Apple Cider (Cupid's Coffeeshop Book 9) Read online

“Alice, you were supposed to be here half an hour ago! My date will be here—”

  “Harper,” Alice’s voice sounded thick with tears. “Mom wanted me to practice my driving and…”

  “And what?” Harper demanded, her pulse thrumming in her wrists as panic surged through her. Alice sobbed and said something unintelligible. “Alice?”

  “I ran a stop sign. I didn’t mean to do it.”

  “Is Mom okay?” Harper asked, gripping the hall table to keep herself upright. Dimly, she heard the doorbell chime, then the patter of Layla’s small feet as she ran past to fling open the door. Harper turned to see Cooper and Noah in the doorway as black spots danced in front of her eyes. When Cooper saw her, the smile slid off of his handsome face. He stuffed the colorful bouquet he was holding into Noah’s arms and nudged both kids toward the kitchen.

  “Noah, take Layla on into the family room. Now, son,” Cooper said, his deep voice calm and commanding. Harper stumbled to the stairs as she listened to Alice sob.

  She sat down heavily on the steps and put her head between her knees. Harper drew in several deep breaths, praying she wouldn’t pass out. Cooper crouched in front of her, gently touching her knee, a comforting, grounding caress. “Who’s on the phone?”

  “My sister, Alice. I think they had a car accident. My mom—”

  Cooper slipped her cell phone out of her nerveless hand. “Alice, this is Cooper Mason, Harper’s next door neighbor. I understand you’ve had a car accident. Is your mom okay?”

  Harper twisted her shaking fingers together and fought to think over the whine of panic in her head. Cooper talked in a low, soothing voice to her sister. “What hospital?”

  Cooper got the details and hung up. “Come on. I’ll drive you.”

  “No, I don’t want Layla to come. Not until I know more.” Harper reached for the phone but couldn’t get her numb fingers to wrap around it. Cooper took her hand instead. “Let me call a sitter,” Harper cried.

  “I’ll watch the kids,” Cooper offered. “You go to your mom.”

  “Sorry about our date,” Harper called over her shoulder as she grabbed her car keys and dashed out the front door.

  By the time Harper arrived at the ER, her mother sat on a hospital gurney, showing pictures of Layla to an attentive orderly. Alice curled in her visitor’s chair, her long, chestnut-colored hair shielding her face. Every so often, Alice let out a little, hiccupping sob. Harper leaned against a wall, weak-kneed with relief, as she took in her mom. Other than a nasty abrasion near her temple that was just beginning to bloom into a bruise, her bright-eyed mother looked none the worse for wear. Still, Harper thought she looked tiny under the stark hospital lights, like a small wrinkled child. She swallowed hard, not liking to think of her vibrant mother getting old.

  As the patient orderly departed, Harper’s mom looked up and started in surprise. “Harper? What are you doing here?”

  “Alice told me,” Harper answered, her tone brittle and overly cheery. She walked to the side of the bed and leaned over to kiss her mom’s cheek, inhaling the lavender and rose scent that clung to her mom.

  “How are you doing, Mom?”

  “I’m fine. Don’t know what all the fuss is about.”

  “She hit her head on the dashboard and lost consciousness,” Alice said. “They want to run some tests.”

  “I’m fine,” her mom insisted. “Wasn’t tonight your date with that nice man next door?”

  “Wait—how’d you hear about that?” Harper demanded.

  “Barb Stevenson told me at book club last night,” her mom answered. “He’s very handsome. A real silver fox.”

  “How did Barb know about it?”

  “She’s very good friends with Amy Lane who just married Ben Brooks and…”

  “And Ben is Lisa’s daughter’s father.” Harper raised her eyes heavenward. “I love being discussed as though I’m on our town’s soap opera, As Ashford Falls Turns. Well, instead of being on my date with the silver fox, I’m here with you, since Alice decided to drive through a stop sign.”

  “I didn’t mean to!” Alice wailed.

  Harper smoothed a hand over her sister’s chestnut hair, reminded vividly of Layla. She didn’t look forward to Layla’s teen years, though; in her private opinion, Alice took the whole teenage angst thing way too much to heart.

  “So, what happened with your date, Harp?” her mom asked, over Alice’s weeping.

  “He’s watching the kids so I could be here with you, Mom.”

  “Oh no. You go on home.”

  “Mrs. Wells, it’s time for your CT scan,” a cheerful orderly in pink scrubs caroled as she flipped back the curtain.

  “Oh, I can’t go now, Mom. I can’t miss your scan!” Harper teased.

  She stayed at the hospital until, several hours later, the ER doctor pronounced her mother in the clear and discharged both patients. Harper drove them home before heading to her house.

