Page 30 of Blame it on the Kiss
“Boy, I am never gonna be a senior and you’d best remember that.” He flexed his biceps, the muscles bulging underneath his short sleeves. Point taken. The guy could probably lift a truck over his head.
“You showing off for me, old man? Because I should tell you, it’s working.”
Tango threw his head back and laughed. “Too bad my lady friend looks to be getting impatient.” Bryce followed Tango’s line of sight to see a woman waving her hand. “I’m sure I could teach you a few things,” Tango added, eyebrows raised, before he moved on. Cooper took the seat across from Bryce two seconds later.
“Hey, Mr. Bishop. Sorry I’m a minute late.”
Bryce took note of Coop’s slight but safe rebellious look. No doubt he’d appeal to both guys and girls and bring a whole new set of fans to skateboarding. The good-looking gene definitely ran in the Mitchell family. “No worries. And call me Bryce. Mr. Bishop is my dad.”
Cooper blinked like he wasn’t sure he wanted to be that friendly. “Mind if I say something first?”
“Not at all.”
“I noticed something between you and my sister at the wedding and I want to remind you that my skateboarding and my family don’t mix.”
Bryce stiffened. He’d thought about Sunday night countless times. When he and Honor had fallen into the sand after the wedding and he’d finally gotten to lick inside her mouth, hehadalmost gone off. Then to talk like they had about Payton’s list, he knew getting closer was the wrong way to go if he wanted Coop as a client. He and Danny had worked too hard to restore their reputation for Bryce to blow it now.
But sometimes lines blurred. Made more muddy by a shared past with Honor he couldn’t ignore if he wanted to move forward.
“I hear you,” Bryce said. “Your sister and I were just being friendly. I dated Payton before she passed away.”
“You were the guy she snuck off to see?”
“Yeah.” He’d never understood why she wanted to keep their relationship a secret and had been glad when she’d finally talked about bringing him to White Strand.
“You never came around when she was sick.”
“She broke things off before I knew.”
Cooper gave a small nod. “She pretty much broke things off with everyone except my sister.”
Huh. He hadn’t imagined Payton tuning out everyone. He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “So you’re ready to go pro,” he said, steering the conversation to a much safer topic.
Coop’s expression went from guarded to psyched. “I am,” he said around a smile.
The waitress stopped at their table with another menu. Coop waved it off saying he knew what he wanted. They ordered, talked about the skateboarding world and what Bryce would do for Cooper and his career. An hour flew by in easy camaraderie.
Bryce knew the kid needed time to think about things. Knew that Jake Harrington, one of the best sports agents out there, and Bryce’s adversary on more than one occasion, wanted Cooper. But he offered representation anyway and said he’d wait for as long as it took for a decision. It wasn’t something he normally did, but Coop had Bryce’s gut clenching. Beyond skateboarding, Bryce sensed the kid had more of a story to share in the years to come. Coop’s abilities would undoubtedly improve, but his optimism after suffering an almost life altering accident earned him a special distinction.
Coop’s cell buzzed with a text message. “Sorry, man. It’s from my sister.” He read the small screen and rolled his eyes with brotherly love. “She’s got a problem.”
“She okay?” Bryce asked.
“It’s work.” Coop’s fingers flew over the screen to text back a message.
“The antique shop?” Bryce waved to the waitress and mouthed, “Check.”
“No. It’s this Valentine’s Day thing she’s in charge of for the mayor’s office. Her antique store is a total afterthought.”
Bryce frowned. He didn’t think that true. “She seemed pretty stoked about it to me.”
Coop lifted his head and studied Bryce with watchful intensity. “Maybe she’ll keep working on it and buying things to sell, but she’ll probably never open it.”
“Why not?”
“She’s worried about it failing.” Panic creased his forehead. “I shouldn’t have told you that. She’d have my balls if she found out.”
“How does she know it will fail unless she tries?” Bryce took the check from the waitress and pulled out his wallet.
