Not what he wanted to hear.
“Shouldn’t that be loved him?”
“We broke up, but he’s still alive.” Haleigh chuckled. “She still calls him to check in, as she calls it, but I know she’s trying to convince him to change his mind.”
“And what if he does?” Cooper asked.
“No chance.” Haleigh cut into a quesadilla. “Marcus will never agree to move here. He’d swallow his best scalpel before moving to the middle of nowhere.”
“But would you take him back?”
“What?” She stopped mid cut. “Didn’t you hear me? That’s a moot point.”
Not the right answer.
“It’s a simple question, Haleigh Rae. Yes or no?”
As he waited for her response, a voice in Cooper’s head taunted, Maybe Abby was right.
The look of insecurity in Cooper’s eyes took Haleigh by surprise. Here was the guy who never got rattled. Who, by his own admission, preferred not to get too involved. Yet here he was, worried about her pompous, shallow ex-fiancé. She took the show of jealousy as a positive sign.
“Of all the things I’ve shared today, I never would have guessed that Marcus would cause the biggest issue.”
Cooper’s jaw twitched. “Still not an answer.”
“Okay, big guy. Let me be clear. Marcus and I are done. In fact, I’m not only done with him, but guys like him.”
“You mean doctors in general?” he asked. “Or young, up-and-coming plastic surgeons?”
“Whoa,” she said. “Where is this coming from?”
Ripping the napkin from his collar, Cooper said, “I guess I’m trying to find out if I’m your version of downgrading. Or maybe you’re back to rebelling and seeing me would be a great way to annoy your mom.”
Was there another conversation going on that she wasn’t privy to? Because nothing Cooper just said made any sense.
“By guys like him I meant jerks. Selfish, materialistic, pig-headed jerks who care more about their careers and social lives than about me. And guess what, Cooper? Those characteristics aren’t limited to doctors. In fact, I know a mechanic who’s doing an outstanding impersonation of a horse’s ass right now.”
The full boil on the other side of the table dropped to a simmer as Cooper said, “I can’t compete with a doctor.”
“Who said there was a competition?” She’d confessed to being an alcoholic who may have pushed a poor girl out a window and he latched onto a freaking occupation? “You’re a better person than Marcus will ever be. Hell, than he even wants to be. You’re definitely better than anything I deserve. If either of us should be reeling with insecurities, it’s me. I’m the one who’s screwed up, remember?”
“You aren’t screwed up.” Cooper tossed the napkin onto his plate. “You’ve got a few dings and dents, that’s all.”
Shaking her head, Haleigh said, “We’re going to have to discuss this habit of comparing women to cars.”
“You’d be surprised how much they have in common,” he said with a half grin. “Did we just have our first fight?”
Amazed by how quickly the man went from angry to charming, she said, “I think we did.”
Cooper chuckled. “That horse’s ass bit was good.”
“Well,” Haleigh nodded, “when the saddle fits.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’ve made your point.” After waving for the check, he said, “Are you working Friday night?”
“I’m off at five thirty so long as no babies demand my attention, but I’m having dinner with my mother.” The food soured in her stomach at the thought. “It’s our first dinner since the night of my show-stopping performance at Brubaker’s.”
“Then it’ll be the perfect night for what I have in mind.”
His voice didn’t carry a naughty tone, but Haleigh’s brain still took the obvious route. “Am I going to like what you have in mind?”
Cooper waited until the waitress had dropped the check and walked off before answering. “You are.” The grin was both panty-melting and mysterious. “Make sure you bring a pair of socks.”
Pajamas she’d have understood. But socks? The guy wanted socks?
Sliding cash into the check folder, he said, “I can see that mind of yours churning a mile a minute.” Rising, he pulled her out of her chair and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Just go with it.” Pulling back, he added, “You never got around to why you came to see me in the first place.”
The shelter. She’d forgotten all about it. “There’s no rush. We can talk about it Friday.”