  Just before midnight, she pulled into her driveway, admiring the way the house looked welcoming, all lit up from within.

  Now the crisis was over, Harper felt jittery and out of sorts, probably from the two cups of dreadful hospital coffee downed on an empty stomach. Wearily, she trod up the steps and let herself in. Layla and Noah lay on opposite ends of the sofa, tucked under her colorful throw blanket, sound asleep. Cooper sat dozing in the armchair, the muted TV casting blue light over his face, turning it into a study in shadows and contrasts. Her kitchen was immaculate, the dishwasher running softly through its cycle. The sheer domesticity of the scene hit her hard.

  After years of relying only on herself, tonight she’d been able to rely on a man for the first time in a long, long time. Harper was startled to realize how contented and happy she felt; maybe she and Cooper could make it for the long term. Harper hadn’t thought beyond a few dates but now, she could see their future together so clearly as they created a blended family all their own.

  When she flipped off the television, Cooper woke.

  “How’s your mom?” he asked.

  “She’s going to be fine. Alice is okay too. Their car is not.”

  “Thank goodness.” Cooper caught her hand, looking up at her with a slight, half grin on his face. Harper flushed as she remembered the intensity of their kiss, the glorious heat between them. She wanted to taste that grin, and as she bent down to kiss him, the remote clattered to the floor. Layla sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. “Mama!”

  Harper straightened and shifted away from Cooper, slipping her hand free. She forced a smile for Layla and stepped over to the sofa. “Hey there, little miss. What did you have for dinner?”

  “Cooper made us apple pie pancakes, just like you do.” Layla looked at Cooper with a big, beaming smile. “Then we all watched a movie. I fell asleep before the end, though.”

  Layla yawned. “We’d better get you into your PJs and off to bed then,” Harper said.

  “Can you carry me upstairs?”

  “You’re too big for mama to carry, baby girl.”

  “Not you, mama. I meant Cooper.” Layla put her arms up to Cooper, stars in her eyes. And just like a balloon popping, Harper’s rosy vision of the future evaporated. Getting involved with Cooper meant Layla would get attached too. And then, if it didn’t work out… Harper was a big girl. She could handle disappointment—she had handled it before—but she’d protect Layla from it if she could. Harper realized she just couldn’t take the risk, even if a tiny voice in her head whispered coward.

  “I’ll get you ready for bed after Cooper and Noah head home,” Harper said, in a sharp, brittle tone that sounded harsh to her own ears. Cooper shook Noah’s shoulder as Layla shot her mom a puzzled look. Cooper guided a sleepy Noah to the door, Harper walking behind them.

  “Should we try again for our date tomorrow night, then?” Cooper asked. Harper shook her head, not meeting his eyes.

  “I’ll have to see what my mom wants. I’ll let you know.”

  Cooper looked startle
d at her cold tone but leaned over to give her a kiss goodnight; she shifted back, so it landed on her cheek.

  “See you around, Cooper. Bye, Noah.”

  And Harper stepped back inside and shut the door on her future.

  Chapter Five

  Harper successfully avoided Cooper all weekend. Early Monday afternoon, with just a few hours to go before she met the bus, she carried her battered laptop to the coffeeshop, getting there early enough to snag a table in the back. She sipped on a bitter espresso without any creamer or sugar, as she fought with the code on her website.

  She did not think of Cooper more than every other minute or so. After working steadily for an hour, a shadow fell over the table. Without looking up, Harper held up her empty crimson coffee mug, expecting Patrick or Joe to fill it, but no fresh coffee appeared; she looked up into Cooper’s handsome face.

  “Cooper,” Harper said, waving her empty coffee cup. He set it on the table and claimed the empty seat across from her. As the cafe wasn’t crowded this morning, he could have sat at any other available space. Instead, he sat with her.

  “How’s your mom?” he asked.

  “She’s fine. Just a little sore.”

  “And your sister?”

  “Also fine. I think her pride was more injured, actually,” Harper said.

  After a brief, awkward silence fell between them, Cooper tapped his fingers on the table. He shifted as if to stand and then seemed to think the better of it. “Have I done something to upset you, Harper?”

  “No. Not at all.” Harper said, her voice high and breathy. “In fact, I never got a chance to thank you for helping out the other night. You’re a good friend. A good neighbor.”

  Cooper raised a single eyebrow, assessing her. “A good neighbor.”

  Harper bobbed her head. “Yes. A great neighbor.”

  “And friend?” he said, incredulous.

  “Yep. That too.” Harper agreed, feeling the heat creep up her face.

