The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 1)

TWENTY-NINE

Cooper

“You can do it,” he whispered, giving her waist a squeeze.

They were lying in bed, a little sleep deprived after the best night of his life, and Jessica had just told him about Matthew giving her Theresa’s number.

He’d suggested she call while he was there to support her.

“Maybe it’s too early.” Jess stared at her phone. “It’s only six o’clock there.”

“I don’t think she’ll mind.”

She heaved a shaky sigh and pressed the call button. Her hazel eyes flew to his, wide with fear. He squeezed her waist again, wishing he could take the fear away.

But only the woman on the other end of the line could do that.

“Hello.” Jessica suddenly tensed, alert. “Theresa?” She grabbed Cooper’s hand and held on for dear life. “It’s Jessica.” Whatever her aunt said to her in return made tears well in Jess’s eyes.

He held his breath, worried he’d done the wrong thing in encouraging her to contact her family.

But then Jess smiled, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. “It’s good to hear your voice, too.”

Cooper grinned and relaxed, lying down, his head on the pillow, to watch his woman’s face light with joy and relief as she talked softly with her aunt.

Joey was sitting in a booth at the back of the bar, watching the cartoons Cooper had put on the television for him.

It was never an inconvenience for his sister and nephew to drop by to see him, at home or before the bar opened, but the morning after he’d had the best night of his life, on the morning when he’d sat with Jess while she had an emotional talk with her aunt, Cooper wasn’t really in the mood for a lecture from Cat.

And the look she was giving him screamed lecture.

She glanced over at her son to make sure he was happily preoccupied before turning to scowl at Cooper. “You’re back with her?” she hissed.

“Yes.” His tone told her not to argue with him.

It only made Cat narrow her eyes. “Did she tell you whatever the hell it is she’s hiding?”

“Yes.”

Surprise flickered over her expression, softening it. “Really?”

Cooper sighed and leaned toward her. “Really. And believe me when I say I understand why she was so fucked up about it. But we’re all good now.”

“Well, what was the secret?”

He loved his sister, but sometimes she was a nosy brat. “None of your damn business.”

“You’re my brother. Of course it’s my damn business.”

“You shouldn’t be using the word ‘damn’!” Joey called over to them, his eyes still on the screen.

Amusement flooded Cooper and he saw the laughter mirrored in his sister’s gaze. Her amusement fled as she continued to study him. “I’m glad Jessica told you what was going on with her . . . but she knows she can’t pull this crap again, right?”

The only thing that stopped him from getting impatient with her lack of faith in Jess was the fact that it came from a place of absolute love. And the truth was that if their roles were reversed and some guy had messed Cat about, he probably wouldn’t exactly be forgiving. “I don’t think she will, but that doesn’t mean there might not be speed bumps along the way. Jess has been through a hell of a lot.”

Sympathy softened Cat. “Is she okay?”

“She will be,” he promised.

“I really wish I knew what she’s been through. I’m imagining all sorts of horrible things.”

He remembered Jess’s words from the other night. “You couldn’t imagine how horrible the truth is.”

Cat flinched. “God, Coop,” she muttered.

“Maybe one day she’ll tell you her story—but it is her story to tell.”

His sister heaved a sigh but nodded. “It’s hard to imagine she’s been through anything that horrible. She hides it well.”

“She’s tough. She’s . . . amazing.”

Cat suddenly smiled at him. “You really love her.”

He nodded. No point bullshitting about it.

“You never spoke about Dana the way you speak about Jess.”

“Dana and I were just kids. We didn’t know what love is—confused sex for love.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Right.”

He grinned. “Conversation over.”

“Yup. Once my brother utters the word ‘sex’ I go temporarily deaf.” She glanced over at Joey. “He’ll be glad. He likes Jessica a lot.”

“Always trust a kid’s instincts.”

“Or at least my kid’s instincts.”

They shared a proud smile just as a knock came at the bar door, seconds before it was pushed open. The sight of Jessica brought on a flood of memories of their night together. He’d kept reaching for her throughout the night, unable, it seemed, to get enough of her.

Now she was walking into his bar with this flushed glow on her face, not just from the sex, but from her talk with Theresa, and that made him feel damn pleased with himself. It took him a second to realize she wasn’t alone.

Really not alone.

Confused, Cooper frowned, watching as Jess, along with Bailey, Iris, Ira, Vaughn, Dahlia, and Emery, filtered into his bar.

“Jess!” Joey shouted, running across the bar to her. He skidded to a stop inches from her and Jessica grinned, putting an arm around his shoulder to draw him against her. Y-NINE

Cooper

“You can do it,” he whispered, giving her waist a squeeze.

