Temporarily Yours (Shillings Agency #1)(36)
Author: Diane Alberts

“I respect that about you,” his dad said. “I’ve been worried about you, son. Watching your best friend die…that changes a man.”

When the familiar ache pierced his chest, Cooper closed his eyes. The pain had never fully left him since Josh’s death. He didn’t think it ever would. But for the first time ever, the pain wasn’t paired with underlying guilt. Progress. “I’m fine. I’m not good yet, but I’m getting there.”

“No one is good when they come home. Going to war can change a man. It can make you feel lost without a purpose to life. I know it did that to me.” His father paused. “I was lost until I met your mother. Then I started working in private security. But until I had that… I didn’t want you to come home and fall into the same destructive behavior I did. I didn’t want to see you make the same mistakes as me, or get eaten alive by the survivor’s guilt.”

Cooper swallowed hard. “I’m not going to. Coming down here, it changed me. I’m not going to lie.”

“Well, good. But you were already a strong man, son.” His father’s voice warmed. “I’m very proud of you, and proud of all you’ve accomplished. No matter what else you might question about me, don’t ever doubt that again.”

Emotion hit him in the chest, hard and mercilessly. He hadn’t realized, until now, how badly he’d wanted to hear those words. To know, no matter what option he chose, that his father approved of him. “Thanks, Dad. I really…just, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” his dad said, his voice gruff. “You keep safe over there, you hear? I’ll be watching the news at the agency, making sure I don’t see anything happening where you are, but still. Keep safe.”

Cooper sank down on the bed again, clutching the phone so hard it hurt. Kayla had been right. And he’d been so horribly wrong to push her away. He didn’t know if he could fix this mess he’d made with her, but he was going to try.

“So tell me…was it a girl?”

Cooper blinked. “W-What?”

“The change of heart.” His father laughed. “Was it caused by a girl?”

“Yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “It was.”

“Your mother might have a heart attack when she finds out you met someone down there. She’s been trying to find a nice girl up here for you, but something tells me she’ll just be happy you finally found someone.” A lighter flicked. His father was no doubt relighting his cigar. “Will we be meeting her when you come home from your assignment overseas?”

Cooper straightened his shoulders and tightened his fingers on his knee. It was time to go all in or nothing. If he wanted to be with Kayla, and he did, then this was the way it had to be.

All. Fucking. In.

“About that…”

Chapter Nineteen

This was it. This was the moment where the bride and groom would both say I do, and live happily ever after. Despite her own fake-boyfriend/real-heartache drama, she couldn’t be happier for Susan and Max. Couldn’t be more certain that they would be a statistic…a statistic for the marriages that lasted. They would conquer the odds.

They would live happily ever after.

As Kayla clutched the bouquet of flowers so hard her palms were sweating, Susan regally walked down the aisle, smiling up at Max with love shining in her eyes. Max looked as close to tears as Kayla felt.

God, she was going to cry.

This was one of the reasons she hated weddings. They turned everyone into a soppy, wet mess. She’d held it together when everyone asked where Cooper was. For a second, she debated lying and saying he’d been called away for work, but his boss stood right next to her. He’d know it for the lie it was, damn it. So she’d told them the truth.

She’d told them that they’d broken up.

Her father had been strangely silent through the chaos that had ensued. Her mother had scowled, disappointment clearly etched on her features, and Susan had sworn to rip his nuts off and feed them to the wolves. After way too many minutes, Kayla had shouted at the top of her lungs for them both to stop it. This was Susan’s day. Not Kayla’s.

And then the focus had gone back where it belonged—on Susan.

Her mom and sister were still angry at Cooper and she kept getting pitying glances thrown her way, but now that they were all in public, everyone was all smiles. Southern etiquette and all that crap. You could be pissed—but you had to be pissed with a smile on your face.

Up on the altar, Max tugged on his bowtie and grinned like a fool, filling the role of the lovesick groom to perfection. If Kayla were to describe the most heart-rendering expression on a groom’s face she had ever seen in her whole life…it would be today.

Max really loved Susan. And he really was a great guy.

Cooper’s face swam before her eyes—his startlingly green gaze, his rock-hard body, his sexier-than-sexy smile. Then she reminded herself he was gone, and she shoved the picture away. She needed to focus on Susan, not her own mess of a life.

Her sister had found happiness. True happiness.

How many people could say they’d done the same and not lost it?

“I take this woman, as my lawfully wedded husband—” Max cut himself off, his cheeks going bright red. “I mean wife. My lawfully wedded wife. I’m so nervous—I’m sorry.”

Susan laughed up at Max, squeezing his hands. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Max finished his vows without further issue, and when he finished he whispered three little words that only a few people could see—and Kayla was one of them.

He looked down at Susan and mouthed: I love you.

Kayla sniffed and wiped the tears off of her cheeks with the back of her hand, biting down on her quivering lip. Ah, hell. That was the last of her restraint.

Cue the messy tears. Except they were messy tears of happiness for her sister—a nice change to the river of sadness she’d cried last night over Cooper. But enough of that. Today was for her little sister. And Cooper could go back to the hell in which he was so determined to live.

Susan said her vows, then they exchanged rings and kissed. As Kayla held both bouquets, tears running down her face, she realized something. She did want this.

She wanted it with Cooper.

After posing for an obscene number of pictures, Kayla sank down into her chair at the reception hall and rubbed her sore jaw. Who would’ve thought smiling would cause so much pain? She relaxed against the back of the seat, taking a second to compose herself.