Chasing Dreams
Page 17
“And you’re ok with it?”
“It’s not my decision,” she explained sadly.
It really wasn’t either. Yes, if she had her way, Adam wouldn’t go anywhere near the police department, but that’s because she was being selfish and didn’t want anything to happen to him. There were plenty of families who felt the same way about those they loved in that line of work. She was sure they all prayed the same way she had, hoping that their loved one came home every single day.
The more she thought about it, the more the tears threatened and Tessa was tired of crying. “He’ll be a fantastic police officer,” she told Jack. “I know this is what he’s always wanted. I’ll pray for him every single day, just like I did for Richie.”
“What do you think about him going to Dallas?”
Before Tessa could answer, Miranda walked up to the table carrying their drinks. “Who’s going to Dallas?”
“Adam,” Jack explained. “He’s been accepted into the Dallas Police Academy.”
Miranda’s cheerful demeanor took a drastic turn as she glanced back at Tessa. The only thing she could do was nod her head. Miranda had been right there with her when Richie died, so the woman knew exactly how hard this was on her.
“Well, tell him that I wish him luck,” Miranda said, and if Tessa wasn’t mistaken, the words were said on a sob.
Losing Richie had been hard on everyone, including their friends. By the time Tessa was a junior in high school, they had all become a tight knit group. Even though Richie and Eric were just a little older, they had still hung out even after they had graduated, spending their days and nights doing all the things foolish teenage kids did. Or rather, everyone had been trying to reel Tessa in.
Before Tessa could ask if Miranda was all right, the waitress darted toward the back of the restaurant, leaving Tessa and Jack staring after her.
“Do you need to go talk to her?” Jack asked, his head turned away as he watched Miranda disappear down the short hallway that led to the kitchen.
“I’ll give her a little while.” Miranda wouldn’t welcome Tessa’s questions right now. If there was anyone more closed off than Tessa, it was Miranda.
“Do they have something going between them?”
Tessa glanced at her brother as though he’d just lost his mind. Hadn’t she just told him that Miranda was crushing on him? Was he really that dense? Figuring it wouldn’t help matters to remind him, she just said, “Not that I know of.”
“Well, speak of the devil…” Jack mumbled.
Tessa turned around, fully expecting to see Adam walking in the front door of the restaurant. Instead, she got an eyeful of intensely sexy cowboy as Cooper sauntered into the room, his hat in his hand as he made his way to the long counter where a couple of others were seated. He didn’t see her at first, so Tessa turned around abruptly, hoping he wouldn’t notice she was there at all. She wasn’t sure she could handle him at the moment, and she certainly didn’t want Jack giving away anything they had been talking about.
“Don’t worry,” Jack whispered as he brought his glass to his mouth. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Tessa,” Cooper greeted as he approached the table, startling her. “Jack.”
“Hey, man. Join us,” Jack offered, much too easily.
When he didn’t budge in his seat, Tessa knew that she was going to have to slide over if Cooper was going to join them. Which meant she was going to have to sit very, very close to the man.
Please let him say no. Please let him say no. Please…
“Thanks. You mind?” Cooper asked Tessa and the words set on repeat in her head died a slow, painful death.
“No, not at all,” she mumbled, grabbing her tea glass and sliding toward the wall, allowing him enough space to join her in the booth.
Glancing down at her glass of tea, Tessa suddenly wished she had asked for something stronger. Like a bottle of tequila.
Or maybe two.
Chapter Seven
The last person Cooper expected to see when he walked into Charlie’s Restaurant was Tessa. In fact, he’d just been thinking about her, so it was almost as though she had materialized right out of his thoughts. Not that he minded in the least. She was a sight for sore eyes and being that he wouldn’t get the pleasure of seeing her at The Rusty Nail because they were closed on Sunday, he welcomed the few minutes he would get now. After all, since the moment he kissed her, Cooper had thought of little else. He was bombarded with memories of that kiss, and he welcomed all thoughts of her. Hell, he relived the first time he met her more than he probably should. So, when Jack invited him to join them, he couldn’t resist.
“How’s it feel to be back in Small Town, USA again? I’m sure it’s a lot different than being on the road, touring and all that,” Jack stated as soon as Cooper had moved into the booth beside Tessa.
He glanced over, noticing she was eyeing her tea glass as though she would be able to morph the amber liquid into something else.
“I’m getting used to life in the slow lane.” Leaning back, Cooper hooked his arm at the top of the booth behind him, casually letting his hand rest close to Tessa’s shoulder between them.
“Do you think you’ll enjoy being on the other side of the fence when it comes to music? Adam said you’re handling the entertainment at Tessa’s bar.”
“That’s the plan. Right now I’ve been ordered to sit around and look pretty,” Cooper said, peering over at Tessa. He noticed the way she grinned slightly as she continued to study her glass.
“Look pretty?” Jack questioned. “That’s not easy for you, is it?”
Cooper laughed, liking the way Jack said what was on his mind, unlike so many people who spent their time trying to kiss his ass and make him feel important. He didn’t want to feel important. He wanted to feel as though he contributed to something. Something more than other people’s wallets.
“I’ll admit, I’m not good at it,” Cooper added.
“Not true,” Tessa mumbled and Cooper slid his arm around behind her on the booth, still being careful not to touch her.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” she said, peering over at him while using her hair to shield most of her face. He still managed to get a peek at the bright pink blush that suffused her cheeks.