  Cooper stayed silent for a moment, then ran one long, index finger down her forearm, sending frissons of awareness dancing over her skin along with that delicious heat she craved. “See, call me crazy, neighbor. But I thought we were more than friendly last Tuesday when we were kissing on your back deck.”

  Harper shuddered, remembering the bonfire of their kiss. If it had just been lust with Cooper, she could maybe have discreetly scratched that itch with him and moved on. But she liked Cooper. And, worse, Layla did too.

  “Yes, that was um…very friendly.” Harper agreed.

  “So, why are you avoiding me?”

  “I’m not,” Harper protested, but he shot her a look from those amazing eyes and she wilted. “I just can’t date you.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Harper chewed her lip. “Because Layla likes you so much,” she blurted.

  “Noah likes you too.” Cooper’s forehead scrunched up, confusion obvious on his face. “But, I was kinda hoping we could date to explore this attraction between us.”

  “But, what if it didn’t work out?”

  “What if it did?”

  “I just don’t want to risk Layla getting hurt.”

  “Harper, I don’t want to risk Noah either. That’s why I haven’t dated much since I got here.” Cooper took her hand, playing with her fingers. “But, I’m too old to play games. I like you, Harper. I might even be starting to feel a lot more than like. But if you don’t want to explore it, I respect that.”

  “I’m not playing games. I just…” Harper looked up into Cooper’s face. Awareness seemed to shiver in the air between them, charged with desire. Before she could think the better of it, she leaned over and kissed him, a soft, sweet press of lips.

  Cooper ran his thumb over her cheek and smiled at her. “I think we both see a potential future here that scares the hell out of us. The thing we have to decide is are we willing to take the chance?”

  Harper met his gaze, drew a deep breath and—once again feeling like she stood at the top of a high diving board—nodded.

  Cooper beamed at her. “So, now we’ve decided to cautiously date, can I buy you a drink?”

  “Better make it a to-go cup so we can meet the bus.”

  “Deal.” Cooper twined his fingers with hers and kissed the end of her nose, an affectionate, sweet, hopeful gesture. Happiness and contentment radiated through Harper’s body. She gathered her stuff and they strode up to the counter together.

  Patrick Lockhart looked up. “Can I offer you a blended cider?”

  “Last I heard, you were offering vanilla, caramel, or spiced,” Harper asked. “What’s a blended?”

  “All three mixed together,” Patrick laughed. “It’s surprisingly delicious. Some things are just better together, I guess.”

  Cooper grinned at Harper. “We’ll take two.”

  After getting their drinks, Cooper and Harper exited Cupid’s Coffeeshop into the afternoon sunshine, admiring the way the leaves in the square were just starting to turn into their autumn party colors; they walked hand in hand as they strolled into their future together.

  THE END… Thank you for taking the time to read Apple Cider. I hope you enjoyed it. Please consider posting a short review and telling your friends. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and very much appreciated.

  Are you ready for some football? October brings falling leaves, Pumpkin Spice, and football to Ashford Falls.

  When high school football coach Natalie Lawson comes to Ashford Falls, the whole town thinks she’s a joke. Especially, high school principal Jameson Kincade, the father of the star quarterback for the Ashford Falls Panthers.

  When Natalie and her Panthers rack up the points, Jameson is forced to admit Natalie knows football. Despite being her boss, she captures his heart just as easily as her team catches interceptions.

  But is Natalie game to admit she’s his perfect match? Find out in Pumpkin Spice, tenth in the Cupid's Coffeeshop series.

  While you are waiting for more Cupid’s Coffeeshop, please check out my other novels, including The Lost Art of Second Chances and the Always a Bridesmaid series.

  Please come visit me at www.Courtney-Hunt.com and sign up for my email newsletter. No spam! Just new releases and other big news.

  Thanks again for your support!

  Author’s Note

  You won’t find Ashford Falls if you consult a map. It’s a fictionalized version of Leesburg, Virginia. Located about 40 miles west of DC, the sleepy tiny town has become a bedroom community full of new development. But the heart of the old town is still there, tucked into the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sadly, Cupid’s Coffeeshop does not exist at all, except in my imagination.

  Thanks to my editor, Annie at e-scribes.com, for taking me on as a client at the very last minute and making the book so much better. Also many thanks to Kim Killion of the Killion Group for my gorgeous covers and designing the Cupid’s Coffeeshop logo.

  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the ninth story in the Cupid’s Coffeeshop series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please check out my series page on Amazon for each new release. You can also find merchandise, illustrated quotes, and blogs about Cupid’s Coffeeshop on my website at www.Courtney-Hunt.com

  I’m also usually found on twitter at @courtneyhunt71, and would love to chat!