Meant to Be (Sweetbriar Cove #1)(15)

       
         
       
        

Poppy laughed. "Sorry, I only play for chocolate."

"Too bad," Riley grinned. "We would make a mean double act."

Cooper cleared his throat. "Are we going to get on with the game?" he said, frowning.

Grayson laughed. "Game's over, man. And you lost." He got up, and went to the tiny kitchen in back for another beer. He brought one for Poppy, too. "To the victor," he said, toasting her.

She smiled. Aside from Cooper acting like a sore loser, she was having fun. She ate a couple more pieces of candy, and smiled at Cooper across the table. "What's the matter?" she teased. "Can't handle being beat by a girl?"



"Sure I can." Cooper stared back across the table at Poppy, trying not to notice how damn cute she looked. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled; she was clearly happy from her win.

He couldn't help but be impressed, even if his ego had taken a hit from that performance. He didn't think she'd had it in her to bluff and play him like she had, but he'd always been a bad judge of women.

His track record spoke to that, alright.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," he said ruefully. "You're a storyteller, right? And telling stories is just another way of hiding the truth."

Poppy looked thrown. "You lied, too," she pointed out, "Bluffing a bad hand."

Cooper shook his head. "That's not the same."

"Isn't it?" Poppy glared at him. "So I'm the liar and you're, what, just playing a game?"

"Hey," Riley interrupted. "Who wants to deal another hand?"

Cooper shook his head, still focused on Poppy. "I'm just saying, telling stories is all fine and good, until people wake up and realize they're in the real world."

They weren't talking about poker anymore, but it was needling him how she didn't seem to care what happened to her words once they were out in the world-those books she thought were so innocent giving people false hope and expectations. He could still remember the way he'd felt seeing that woman on the street yesterday, the sinking sense of dread when he'd thought she was Laura .

He'd believed in happily-ever-after once, and look where that had gotten him.

But Poppy clearly disagreed. She looked as if she was about to go to war to defend her right to sell an impossible fantasy. "For someone who hasn't read my books, you sure have a lot of opinions about them." Her voice was tense, and Cooper shrugged.

"I know what it's like to be fed a fairy tale, some happily-ever-after image of what life is going to be like. And all of that, it's just a lie. Maybe if you told the truth about love, people wouldn't be so disappointed in the end." 

"Someone was disappointed with you?" Poppy snapped back. "Gee, what a surprise."

Her words were a kick in his gut. "Says the Queen of Hearts," Cooper replied, before he could stop himself. "Didn't I hear you were supposed to be getting married?" he asked. "I guess happily-ever-after isn't working out so great for you, after all."

Right away, he knew he'd crossed the line. Hurt flashed across Poppy's face, and she got to her feet.

"C'mon, take it easy." Riley tried to diffuse the situation. "How about we settle this on the table? Dealer's choice."

Poppy shook her head. "Thanks for the game," she said shortly. "I'll see myself out."

She walked quickly to the door, and let it slam shut behind her. The sound made him flinch. He'd really blown it now.

"You're an ass."

Cooper turned to find Riley scowling at him. Even Grayson, who usually steered clear of any drama, gave him a look. "Seriously," Riley continued. "What the hell was that? We were having a fun game, and then suddenly it's like World War 3 up in here."

Cooper sighed. "Sorry, man."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Cooper's conscience pricked uncomfortably. "I was just teasing," he lied. "It's not my problem if the girl can't handle a joke."

"Whatever you say." Riley shook his head, "Anyway, I guess that's game-over."

"I should be getting home anyway," Cooper said, finishing his beer. "I've got another early start tomorrow."

He said his goodbyes and headed out, but his guilt only grew. There was no good excuse for the things he'd said. He could see Poppy's face now-the way she'd pressed her lips together in that thin line, emotion flashing in her eyes. He may have meant every word he said to her, but it wasn't her fault. It wasn't anything to do with her.