Page 26 of You Can Make Me (Carnival of Mysteries #28)

Cooper pulled back and cocked his head to the side, his ice-blue eyes containing a renewed joy and sparkle. “How long did you rent this place for?”

I ran my thumbs over his hip bones and shrugged. “It’s month to month, why? You want to go home?”

I knew he would sooner or later, especially now that he was stronger. In the past week, he’d been talking more with Sam about next steps in his story.

He’d written a draft of a brilliant piece about recovering from trauma and what responsibility the state has to victims. He hadn’t gone too into detail about his own story, but he’d gone hard on the lack of assistance for families after-the-fact, tracking down stories of medical bankruptcy because the survivors—he preferred that term—required long-term care that the state wouldn’t cover.

Or those who were so impacted emotionally by what had happened to them that they were no longer able to function to work.

It was time to start doing interviews, and I’d been wondering whether he was ready to step out of our protective bubble. I wanted it to be completely on his terms.

Cooper’s arms rested on my shoulders, and he twirled my scraggly hair around a finger.

This was the longest I’d ever gone without a haircut, and it had become an experiment to see how long it might actually get.

I might have turned fully silver, but I still had a thick head of hair.

We didn’t have mirrors in the place, so I had no idea what I even looked like.

We were both shaggy, but where I probably resembled a middle-aged guy on a bender, Cooper looked even more glamorous than before. Ass .

I couldn’t be mad, though. Not at all.

“Only if you come with me. Move in with me, Den.”

I swallowed hard. “In LA?” I hadn’t allowed myself to hope for cohabitation as a next step. I cleared my throat. “You sure that’s what you want?”

Cooper leaned over and grabbed my goofy Magic 8 Ball. I chuckled as he shook it in both hands.

I couldn’t breathe as we waited for the little triangle to settle.

“ Most Likely .”

We both laughed, but it was heavy with uncertainty. We’d gotten some of our comfort with each other back, but this was a big moment.

“Damn plastic menace,” I said, taking it from him gently and placing it back on the shelf. “You don’t need to?—”

“Please, Denny. I’ve thought a lot about this, and I really don’t want to let you out of my sight.”

I barked out a laugh. “That’s not creepy at all.”

He gave me a little shake, his gaze intense. “I’m not kidding. I let you go before?—”

“You left before.”

He gave a frustrated groan. “I was stupid, okay? I thought we’d already established that.”

“You weren’t stupid. I was bad at communicating?—”

“And we’re so much better now. We’re a team. And before you say it, because I can see you coming up with excuses, I know I can take care of myself now. I don’t expect you to take care of me.”

“I love taking care of you.” That was a most surprising admission.

Before Cooper, before his injury even, I never pictured myself being the domestic guy.

Never thought I’d get married again, never thought I’d have someone else in my space, but I loved it with Cooper.

It had been hard, so hard, but never because I didn’t want to be doing it.

He pressed his forehead to mine again, and whispered, “I let you go before, and I never want to let you go again. Please say you want me, too?”

“Keep me. I want you.”

He pulled back and his entire face lit up. He put his hands on my cheeks and kissed me deeply. “God, I love you. Okay, I’ll call the moving company I used last time to pack up and move you out of your?—”

“I gave up my place almost two months ago. Gene helped me arrange it, once he was done being mad at me.” He had the cutest perplexed expression. “I’d already decided no matter what happened, I was done with Bakersfield. Without my job, there was no reason for me to stay.”

His smile fell. “I’m so sorry, Denny. I didn’t mean for you to give up your job.”

“We already talked about this, baby. I’m an old man.

It was time for me to go. If this whole situation hadn’t happened, I’d have likely stayed until I really got hurt, or worse.

” I lifted his chin so he’d look at me. “I’ve had surgery on both knees, my back is shot, and there’s this bullshit with my heart to consider.

Plus, I’ve got more important things to do now. ”

“You do.” He blew out a breath and nodded.

“Let’s call tomorrow, and we can arrange to have your stuff there when we get home.

Today is what, Sunday? And my appointments are on Wednesday?

We can head back tomorrow or Tuesday, get settled.