“It’s not my decision,” she explained sadly.
It really wasn’t either. Yes, if she had her way, Adam wouldn’t go anywhere near the police department, but that’s because she was being selfish and didn’t want anything to happen to him. There were plenty of families who felt the same way about those they loved in that line of work. She was sure they all prayed the same way she had, hoping that their loved one came home every single day.
The more she thought about it, the more the tears threatened and Tessa was tired of crying. “He’ll be a fantastic police officer,” she told Jack. “I know this is what he’s always wanted. I’ll pray for him every single day, just like I did for Richie.”
“What do you think about him going to Dallas?”
Before Tessa could answer, Miranda walked up to the table carrying their drinks. “Who’s going to Dallas?”
“Adam,” Jack explained. “He’s been accepted into the Dallas Police Academy.”
Miranda’s cheerful demeanor took a drastic turn as she glanced back at Tessa. The only thing she could do was nod her head. Miranda had been right there with her when Richie died, so the woman knew exactly how hard this was on her.
“Well, tell him that I wish him luck,” Miranda said, and if Tessa wasn’t mistaken, the words were said on a sob.
Losing Richie had been hard on everyone, including their friends. By the time Tessa was a junior in high school, they had all become a tight knit group. Even though Richie and Eric were just a little older, they had still hung out even after they had graduated, spending their days and nights doing all the things foolish teenage kids did. Or rather, everyone had been trying to reel Tessa in.
Before Tessa could ask if Miranda was all right, the waitress darted toward the back of the restaurant, leaving Tessa and Jack staring after her.
“Do you need to go talk to her?” Jack asked, his head turned away as he watched Miranda disappear down the short hallway that led to the kitchen.
“I’ll give her a little while.” Miranda wouldn’t welcome Tessa’s questions right now. If there was anyone more closed off than Tessa, it was Miranda.
“Do they have something going between them?”
Tessa glanced at her brother as though he’d just lost his mind. Hadn’t she just told him that Miranda was crushing on him? Was he really that dense? Figuring it wouldn’t help matters to remind him, she just said, “Not that I know of.”
“Well, speak of the devil…” Jack mumbled.
Tessa turned around, fully expecting to see Adam walking in the front door of the restaurant. Instead, she got an eyeful of intensely sexy cowboy as Cooper sauntered into the room, his hat in his hand as he made his way to the long counter where a couple of others were seated. He didn’t see her at first, so Tessa turned around abruptly, hoping he wouldn’t notice she was there at all. She wasn’t sure she could handle him at the moment, and she certainly didn’t want Jack giving away anything they had been talking about.
“Don’t worry,” Jack whispered as he brought his glass to his mouth. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Tessa,” Cooper greeted as he approached the table, startling her. “Jack.”
“Hey, man. Join us,” Jack offered, much too easily.
When he didn’t budge in his seat, Tessa knew that she was going to have to slide over if Cooper was going to join them. Which meant she was going to have to sit very, very close to the man.
Please let him say no. Please let him say no. Please…
“Thanks. You mind?” Cooper asked Tessa and the words set on repeat in her head died a slow, painful death.
“No, not at all,” she mumbled, grabbing her tea glass and sliding toward the wall, allowing him enough space to join her in the booth.
Glancing down at her glass of tea, Tessa suddenly wished she had asked for something stronger. Like a bottle of tequila.
Or maybe two.
Chapter Seven
The last person Cooper expected to see when he walked into Charlie’s Restaurant was Tessa. In fact, he’d just been thinking about her, so it was almost as though she had materialized right out of his thoughts. Not that he minded in the least. She was a sight for sore eyes and being that he wouldn’t get the pleasure of seeing her at The Rusty Nail because they were closed on Sunday, he welcomed the few minutes he would get now. After all, since the moment he kissed her, Cooper had thought of little else. He was bombarded with memories of that kiss, and he welcomed all thoughts of her. Hell, he relived the first time he met her more than he probably should. So, when Jack invited him to join them, he couldn’t resist.
“How’s it feel to be back in Small Town, USA again? I’m sure it’s a lot different than being on the road, touring and all that,” Jack stated as soon as Cooper had moved into the booth beside Tessa.
He glanced over, noticing she was eyeing her tea glass as though she would be able to morph the amber liquid into something else.
“I’m getting used to life in the slow lane.” Leaning back, Cooper hooked his arm at the top of the booth behind him, casually letting his hand rest close to Tessa’s shoulder between them.
“Do you think you’ll enjoy being on the other side of the fence when it comes to music? Adam said you’re handling the entertainment at Tessa’s bar.”
“That’s the plan. Right now I’ve been ordered to sit around and look pretty,” Cooper said, peering over at Tessa. He noticed the way she grinned slightly as she continued to study her glass.
“Look pretty?” Jack questioned. “That’s not easy for you, is it?”
Cooper laughed, liking the way Jack said what was on his mind, unlike so many people who spent their time trying to kiss his ass and make him feel important. He didn’t want to feel important. He wanted to feel as though he contributed to something. Something more than other people’s wallets.
“I’ll admit, I’m not good at it,” Cooper added.
“Not true,” Tessa mumbled and Cooper slid his arm around behind her on the booth, still being careful not to touch her.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” she said, peering over at him while using her hair to shield most of her face. He still managed to get a peek at the bright pink blush that suffused her cheeks.
