“Finn said that she smiled when she explained that part,” Tate said, his expression fierce. “Like it was funny or some shit like that. That woman is diabolical. You’re well away from her, brother.”

  “I swear she wasn’t that bad when we were together,” Cooper replied. “Or maybe she was, and I just didn’t see it.”

  “She had a lot of people fooled,” Tate said. “Don’t feel badly about wanting to see the best in her. And she probably wasn’t this bad back then. She wasn’t desperate for a huge influx of cash then. It’s when the chips are down that you see someone’s true colors.”

  Jane had certainly seen Cooper’s. He’d risk his own life for hers. Her ex wouldn’t have even gotten wet in the rain for her. She’d chosen far better this time.

  Everyone chatted and munched on some food brought by Tate from the tavern, but eventually, they drifted off to get back to their own lives. Jane wasn’t at death’s door, although the way Cooper was acting, a bystander would be fooled into thinking she was.

  He had leaned down to clean the last of the glasses from the coffee table - a chore she’d offered to help with and only got a scowl in return - when a business card floated out of the breast pocket of his cotton t-shirt. They both reached for it, but she was first since his hands were full. It was a card for a local realtor.

  “Are you looking to expand the theater? Is the newsstand looking to shut down?”

  Zack and Cooper hadn’t even opened the movie house yet, but already it looked like it might be successful. There was a great deal of interest and excitement, but the actual opening would show whether their forecasts were correct. The two brothers would never get rich off of it, but that’s not why they were doing it.

  Cooper had disappeared into the kitchen with the last of the dishes, so his voice was slightly muffled when he answered.

  “Actually, I was thinking of maybe buying a house. The secret’s out about my identity so I don’t have to pretend I’m destitute or anything.”

  “A house? That sounds kind of…permanent.”

  As in he was intending to put down roots. Staying.

  Her heart beat a little faster, and she could feel herself smiling. She’d known that they were together, a couple, but that didn’t mean that he would be happy to settle down in a small town in Illinois. Cooper was a wanderer at heart. Would she and Winslow Heights be enough for him?

  “I figure you and I need a home base,” Cooper replied, returning to the living room, drying his hands on a kitchen towel. “A place to call home. We can maybe get a dog. I know you’ve been wanting one.”

  A dog. And a house? He’d said “you and I” like they were going to live there together.

  “We? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?”

  It had been an old joke with her parents. The old “mouse in the pocket” whenever she’d used the royal “we”.

  “I do not,” Cooper said, tossing the towel on an end table. “I’m talking about you and me. Me and you. Us. You said your lease was ending in a few months.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good reason to live together,” she said lightly, feeling giddy and overwhelmed at his suggestion.

  Living together was…big. It was a further step in the commitment department. And a dog, too? That was almost like having a child together.

  Perching on the edge of the sofa, he caged her in with his long arms on either side of her torso. Their lips were mere inches from one another, and he was grinning like he’d won the lottery.

  It was beginning to feel like they both had.

  Neither one of them had been looking for anything, but here they were.

  “How about because I love you?” he asked, his breath warm on her cheek. “Is that a good enough reason?”

  “I love you, too.”

  A million fluttering butterflies had been let loose in her stomach, making her almost dizzy with pure happiness. This man was more than she’d ever hoped for and more.

  “Good, because I don’t go around saying stuff like that to people. I mean it. You’re stuck with me, baby.”

  “I don’t feel stuck. I feel lucky.”

  “You may not be saying that in a few years when we’re married, have a baby, a dog, and a lawn to mow.”

  Her throat was clogged with emotion, and she was sure there were tears in her eyes. But not sad ones. She lifted her hands so that she could cup his face, his stubble scratchy on her palms.

  “Cooper Winslow, are you talking about settling down?”

  “Only with you. And that doesn’t mean we still can’t have some adventure. There are some places on this planet that I’d love to show you.”

  “Can we take the baby?”

  The question came out choked, but he didn’t seem to notice or mind.

