Nicole Edwards - Chasing Dreams

“Tessa…” Cooper’s voice sounded strangled, his eyes weary. “I can’t help but think that if I’d never shown up here…”

Breaking eye contact because she truly didn’t want him to think that way, Tessa eyed Cooper’s truck and an idea came to her.

“Give me your keys,” Tessa said firmly, releasing his chin so she could hold out her hand.

“What?” It was Cooper’s turn to be surprised, but Tessa didn’t want to explain more.

“Just give me the keys, Krenshaw.”

When he finally handed them over, Tessa ordered him to get in the truck. She moved around to the driver’s side and started the engine. A few minutes later, they were heading back to Devil’s Bend.

Before Cooper had a chance to regret his decision to go after his dream, Tessa wanted to remind him what he had. And she knew exactly how to do that.

He was such a selfish bastard.

Selfish, selfish, selfish.

Sonuvabitch!

Up until that moment when Tessa laid out how her dream had evolved, Cooper hadn’t given much thought to the fact that he was actually stealing her dream out from under her. And why? Because of something he wanted? Did it even matter that they both had the same goal in mind? Had he even considered how important Tessa’s dream was to her?

The answer was a resounding fuck no. He knew what she’d wanted, but that hadn’t stopped him. Hell, he had even been given the opportunity when Luanne decided to up the ante on the property. But then Tessa had selflessly pushed him to go after the land, to make sure that at least one of them could accomplish what she’d been working toward her entire life. And he didn’t bother to think of anything except what he wanted.

He felt like a total ass. Here he was abandoning his entire life because he wanted to get away from it all and do something meaningful. And once again, he hadn’t thought about anyone but himself. The irony was a brutal slap in the face.

“Where are we going?” he asked, knowing he sounded as angry as he felt.

“Just sit back, cowboy. Let me do the drivin’,” she said, a smile in her voice.

He wished like hell he could force himself to smile. He wanted to. Just being around Tessa made him happy. Sitting beside her, even if she was driving his truck like a mad woman, should’ve been enough to erase all of the anger building in his gut. But it didn’t. It didn’t go unnoticed that she was taking care of him when he should have been the one putting her first. Realizing that only made him feel worse.

When they pulled up to Tessa’s house a few minutes later, Cooper glanced over at her. So she wanted to go home? He actually couldn’t blame her. Before he could get his door open, she turned on him.

“Sit right here. Don’t you dare move from that seat. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Cooper could hardly comprehend what she was saying because his own anger was like a hornet’s nest in his brain, the buzz unbearable. She was coming back? He forced a simple nod and stared out the front window of the truck as she climbed out. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t even watch as she made her way up her front steps.

Just like she said, Tessa was back in less than five minutes. Her arms were full, and he was about to climb out of the truck to help her when he saw her shake her head. What was she up to?

She walked around to the bed of the truck, tossed everything inside and then moved back around to the driver’s door. Once she was inside, she buckled her seatbelt and put the truck in Reverse, tearing out of the driveway once again.

“You gonna tell me where we’re going now?” he asked, suddenly nervous.

“Nope. And you’ve asked more than your share of questions tonight, cowboy. Just keep your mouth shut and enjoy the drive.”

If she was trying to improve his mood, she was doing a good job. Her feisty attitude was warming his blood like a pot on simmer. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was so focused on driving that he allowed himself a few minutes to stare. And like every other time he had looked at her, his head swam with a jumble of thoughts and images.

He still had a perfect picture of the first time he saw her at The Rusty Nail, her tight black t-shirt molded to extraordinary breasts. Then later when she’d inserted herself between two pissed off cowboys because it was her bar and she wasn’t having any of their shit.

Of course, his mental scrapbook wouldn’t be complete without the one of her standing on her front porch in those white shorts and tiny tank top…

The more the images flashed in his head, the more his anger subsided. Only now the blood that had been boiling in his veins was taking an immediate detour directly to his groin.

