"Like I said, we're not your usual book club."
Poppy laughed. "Wine it is then. See you later."
She hung up, smiling. With all the work she'd done, she'd earned some drinks and cobbler tomorrow-and maybe the chance to make a few friends, too. Aunt June would be back from her cruise in a week, but Poppy was already thinking about staying longer, and taking her time to enjoy the local area and all its attractions.
Like the attraction next door.
Poppy listened to the sound of hammering and tried not to imagine Cooper at work. They'd been on a rain break all week, but he'd arrived with his crew first thing in the morning, and Poppy had taken all her self-control not to find a reason to cross that property divide and say hello.
She couldn't stop thinking about him.
Ever since that night at the drive-in, feeling that strange electric tension shimmering in the air, Poppy hadn't been able to get him off her mind. Her days were filled with writing, but when she closed her laptop at the end of the night and climbed into bed, somehow, thoughts of him were always waiting. The solid, confident movement of his body. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
His kiss.
She shivered at the memory. He was probably working there now, wearing that pale blue T-shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes . . . and those jeans that hugged his ass just right . . . his muscles rippling under the fabric of-
Nope. Poppy dragged her mind out of the gutter and back to her screen. She was clearly rebounding from her failed engagement-looking for love in all the wrong places. And Cooper Nicholson couldn't be more wrong.
There was a knock at the door, and Poppy leapt up, glad for another distraction. "Coming!" she called. She went to go open the door, and stopped dead when she saw who was waiting on the other side. "Cooper." She flushed, wondering for a second if she'd conjured him up with all her lustful thoughts. "Hi."
"Hey." Cooper looked concerned. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Are you sick?"
Poppy glanced down. She was still in her pajamas, at two in the afternoon. "No, writing," she said, embarrassed. "I guess I lost track of time."
"You broke through your block? That's great," Cooper congratulated her.
"So far, we'll see. I don't want to jinx it," Poppy added, but she couldn't keep from beaming. After so much stress and insecurity, it was a relief just to wake up in the morning with an idea for the chapter ahead. "What can I do for you?"
"Well, it's actually the other way around." Cooper shifted on the doorstep. There was a boyish smile playing on his lips, like he was excited about something. "I have something to show you. But, you'll need to get dressed first."
"OK." Poppy was puzzled. "Give me five minutes."
"Take your time."
She went back inside and upstairs, but as she headed for her bedroom, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. No! She groaned. It was no wonder he thought she was sick: she looked a mess. Her hair was tangled, her skin had that pale zombie look about it, and was that . . . ? Yup, strawberry jam smeared across her jaw.
Poppy jumped in the shower and rinsed off in record time, then she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, dressed in jeans and a red knit sweater, and bounced back downstairs. Cooper was waiting there, out on the porch. "You must be relieved the weather changed." Poppy said, as she sat on the bottom stair and pulled on her boots.
"It put a dent in my schedule, that's for sure." Cooper pushed his hair back from his blue eyes, sounding rueful. "I worked on some plans and internal sketches, but yeah, there's only so much you can do."
"It's gorgeous out today." Poppy felt the warm temperature and left her jacket on the rack. "I always love it after the rain clears, everything seems to fresh and new."
She was babbling, she knew. And about the weather, too. How much more awkward could you get? But Cooper didn't seem to notice, and she followed him outside and into the yard.
He led her past the construction site, to where a sandy path led away from the house, meandering along the shoreline.
"Are you sure you aren't just leading me astray?" she joked, and then cringed again. Cooper seemed perfectly relaxed, so why couldn't she do the same? It wasn't like they'd had a torrid affair; it had been one kiss, weeks ago now. She should have done study abroad in France, Poppy thought. They knew how to deal with casual liaisons. That, and all the delicious cheese.
She was so busy scolding herself for her lack of chill, Poppy barely registered their surroundings, until she realized they were passing through a wooded area, with pine needles carpeting the sand underfoot. The air smelled fresher here, a mix of the tree scent and salty air, and they were far enough from the house that she couldn't hear the construction noise over the steady swish of the waves against the shore.