste of you.” He moves to the side and opens my door for me without another word, then closes me inside. Which is for the best because I still haven’t come up with a reply for the last thing he said.