  “Yes, but let’s leave the dog with Tate. He loves to spoil dogs.”

  “I hate mowing lawns,” she teased. “You’re going to have to do it.”

  “Then your job will be to walk the dog. See? We’re perfect for each other. We’re already making compromises. That’s something that I haven’t been good at in the past, but I want to. For you.”

  “I’ll make compromises for you, too.”

  It wouldn’t always be easy. They’d argue, and they’d be stubborn. Then they’d apologize and have awesome makeup sex. They’d always remember that they loved each other, though.

  Cooper’s feet might take him all over the world, but his heart would always have a home with her. She’d make sure of it.

  22

  Fourteen years ago…

  “It won’t be that long. We’ll see each other at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Spring Break, too. And I’ll call you every day. Hell, twice a day - morning and night. We can do this,” Tate said, urgency in this tone.

  He and his girlfriend Cat had been dreading this day all summer. They’d both known it would come eventually, but they’d blissfully ignored it as if none of it was real.

  But reality would always win out, and in the last two weeks, they’d scrambled to get ready to go off to college for the first time. Tonight was Tate’s last night in Winslow Heights until the week of Thanksgiving. He had a flight out first thing in the morning. He’d been accepted into Stanford, and while he was excited about this new chapter in his life, he was also leaving behind his family and friends. All the things that were familiar. That included his girlfriend, Cat Townsend. They’d been dating since the fall of their junior year.

  Cat was headed to a state school about an hour and a half drive away. Her parents didn’t have much money, and she’d worked hard and received an excellent scholarship.

  They’d been pretending all summer that they weren’t going to be separated, hanging out at parties and having fun. But the time had come, and they couldn’t ignore it any longer. This was their last night together for almost three months.

  “I know,” Cat replied, wearing a wobbly smile. “Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. We’ll both be busy with school.”

  They were sitting in the front seat of his car, parked by Winslow Lake. It was a well-known make out spot but there was no one else there since it was a weeknight. Even with the dim lighting of the moon, he could see what he was sure were tears glittering in her beautiful moss-green eyes.

  Cat Townsend was a beautiful girl, and he was damn lucky that he was dating her. She could have chosen anyone in their high school, but for some reason she liked him.

  No, that wasn’t true. They loved each other. He’d never been in love before Cat, but he couldn’t have stopped himself from falling for her. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was also smart and funny, too. His mother adored Cat and was always telling him to hold onto her. That she was a good one.

  “Twice a day,” Tate repeated. “I promise. No matter what.”

  “Dani says you’ll be busy meeting new people,” Cat said, her voice choked. “That you won’t have time to even think about me, let alone call every day. I don’t want you staying in the dorm and not having any fun because of me. I want you to enjoy yourself.”

  “I can enjoy myself and still call you. And Dani doesn’t even know what she’s talking about. She’s never been to college.”

  “But she’s dated guys in college,” Cat replied. “She knows what it’s like. You’ll be busy with classes and things. You’ll make new friends.”

  “You’ll make new friends, too. But I won’t forget about everybody here, and you won’t either. I certainly won’t forget about you, Kitty Cat.”

  He used his nickname for her deliberately, hoping to lighten the atmosphere. He was the only one who ever called her that, and it always made her smile. This time her smile visibly trembled, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

  “I’m just going to miss you so much,” she said. “It will be so strange not to see you every day.”

  The only time they’d been apart in the last two years was a few times for family vacations. Even then, they’d talked every day.

  “I’ll miss you more,” Tate said, reaching out his fingers to dash away the tears. “You’re the best thing in my life. It’s not even a contest.”

  Cat scooted closer to him as he pulled her into his arms. Her skin, golden from the summer sun, was smooth as satin, her long chocolate brown hair like silk. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her delicious scent that was a mix of flowers and spring rain. His entire body was at attention, aching to be as close as possible.

  “If you want me to stay, I will. Just say the word. I can enroll at State. We can see each other every day.”

