Page 25

CHAPTER 25

COOPER

W hen I exit the stadium, Scarlett is parked in a visitor spot near the door. I walk over to the driver’s side and she rolls down the window. “Hi.” She smiles, and I feel it in my chest.

I smile back at her. “Hi. Would you mind if I drive us to Williamsburg?”

“What’s the matter, Coop? Don’t you trust your life in a woman’s hands?” she teases.

“Hey, as long as they’re yours, I’m great with anything.” Literally. “But I don’t get an opportunity to drive longer distances anymore and I really love my car.”

“I’m good with that. I can sit back and relax while you chauffeur me around in style.” She rolls up the window and shuts down the motor.

Once she’s situated in my car, I get behind the wheel and fire the engine up.

“Being in this car feels like I’m in the Batmobile,” she says.

I laugh. “I don’t have any cool gadgets to go along with it, though.”

“You’re cool enough by yourself,” she tells me.

I flash her a smile and a wink. “Are you ready to go on an adventure?”

“Yes. I could use a change of scenery, and look what a beautiful day it is. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. Perfect weather to explore a new area.”

There’s a little bit of traffic as I pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road, but once we get on Interstate 64, I’m able to move along at a decent pace. My eyes leave the road to cast a quick glance at Scarlett. I love seeing her in my passenger seat. “How was your morning?”

“It was nice. I had my coffee on the beach, took some pictures of the ocean, and then managed to get my laundry done.”

“Any day that starts with beach time is better, right?”

“Absolutely. I try to take every opportunity I can to get on the sand and watch the ocean. It’s a great place to brainstorm ideas for my podcast too. I’ve been thinking about offering merchandise for sale on my website.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“It could be if anyone actually wants to purchase some. I’m just not sure they would.”

“I think you’d be surprised by how many would be interested. I’d order some.”

She lets out a laugh. “You’re my…” She pauses before she finally settles on, “friend.”

Is she having trouble defining what we are? I’m going to take that as a positive sign. If she only thought of me as a friend, would she have hesitated?

Great. Now I’m reading into things like Cassie does. It must be one of the side effects of living together.

“You could start out by selling merch with your logo on it and see how that goes. If it does well, you can hire someone to design some other stuff too,” I suggest.

“That’s a solid idea. There are print-on-demand sites I can use so I’m not coming out of pocket with no guarantee for sales.”

“Then you should definitely go for it.”

“Yeah, I think I will.”

“And the holidays are coming up, so it’s a great time to go for it.”

“Okay, you convinced me.”

I grin. “That was easy. What else do you need to be talked into?”

She laughs. “Uh-oh. I better be careful, or you’ll have me doing all kinds of things I shouldn’t be.”

“It’s all part of my nefarious plan. I’ve been lulling you into a false sense of complacency, and you’re just now realizing it.”

“You’re like an evil genius. Should I be worried for my virtue too?” she asks, her voice thick with amusement and something more I can’t pinpoint.

My gaze swings to her face for a split second, finding her watching me. “Absolutely.”

“Is that a promise?” she asks, making my dick twitch.

“It’s a guarantee,” I state. “We should probably change the subject, though, or I might crash before I get to do any of the things I’ve been imaging.”

She giggles. “How about I turn on the radio? Music is always a good distraction.”

“Go for it.”

She checks all the programmed channels before settling on “Insane in the Brain” by Cypress Hill. “I love this song,” she announces before singing along with every single lyric. She bounces around in her seat, waving her arms. I wish I weren’t driving so I could keep my eyes on her. It doesn’t take long for her enthusiasm to rub off on me and I join her—minus the dancing part. With such precious cargo in my car, I can’t be reckless.

The channel plays a string of nineties songs. We sing through songs by Warrant, Pearl Jam, Sublime, blink-182, and Dr. Dre. When “Your Body is a Wonderland” comes on, my hand wraps around her thigh as I serenade her. She makes me lose my mind, for sure.

“You have a sexy singing voice,” she tells me when the song ends.

I laugh. “I guess having such a stunning woman sitting next to me inspired me.” She places her hand on top of mine, still curved around her thigh.

We arrive at the Williamsburg Visitor Center and I park my car in an area that’s less populated. Scarlett snickers beside me, and I ask, “What?”

“Can’t have your baby getting scratched.”

I pat the dashboard. “She’s a good girl. I need to keep her safe.” As I slide from my seat, I tell her to wait, then I move around to open her door. I give her my hand and tug her up from the low position.

“Thanks,” she says, her head swiveling as she looks around. “I’m excited about exploring everything.”

“Anything in particular you want to check out?”

“No. I really wanted to come here because of all the pictures I’ve seen showing off the Colonial-era homes.”

“Let’s get exploring, and if you see something you want to check out, let me know.” I find her hand with mine and we start on our way. After a few minutes, we come to a sign that directs us to an area where you can purchase tickets to take a guided tour. We decide on a horse drawn carriage tour, and James, our guide, points out various landmarks and fills us in on the history of the area.

“Colonial Williamsburg spans 301 acres and is the world’s largest living history museum,” he tells us. “Back in the eighteenth century this was the center of the government for the Colony of Virginia.”

Taking in all the views as we ride around in the carriage, it really does feel like we’ve been transported back in time. I turn to look at Scarlett and find her beaming as she takes it all in. I squeeze her hand and she glances at me. “Having fun?”

Her nod is enthusiastic. “It’s so beautiful, and with the leaves changing color… I can’t even put it into words. I feel like I needed to see this. Maybe I was a Southern belle in a past life.”

“You could’ve been.”

