Chasing Dreams
Page 72
No, Cooper didn’t know that. He wasn’t sure how happy he was that Dalton had been in town less than twenty-four hours, and he knew more about Tessa than Cooper did. “I know her goal was to build a farm to work with disabled children and troubled youth.”
“That’s what I heard, too. Pretty noble if you ask me. Does she live on some land now?”
The question was a sore spot for Cooper. No, Tessa didn’t have property to do what she had been planning to do because Cooper had come in and stolen it right out from under her. He busied himself with drinking his beer so he didn’t have to answer the question. Thankfully, Dalton moved on quickly.
“The two of you serious?”
Well, shit. More personal wasn’t the direction Cooper was hoping this conversation would go, but he didn’t want to shrug Dalton off. His buddy had come down from Nashville with the intention of helping him get this dream off the ground so to speak. Singing at The Rusty Nail was just an added bonus – for both of them.
“I’d like to think so, yeah,” Cooper answered, staring out at the barn that would soon be replaced with something much more modern. He could actually see himself sitting out here with Tessa on warm summer nights, or working in the stables alongside her during the day. Indefinitely.
“I heard her husband died a few years ago,” Dalton said seemingly ignorant to the fact that he knew more about Tessa than Cooper because he had spent time with one of the women who worked for her.
“He did.” Cooper didn’t like talking about her when she wasn’t there, felt like it was a sort of betrayal, but this was his closest friend. Despite their lifestyles and how often they were on the road separately, Cooper and Dalton kept in touch often. They were each other’s sounding boards when it came to music and ultimately, Cooper knew Dalton was a loyal friend. “He was a police officer. He died in the line of duty.”
Cooper hadn’t actually done any digging to find out more about Tessa’s husband’s death. He didn’t want to invade her privacy, but now that he thought about it, he wondered if he should have. Getting to know her had been a slow process and there were so many things he felt she was keeping from him.
“Sucks, man.” Dalton paused. “Katie told me they lost a baby.” Dalton’s voice reflected the sadness one would expect with a story of loss.
Cooper tried to keep his expressions masked, but he knew he couldn’t do it. Pushing to his feet, he forced himself to move. She’d lost a baby? She never told him that. The idea of Tessa having to go through anything so painful tore at his heart. He wanted to hold her and protect her from all of the cruelties that the world had to offer.
Then again, she’d done the same for him earlier that morning. When he thought he was going to be a father, he was elated. Not even the awkward situation had been able to deflate the joy that had filled his heart. And to find out from the jackass boyfriend that Tabitha was lying to him had been a crushing blow.
Would Tessa want to try to have kids again? She was young and healthy, and he couldn’t see why not, but he knew from his own experience how hard it could be to get emotionally attached and have it pulled from his grasp.
“Man, I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” Dalton’s firm tone caught his attention, and Cooper realized he’d been pacing, his hand thrust in his hair.
“It never came up,” he explained. He paused briefly, staring out at the countryside and then back to his friend. “She’s the strongest woman I know, Dalt. I’ve never felt like this before.”
And maybe that was more information than he should’ve shared with anyone, but he felt better saying the words out loud.
“I can tell.” Dalton’s voice was louder, as though he moved closer. “I think the two of you might have something here.”
Dalton knew what Cooper had been through. And apparently he’d known what Tessa had been through as well. So to hear someone confirm that they might stand a chance renewed his faith that something might come out of this. Well, if he could get Tessa to jump on board with the idea it would.
“What time is everyone coming over?” Dalton asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Six.” And that wasn’t going to come fast enough.
“Well, you’ve got about fifteen minutes to get this place spruced up. What can I help with?”
Fifteen minutes? Shit.
Cooper pulled his cell phone from his pocket and glanced at the time as though he didn’t believe Dalton. Sure enough, fifteen minutes until six.
“We should get the grill fired up,” Cooper stated firmly as he turned back toward the house. “You get that started, I’ll grab the rest.”
Chapter Thirty
Tessa was enjoying Cooper’s impromptu party more than she wanted to admit. They had finished eating about an hour ago and found themselves sitting on the back porch watching Havoc and Harmony trample around the yard, checking out the new scenery. She had hated leaving them home alone, so she called Cooper, and to her delight he had agreed she should definitely bring them. When she arrived, she’d been almost stunned to see Katie there with Dalton. Not that she didn’t want Katie to find all the happiness in the world, but she wondered whether the woman knew what she was getting herself into. Tessa didn’t have a lot of experience, but she had dated Chad. And now Cooper. Granted, those two guys were like night and day from what she could tell and she had to wonder whether the fact that Cooper had actually made a name for himself in country music was the difference.
Chad never did make it big, although his ego seemed to be one step ahead of reality. Even the nights he would sing at The Rusty Nail hadn’t been all that profitable because they never brought in the crowds like he had insisted they would. But, that was about the time Tessa realized he was using her.
Not wanting to dwell on that painful part of her past, Tessa focused on the conversations going on around her. She had taken a seat on the steps that led down into the yard while everyone else sat up on the porch. They must’ve realized she needed some space because no one had yet to join her. Not even Katie or Izzy.
