Chasing Dreams
Page 38
Then there was her jaded side. The part of her that she kept closed off from anyone and everyone, including her best friend and her brothers. Tessa didn’t want anyone to know how vulnerable she actually was. It wasn’t a becoming trait as far as she was concerned, so she tried to keep it buried down deep.
As far as she could tell, Cooper might be willing to stay for a while. After all, getting the farm up and running smoothly wasn’t going to be an easy task. He was looking at months of work at minimum. She knew he had ambitious plans for the farm, but considering he was currently running from his singing career, she had to wonder whether this was something he did often. He didn’t seem like the type to jump from one place to another, but she honestly didn’t know much about him. Hell, apart from knowing his body intimately well, Tessa didn’t know much about him at all.
“Eric tells me he’s helping out at the bar? That true?” Izzy asked, pretending to be interested in the answer, but Tessa could feel her excitement.
“He’s handling the entertainment.”
“What about Adam?”
Tessa felt the sadness stirring to life in her heart. She hated that her older brother had already left to go to Dallas, but the fact that he was pursuing his dream should’ve made her happy for him. If she wasn’t scared senseless that she’d lose him too, she might be.
“He’s off to the police academy in Dallas,” Tessa stated, wondering how in the world she hadn’t already filled Izzy in on everything that was going on lately. And despite her questions, Tessa knew Izzy was up to speed on everything that was going on in Devil’s Bend, but she liked to pretend she wasn’t.
“Dallas? I thought he was trying for Austin?”
“He was. They don’t have any space right now.”
“Does that mean Cooper’s gonna be working for you for a while?”
Tessa didn’t know what that was going to mean. Hell, come tomorrow, he may not want to have anything to do with her. She forced her thoughts to remain in the moment instead of drifting back to the most amazing night she’d ever had.
“Are you dating him?” Izzy asked suddenly, and Tessa instinctively turned to face her, much faster than her casual answer would support.
“Why would you ask that?”
The mischievous grin on Izzy’s pretty face told Tessa the answer before her best friend said a word.
“Because of that…,” Izzy exclaimed as she pointed at her. “Your reaction. You are seeing him. Wow. Tessa Donovan and Cooper Krenshaw.”
“It is so not like that,” Tessa said with a hysterical laugh.
“So tell me how it is then.”
Tessa felt the scrutiny of Izzy’s gaze. She also felt her friends concern.
“I don’t know what it is.” At least that was the truth.
As of that morning, from the second her eyes opened, Tessa knew she was getting in over her head. No matter her reasons for wanting to keep Cooper at a distance, more so for self-preservation than anything else, she found herself thinking about him constantly. Not only was last night the absolute hottest thing she’d ever experienced, she couldn’t deny the connection she had felt.
“If he sticks around, I could see myself dating him. For a while.”
The long pause between them held a wealth of meaning, but Tessa hoped Izzy would keep her thoughts to herself. Her friend meant well, and she had always been there for Tessa when she needed her, but Tessa still never shared her most intimate thoughts with anyone.
“Honey, I know you’ve been hurt. And I know you miss Richie, but he isn’t coming back.”
Before Tessa could respond, Izzy continued. “And as for that asshole Chad, he wasn’t worth the air he breathed. I think you squashed his ego, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. But he was an anomaly. Not all men are like that,” Izzy stated, leaning forward on the swing, reaching for Tessa’s hand.
Tessa gave in to Izzy’s sympathetic gesture, but it only had minimal impact on her concern. The very idea of being painted with such a brutal, vicious reputation was more than she could stand. Even though the rumors hadn’t been true, they still hurt. She had managed to disassociate herself with relationships in general just to avoid the stigma that would come along with them. She had learned early on that the catty women in their small town enjoyed harassing her when they thought she might even remotely be interested in a man. Not that she was.
No, Tessa had kept herself isolated from any and all relationships. She hadn’t even gone on one single date in the year since she and Chad called it quits. Considering Chad still lived in Devil’s Bend, and he still enjoyed harassing her from time to time, probably to remind her that he was still there, she wasn’t interested in drawing his attention any deeper. Lucky for her, Chad feared Jack, which helped some. Mostly due to her younger brother, Chad gave her a wide berth these days.
“Look at me, Tessa.” Izzy squeezed her hand and Tessa steeled her resolve as she faced her friend. “Do me a huge favor, would ya?”
“What’s that?”
“Give this guy a chance. He may not be what you’re looking for, but until you give it a shot, you’ll never know. No one is ever going to replace Richie. But, this guy isn’t Chad either. He deserves a chance.”
Tessa nodded her head and glanced out at the dogs still snoozing in the shade. She’d give him a chance. At least a shot at a casual, no strings attached, friends with benefits romp. That way, if and when the world came crashing down around her, her heart would at least have been spared.
The sound of an engine in the distance had Tessa releasing Izzy’s hand and turning to see who was coming toward her house. Since she lived at the end of a long dirt road, she knew whoever it was had her house in mind for their destination, she just couldn’t imagine who it could be.
“Oh. My. God!” Izzy exclaimed, jumping to her feet as the big, gray truck came rolling to a stop close to the house. “Is that him?”
The smile that tipped her lips came without warning. Her heart fluttered strangely in her chest. Both because of Izzy’s enthusiasm, but more so at the fact Cooper had come over. The idea that he wanted to see her, as much as she secretly wanted to see him, did odd things to her insides.
