Page 96 of Risk It All
“Seems like you and Cooper have stayed close through everything.”
Eliza finished her cookie and reached for a napkin to wipe her lips. “We have—even if he drives me absolutely insane ninety-nine percent of the time.” There was a fondness to her voice even with the joke.
“But I think our age difference helped that, oddly enough, because at the time, I didn’t realize what he was giving up to stay with Gran and me,” she continued. “Maybe even he didn’t realize. I think if we were closer in age, we would’ve argued about it more. Iknowit was his choice, but a part of me wonders if he hadn’t felt this pull to do the right thing—whatever that means to him—if he’d even be in Golden Falls still. He’s always had this sense of adventure, but it’s waned over the years.”
“Maybe he needs to realize it’s still there. That it’s not too late.”
“Maybe. But he’s stubborn as hell. Only way he’s going to realize it is ifhe’sthe one who comes up with the idea.”
“Stubborn as hell?” I asked amused. “That’s a shocker. No one in your family seems stubborn.”
“Hey!” Eliza laughed, grabbing a pillow and throwing it, which I blocked with ease. “Cooper and Gran arewaymore stubborn than me. You just haven’t been around them long enough.”
I hummed skeptically. “I’ll take your word for it. For now.”
Satisfied, Eliza grinned. She then gasped, her eyes widening. “Oh my god. I almost forgot to tell you!”
“What?” I asked with a laugh, amused by her excitement.
“You were right about Louise and Ray. They’re dating. How crazy is that?”
I gave Eliza a look. “I told you. It’s not crazy at all, because it’s obvious.”
Eliza rolled her eyes, giving my arm a shove. “Not everyone has a magical love detector.”
“Magical love detector, huh?” I wiggled my brows. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
She tipped her head back with a laugh, and I took the moment to lean in and press a kiss to her soft skin, nuzzling my face into the crook of her neck to tickle her with my facial hair. That got her laughing harder, and one of her hands wrapped around my shirt not to push me away but to pull me in closer.
“My magical love detector breaks curses, apparently,” I murmured, my grin widening as her other hand moved to my hair.
“Apparently it does,” she murmured, tugging on my hair to pull my head back. Our gazes locked, and there was a flicker of affection in her eyes—a look I hadn’t seen before.
A look I felt down to my bones, because I’d had in my eyes countless times around her.
“It’s getting late,” I murmured.
“It is.”
“I should get going.”
Eliza’s tongue darted out to brush against her bottom lip.
“Or,” she said softly, as if she was testing the waters, but then her words were sure and steady, “you could stay.”
Her words made me wonder if she didn’t want this night to end just as much as I did. Hope flared in my chest as I searched her eyes. Maybe she wanted more, too. Maybe it wasn’t just me.
“Yeah,” I said tenderly, without an ounce of hesitation. “I’ll stay.” I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.
She pulled me closer, and I lay down on the couch, hooking an arm around her waist to pull her on top of me. She nuzzled into me, and for someone who had told me multiple times before that she didn’t like cuddling…she sure seemed to enjoy it.
We continued talking up until Eliza had fallen asleep on my chest with a peaceful smile on her face. I gently brushed her hair away from her eyes and did my best to maneuver us off the couch, carrying her in my arms to bed. I gently placed her on the mattress and pulled the sheets over her waist. Then I cleaned up the kitchen and turned the lights off. When I got back to Eliza’s room, she was in a half-asleep, half-awake state that was fucking adorable.
“You sure you want me to stay?” I asked.
Eliza reached toward the side of the bed, patting the covers. “Just get in bed,” she mumbled sleepily.
I chuckled, quickly stripping out of my jeans, button-down, and socks and getting into bed. Within seconds, Eliza’s leg was hooked over my hip and her head was on my chest.
