Chasing Dreams
Page 59
Rather than asking permission, Cooper lifted the wood top and slid behind the bar to join Tessa. He walked right up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and whispered in her ear. “Come dance with me.”
To his surprise, she didn’t argue, and Cooper took her hand, leading her back out the way he came and over to the dance floor. Joining the group of other dancers, Cooper fell in step and pulled Tessa up against him, wrapping her in his arms and holding her tightly against his body. They didn’t talk, but the way she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest said everything he needed to hear.
Dalton ventured into another slow song, giving Cooper more time with Tessa, but he knew he would eventually have to let her go. When his buddy decided to take a break, Cooper released Tessa, but grabbed her hand when she would’ve walked away.
“Can we talk for a few minutes?” he asked, nodding his head toward the back door.
When she relented, he realized just how much she’d been through tonight. Hell, today. After that morning, he knew something had upset her, but he wasn’t able to get her to open up to him. Hoping she might now, he took her hand and led her outside.
“What was that about?” he asked calmly once the door closed behind them, glad that enough time had lapsed for his temper to settle.
Tessa looked up at him briefly, but then diverted her gaze as she stepped away. He waited patiently for her to answer, and to his surprise, she didn’t make him wait long.
“His name is Chad.”
“What’s his deal with you?”
Tessa’s head jerked back toward him, her eyes weary. “I used to date him.”
Cooper nodded, hoping she would continue.
“It’s been a year since I broke it off with him.”
A year and the guy was still going crazy on her.
“Did you do something to him?”
Tessa’s back straightened, and he noticed the moment her defenses went up. He wasn’t trying to piss her off, but he knew that the sort of anger that man showed was usually triggered by something. That or he was just plain fucking crazy. Based on Jack’s reaction to the guy, Cooper was leaning toward the crazy.
“I broke up with him, that’s what,” Tessa said defiantly, her hands going to her hips. “If you don’t mind, I really need to get back to work. I don’t have any desire to discuss Chad with you or with anyone else.”
“Then do me a favor,” he retorted, his anger slowly starting to build.
“What’s that?”
“Stay away from him.”
Tessa’s eyes narrowed on him, and he felt the chill all the way to his bones. She obviously didn’t take too kindly to his demand, but he couldn’t help himself. He hated seeing that bastard talk to her that way. If Cooper had anything to say about it, the guy would’ve been leaving in an ambulance, but luckily for everyone involved, he had somehow managed to keep himself under control.
“In case you didn’t notice, I own this bar,” she said adamantly before turning away abruptly and heading back inside, leaving Cooper standing there, staring into the night.
Shit.
He hoped like hell this night didn’t get any worse.
Chapter Twenty Four
A short while later, Tessa was standing behind the bar once again, making change when Izzy’s statement from earlier resounded in her mind. “Just think of it this way. The night can only get better from here.”
She hoped like hell Izzy was right. There for a few minutes, when she had been dancing with Cooper, she thought her friend might be on to something. Being in Cooper’s arms for even that short period of time had been just what she needed to calm her nerves. The safety and security she found in his arms was such a welcome change from the chaos that had erupted not long before that. It was difficult to admit, but Tessa was actually getting used to him being there and the comfort that his nearness afforded her.
At least until he went and said something idiotic like he did outside.
“Stay away from him.”
It was almost as though he believed she had started the incident with Chad. She had seen the doubt in his eyes, known that he wasn’t absolutely sure of her because of what happened, but for the life of her, she hadn’t wanted to argue with him. Especially not about Chad. She had no intention of talking about him. Ever.
“Can I get a Crown and coke over here?”
Tessa’s spine straightened as the voice registered and she turned slowly to see Marcus Evergreen once again gracing her bar with his presence.
Oh, hell. Apparently, Izzy spoke too soon. Tessa got the feeling things were about to go from bad to worse.
Tonight Marcus looked not much different than the night before, only this time his suit wasn’t gray, it was either navy or black, she couldn’t tell in the dim light.
Nodding her head when he continued to pin her with his beady eyes, Tessa took her time getting the Crown from the shelf. There was no way she could warn Cooper this time. There were too many people there, too much going on and quite frankly, she didn’t want him to have to endure this guy just yet. For the first time since Tessa had met him, Cooper seemed perfectly at ease, like he was doing what he loved to do – the altercation with Chad notwithstanding.
Once she had the drink poured, she gave him the total as she pushed it toward him. And just like last time, he told her to put it on Cooper’s tab.
“Sorry, no can do. Cooper doesn’t have a tab here anymore.”
Marcus’ chocolate brown eyes narrowed. Tessa felt as though he were examining her, trying to determine exactly what he needed to say. Or perhaps how he needed to say it. As she waited, refusing to walk away until he paid for the drink, the guy continued to make her uncomfortable.
“Fine,” he said with a huff, standing from the stool and pulling his wallet from his back pocket. Slapping a ten on the bar, he told her to keep the change, and she offered a small smile in return.
“You mind going up there to let Cooper know it’s time to go,” Marcus said, grabbing her arm just as she was turning to walk away.
Tessa’s outrage at being manhandled nearly broke loose, but she managed to stare down at her arm, then back up at Marcus. “You’re gonna take your hand off of me now.” Her voice was low and calm, but she hoped he understood how deadly her statement was. She might not have the ability to kick this guy’s ass, then again, she might. He was kind of puny in her opinion. But there was a bar full of her cousins, not to mention her brother Jack was somewhere close, who’d do the deed for her if she just said the word.
