Page 9 of Broken Heart

I held the four books in my hands out to Joan, and once she had them, I crossed the store to pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello, Skye. It’s Cooper.”

Something instantly squeezed in my belly. This was the second time I’d spoken to him on the phone. He’d called me the day after the whole incident happened earlier this week and told me that replacing the glass in my current door would result in his temporary solution lasting eight weeks. While I’d assured him I didn’t mind the wait—I was grateful he was being diligent about fixing it—Cooper insisted that was unacceptable and wanted to fix it sooner for me.

So, he gave me a few options to choose from that would only take a matter of days to get, and after I’d made my selection, he promised to call back to set up a time to do the repair. I presumed that was the purpose of this call, but since he still made me nervous, even over the phone, I said, “Cooper. Hi. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. I just got all the stuff I need to fix your door, and I wanted to see if tomorrow would be okay to come in to get it taken care of for you,” he replied.

“Tomorrow works for me.”

There was a momentary pause before he said, “I know it’s a Saturday and typically busier in downtown Landing than during the week. I don’t know what that means for your store, but if you’d prefer, I’m more than happy to come before you open, so I can get a head start on the repair. I probably won’t have it completed by the time you open, but at least I won’t be there all day long.”

Right.

It was the weekend. I could imagine how thrilled Cooper was to have to spend that time working instead of doing whatever it is he would have normally done.

Despite desperately wanting to have my door fixed, I didn’t want Cooper to have to be inconvenienced. “I’m okay to wait until Monday, if you’d prefer not to interrupt your weekend with this.”

“I appreciate that, but I’d rather get this taken care of as soon as possible,” he informed me. “I just don’t want to create a problem for you or your customers, so I figured the earlier I start, the sooner I can be out of your hair.”

Truth be told, I hadn’t been in a big rush for him to finish fixing the door. Though I’d been slightly terrified when that glass had initially shattered and Cooper walked in, and ignoring the aesthetic issue it presented, I hadn’t had much excitement in my life in the last five months. At least I now had a story to share with some of my regular customers.

“Oh, okay. Well, I mean, early would be fine for me, but I don’t want you to think it’s necessary,” I replied.

Cooper didn’t hesitate to respond. “I’m up early, so it’s not a problem for me.”

“In that case, I’m happy to meet you here before normal business hours. I open at ten on Saturday mornings, so would eight o’clock be a good time for you?”

“That works for me. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight, then.”

“Perfect,” I replied quietly.

“Goodbye, Skye.”

I still hadn’t gotten used to the way it made me feel to hear that smooth voice saying my name, so it took me a moment to gather my bearings and respond. “Goodbye, Cooper.”

I disconnected the call, went in search of Joan, and filled her in on what was happening tomorrow. She wasn’t scheduled to come in until noon, so depending on how long the installation of the new door was going to take, it was possible she’d arrive after Cooper had already left.

And now, I was taking advantage of another restless night by getting my day started earlier than usual.

Evidently, I wasn’t going to have any time to prepare myself for seeing Cooper, because he was a punctual man. As I walked up to the front door of my store, Cooper must have spotted me and exited the truck that was parked along the side street.

He waved as he moved toward the bed of the truck, and I decided it would be rude to just walk inside. So, even though it was slightly unnerving, I walked in his direction and came to a stop at the back of his truck. Instantly, I was reminded of just how much of a presence Cooper was. I was standing on the curb, he was in the street, and I still had to tip my chin up to look at him.

“Good morning, Cooper.”

His eyes roamed over my face, something I couldn’t read moving through his features. “Good morning, Skye.”

Ignoring his unexplained assessment, feeling a flush hit my cheeks, I tipped my head slightly to the side, glanced toward his truck, and explained, “I thought I’d come to see if you needed my help with carrying anything.”

Cooper’s eyes roamed over me in a way that indicated he didn’t think I’d be able to offer him much help, which likely had a lot to do with the fact that both of my arms were already full, carrying my travel cup, my purse, my laptop, and a book. He shook his head and replied, “No, that’s okay. I’ve got it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. But it would be good to have that front door unlocked,” he noted.

I hesitated awkwardly for a moment, simply staring at him and wondering if a guy like him knew anything about loyalty. He seemed so honest and genuine. I didn’t think it was possible for him to be the kind of guy who’d cheat on his girlfriend, especially not with her best friend.