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Coop was too broad shouldered to zip in between the guests the way Dotty did. It wasn’t long before they lost sight of her. Bodies pressed against them. He saw a gap in the wall and drew Vivi inside a nook with a small desk. “Let’s regroup. We’ll catch up to Dotty soon enough.”
Vivi’s forehead furrowed with worry.
He brushed his thumb over the lines, smoothing them out. “You’ve got this. And you’ve got me. I know my life looks like a trainwreck, but I’ve got this. All of it.” And in that moment, Coop believed it was true. He knew what he wanted to do with his life and how he fit into the Pearson family. All he needed was a formal plan and his father’s approval.
Coop bent to kiss those sweet red lips of Vivi’s—because she was close, staring at his mouth, and they were alone in a sea of people. Her lips were warm and welcoming. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, drawing her close, wondering how he was going to tell her that he wasn’t who she thought he was.
Vivi drew back, gaze searching his.
“What’s wrong?”
“You went somewhere. Right in the middle of kissing me.” She arched those expressive brows.
And he wished they didn’t need to find Dotty. He wished they were truly alone. “I need to tell you something.” The time had come.
“Chuck!” Kelcie practically fell into the nook with them. She grabbed hold of Coop’s arm at the wrist above the hand that held onto the woman he’d been kissing. With one mercenary glance at Vivi, Kelcie yanked Coop’s arm free and turned him around. “You need to try this new drink.”
Vivi slipped away, presumably to follow Dotty.
“No. I don’t.” He dug in his heels, craning his neck to track Vivi’s progress. Impossible. The crowd was too dense.
“But Chuck. It’s super tingly.” Kelcie held up a tumbler with pink and white liquid swirling in it. “And everything seems so much better after you drink one.”
He suspected there was more in her drink than alcohol. Her pupils were dilated. He plucked the drink from of her hands and set it down on a side table. “I’m working tonight. Driving.” He held out his hands as if he gripped a steering wheel in case she couldn’t hear. “No drinks for me. I need to find Dotty and Vivi.” Especially since there were suspect drinks in the house.
“O.M.G.! Dotty is so fun. She and I are going to be runway models for Xuri.” Kelcie lurched sideways, face suddenly sweaty and turning a sickening green.
“You need some air.” And luckily, if Dotty had been heading for the pool, there’d be plenty of it. Coop took Kelcie by the arm and made his way slowly to the backyard.
The party was less of a crush outside, but it was still difficult to navigate through. Coop spotted Dotty’s coat on the far side of the pool. A blond man was talking to Vivi halfway between Coop and Dotty. She laughed at whatever he said.
Simon.The air whooshed from Coop’s chest in a dash of jealousy and fear. He hadn’t told Vivi who he was, and he didn’t want Simon to blab the truth about him. He needed time to tell her and a way to ease into it gently. He was just beginning to repair the damage his firing had caused. Vivi may not give him a second chance.
He hurried down the stairs, dragging a now silent Kelcie after him. When he finally reached Vivi, the man who’d been moving in on his territory turned.
“Coop!” Simon clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I knew we’d run into each other again.”
Vivi frowned at him. “Coop?”
If Coop didn’t say something fast, Simon was going to blow everything. “Simon, I have someone I want you to meet.” He dragged Kelcie forward and introduced her.
There was a dull look in Kelcie’s eye, but she smiled a little. And she looked cute in her purple dress, her blond hair a mass of curls. Simon liked blondes. And Kelcie managed a wave. “I run the localbootcamps.” Only she didn’t sayboot.“Oops.” Kelcie placed her palms over her bra cups and jiggled the goods. “Boosh camp…Book camp…boo-oo…”
“She’s an exercise instructor,” Vivi came to her rescue. “Her talent is smiling while making my muscles scream in agony.”
All this was shouted, because the music blared at rock concert levels. Coop could have sworn the empty pool had waves made by the beat of the bass.
“Yep.”Kelcie massaged her cheeks and lips the way one did after getting a shot of Novocain.
“Hey, Simon.” Coop guided Kelcie next to him. “We need to retrieve Vivi’s grandmother. Can you watch Kelcie? She’s had too much to drink.”
“One drink.” Kelcie’s arm shot straight up in the air, index finger pointing toward the wisps of pinkish-tinged clouds. “Chuck discarded my second glass.”
Coop didn’t wait to see if Simon agreed to babysit or if Kelcie protested. He took Vivi’s hand and made his way to the end of the pool, tugging her along. Except… “Where did Dotty go?” The huge coat with blue bunnies was nowhere to be seen.
“There!” Vivi pointed toward a gazebo.
Sure enough, the elderly dynamo had found space in the gazebo overlooking the ocean.