They were lying in bed, a little sleep deprived after the best night of his life, and Jessica had just told him about Matthew giving her Theresa’s number.

He’d suggested she call while he was there to support her.

“Maybe it’s too early.” Jess stared at her phone. “It’s only six o’clock there.”

“I don’t think she’ll mind.”

She heaved a shaky sigh and pressed the call button. Her hazel eyes flew to his, wide with fear. He squeezed her waist again, wishing he could take the fear away.

But only the woman on the other end of the line could do that.

“Hello.” Jessica suddenly tensed, alert. “Theresa?” She grabbed Cooper’s hand and held on for dear life. “It’s Jessica.” Whatever her aunt said to her in return made tears well in Jess’s eyes.

He held his breath, worried he’d done the wrong thing in encouraging her to contact her family.

But then Jess smiled, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. “It’s good to hear your voice, too.”

Cooper grinned and relaxed, lying down, his head on the pillow, to watch his woman’s face light with joy and relief as she talked softly with her aunt.

Joey was sitting in a booth at the back of the bar, watching the cartoons Cooper had put on the television for him.

It was never an inconvenience for his sister and nephew to drop by to see him, at home or before the bar opened, but the morning after he’d had the best night of his life, on the morning when he’d sat with Jess while she had an emotional talk with her aunt, Cooper wasn’t really in the mood for a lecture from Cat.

And the look she was giving him screamed lecture.

She glanced over at her son to make sure he was happily preoccupied before turning to scowl at Cooper. “You’re back with her?” she hissed.

“Yes.” His tone told her not to argue with him.

It only made Cat narrow her eyes. “Did she tell you whatever the hell it is she’s hiding?”

“Yes.”

Surprise flickered over her expression, softening it. “Really?”

Cooper sighed and leaned toward her. “Really. And believe me when I say I understand why she was so fucked up about it. But we’re all good now.”

“Well, what was the secret?”

He loved his sister, but sometimes she was a nosy brat. “None of your damn business.”

“You’re my brother. Of course it’s my damn business.”

“You shouldn’t be using the word ‘damn’!” Joey called over to them, his eyes still on the screen.

Amusement flooded Cooper and he saw the laughter mirrored in his sister’s gaze. Her amusement fled as she continued to study him. “I’m glad Jessica told you what was going on with her . . . but she knows she can’t pull this crap again, right?”

The only thing that stopped him from getting impatient with her lack of faith in Jess was the fact that it came from a place of absolute love. And the truth was that if their roles were reversed and some guy had messed Cat about, he probably wouldn’t exactly be forgiving. “I don’t think she will, but that doesn’t mean there might not be speed bumps along the way. Jess has been through a hell of a lot.”

Sympathy softened Cat. “Is she okay?”

“She will be,” he promised.

“I really wish I knew what she’s been through. I’m imagining all sorts of horrible things.”

He remembered Jess’s words from the other night. “You couldn’t imagine how horrible the truth is.”

Cat flinched. “God, Coop,” she muttered.

“Maybe one day she’ll tell you her story—but it is her story to tell.”

His sister heaved a sigh but nodded. “It’s hard to imagine she’s been through anything that horrible. She hides it well.”

“She’s tough. She’s . . . amazing.”

Cat suddenly smiled at him. “You really love her.”

He nodded. No point bullshitting about it.

“You never spoke about Dana the way you speak about Jess.”

“Dana and I were just kids. We didn’t know what love is—confused sex for love.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Right.”

He grinned. “Conversation over.”

“Yup. Once my brother utters the word ‘sex’ I go temporarily deaf.” She glanced over at Joey. “He’ll be glad. He likes Jessica a lot.”

“Always trust a kid’s instincts.”

“Or at least my kid’s instincts.”

They shared a proud smile just as a knock came at the bar door, seconds before it was pushed open. The sight of Jessica brought on a flood of memories of their night together. He’d kept reaching for her throughout the night, unable, it seemed, to get enough of her.

Now she was walking into his bar with this flushed glow on her face, not just from the sex, but from her talk with Theresa, and that made him feel damn pleased with himself. It took him a second to realize she wasn’t alone.

Really not alone.

Confused, Cooper frowned, watching as Jess, along with Bailey, Iris, Ira, Vaughn, Dahlia, and Emery, filtered into his bar.

“Jess!” Joey shouted, running across the bar to her. He skidded to a stop inches from her and Jessica grinned, putting an arm around his shoulder to draw him against her.