Meant to Be (Sweetbriar Cove #1)(22)

"I'm terrible, I know," Poppy said cheerfully. "I swear I'm tone deaf."

"You'll fit right in at karaoke," Cooper grinned.

"There's a karaoke place in Sweetbriar?" Poppy asked. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Riley got a system, a couple of years back. If it were up to me, I'd smash the thing, but he says it's good for profits. People need a couple of extra beers before they get up the courage to sing," he explains.

Poppy laughed. "Smart guy."

"He can be." Cooper nodded. Riley was a good friend, but sometimes Cooper wondered what the guy was doing sticking around someplace as small as Sweetbriar. He'd made his fortune in tech and social media, and now he was killing time pouring beers, but Cooper would never ask. Just like Riley didn't ask about his past, there were some things guys just kept to themselves. 

Cooper saw the turn up ahead, and pulled off the main highway. The neon sign loomed up above them, bright against the dark sky: Wellfleet Drive-In.

"Oh my god!" Poppy exclaimed, seeing the lettering. "I didn't think this place would still be running!"

"It's a Cape institution," Cooper said. He'd remembered seeing her there as a kid, when a parent would pile them all in the back of a car, and they'd run riot, fueled by popcorn and candy. He'd figured she might enjoy it again, and seeing the grin on her face, he'd chosen right. "I'm not sure what's playing tonight, so don't hold it against me if it's nothing but Disney cartoons."

"Let's see . . ." Poppy peered out of the window at the display board. "It's an oldie night. Vertigo."

"Works for me." Cooper paid the five bucks entrance fee to the kid at the front gate, and then slowly drove into the field that doubled as the drive-in lot. There was a screen set up at the far end, and a few rows of cars already parked in place. He picked a spot in the middle of a row and pulled in. "You want popcorn?" he asked, turning off the engine.

"We just ate!" Poppy laughed.

"And?" Cooper reached to open his door, but Poppy acted first.

"I'll go," she said, hopping down. "Sweet or salted?"

"Surprise me." He could have sworn she blushed, but maybe that was just the headlights.

"I'll be right back."

He watched Poppy head across to the concession stand, her red coat bright in the dark. He hadn't planned on spending his evening like this, but he had to admit, he was having fun. An old movie, some conversation-there were worse ways to pass the time. As long as he kept his head and stayed in control this time, there wouldn't be any repeat of the madness of last week.

Poppy was just a friend. A neighbor. His platonic acquaintance.

At least, that was the plan.

Another car pulled into the spot next to him, and he turned to find a couple of teenagers in the front seats. The boy shut of his engine, then promptly reached over to start making out with his date.

Cooper averted his eyes. OK, so maybe he could have picked a more platonic spot than a dark drive-in movie theater, but he was a grown man, not some hormone-addled teen. Just because Poppy's lips were undeniably kissable didn't mean he was a slave to attraction. She hadn't even mentioned what happened between them, and for all he knew, it hadn't crossed her mind. He should be relieved she was being so relaxed about everything, instead of making a scene. He'd said to forget about it, that it meant nothing at all.

So why did it burn that she'd been able to do just that and move on?



Poppy stood in line at the concession stand and tried to ignore the butterflies spinning in her stomach. Movie tickets, popcorn . . . Had she and Cooper accidentally wound up on some kind of date?

No. She quickly shook off that thought. He was just being friendly, that's all. Surprisingly friendly, given their history, but she wasn't complaining. He was right, she'd been going crazy in that house, and she was feeling better already just getting out into the crisp night air for a few hours of welcome distraction.

"Popcorn, please," she asked the boy manning the stand. "Sweet and salty, just mix it all together. And a couple of sodas . . . and red vines . . ." Poppy hadn't been to the movies in months, and she got carried away; by the time she returned to Cooper's truck, her arms were laden with snacks. "Maybe I went a little wild," she said, passing the bounty before she climbed back up.

"A little?" he echoed, looking at the spread. He reached for the box of candy. "I guess I better step up to the plate."