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I drove around to the departure zone, and she climbed out of my truck. I did not give her a hug when I got her bags out for her. She peered up at me, her gaze a mix of hopeful and uncertain. “Have a safe trip,” I offered.
I waited there on the curb beside my truck in the drop-off area as she walked through the doors into the airport, glancing back one more time to wave.
A few minutes later, I was driving home, my thoughts on Farrah.
ChapterTwenty-Six
FARRAH
“Who?” I asked.
Janet handed over my change, and I promptly stuffed it in the tip jar.
“Cindy, his former fiancée,” Janet said, sotto voce.
“How do you know this?” I hated how curious I was. Until I’d met his ex, I’d had no idea Cooper had previously been engaged.
Janet shrugged. “I hear everything. His mother and Rowan’s mother were talking about it. I guess Cindy cheated on him with a friend after Cooper’s father died. Of course, that didn’t work out. Apparently, she came here to win Cooper back. He wanted nothing to do with it. I don’t even know what she was thinking. I suppose she thought creating a public spectacle would make something happen.” Janet shook her head, tsk-tsking.
“Oh,” I said, trying to keep my tone bland. I knew about the cheating, but I hadn’t known they’d been engaged when it happened.
Janet cocked her head to the side. “Cooper is a good man.”
“I know he is.”
“I know you two have a thing going on.”
I had just taken a swallow of my coffee and sputtered on it. She quickly handed me a napkin. I dabbed at the corners of my mouth.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I hedged.
Janet arched a brow. “Sure you do. Don’t worry, I would never say anything to anyone about it. But, you forget, I’m your landlady. And there’s a security camera in the hallway up there.”
Heat flared in my cheeks. “Oh my God,” I said slowly. “How much —”
“After that first crazy kiss in the hallway, I turned it off. You can rest assured. I only have it for safety and security. Not to be nosy.”
“Oh my God,” I repeated under my breath.
She chuckled. “I think you and Cooper make a cute couple.”
I shrugged. “It’s not like that.”
Janet narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to pretend this is one of those friends-with-benefits arrangements?”
I nodded vigorously. “Yes! He told me he’s not interested in commitment, and neither am I. Clearly, he has his reasons. So do I.” My words sounded more confident than I felt inside.
She studied me quietly. The understanding in her gaze made my heart ache a little.
“You know, your mom has talked to me. She wishes she could change how things went in your childhood.”
My eyes stung with tears, and my throat felt tight. I managed to shrug even though my attempt at nonchalance was total bullshit. “Nobody can change the past. I’m assuming she might’ve told you my stepdad was an abusive asshole. I know now that it wasn’t safe for her to leave, but I also know love is never worth it.”
Janet didn’t reply. She rounded the counter, surprising me when she pulled me into a warm, comforting embrace. When she stepped back, she looked deep into my eyes, and I felt like she was peering into my soul. “Loveisworth it.”
* * *
I finished chewing the last bite of a slice of pizza.
