Lexie smiled, her expression full of warmth and understanding. “Like my grandmother gets me.”
“We were close. With my father and brother, I always felt like the outsider. I still do,” he admitted. “So how did your grandmother fix things?” Because he had no doubt she had.
Lexie smiled. “She staged an intervention of sorts. She’d met Yank Morgan, the sports agent, at the rink and they’d become good friends. She and Yank sat my parents down and explained that championship skating wasn’t only about talent but also desire. And desire is in someone’s heart.” She placed her hand over her chest. “Either you’re born with it or you’re not. And forcing me to compete might gain me medals but it would break my spirit. Which, in my grandmother’s opinion, wasn’t worth the cost.” Her voice cracked slightly.
He brushed his hand across her cheek, grateful for the insight. “Did she win the battle?” Coop asked.
“At first Dad said only horses had spirits that could be broken and Grandma told him if he believed that then he was a horse’s ass.”
Coop snickered and Lexie grinned.
“Yank told them to let me be a kid and find my own way. Mom and Dad gave in, but to this day I can’t say they understood why I was so unhappy doing something I was good at.” Lexie rubbed her hands together as if warming herself. “So now you know. Nobody in my life gets me.”
“Except your grandmother.”
“Exactly.” She nodded. “And you?” she asked hopefully.
He inclined his head, unsure of how to answer.
Traveling fed her spirit—that much he understood. It was ironic. After promising himself he wouldn’t get involved with a woman who wasn’t capable of putting down roots, he’d gone and done just that.
Gotten involved.
Too much to just walk away. But neither could he afford to invest more of himself because he already knew he could fall hard.
“Hey, are you hungry?” he asked, changing the subject to one easier to handle and that definitely placed distance between them. “We could break for an early lunch.”
“I’m always hungry.”
He laughed. “A girl after my own heart.” His own skipped a beat at the thought.
Short-term, he reminded himself. They could hang out together for as long as it took to investigate the history of the ring and for her to build his Web site. She’d be here and gone.
At least this time he knew what to expect up front.
FOR LEXIE the day passed quickly, cleaning broken up by lunch at a local pizzeria, but no more kisses. There was also a quick stop at a bank where Coop opened a safe deposit box. He stored the ring inside and together they worked for the rest of the day, putting Coop’s apartment back in order.
She’d been fielding phone calls from her grandmother all afternoon, first asking where she was and then which client she was with. When her grandmother had realized Lexie was with Coop, Charlotte began sending her text messages.
When had her grandmother learned to text?
Invite ur yung man to dinner. Apparently, Grandma also thought she was young enough to send text slang. To which Lexie had replied, he’s not my young man. But Charlotte wasn’t about to be deterred. Rest of city thinks U R engaged. Bring him to meet the parents. Aka me.
And so it went. Lexie tried ignoring her, but the texts only piled up.
The best part of the day was that Lexie now had a glimpse into how Coop lived. The walk-up was cozy. A one-bedroom with purely masculine flavor and appeal. The centerpiece of the living room was a big-screen TV; a desktop PC sat in the corner, but the bookshelf held a prominent place as well. She could envision him stretched out at night, watching sports or reading, and relaxing after work. His home was as comfortable as the man himself.
Or at least as comfortable as the man she’d opened up to earlier today. Ever since they’d returned from lunch, she’d noticed a definite change in his attitude toward her. This, despite how much he’d seemed to understand her differences with her parents. Which meant he’d had more issues than he’d let on with her nomadic way of life. What else could have triggered the change in his mood?
She decided to tread carefully from now on and not read too much into that kiss. A kiss she still couldn’t forget. Hours later and her body was still trembling. A quick look at his handsome face and a distinct tightening twisted inside her stomach. But he’d made no more sexy overtures and so neither did she.
By four o’clock, they’d finished their cleanup work and she glanced around, pleased with all they’d accomplished. “We make quite a team.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.
He stretched his arms overhead, groaning as he moved. “I couldn’t have done this by myself,” he admitted.
“So imagine how much we’ll get accomplished when we start working on the stolen jewels.” She pointedly reminded him that they had another goal to start on as soon as possible. “What’s your schedule look like?” she asked.
“Tomorrow I’m back to work, which leaves evenings, unless a big story breaks.”
“Sounds good to me. I have an appointment at the Hot Zone tomorrow and I wanted to get a head start on some ideas I had for their new site. I can meet up with you later in the day or early evening. So what’s the plan?” she asked.
He raised his eyebrows. “Plan?”
Why did he have to look so stupefied? It was a simple question. “I watch Cold Case. And this is as cold as they come, but you’re an intrepid reporter who digs up stories all the time. So I’m sure you have a plan of action for us, right?”
He shook his head and laughed. “One step at a time, Sherlock. I haven’t had a chance to think that far ahead. I’ve been a little preoccupied with this.” He swept his hand around the apartment.
Her cell phone vibrated and Lexie let out a groan. “My grandmother,” she muttered, glancing at the incoming text. Dinner. Bring him. 6 p.m. She closed her eyes and prayed for patience.
“What’s wrong?” Coop asked.
“She wants you to come over for dinner tonight, but don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Lexie narrowed her gaze. “Why in the world would you want to do that?”
“I want to meet the woman who’s taken such good care of you.”
How could she refuse such a heartfelt declaration? “On one condition.”