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Simon finally made it to shore, dragging the coat behind him. “That’s it. I’m done.” He flung the coat in an empty, beached life raft.
“But…we have to find them.”
“You can find them, Coop. I have to cater a brunch tomorrow. Those women leave a trail of chaos in their wake.” He stomped toward the house. Or he would have stomped if he’d sloshed less.
Coop stayed where he was, watching the yacht sail out to sea.
It wasn’t chaos the Summer women left in their wake. It was his heart. Vivi and Dotty had somehow managed to find a place in it this past week.
Dotty with her unexpected charm and zest for life. Vivi with her deep intellect, thoughtfulness, and soft heart. Vivi with the big brown eyes he could get lost in, the hair that teased his senses for a touch, the one person he wanted to be with from the moment his eyes opened to the moment he drifted off to sleep.
The one person.
His person.
“I love Vivi,” he said in quiet wonder. Not that anyone was around to hear. He’d never been in love as an adult. He’d dated. Drifted in and out of relationships.
“Hey!” Simon called from behind him. “The caterer has a team out at an estate up the coast. I have the address of where the yacht is going.”
The boat was just a small dot of light on the water.
Coop turned and ran up the hill. “Where?”
Squish. Squish. Squish.
It felt like he was trudging through mud in his wet, salty clothes. Coop didn’t care. He was going to be there for Vivi when the boat docked.
Instead of telling him where they were going, Simon ran toward the house, his wet slacks practically falling off. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Coop knew he should be grateful to Simon for the information. It was just…now he wouldn’t have his people all to himself. “What happened to you being done withthose women.”
Simon hitched up his pants without breaking stride. “I can’t let Kelcie down. She’s liable to try something foolish like I did.”
The house was empty except for the cleaning crew.
“Kelcie?” Not Vivi? Coop ran faster, catching up to his former friend.
“Yeah. When I said those women, I meant Kelcie and Dotty. They’re a lot alike.” He gave a mirthless laugh. “Don’t you remember my type? Blond. Unpredictable. Always ready for an adventure.”
“Yeah.” Coop remembered now. “And my type was…”
“Any woman.”
“Well, it’s Vivi now.” And hopefully forever. “How’d that coat thief get the best of you?”
“He got lucky.” Simon wrung out his shirt, leaving his own wake on the white marble floor. “I stumbled over something. He just used the momentum to send me over the rail.”
“A likely story.” Coop grinned.
They reached the front porch. A valet took their claim ticket and read the numbers into a walkie-talkie. And then the two men fell silent.
“You think they’ll be okay?” Coop asked, worried once more.
“Sure. Maybe. I hope so.” Simon shrugged. “Violet seems to have a good head on her shoulders.”
Violet, who’d been warming up to dance by shadow-boxing.
Coop ran a few steps down the driveway toward the approaching valet. “Where’s my car?”
