With No Reservations by Laurie Tomlinson

Author:Laurie Tomlinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“WHAT—” COOPER CLEARED his throat. “What did you say?”

A sob escaped Sloane as she stumbled toward the door.

No. She had finally given him an inch and he wasn’t letting it go. He matched her steps until he was looking her square in the face. “I don’t believe for a minute you killed anyone.”

“It’s true.” She evaded his gaze. “Now you know.”

Cooper searched for the perfect response, but got nothing. He was sure about one thing, though: Sloane was no murderer.

“Let’s take a drive. Clear our heads.” He held the door as an invitation. “You don’t have to say a word, but there are a few things I need to clear up with you.”

She remained where she was, her jaw working as she deliberated.

“Please, Sloane. Just hear me out.”

She nodded and walked toward him with her head down. She might be reluctant, but at least she was going with him. At least she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm when he offered it to her.

Cooper sorted the events of his past into messy piles. He decided where to start as he navigated the Defender from the dimly lit garage into the full midmorning sun.

“There’s a reason my dad gave me so much trouble that night at the bar, Sloane. The same reason I didn’t drink.” His voice was gravelly. He reached into his pocket then handed Sloane his wallet. “Look. In the first slot.”

She slipped out a large coin, gleaming black and blue. “‘To thine own self be true.’” She ran a fingernail over the Roman numeral two. “What is this, Cooper?”

“It’s a sobriety coin,” he said. “I haven’t had a drink in two years.”

She shifted, but remained silent.

The right words didn’t want to be found. “There’s, um, a reason I started drinking. Not that it’s a good excuse or anything, but—” Just spit it out. “I had a little sister, and she passed away.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn in his direction, looking at him for the first time since they’d gotten in the car.

“Her name was Jordan Marian Cooper—the J in J. Marian.” It had been so long since he’d talked about his sister that he’d underestimated how hard it would be, much heavier out loud than in his thoughts. Even after all the years.

Sloane’s hand, shaky and tentative, covered his. “What happened to her?” The little squeeze of her grip calmed him.

“She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was twelve—Owen and I were sixteen,” he said. “She fought it for about a year, and it went away. But it came back.”

“Wow, Cooper. I’m—I—”

Cooper stopped at a light and laced his fingers through Sloane’s. It’s going to be okay. Were the words meant for her or him? He gave her hand a light squeeze, then returned his to the steering wheel.

“You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”

“I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me, either,” Sloane said. “I didn’t feel like I deserved their pity. But I felt it everywhere I went.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.