By the time the truck slowed, Cooper was looking around to see where they were. He watched out the front windshield as they passed his house, heading down the dirt path that led to the barn. He was just about to ask her what the hell she was up to, but her quick “uh-uh” shut him up.

And exactly why did her sudden authority make his dick that much harder?

They passed the dilapidated barn and continued through what would eventually be a pasture, down a bumpy decline until they were pulling up near a pond. He hadn’t had time to check it out more than just a glance as he passed by, but he knew this was one of the three small stock ponds on the land, probably from when there were cattle grazing these fields at one point.

The truck turned abruptly and then Tessa was backing toward the water. He was just about to get nervous when she applied the brakes and then grinned over at him.

“Ok, you can get out now.”

Tessa didn’t wait for him, so Cooper climbed out on the passenger side and then headed around to the back of the truck, just a few feet from the water’s edge.

The scrape of the tailgate lowering caught his attention, and he turned to see Tessa climbing up into the bed of the truck.

“What are you doing?” he asked, no longer caring to be kept in the dark.

“Just get in, would ya?” she called to him as she proceeded to throw a blanket down into the bed of the truck.

That’s what she’d been carrying. Blankets and pillows. Oh, and a six pack of beer.

Would she ever cease to amaze him?

Cooper climbed up into the bed of the truck, waiting until she sat down on one side before he lowered himself beside her. She popped the cap on one of the beer bottles with the skill of a professional and then handed it over. He grabbed the bottle but never stopped looking at her.

“Now relax,” she commanded, fluffing one of the pillows up against the cab of the truck.

They both got situated, propping themselves up and staring out at the water.

Holy shit.

Out in front of him was nothing but darkness. Well, except for the white light of the giant moon as it reflected off of the black water.

“Perfect, ain’t it?” she asked, her voice quieter than before.

Cooper glanced over at her, thinking that she certainly was perfect. For him.

“I’m talking about the night, Cooper,” she said with a chuckle. “Now be quiet and just breathe.”

Cooper did as she instructed, drinking his beer and watching as the moon rose higher in the sky, the reflection on the pond shifting on the glassy water. Up above them, the stars shone brightly and the warm breeze moved through the trees. Aside from the rustling of branches and the sound of crickets, there wasn’t another sound.

So this was what peace was. A perfect night, a cold beer, and a beautiful woman. It was the antidote to all of the anger he’d built up just a short while ago. And exactly the place he felt he needed to be. After years on the road, nights spent in front of hundreds of people, singing his heart out, this was what actually filled Cooper with that peaceful serenity he’d been searching for.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but he didn’t budge until Tessa shifted beside him, setting her beer bottle down as she moved to lay flat in the bed of the truck. Cooper followed suit, getting comfortable beside her, their arms touching as they stared up at the sky.

“I used to love to sit outside under the stars. Ok, that’s not entirely true,” Tessa said quietly. “I still love it. There’s more light at my house, so the sky isn’t quite this clear from my yard. Sometimes I’ll grab a blanket and join Havoc and Harmony on the grass, just enjoying the peace and quiet.”

Cooper wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the sky so clear. A sea of black, dotted with bright stars and a brilliant moon overhead. He could imagine Tessa laying on a blanket beneath the stars, the two massive animals cuddled up to her side, seeking her protection and offering their own.

“This is what it means to slow down, Cooper,” Tessa told him, her head turning to the side. He turned his head to face her, utterly in awe of her.

“I could get used to this.” If she were beside him, Cooper was pretty sure he could get used to anything.

“Me too,” she admitted, her eyes never leaving his.

The only thing better would be if he had her in his arms. And honestly, now that the idea had planted itself in his brain, he couldn’t think about anything else.

Tessa’s heart was thumping against her ribs as she stared over at Cooper. Even in the darkness, his eyes glowed, and the way he was watching her made her chest swell with a strange feeling. One that she hadn’t felt in years. Not since…

Knowing that she was the one to bring him here, to show him the place she used to love to come and watch the stars and that he enjoyed it as much as she did… well, Tessa felt more complete than she had in a long time.