Page 106 of Dream Weaver

Still, I did my best to pretend things were normal.

I got Claire to school as usual on Monday morning, then headed to work, stiff as a steel rod until I realized Cooper wasn’t there yet. Good.

“Morning, Abby,” Bob called.

“Morning,” I muttered.

Walt echoed him, and I hung my head in shame. Later on, I vowed, I would dig through the scrap pile, retrieve that lump of steel I’d wasted, and rework it.

“You and Cooper made incredible progress on the axes.” Walt patted me on the back. “Good job.”

Bob looked over and whistled. “Wow. Did you take any time for yourself on the weekend?”

I puffed air up over my cheeks. Yes, in fact. I’d spent two sizzling nights screwing Cooper, and my girl parts were still tingling. Maybe a good thing, since that was the last action they would see for a long, long time.

Butactionwas one thing. Even worse was the damage to my poor, mangled heart. I had no one to blame but myself, though.

The door opened again, and my heart stopped, then clunked back into action.

“Morning,” Matt mumbled groggily.

Pablo followed, all cheery, as usual. “Good morning.”

No, it wasn’t. And it was about to get worse. Because I could sense another person behind him.

The door swung open a third time, and there was Cooper, blocking the view of the massive mesa in the distance behind him.

My heart lunged, trying to reach him. In my imagination, I yanked it back and wrestled it into place, kicking and screaming.

“Morning, Cooper,” Bob called.

Cooper nodded, then looked at me from all the way across the shop floor. His features were stiff, his eyes cold and hard.

His voice matched both. “Morning.”

“I was just telling Abby what great progress you two have made.” Walt gave him an extra-large version of a pat on the shoulder. “If you want a job in the off-season, you come to me, son.”

My heart stopped. God, I hoped not.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll be in Wyoming,” Cooper said.

My heart crumbled at the prospect of him so far away. Worse, the prospect of him together with Greta. But, heck. Cooper deserved happiness.

Still, another corner of my heart broke off and clattered against the floor. One more piece of wreckage for the scrap pile.

“Well, you’re ahead of schedule, and that’s great,” Walt concluded.

Cooper stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. “About that… Today will have to be my last day. I really have to get back to the fire crew.”

My stomach folded in on itself, and my soul screamed,No! No! No!

But that was the way things had to be, right?

“Now, that’s a real shame.” Walt frowned. “But we appreciate what you’ve done. Right, Abby?”

I nodded, finding Cooper’s eyes. “I do. I appreciate everything.”

Just a whisper, but it was from the heart. That was the least I owed him.

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