Now that she thought about it, Katie had been acting weird ever since she showed up. At first, Tessa thought she was just nervous, but her interactions with Dalton seemed friendly and not as reserved as Tessa would’ve thought.
“That’s what I heard, too. Pretty noble if you ask me. Does she live on some land now?”
The question was a sore spot for Cooper. No, Tessa didn’t have property to do what she had been planning to do because Cooper had come in and stolen it right out from under her. He busied himself with drinking his beer so he didn’t have to answer the question. Thankfully, Dalton moved on quickly.
“The two of you serious?”
Well, shit. More personal wasn’t the direction Cooper was hoping this conversation would go, but he didn’t want to shrug Dalton off. His buddy had come down from Nashville with the intention of helping him get this dream off the ground so to speak. Singing at The Rusty Nail was just an added bonus – for both of them.
“I’d like to think so, yeah,” Cooper answered, staring out at the barn that would soon be replaced with something much more modern. He could actually see himself sitting out here with Tessa on warm summer nights, or working in the stables alongside her during the day. Indefinitely.
“I heard her husband died a few years ago,” Dalton said seemingly ignorant to the fact that he knew more about Tessa than Cooper because he had spent time with one of the women who worked for her.
“He did.” Cooper didn’t like talking about her when she wasn’t there, felt like it was a sort of betrayal, but this was his closest friend. Despite their lifestyles and how often they were on the road separately, Cooper and Dalton kept in touch often. They were each other’s sounding boards when it came to music and ultimately, Cooper knew Dalton was a loyal friend. “He was a police officer. He died in the line of duty.”
Cooper hadn’t actually done any digging to find out more about Tessa’s husband’s death. He didn’t want to invade her privacy, but now that he thought about it, he wondered if he should have. Getting to know her had been a slow process and there were so many things he felt she was keeping from him.
“Sucks, man.” Dalton paused. “Katie told me they lost a baby.” Dalton’s voice reflected the sadness one would expect with a story of loss.
Cooper tried to keep his expressions masked, but he knew he couldn’t do it. Pushing to his feet, he forced himself to move. She’d lost a baby? She never told him that. The idea of Tessa having to go through anything so painful tore at his heart. He wanted to hold her and protect her from all of the cruelties that the world had to offer.
Then again, she’d done the same for him earlier that morning. When he thought he was going to be a father, he was elated. Not even the awkward situation had been able to deflate the joy that had filled his heart. And to find out from the jackass boyfriend that Tabitha was lying to him had been a crushing blow.
Would Tessa want to try to have kids again? She was young and healthy, and he couldn’t see why not, but he knew from his own experience how hard it could be to get emotionally attached and have it pulled from his grasp.
“Man, I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” Dalton’s firm tone caught his attention, and Cooper realized he’d been pacing, his hand thrust in his hair.
“It never came up,” he explained. He paused briefly, staring out at the countryside and then back to his friend. “She’s the strongest woman I know, Dalt. I’ve never felt like this before.”
And maybe that was more information than he should’ve shared with anyone, but he felt better saying the words out loud.
“I can tell.” Dalton’s voice was louder, as though he moved closer. “I think the two of you might have something here.”
Dalton knew what Cooper had been through. And apparently he’d known what Tessa had been through as well. So to hear someone confirm that they might stand a chance renewed his faith that something might come out of this. Well, if he could get Tessa to jump on board with the idea it would.
“What time is everyone coming over?” Dalton asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Six.” And that wasn’t going to come fast enough.
“Well, you’ve got about fifteen minutes to get this place spruced up. What can I help with?”
Fifteen minutes? Shit.
Cooper pulled his cell phone from his pocket and glanced at the time as though he didn’t believe Dalton. Sure enough, fifteen minutes until six.
“We should get the grill fired up,” Cooper stated firmly as he turned back toward the house. “You get that started, I’ll grab the rest.”
Chapter Thirty
Tessa was enjoying Cooper’s impromptu party more than she wanted to admit. They had finished eating about an hour ago and found themselves sitting on the back porch watching Havoc and Harmony trample around the yard, checking out the new scenery. She had hated leaving them home alone, so she called Cooper, and to her delight he had agreed she should definitely bring them. When she arrived, she’d been almost stunned to see Katie there with Dalton. Not that she didn’t want Katie to find all the happiness in the world, but she wondered whether the woman knew what she was getting herself into. Tessa didn’t have a lot of experience, but she had dated Chad. And now Cooper. Granted, those two guys were like night and day from what she could tell and she had to wonder whether the fact that Cooper had actually made a name for himself in country music was the difference.
Chad never did make it big, although his ego seemed to be one step ahead of reality. Even the nights he would sing at The Rusty Nail hadn’t been all that profitable because they never brought in the crowds like he had insisted they would. But, that was about the time Tessa realized he was using her.
Not wanting to dwell on that painful part of her past, Tessa focused on the conversations going on around her. She had taken a seat on the steps that led down into the yard while everyone else sat up on the porch. They must’ve realized she needed some space because no one had yet to join her. Not even Katie or Izzy.
Now that she thought about it, Katie had been acting weird ever since she showed up. At first, Tessa thought she was just nervous, but her interactions with Dalton seemed friendly and not as reserved as Tessa would’ve thought.
