My One and Only(77)

But Haleigh didn’t want a rum and Coke. She wanted Cooper. Which sparked the question—was she trading one diversion for another? Was she using Cooper because he made her feel good? Made her forget who she was? What she was?

Doubts pummeled her from every direction. Her old reliable friends, worthlessness and regret, whispered in her ears. Some distant voice told her to fight, but what was the point? Abby had made her feelings clear. The thought of moving in with her mother stirred a wave of panic. There had to be another answer.

As Haleigh’s mind raced, the cell phone in her pocket went off, signaling a call from the maternity ward. In the end, Haleigh was good at only one thing—her job. At everything else she was a roaring failure.





Chapter 24

Disappointed that Haleigh had to stay over at work, Cooper found himself wandering aimlessly around the house, as if he’d forgotten how to spend an evening alone. Ever since the visit from Spencer, he’d been playing back every conversation with Haleigh over the last four days. They’d discussed their day, their pasts, and everything from music to movies, but neither had brought up the future.

Except on that first night. His request for a chance to make her happy had been answered with the simple statement that Haleigh wasn’t going anywhere. Not exactly a vow of forever. He’d taken the answer in a positive light, but then they’d been in the middle of sex and his brain hadn’t been as fully engaged as the rest of him.

So had Cooper only heard what he wanted to hear? Did Haleigh see this situation as nothing more than two adults enjoying each other until they grew bored and moved on? And if she did, was he prepared to let her go?

Annoyed by the direction of his thoughts, Cooper hit the workout room to burn off some energy. On his second set of twenty pull-ups, he placed the blame for his doubts squarely where it belonged.

On Spencer.

Why had he stirred this crap up? Why couldn’t he let Cooper be happy living in his own illusions, if that’s what they were? Only an idiot would sit a woman down four days in and say, “Where do you see this going?” and Cooper was not going to be that idiot. Or that needy.

But damn, he wanted the answer.

By ten o’clock, he’d completed double his normal reps on every exercise in his routine. The harder he pushed, the more his mind raced in the wrong direction, and the faster he pumped to shut down his mind. Which meant when Haleigh showed up at his door at ten fifteen, she found a dripping wet Cooper looking like a man who’d just run a marathon through a downpour.

“Is there a water leak somewhere?” Haleigh asked when he greeted her at the door.

“Doubled up the workout,” Cooper replied, still breathing heavy from the sit-ups he’d been doing when she rang the bell. “I meant to shower before you got here, but I lost track of time.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, lingering on the threshold. “Maybe I should go home.”

“No,” Cooper said, pulling her into the house. “Don’t be crazy. I’m glad you’re here.”

Haleigh did not return the sentiment. “It’s been a really long day,” she said, staring at her shoes. “I shouldn’t be invading your life every night.”

The waver in her voice caught his ear. Bending to see her face, Cooper said, “Darling, are you crying?” She shook her head quickly but the sniffle gave her away. “Hey now,” he said, pulling her chin up, “you are crying.”

“I know,” she said. “I feel like an idiot.”

Knowing she’d stayed late for a difficult delivery, he feared she might have lost a patient. “Come sit down and tell me what happened.” Due to a lack of tissues, he handed her his discarded T-shirt off the back of a chair. “I’m afraid this is the best I can do.”

Wiping her nose, she said, “It’s fine,” before jerking the cotton away. “Whoa, that smells.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Searching for another solution, he said, “Let me grab a paper towel.” After a quick run to the kitchen, he handed her a full roll.

She blinked up at him. “A bit excessive, don’t you think?”

“I’m not good with crying women. Just take what you need.”

Ripping one off the roll, she blew her nose. “This is so stupid. I really should go home.”

As if he’d let that happen. “I’m not letting you go anywhere until I know what brought on these tears.”

Struggling to even out her breathing, she said, “Abby found me at work today. She knows that I’ve been staying over here.”

“We knew she’d find out eventually. What did she say?” Of all the people who could come between him and Haleigh, Cooper never thought his sister would be the biggest obstacle.