To his surprise, she didn’t argue, and Cooper took her hand, leading her back out the way he came and over to the dance floor. Joining the group of other dancers, Cooper fell in step and pulled Tessa up against him, wrapping her in his arms and holding her tightly against his body. They didn’t talk, but the way she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest said everything he needed to hear.
Dalton ventured into another slow song, giving Cooper more time with Tessa, but he knew he would eventually have to let her go. When his buddy decided to take a break, Cooper released Tessa, but grabbed her hand when she would’ve walked away.
“Can we talk for a few minutes?” he asked, nodding his head toward the back door.
When she relented, he realized just how much she’d been through tonight. Hell, today. After that morning, he knew something had upset her, but he wasn’t able to get her to open up to him. Hoping she might now, he took her hand and led her outside.
“What was that about?” he asked calmly once the door closed behind them, glad that enough time had lapsed for his temper to settle.
Tessa looked up at him briefly, but then diverted her gaze as she stepped away. He waited patiently for her to answer, and to his surprise, she didn’t make him wait long.
“His name is Chad.”
“What’s his deal with you?”
Tessa’s head jerked back toward him, her eyes weary. “I used to date him.”
Cooper nodded, hoping she would continue.
“It’s been a year since I broke it off with him.”
A year and the guy was still going crazy on her.
“Did you do something to him?”
Tessa’s back straightened, and he noticed the moment her defenses went up. He wasn’t trying to piss her off, but he knew that the sort of anger that man showed was usually triggered by something. That or he was just plain fucking crazy. Based on Jack’s reaction to the guy, Cooper was leaning toward the crazy.
“I broke up with him, that’s what,” Tessa said defiantly, her hands going to her hips. “If you don’t mind, I really need to get back to work. I don’t have any desire to discuss Chad with you or with anyone else.”
“Then do me a favor,” he retorted, his anger slowly starting to build.
“What’s that?”
“Stay away from him.”
Tessa’s eyes narrowed on him, and he felt the chill all the way to his bones. She obviously didn’t take too kindly to his demand, but he couldn’t help himself. He hated seeing that bastard talk to her that way. If Cooper had anything to say about it, the guy would’ve been leaving in an ambulance, but luckily for everyone involved, he had somehow managed to keep himself under control.
“In case you didn’t notice, I own this bar,” she said adamantly before turning away abruptly and heading back inside, leaving Cooper standing there, staring into the night.
Shit.
He hoped like hell this night didn’t get any worse.
Chapter Twenty Four
A short while later, Tessa was standing behind the bar once again, making change when Izzy’s statement from earlier resounded in her mind. “Just think of it this way. The night can only get better from here.”
She hoped like hell Izzy was right. There for a few minutes, when she had been dancing with Cooper, she thought her friend might be on to something. Being in Cooper’s arms for even that short period of time had been just what she needed to calm her nerves. The safety and security she found in his arms was such a welcome change from the chaos that had erupted not long before that. It was difficult to admit, but Tessa was actually getting used to him being there and the comfort that his nearness afforded her.
At least until he went and said something idiotic like he did outside.
“Stay away from him.”
It was almost as though he believed she had started the incident with Chad. She had seen the doubt in his eyes, known that he wasn’t absolutely sure of her because of what happened, but for the life of her, she hadn’t wanted to argue with him. Especially not about Chad. She had no intention of talking about him. Ever.
“Can I get a Crown and coke over here?”
Tessa’s spine straightened as the voice registered and she turned slowly to see Marcus Evergreen once again gracing her bar with his presence.
Oh, hell. Apparently, Izzy spoke too soon. Tessa got the feeling things were about to go from bad to worse.
Tonight Marcus looked not much different than the night before, only this time his suit wasn’t gray, it was either navy or black, she couldn’t tell in the dim light.
Nodding her head when he continued to pin her with his beady eyes, Tessa took her time getting the Crown from the shelf. There was no way she could warn Cooper this time. There were too many people there, too much going on and quite frankly, she didn’t want him to have to endure this guy just yet. For the first time since Tessa had met him, Cooper seemed perfectly at ease, like he was doing what he loved to do – the altercation with Chad notwithstanding.
Once she had the drink poured, she gave him the total as she pushed it toward him. And just like last time, he told her to put it on Cooper’s tab.
“Sorry, no can do. Cooper doesn’t have a tab here anymore.”
Marcus’ chocolate brown eyes narrowed. Tessa felt as though he were examining her, trying to determine exactly what he needed to say. Or perhaps how he needed to say it. As she waited, refusing to walk away until he paid for the drink, the guy continued to make her uncomfortable.
“Fine,” he said with a huff, standing from the stool and pulling his wallet from his back pocket. Slapping a ten on the bar, he told her to keep the change, and she offered a small smile in return.
“You mind going up there to let Cooper know it’s time to go,” Marcus said, grabbing her arm just as she was turning to walk away.
Tessa’s outrage at being manhandled nearly broke loose, but she managed to stare down at her arm, then back up at Marcus. “You’re gonna take your hand off of me now.” Her voice was low and calm, but she hoped he understood how deadly her statement was. She might not have the ability to kick this guy’s ass, then again, she might. He was kind of puny in her opinion. But there was a bar full of her cousins, not to mention her brother Jack was somewhere close, who’d do the deed for her if she just said the word.
