supposed to do. That kept the chefs, waitresses, barkeeps, and servers on their toes.
When Brynn, Tyler, and I got to school, Cooper was waiting in the parking lot for me. I stole a moment just to take in the sight of him, so awed that any guy with his good looks could possibly be mine. His oatmeal sweater hugged his shoulders, accenting their width; his jeans hugged his muscled legs, accenting their length. Yeah. Perfectly hot.
And the kicker? Totally mine.
Having nothing to lose, Cooper hooked his arm around my neck, which left his hand dangling over my right boob. Not that he made a move on me. He didn't. But that position made it a little hard to walk. Luckily, I didn't mind our feet tangling every few steps and proudly entered the building with him by my side.
Cooper showed up at the end of every class and walked me to the next that morning, raising eyebrows everywhere. Or was the news about my sidekicks still spreading? I'd hoped my scandal was yesterday's news.
Not.
Just as Cooper and I left the caf after lunch, a Hispanic girl I didn't even know blocked our way in the hall.
Her dark eyes flashed with indignation. "Go back to your own school, witch."
I couldn't believe my ears. "What is this, Salem High?"
"Grow up, Felisa," said Cooper, steering us around her. He didn't stop until we were out of sight.
Not ten feet down the hall, a guy I didn't know blocked our way. Tall and lanky, he towered over both of us. But he spoke to me alone. "Can we talk in private?"
Startled by his request, I hesitated just a sec. "Now?"
"Yes."
Cooper stared him down. "I'm not leaving, Sutter."
The guy shrugged. "Whatever."
I waited.
He thought for a second and then spoke. "There's no afterlife."
"Excuse me?"
"You claim to talk to spirits, but you can't. Death is the end of everything."
"I see. And what makes you say that?"
"My dad believed in that shit. He promised he'd contact me when he died just to prove it was true."
"And you haven't heard from him?"
"Nope."
"Did it ever occur to you that he might not be dead?"
Sutter suddenly didn't look so certain. "Of course he's dead. Otherwise, he'd have come home from that hunting trip out west last year."
Positive the guy was alive and well someplace, I didn't answer.
"I know what you're getting at. Mom thinks that, too. But Dad would never abandon us. Never." Sutton sounded so sure, but his body language told another story.
I deliberately backtracked. "I could be wrong. This isn't an exact science."
"My point exactly. You need to know that there's at least one student attending this stupid school who's smart enough to see through you and your evil lies."
Evil lies?
"Watch it." Cooper's tone had a warning edge to it.
Sutter put up his hands and took a step back. "I'm done." He left us.
"What an idiot," said Cooper. "You okay?"
"Of course. I'm used to doubters attacking."
"Well, you shouldn't have to be. His dad really isn't dead?"
"Nope. Unfortunately I can't tell you where he is. Did you get anything?"
"No." He glanced both ways before giving me a quick kiss. All we needed was to be dragged into his stepdad's office for PDA.
I put Sutter out of my head and deliberately changed the subject. "Did I tell you I have to go to the hospital after school?"
"What for?"
"A patient there wants to see me. Mom set it up. I'll take Brynn and Tyler home first, of course."
"Why don't you give Tyler your keys again? I'll get you to the hospital and then to your car after."
Since I'd been hoping he'd offer, I gave him a huge smile. "Thanks."
"Marty would love to drive Brynn to and from, you know. He's so into her he's not even worried about the gasoline he'd waste doing it. But that would leave you alone with Tyler, so I told him he couldn't."
I hooted. "You're jealous of Tyler?"
"Well, you've known him forever, and sometimes--"
I didn't let him go there. "I've known you almost as long, okay? Even if you were MIA part of the time. Tyler is like a brother."
"Just so he
When Brynn, Tyler, and I got to school, Cooper was waiting in the parking lot for me. I stole a moment just to take in the sight of him, so awed that any guy with his good looks could possibly be mine. His oatmeal sweater hugged his shoulders, accenting their width; his jeans hugged his muscled legs, accenting their length. Yeah. Perfectly hot.
And the kicker? Totally mine.
Having nothing to lose, Cooper hooked his arm around my neck, which left his hand dangling over my right boob. Not that he made a move on me. He didn't. But that position made it a little hard to walk. Luckily, I didn't mind our feet tangling every few steps and proudly entered the building with him by my side.
Cooper showed up at the end of every class and walked me to the next that morning, raising eyebrows everywhere. Or was the news about my sidekicks still spreading? I'd hoped my scandal was yesterday's news.
Not.
Just as Cooper and I left the caf after lunch, a Hispanic girl I didn't even know blocked our way in the hall.
Her dark eyes flashed with indignation. "Go back to your own school, witch."
I couldn't believe my ears. "What is this, Salem High?"
"Grow up, Felisa," said Cooper, steering us around her. He didn't stop until we were out of sight.
Not ten feet down the hall, a guy I didn't know blocked our way. Tall and lanky, he towered over both of us. But he spoke to me alone. "Can we talk in private?"
Startled by his request, I hesitated just a sec. "Now?"
"Yes."
Cooper stared him down. "I'm not leaving, Sutter."
The guy shrugged. "Whatever."
I waited.
He thought for a second and then spoke. "There's no afterlife."
"Excuse me?"
"You claim to talk to spirits, but you can't. Death is the end of everything."
"I see. And what makes you say that?"
"My dad believed in that shit. He promised he'd contact me when he died just to prove it was true."
"And you haven't heard from him?"
"Nope."
"Did it ever occur to you that he might not be dead?"
Sutter suddenly didn't look so certain. "Of course he's dead. Otherwise, he'd have come home from that hunting trip out west last year."
Positive the guy was alive and well someplace, I didn't answer.
"I know what you're getting at. Mom thinks that, too. But Dad would never abandon us. Never." Sutton sounded so sure, but his body language told another story.
I deliberately backtracked. "I could be wrong. This isn't an exact science."
"My point exactly. You need to know that there's at least one student attending this stupid school who's smart enough to see through you and your evil lies."
Evil lies?
"Watch it." Cooper's tone had a warning edge to it.
Sutter put up his hands and took a step back. "I'm done." He left us.
"What an idiot," said Cooper. "You okay?"
"Of course. I'm used to doubters attacking."
"Well, you shouldn't have to be. His dad really isn't dead?"
"Nope. Unfortunately I can't tell you where he is. Did you get anything?"
"No." He glanced both ways before giving me a quick kiss. All we needed was to be dragged into his stepdad's office for PDA.
I put Sutter out of my head and deliberately changed the subject. "Did I tell you I have to go to the hospital after school?"
"What for?"
"A patient there wants to see me. Mom set it up. I'll take Brynn and Tyler home first, of course."
"Why don't you give Tyler your keys again? I'll get you to the hospital and then to your car after."
Since I'd been hoping he'd offer, I gave him a huge smile. "Thanks."
"Marty would love to drive Brynn to and from, you know. He's so into her he's not even worried about the gasoline he'd waste doing it. But that would leave you alone with Tyler, so I told him he couldn't."
I hooted. "You're jealous of Tyler?"
"Well, you've known him forever, and sometimes--"
I didn't let him go there. "I've known you almost as long, okay? Even if you were MIA part of the time. Tyler is like a brother."
"Just so he
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