I can arrange for my assistant to come by on Monday morning, she’s super flexible and great about getting the basics for me so I don’t have to worry about groceries when I get home from a trip. ”

“Ginny is great. She and I have been in touch since you were in the hospital.” I winked at him. It was a relief to hear Cooper strategizing his return to real life. We’d come such a long way.

“I’m… Sorry, sometimes I forget you’ve taken care of everything for me this whole time.

” His eyes filled with tears, and my chest tightened, waiting for his next move.

I knew it was part of his new normal, but it hurt my heart every time he cried, especially over little things, like when he buttoned his shirt crooked three times in a row.

Cooper’s emotions remained close to the surface, a lingering effect from his brain injury.

His appointment Wednesday was with the neurologist for a follow-up CT scan and to check his progress with physical therapy.

They also needed to discuss medication for migraines, which continued to plague him from time to time.

He had a list of plastic surgeons and dermatologists he wanted to talk to about his scars, but he seemed less concerned than before.

The redness was nearly gone on his facial scars, and with the neatly groomed beard, the one by his mouth and cheek was much less noticeable.

“Don’t cry, baby,” I said, stroking the back of his head. “I have loved every minute we’ve spent together, the tough parts and the great ones equally. Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together, yeah? I’ll be right by your side.”

I hoped my hesitation didn’t register in my voice.

I was scared, and I hated that feeling as much as he did.

Cooper leaned across me to pick up my buzzing phone the next morning.

“I swear, you sleep so hard. I wonder how you used to pop right out of bed and run to crime scenes in the dead of night.”

I rubbed my face and took the phone from him.

“Guess this old dog can learn new— Oh God, Coop.”

He’d crawled under the blankets and was loving me so good, but the text on the screen had me halting what probably would have been yet another mind-blowing orgasm. I placed my hand on his jaw, and he stilled.

He pulled the covers back and frowned at me. “You better get used to this, now that we’re making it official and you’re moving in with me. I plan to wake you like this most days. Others I’ll?—”

“They think they found Evans’ body.”

Cooper got to his knees. “That’s…wow. Good, right? It means Dee Dee and Walter can breathe a little easier?”

“Means we can breathe easier.” The three dots floated for a few seconds and then another text from Walter came through.

I think it’s time for a sitrep.

I pushed up and leaned against the headboard, debating what my response to Walter should be.

He and I had been texting the past month, but I’d warned him not to share any personal information with me.

I knew Cooper would ask, and I didn’t want to keep anything from him.

I also told Walter I wanted Dee Dee to decide when and if he was ready to talk to Cooper.

Based on Walter’s texts, both men were open to it, whenever we were ready.

I just had to talk it over with Cooper and decide if we were ready.

“Yeah. I think we all will.” Cooper lay back down and did his morning hip stretches, and going by the look on his face, he was sore.

“Did we go too hard with the deadlifts yesterday?”

He snorted. “Went hard with something. Nah, I didn’t sleep well.”

I leaned on my elbow and faced him. “Bad dreams again?”

He nodded as he pulled his knees up to his chest one at a time.

“I keep having versions of the same one. I don’t know how my mind picks what to jumble up, but this time it was my Granddad.

He’s at a carnival, but he’s on the other side of the fence and I can’t go to him.

He tells me that I can’t go there, and there’s something about fate and protecting the truth, and then it’s like I’m being attacked again, but it’s a different place, and it’s not Holland.

” He blew out a long breath and rolled onto his knees so he could do some cat/cow stretches.

“Something those old women said to me in Laurel Canyon…”

My heart gave a thud and my morning calm came to a screeching halt.

“Wait a minute. The old ladies? Outside the Canyon Store? You’ve seen them too?”

“Mmhm. Years ago. I meant to ask you about them after you mentioned them to Sam.” He stared at me, his blue eyes wide, but he didn’t seem freaked out. He was more intrigued than anything.

“I can’t believe you saw them.” Though, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. There was way too much woo-woo up in that fucking place. “Want to tell me about it on the drive? If we leave now, we can avoid most of the traffic.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” He huffed out a breath and gave me a brave smile. He was doing better, and I knew the stronger he grew, the more determined he’d be to get back to work—which likely meant hunting down more information about the carnival.

As much as that terrified me, I could either stand in his way or I could help him. Keep him safe.

Not really a choice then.