“Can you picture me in one of those puffy dresses, with a parasol to shade my fair skin?” she asks.

“Is the top low cut?” I ask.

Her eyebrows draw together. “It could be.”

“Then I can picture it.”

She nudges my arm with her elbow. “Perv.”

“Hey, if I am, it’s because of you. You corrupted me.”

She leans over, placing her lips next to my ear, whispering, “And I’m not done yet.”

Hello, instant erection.

Scarlett snickers as she notices the obvious bulge in my pants. Good thing James is busy focusing on safely maneuvering the carriage. My body settles down as he spouts off more historical information, including pointing out the reconstructed Governor’s Palace and its Palladian architecture. “The gardens were the most imitated and admired in the colonies,” he shares.

“James, would you be willing to park and take a picture of us?” Scarlett asks.

“Sure, I can do that.” He pulls on the reins and calls out to the horse, and we come to a stop. James turns around and Scarlett hands him her phone. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and she leans into me as we smile.

“Do you mind taking one of us with the Governor’s Palace in the background?” she asks him.

“Not at all.” He climbs down from his seat, and I help Scarlett from the carriage. We walk over to stand directly in front of the building. Pulling Scarlett in front of me, I wrap my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder. James smiles, acting as our photographer.

“Thank you so much, James. I’m horrible about taking pictures, so you’re a lifesaver.”

He smiles at her. “It’s my pleasure.”

“Yeah, thank you. We appreciate it,” I say, and his gaze lands on me. Up until now, he’s been so busy looking at Scarlett, I think he barely noticed me. But I’m getting familiar with the expression on his face—recognition.

He cants his head, studying me some more. “Are you Cooper Grind?”

I nod. “I am.”

“Oh man. No one’s going to believe you were in my carriage today,” he says.

“Then why don’t I take a picture of the two of you,” Scarlett suggests.

James gazes at her like a man in love. “Would that be okay?” he asks me.

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

I join him, standing in front of the carriage. Draping my good arm loosely over his shoulders, I give a thumbs up with my other hand.

Scarlett raises her phone. “Say cheese.”

James and I both utter the word, and she smiles. “All set. Why don’t I airdrop these to you, James.”

“Perfect.” He tugs his phone from his pocket, and she sends him the pics. “Thank you. You made my day.”

“Well, you made ours.” She hooks her hand through my arm. “This ride has been like a dream come true.”

The three of us return to our seats, and James clicks his tongue twice and the horse starts walking once more.

“It’s crazy to think of Virginia not even being a state yet when this was built,” Scarlett says as we pull away from the Governor’s Palace.

“I know. And there were decades to come before they would be fighting for their independence.”

James finishes the tour and drops us off back where we started. We stroll around, checking out some of the local shops. Scarlett purchases some candles and a handmade scarf for Autumn. We sample some homemade fudge and drink some ale from a brewery.

By the time we climb back into my car, it’s late afternoon. “Should we eat something before we head back?” she asks.

“I have an idea for where we can go,” I say.

“Are you going to clue me in?”

I shake my head. “Nope. It’s a surprise.”

She crosses her outstretched legs. “Okay. I like surprises.”

After a few minutes, I park in the driveway of a historic bed and breakfast. “Do they have a restaurant?” Scarlett asks when I open her door.

“Yeah, I did a little research last night and found this place.”

This time she’s the one to seek out my hand, and my lips press together in a contented smile. I ring the doorbell and almost instantly the door swings inward. “Hello, you must be Cooper,” an older gentleman greets us.

“I am, and this is Scarlett.”

“I’m David, and my wife is Susanah. She’s in the kitchen, whipping up some dinner, but I’m sure you’ll meet her later.”

Scarlett squeezes my hand, and I turn to her. “What’s going on?” she asks.

“You and I are spending the night here.”

Her blue eyes pop open. “How?”

“I’ve taken care of everything. Just trust me, okay?”

She nods, smiling softly. “Okay.”

“I’ll show you to your room,” David tells us.

We set off along with him, following as he climbs a wide staircase. Scarlett’s head is like a lazy Susan, spinning in one direction before snapping back the other way as she takes in everything from the richly papered walls to the old photos hanging on the walls and the sconces highlighting them.

When David opens our door for us, Scarlett lets out a gasp of surprise. Her eyes are wide with delight when they meet mine, and I grin.

“What do you think?”

She raises her free hand, covering her mouth as she walks to the center of the large area rug covering the wood floors. She slowly spins in place, taking it in from every angle. “I can’t believe we’re staying here. It’s so beautiful.”

I want to disagree. While the room is tastefully yet lavishly decorated, it’s just like every other—four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. The real beauty contained within is Scarlett herself. Her smile and sparkling eyes light up the space.

Before excusing himself, David explains dinner will be at six o’clock. He closes the door behind him, leaving us alone.

Scarlett lets out a squeal, hurrying toward me. Her arms slip underneath mine, wrapping around my back. “This place is amazing! No, you’re amazing!”

“I’m glad you’re excited about it. I was hoping you’d be up for the unexpected change of plans.”

“Are you kidding? I don’t even care that I have no clothes to change into or a toothbrush and toothpaste.”

I laugh. “Oh, but you do. I had Autumn pack a bag for you, and Rogan gave it to me this morning at the stadium. I also rescheduled my physical therapy appointment for late tomorrow afternoon.”

“You thought of everything.” She rests her cheek in the crook of my neck, squeezing me tighter. “This is the nicest and most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.” When she raises her head, her eyes are shining with tears. “Thank you, Cooper.”

I press my forehead to hers. “You’re welcome.”

I only hope the rest of my plan goes as well.