The two men began discussing various aspects of the new course, leaving Bree at the mercy of Frances. Wonderful.
“A real-live reporter, all the way up here. How about that?” the young woman commented through a frigid smile. “What do you think of our little town?”
“I haven’t seen much, but the people I’ve met so far are fantastic.” She added a little bite to her tone to let her know she might be able to fool a nice guy like Cooper, but Bree had her number.
“Sorry about that,” Cooper apologized to Bree as Derek headed back to his table. “But it’s impossible to get a tee time at that new club.”
For the hostess’s benefit, Bree smiled. “No problem.”
Frances escorted them to a secluded table on the deck overlooking the bay. Because he was pulling out Bree’s chair, he didn’t notice the longing look Frances tossed back over her shoulder as she left. Bree could hardly blame her. Even in Richmond Cooper would be considered quite the catch. With so little competition up here, he must look like a prince.
Once they were settled, he crossed his arms on the table. “The crews really warmed up to you, didn’t they?”
Taking a sip of her water, she replied, “They were awesome. And very entertaining. It’s easy to see how much they love this place.”
He cocked his head with a knowing look. “But you don’t share their opinion.”
She didn’t, but Bree wisely refrained from admitting it outright. “I just got here, so I haven’t formed an opinion yet.”
“How ’bout a gut feel? I won’t hold you to it or anything, just curious.”
She’d learned the hard way not to voice her impressions, first or otherwise. But his genuine kindness had put some of those usual fears to rest, and she instinctively knew she could trust him. “I love the lighthouse. It’s really beautiful out there.”
Judging by his bright grin, she’d hit one of his favorite buttons. “Yeah, it is. Kaleidoscope has over a million readers nationwide, and I’m hoping we can get enough coverage that people will start to recognize the name and want to come check things out.”
“That’s my goal, too.” She’d meant every word, but his wary look made her think he didn’t believe her. “Did I say something wrong?”
He hesitated, clearly debating whether to start something with her. They didn’t know each other well, and she wondered just how much backbone this small-town mayor had under that neatly pressed blue oxford shirt.
Leaning in, his eyes darkened to a murky color that warned her a storm was coming. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. I know you’re here to rescue your career from the trash heap. I also know this is the last spot on earth you want to be. So let’s not pretend you came because Holiday Harbor fascinates you and you’re thrilled with this assignment.”
Narrowing her eyes, she angled closer just to show him she wasn’t intimidated. She seldom went toe-to-toe with such a worthy opponent, and she relished the opportunity. “Fair enough. Since we’re being so honest, tell me why you really came back to a town so small, you need a magnifying glass to find it on a map.”
A waitress headed their way, and they both eased back to create a more sociable appearance. She took their appetizer order, casting several admiring looks at Cooper before strolling back inside.
“Sickening,” Bree groused. “Does every woman within five miles have a thing for you?”
“Actually the older ones prefer my Uncle Joe.”
He said it with a completely straight face, and she had to laugh. “You must have killed in the courtroom. I’m usually good at reading people, and I couldn’t tell you were joking.”
“I wasn’t.” Taking a sip of water, he set it down and began. “Anyway, like I told you earlier, after Yale I worked at a big firm in New York. Lots of cases, high-profile clients, all the trimmings.”
Not all of it had been good, she deduced from his shifting expressions. Watching him tell it was even better than digging it up online. “And you dated—let me guess—an actress.”
“A model.” His mouth quirked into a cute half grin. “I was almost engaged to Felicia.”
“The Felicia?” When he nodded, she clapped quietly. “Very nice. But you said ‘almost.’ What happened?”
“I had a major court case that went on forever. Long story short, we won, and my client was thrilled with the result.” He paused, waiting until the waitress set down their crab cakes and informed them their lobsters would be out shortly. Once she was gone, he continued. “Then the moron told me I’d had a little help winning the case.”
Bree leaned in. “From the judge?”
Cooper shook his head. “From my client. Apparently, he didn’t tell me everything, just what he felt I needed to know to get him acquitted.”
“He lied to you?”
“Withheld key facts,” Cooper corrected her with a grimace. “Since it was a complex financial issue, the details might not have mattered to the jury, but they mattered to me. I’d faced that kind of thing a few times before, but this time I couldn’t rationalize it away. The next day I quit my job and asked Felicia to come back here and marry me.”
Bree made a show of looking around. “Not exactly nirvana for models.”
“No, but I thought she loved me and wanted to be my wife.” Another grimace. “Turned out she loved New York more.”
A few choice words came to mind, but Bree kept them to herself. He’d loved the woman enough to marry her after all. It wouldn’t make him feel any better if Bree insulted the self-centered twit, even if she totally deserved it.
“Now it’s your turn,” Cooper said, popping half a crab cake into his mouth. “Should I be worried about some jealous boyfriend coming to beat me up for taking you out to dinner?”
“You might,” she said in between bites. “If I had one.”
“You’re kidding.” When she shook her head, he stared at her like she’d just beamed in from another galaxy. “How does that happen to someone as pretty as you?”
Since the man had been engaged to one of People magazine’s Most Beautiful Women, and had a very dry wit besides, Bree wasn’t sure she should take him seriously. But his stunned demeanor never changed, and she decided he was playing it straight this time.
“I’m too busy,” she said simply. When he cocked his head in disbelief, she figured that since he’d been up front with her, she owed him the truth. “Even if I wasn’t, my parents’ messy divorce convinced me that constant traveling and marriage don’t mix.”
Cooper absorbed it with a somber expression. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. I was in college when they finally split, and to be honest, it was a relief. My dad was an AP correspondent, and we moved around a lot. When he was on assignment, they fought about him being away too much. When he was home, they fought about him being underfoot. Not the best model for happily ever after.”
“I guess not.” After a sip of water, he asked, “Which one of them came up with your unique name?”
Bree groaned. “My mother. She’s a hopeless romantic, and her favorite movie is Sabrina. You know, the one where the two rich brothers fall in love with the butler’s daughter who used to be a plain Jane and—poof!—turns into Audrey Hepburn?”
Grinning, Cooper forked up a cherry tomato from his salad. “Sounds familiar.”
“As if that wasn’t mortifying enough, she saddled me with Constance for a middle name. It’s