  “You can’t do that,” Cat said, shaking her head. “You have to go to Stanford. Not everyone gets in. It’s a big deal. You have to go there so you can take over your dad’s business when he retires.”

  Tate snorted at the thought.

  “That’s never going to happen. Zack is going to take over, although he swears he won’t. He says he’s going to stay in New York City.”

  “See? Your dad will need you. We both know Cooper won’t do it.”

  Cooper didn’t give a shit about college, but he’d agreed to attend and graduate. Their mother had made a deal with Cooper that if he graduated from college, she’d fund a six month “graduation” trip to anywhere that he wanted to go. Tate’s brother had snapped that deal up.

  “I don’t want to work in finance,” Tate said. “You know that.”

  “I don’t think your dad is going to let you say no, especially if Zack doesn’t come back. Let’s face it. Joel Winslow always gets what he wants in the end.”

  Joel Winslow can kiss my ass.

  Zack had graduated in May and taken a job with a huge financial firm on Wall Street. Their dad was still trying to persuade him to come back to the family firm, but so far, Zack was holding tough. It was the ultimate FU to their father.

  And Joel Winslow was livid about it.

  Joel had also told Tate that two eighteen-year-olds with a huge crush on each other weren’t going to last. He’d said that Tate would meet other girls, better girls, at Stanford and he’d forget all about Cat Townsend. His father wasn’t the biggest fan of Cat. Her family wasn’t rich or important. He wanted his sons to meet and marry wealthy and influential women.

  Joel Winslow was a total asshole. Tate would show him. He and Cat were serious, and they were in love. The real kind. It wasn’t some stupid crush.

  Tate didn’t want to talk or think any more. It was only making them both sad and upset. Instead, he brushed his lips across hers, softly like the wings of a butterfly at first. Cat clutched at his shoulders, pulling him closer as their kiss inevitably deepened.

  “I love you,” she said when they broke apart, both of them panting. Her fingers had dug into his shoulders as if gripping a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. “Thanksgiving seems a million years away.”

  “I know, but we’ll be fine,” Tate assured her. “I love you so much. We’ll be okay. After we graduate, we can be together all the time.”

  “Say it again,” she urged. “Say that you love me. When you say it, I don’t worry as much about the future.”

  “I love you, Kitty Cat. More than you know.”

  “I love you,” she said, pressing herself against him again. “I love you.”

  In just four short years, they could be together forever. They just had to get through this. It would be hard, but it was doable.

  Tate and Cat had their whole lives ahead of them. As great as their love was, there was no way anything could go wrong.

  Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Rebels and Roses. Look for Tate’s story – Whiskey and Whispers

  One hot summer night, just days before they were supposed to leave for college, Tate Winslow and Catherine Townsend swore their love would last forever—a bond too powerful to break, no matter the distance.

  Years later, fate brings them together at a friend's anniversary party. The once passionate lovers are now more like strangers. Life had torn them apart, and it seems as if their love had been one of its casualties. Yet the moment Tate sets his gaze on Cat, he realizes that isn't the case—their chemistry burns just as fiercely as before.

  But their reunion takes a dark turn when one of their closest friends is found murdered. With danger closing in and trust unraveling, everyone becomes a suspect. If Tate and Cat want a second chance at love, they’ll have to stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer who could strike again at any moment. In a deadly game where every move could be their last, love might not be the only thing on the line—it might be their lives.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Olivia Jaymes is a wife, mother, lover of sexy romance and cozy mysteries, and caffeine addict. She lives with her husband, son, and two spoiled dogs in central Florida and spends her days typing on her computer with a canine on her lap.

  She is currently working on a new romantic suspense series – Winslow Heights - in addition to her other ongoing romance series.

  Visit Olivia Jaymes at

  www.OliviaJaymes.com

 

 

  Olivia Jaymes, Rebels and Roses

 

 

  Thank you for reading books on GrayCity.Net
Share this book with friends