Cooper (The Family Simon 6)

For a man of words, I’m finding it difficult to convey my feelings, so I decided to get to the point.

I love you from the depths of my heart. You’re my sweets, the woman who makes me a better man. I hope you’ll let me prove that to you. This book is titled The Shape of My Heart. It is not your story. It is our story. It’s about finding love and hoping for forgiveness.

When you’re done reading this (I’m nothing if not an optimist), call me. Anytime, any day. I will come to you.

Cooper

Morgan held the letter to her chest and, with a ragged sigh, leaned back against the headboard. She slowly took off the binding and, as the sun continued to rise, began to read. She read for hours and then went back and read some passages again.

When she finally finished, it was late afternoon. Her eyes were bleary, her head was fuzzy, and yet she jumped from her bed and scrambled for her phone. She scrolled through the numbers until she found the one she was looking for.

She waited, nervously biting her lip, and when a voice said hello, she had to take a moment and get her head straight. She gave her head a shake. She was done wallowing. It was time.

“It’s Morgan. I need your help.”

33

The electricity from the crowd behind the barricades in Leicester Square was tangible. It was unlike any other movie premiere in recent memory. Crowds had gathered days earlier, as soon as the news about just who Lee Holloway was, broke. And still they came. London, England hadn’t seen anything like it.

Two of the biggest stars on the planet would walk the red carpet, Beau Simon and his wife, Betty Jo Barker, as well as the rest of the Simon clan, including the young senator from Florida, Jack Simon, and his wife, country singing sensation Donovan James. Even so, all eyes frantically searched for the one Simon who, at the moment, was bigger than all that.

The headlines said it all.

Cooper Simon and Lee Holloway, Who Knew?

Simon Family Playboy Outed as Celebrated, Award-Winning Author Lee Holloway.

Simon Family Secrets Exposed. Get the Scoop on Lee Holloway.

It was a damn circus out there, and Cooper sat in his limo brooding, grateful not only for the darkened windows but for the quiet inside the car. He’d insisted on traveling alone, and his family knew enough to give him the space he required. Parked just back of where he was supposed to get out, he was still debating on whether or not to make an appearance. His agent, Seth, nearly had a coronary when he mentioned that particular fact.

In the end, his mother and Charlie, of all people, had convinced him to come out to Leicester Square for the premiere. Hell, his mother had pulled the Cancer card, said if she could drag her butt to the premiere he could as well. That was low. Her prognosis was excellent, her treatment done, and they both knew it. But it had seemed easier to say yes than to argue with two of the stubbornnest women he knew. Besides, he had a backup plan. He could always change his mind and slip away in the dark. No one would know any better.

So here he was, hiding in the backseat of a limo while around him chaos ensued. The crowds were ten people deep—at least. A loud round of cheers erupted, and he knew Beau and Betty had just exited their limo. There was just his brother, Maverick, along with Charlie and their mother ahead of Cooper. So what the hell was he going to do?

Restless, he kicked out his feet and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, but there was nothing there. No message. No missed phone call. No Morgan. He stared at the blank screen for a long time—as if his eyeballs could somehow make magic happen.

His finger trailed across the last number that had called. Holly. With a sigh, he shook his head. He’d spent a good chunk of his adult years hating her. Hating himself more. If life had taught him anything, it was that carrying around that kind of guilt and hatred was ill-advised. That kind of shit would eat a man alive.

Morgan had saved him. He just hoped Holly would find her own salvation. She’d said as much when they’d talked a few hours earlier.

Another round of cheers sounded from outside, but he did nothing. His driver had been instructed not to move forward unless told to, and Cooper glanced up, uncaring that the publicist was probably freaking the hell out.

His phone pinged just then, and he glanced down, his publicist, the crowd, the entire damn place forgotten as he skimmed the message. It was from his brother.

Get your ass out here.

Scowling, he was about to pocket it when another message came through. This time from Charlie.

You were right.

He stared at the words for a few moments and frowned. What the hell did she mean by that?

His phone pinged. Another message from Charlie.

Morgan’s eyes do change color in the sun.

Wait. What?