“Again? They did it twice when I was here helping them set up. I thought they had it all planned out already—River hasn’t been able to shut up about it for weeks.”
“Tell me about it. When Caroline and I aren’t—”
“Having wild, wild sex?” he interrupts, smirking.
I laugh. “Yeah, that. When we aren’t preoccupied, it’s all she’s talked about, making sure everything is perfect and in place.”
“Did she change her mind about her display?” I shake my head, and Dean frowns. “Damn. River was really rooting for her. Sucks, because from the way River tells it, your girl is mad talented.”
She is.
And when I get the chance to talk to her, she’ll realize she needs to do this.
I know she will.
“Well, since they’re still in there working, I’m going to take a walk around and scope out the competition, see who I can charm over this way,” Dean says.
“Is that your role in all this?”
“Yep. Want to join?”
“Sure.” I shrug. “I have nothing better to do. But first, I need some caffeine. I’m going to head that way,” I say, pointing the way he came from, back where all the food trucks are. “Find some coffee. Then I’ll catch up with you.”
“Sounds good.”
He takes off to scout things out, and I start toward the caffeine. I stop at the first truck I find, not caring who it is, and place an order for two black coffees.
One is for me, and the other I’ll use to try to entice Caroline when I give her my big speech.
She needs to get out of her own head and realize she’s talented, realize we’re not all just blowing smoke up her ass and her “silly, homemade” designs are worth more than she gives herself credit for.
When she sees how right I am, how much I believe in her by bringing her designs, I know she’ll see I’m right.
“Here you go, sir,” the kid in the truck says, handing over my coffees.
“Thanks.” I tuck a few bucks in his tip jar.
Fresh brew in hand, I make my way back toward the other end of the strip, feeling excited. This is about to be a damn good day because Caroline’s dreams are going to come true, and I’ll be part of that.
There’s a shout in the distance, and I look up to see someone frantically waving her arms.
It’s River.
I speed up to get to her.
“What’s up?” I ask when I’m within distance.
“Oh, good. Coffee.” She grabs a cup from my hand, taking a big gulp from it, not caring that it wasn’t for her. Whatever. She looks like she needs it anyway. “The box, the one sitting behind the counter at the shop—did you put it in the truck last night when we were loading up?”
Oh shit.
I completely spaced on it. River asked me to grab it no less than three times, and I was too busy being distracted by how Caroline’s ass looked every time she bent over and how badly I wanted to push her skirt up around her hips and drive into her.
“Ugh,” she groans, all the hope in her eyes draining. “I’m guessing by the lack of color in your face, you didn’t.” I shake my head. “Shit, shit, shit. That’s why nothing is looking like the diagrams I drew up. I left a much-needed chunk of my inventory at the shop, and there’s no time to go grab it.” Hands on her hips, she begins pacing back and forth in front of me. “The chamber of commerce dude is set to finish his speech soon, and that’s when things are going to get really nuts in here, not to mention the traffic you’d have to endure.”
“Fuck, River.” I blow out a breath. “I’m such a moron.”
She waves off my words as the truck door opens and Caroline pokes her head out, taking in River’s worried strides.
“Hey,” she says softly, approaching us. “No luck?”
“No,” River says. “It’s my fault for not putting it with the other boxes. I was hoping you would change your mind. I was saving that spot for you and set that box aside just in case.”
Oh, fuck.
This is perfect. This is my chance to get Caroline’s work on display.
“Caroline has pieces in my car.”
Her head whips toward me, and I can feel her angry eyes boring into me.
“I can go grab them,” I offer, willing myself to not look at her.
“You brought them?” River asks Caroline, hope lighting up her face.
Caroline’s eyes dart back to me, and I can see she’s torn between helping her friend and wanting to murder me for putting her on the spot.
She might be mad at me now, but she needs the push. She’ll never go anywhere with the one thing that brings her joy if she keeps turning down opportunities like this.
If it makes me the bad guy for wanting her to be genuinely happy, I’ll wear that name tag.
She drags her eyes back to River. “Apparently.”
“Can we sell them?”
“I—”
“Please, Caroline. Please. I’m in a bind here. If you’re worried about the money aspect of it, don’t. I’ll cut you a check as soon as we get back to the shop.”
“It’s not the money,” Caroline says. “It’s…other things.”
“Look, you’re nervous—I get it. I was nervous too when I took a chance on starting my own business. But if I hadn’t taken a chance on it, I wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t be here today. Sometimes you just have to have a little faith that things are going to work out and go for it.”
Caroline brushes a curl behind her ear, her nerves loud and clear, but I also see her wavering just the slightest bit.
River folds her hands together, tucking them under her chin, begging Caroline with her eyes.
Please, she mouths.
And Caroline caves.
“Okay.”
“Yes!” River wraps her in a hug, squeezing her tightly. “Oh my gosh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She releases her, clapping her hands. “This is so huge! You just saved us so big.”
Caroline shoots her a shaky smile.
“You.” River points to me. “Go get the stuff. We still need to put everything on hangers and set up displays and—whatever. You don’t have to know all the details. I just need them ASAP, so run.”
I nod, and she turns away, muttering about everything she still needs to do.
She disappears into the truck, leaving me alone with Caroline.
She turns to me, and I see it.
It’s written on her face clearly.
Betrayal.
She’s hurt.
And I fucking hate when she hurts.
A pang I wasn’t expecting hits me square in the chest.
“Hey! Come on, Caroline,” River says, poking her head back out of the truck. “We need to get this stuff moved around.”
Caroline turns to go, and I reach for her.
“Care…” I say, grabbing her wrist.
She pulls out of my grasp, shaking her head. “Just go, Cooper.”
She leaves me standing there without another word. Not even a backward glance.
And I know in that moment that I fucked it all up.
16
Caroline