Page 6 of Cooper's Salvation
The man gave him a dubious look but didn’t push the issue. Giving him a two-fingered salute, the stranger moved on.
As always after an episode, a wave of nausea hit. He needed to get home. Getting out of the back of the vehicle, Cooper made his way back around to the front as the door to Kara’s clinic opened and the lady herself stepped out.
“Coop? Everything okay?”
Again, he nodded. “Yeah, all good thanks.”
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Scarily accurate, all things considered. “I’m fine, thanks, K.”
He watched as Kara skirted the front of the SUV. She stopped where he stood, her hazel gaze studying his face. “I call bullshit. You’re not fine. I can see how not fine you are stamped all over that handsome face of yours.” He opened his mouth to respond, but she shook her head. “It’s pointless lying to me. How easily you forget I was a military wife. I’ve seen that haunted look before. Too many times.”
“You always were too perceptive for your own good.”
Her snort of laughter was a soothing balm for his ragged soul. “Um … I’m about to leave for the day. Wanna come over for dinner?” She hesitated, seeming unsure of herself. “Unless you prefer to be alone and just want to head home.”
His kneejerk reaction was to do exactly that – go home, have a drink, and brood. But standing beside his vehicle, looking down into a face he'd secretly loved for years, he found he didn't want to go home and be alone. Guilt for feeling that way had him gritting his teeth, but not enough to say no. Not when she smoothed the jagged edges the corrosive emotion left in its wake. Cooper wanted to bask in her radiant presence like old times, to soak in all her inherent sweetness.
“Yeah, I’d really like that. You always did make the best grub.”
“Great, well just let me grab my things and collect Tammy, then I’ll bring my car around and meet you here.”
“Works for me,” Cooper replied before climbing into his vehicle again. Daisy gave a little whine. “I’m all right, girl.” He reached into the back to give her a quick scratch behind the ear.
He watched as Kara disappeared into the clinic, trying hard not to let his mind wander over old memories. After a few minutes, he spotted a small, candy-apple red droptop come around from behind him. He saw Kara behind the wheel just as she tooted the horn twice, passing him slowly to give him time to catch up.
Cooper turned his blinker on, checked over his shoulder to ensure it was safe, and pulled smoothly into the traffic. Keeping an eye on the bright little car, he followed her out of downtown Columbus and into the quieter neighborhood of Allendale. Over the past year of hell, the thought had never crossed his mind that with Tom gone, she’d have to move off base.
He pulled into the driveway of a beautiful, stone-clad, ranch-style house. Cooper turned his vehicle off and sat, taking the house in as he waited for Kara to come out of the garage she’d parked in.
When he saw her and Tammy come out, he climbed out of the SUV and opened the back door for Daisy. She hopped out and waited for Cooper’s command. By the time he’d locked the vehicle, Kara’d unlocked the front door and stood waiting for him. Following her into the house, he walked to the center of the open-plan living room and soaked the space in. The calming blues and greens, so typically Kara, further soothed the sharp edges of his earlier panic attack.
“I’m going to let the dogs out back and get into something comfy. Make yourself at home. I won’t be long.”
“Go ahead and change. I’ll let the dogs out.”
“Great. Thanks.” Her smile was shy. “I’ll only be a minute.”
“Take your time,” he said, an answering smile tipping his lips up.
As Kara walked away, he took a moment to appreciate her ass. From the day Tom had introduced Cooper to his wife, he’d envied the man. Kara was the woman he would have picked for his own had he met her first.
3
Cooper wandered over to the back door, unlocking it to let the two boisterous German Shepherds out. Mother and daughter shot out into the yard, running and chasing each other around the enclosed lawn. Securing the door open so they could come back in when they were ready, he slowly moved around the space, taking it all in.
He could see her personality and good taste reflected in the colors, knickknacks, and furnishings strategically placed around the rooms. Noticing a collection of photos placed on a shelf of a display cabinet, Cooper moved closer to study them. There were a few of Tom and Kara, but the one that caught his attention was a photo of the three of them taken at a Fourth of July celebration held on base. The last one before the bottom had fallen out of their collective world.
Picking it up, he studied it. As usual, Tom was laughing into the camera. Kara, standing in the middle with her arms around both men, was saying something to Cooper, but his gaze snagged his attention. The naked emotion stamped all over his face made Cooper want to hide the photo.
Cooper had thought he’d done a bang-up job of hiding how he felt about Kara, yet there it was, clearly displayed for all the world to see. How hadn’t anyone else noticed how he’d felt? So caught up in his thoughts, he bobbled the frame, almost dropping it when Kara spoke from behind him. He swung around, photo in hand.
“Whatcha got there?”
“Er, just one of your photos.”
Before he could return it to the shelf, she reached for it, taking it out of his hand. She studied it wordlessly before running a finger across the glass. He watched as she bit down on her lip, returning the frame to its spot.