Like a crazed lunatic, Izzy set her wine glass on the railing before she darted out into the yard, jumping up and down like a teenager with a crush.
As far as she could tell, Cooper might be willing to stay for a while. After all, getting the farm up and running smoothly wasn’t going to be an easy task. He was looking at months of work at minimum. She knew he had ambitious plans for the farm, but considering he was currently running from his singing career, she had to wonder whether this was something he did often. He didn’t seem like the type to jump from one place to another, but she honestly didn’t know much about him. Hell, apart from knowing his body intimately well, Tessa didn’t know much about him at all.
“Eric tells me he’s helping out at the bar? That true?” Izzy asked, pretending to be interested in the answer, but Tessa could feel her excitement.
“He’s handling the entertainment.”
“What about Adam?”
Tessa felt the sadness stirring to life in her heart. She hated that her older brother had already left to go to Dallas, but the fact that he was pursuing his dream should’ve made her happy for him. If she wasn’t scared senseless that she’d lose him too, she might be.
“He’s off to the police academy in Dallas,” Tessa stated, wondering how in the world she hadn’t already filled Izzy in on everything that was going on lately. And despite her questions, Tessa knew Izzy was up to speed on everything that was going on in Devil’s Bend, but she liked to pretend she wasn’t.
“Dallas? I thought he was trying for Austin?”
“He was. They don’t have any space right now.”
“Does that mean Cooper’s gonna be working for you for a while?”
Tessa didn’t know what that was going to mean. Hell, come tomorrow, he may not want to have anything to do with her. She forced her thoughts to remain in the moment instead of drifting back to the most amazing night she’d ever had.
“Are you dating him?” Izzy asked suddenly, and Tessa instinctively turned to face her, much faster than her casual answer would support.
“Why would you ask that?”
The mischievous grin on Izzy’s pretty face told Tessa the answer before her best friend said a word.
“Because of that…,” Izzy exclaimed as she pointed at her. “Your reaction. You are seeing him. Wow. Tessa Donovan and Cooper Krenshaw.”
“It is so not like that,” Tessa said with a hysterical laugh.
“So tell me how it is then.”
Tessa felt the scrutiny of Izzy’s gaze. She also felt her friends concern.
“I don’t know what it is.” At least that was the truth.
As of that morning, from the second her eyes opened, Tessa knew she was getting in over her head. No matter her reasons for wanting to keep Cooper at a distance, more so for self-preservation than anything else, she found herself thinking about him constantly. Not only was last night the absolute hottest thing she’d ever experienced, she couldn’t deny the connection she had felt.
“If he sticks around, I could see myself dating him. For a while.”
The long pause between them held a wealth of meaning, but Tessa hoped Izzy would keep her thoughts to herself. Her friend meant well, and she had always been there for Tessa when she needed her, but Tessa still never shared her most intimate thoughts with anyone.
“Honey, I know you’ve been hurt. And I know you miss Richie, but he isn’t coming back.”
Before Tessa could respond, Izzy continued. “And as for that asshole Chad, he wasn’t worth the air he breathed. I think you squashed his ego, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. But he was an anomaly. Not all men are like that,” Izzy stated, leaning forward on the swing, reaching for Tessa’s hand.
Tessa gave in to Izzy’s sympathetic gesture, but it only had minimal impact on her concern. The very idea of being painted with such a brutal, vicious reputation was more than she could stand. Even though the rumors hadn’t been true, they still hurt. She had managed to disassociate herself with relationships in general just to avoid the stigma that would come along with them. She had learned early on that the catty women in their small town enjoyed harassing her when they thought she might even remotely be interested in a man. Not that she was.
No, Tessa had kept herself isolated from any and all relationships. She hadn’t even gone on one single date in the year since she and Chad called it quits. Considering Chad still lived in Devil’s Bend, and he still enjoyed harassing her from time to time, probably to remind her that he was still there, she wasn’t interested in drawing his attention any deeper. Lucky for her, Chad feared Jack, which helped some. Mostly due to her younger brother, Chad gave her a wide berth these days.
“Look at me, Tessa.” Izzy squeezed her hand and Tessa steeled her resolve as she faced her friend. “Do me a huge favor, would ya?”
“What’s that?”
“Give this guy a chance. He may not be what you’re looking for, but until you give it a shot, you’ll never know. No one is ever going to replace Richie. But, this guy isn’t Chad either. He deserves a chance.”
Tessa nodded her head and glanced out at the dogs still snoozing in the shade. She’d give him a chance. At least a shot at a casual, no strings attached, friends with benefits romp. That way, if and when the world came crashing down around her, her heart would at least have been spared.
The sound of an engine in the distance had Tessa releasing Izzy’s hand and turning to see who was coming toward her house. Since she lived at the end of a long dirt road, she knew whoever it was had her house in mind for their destination, she just couldn’t imagine who it could be.
“Oh. My. God!” Izzy exclaimed, jumping to her feet as the big, gray truck came rolling to a stop close to the house. “Is that him?”
The smile that tipped her lips came without warning. Her heart fluttered strangely in her chest. Both because of Izzy’s enthusiasm, but more so at the fact Cooper had come over. The idea that he wanted to see her, as much as she secretly wanted to see him, did odd things to her insides.
Like a crazed lunatic, Izzy set her wine glass on the railing before she darted out into the yard, jumping up and down like a teenager with a crush.
