She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never looked that far ahead.”
Sara glanced at her watch. “Auction starts soon. I have to go, but can I offer you a suggestion?”
Lexie nodded.
“Think about it. Before it’s too late.”
COOP WAITED A FEW extra minutes to get himself under control before walking out of the coatroom. He stopped in the men’s room before checking in with the foundation people, who briefed him on his role. They’d hired an auctioneer, so all Coop had to do was read descriptions from notecards and let the professional do his thing.
He caught sight of Amanda mingling with potential bidders, looking beautiful as always, and practically salivating at the prospect of being the only journalist in the room. He waved and continued scanning the crowd.
Sara walked into the room, her eyes alert as she strode around. To all the world she appeared to be looking for someone. To Coop, she was surveying the guests, making certain everyone belonged. Seemingly satisfied, she headed for the bar to order her standard club soda with a twist of lime.
Coop’s father stood off to one side along with his date, Felicia. Coop admired the woman with his dad, a brunette who appeared larger than Coop’s petite mother, but who wore the same expression his mother had around the old man. A look of adoration.
Jack Cooper had obviously met someone who cared for him. And if Jack had brought her here, he obviously felt the same way. Coop was happy for him, and headed over to meet the woman who’d finally woken his father out of his long coma.
During the introductions and conversation, Coop looked around for Lexie, wanting nothing more than to share this momentous occasion with her.
But she was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s your lady?” Jack asked, reading his mind.
“Sara is by the bar,” Coop said, being deliberately obtuse.
Jack glanced at the ceiling. “Did I really raise him?”
Felicia laughed. “Maybe he wants to keep his private life private. I’ll go freshen up,” she said diplomatically.
Coop shook his head. “Please stay.”
His father shot him a look of gratitude.
“Look, Lexie’s here. We just had a disagreement and she’s probably taking a minute to compose herself,” Coop admitted.
“Are you still being stubborn? Insisting you can’t be with a woman who loves to travel?”
“She asked me to go with her.” Coop’s head still spun from the question.
“That’s great!” Jack met his gaze before realization dawned in his eyes. “You said no. Son of a bitch.”
Coop shook his head. “How did I become the bad guy? I have a life here. A steady, successful job. An apartment.”
So why did he feel so empty? How could all the things he’d valued suddenly not be enough?
“If you’re lucky enough to find love, you don’t run away from it,” his father insisted. And to Coop’s surprise, he hooked his arm through Felicia’s.
Coop glanced around the banquet room, the glittering chandeliers and the elite of society surrounding him, but he only had eyes for one woman. Who was destined to drive him crazy.
“Do you think it’s normal that she doesn’t have a home to call her own?” Coop asked, keeping his voice low but firm.
Jack shrugged. “Doesn’t mean she can’t. Or that she won’t down the road. So she doesn’t have a home. Did you offer her yours?” his father asked.
He hadn’t. Not in those exact words. Coop reeled at the realization. “We both assumed it could only be all one way.”
“Hmm. I wonder why you wouldn’t want to run off with the girl of your dreams. Let me think. You’d have more time to write. And no excuses if you failed,” Jack said, rubbing Coop’s face in the one thing he knew his son could not handle.
“Not now,” Coop warned him.
“Then when? Do you really think I give a damn that you couldn’t be a cop because of a bum shoulder? Or that your marriage bottomed out because your wife couldn’t be faithful? None of that’s a reflection on the man you are, but you’re too damn stubborn to see it.”
Coop massaged the back of his neck. He heard his father. He even acknowledged that the man had a point. So maybe it was time to rethink his future.
LEXIE KNEW COOP had a job to do tonight. He didn’t need more personal drama before the auction and she needed time to think. So she headed for the jewels. She wanted to take a look at the pieces of the set her grandmother and friends had kept hidden for years.
To her surprise, it was hard to get near them. For items Lexie had always considered ugly, they sure were attracting a lot of attention. Which was a good thing for the foundation, she thought, since it probably meant someone would bid on them. Too bad she couldn’t afford to buy the necklace back for her grandmother, but the jewels were worth more than the price of a house. Who knew?
She hadn’t seen her grandmother and Sylvia yet, and hoped they were staying out of trouble. The town house was spacious and they could be walking around or in the ladies’ room.
She glanced around. Waiters were serving champagne, taking drink orders and returning with requests. Lexie accepted a glass of bubbly and strode around, waiting for an opening to get closer to her grandmother’s necklace.
She looked at the guests, wondering if she was mingling with the rich and famous without realizing it. A pretty blonde, who looked like a news anchor on television, walked by in a red dress Lexie absolutely adored.
She caught Lexie staring and smiled.
“Do I know you?” the other woman asked.
Lexie laughed. “I thought you looked familiar. Maybe from TV? The news?”
The other woman shook her head. “You flatter me. I’m actually a behind-the-scenes kind of woman. Amanda Nichols, fashion editor at the Daily Post.”
Lexie’s eyes opened wide. “Oh! You work with Coop. I’m Lexie—”
“Lexie Davis, I know. From the paper. The Bachelor Blog mentioned you,” Amanda said.
Lexie rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me.”
“I think the Blog is kind of sweet. In a matchmaking sort of way.” Amanda smiled. “Anyway, are you having fun tonight?”
“I am,” Lexie lied. She wasn’t about to burden a stranger with her problems. “I was hoping to get a look at the jewelry being auctioned off before it’s gone for good.”
Amanda nodded. “I think I can help you with that.” She grabbed Lexie’s arm and brought her around the side of the table. “Excuse me,” she said, pushing past people who were talking but not really looking at the items.