Can You See Me? (6 page)

I get in and head over to AG’s Bar & Grill.  I see the old Ford pickup already parked out back and I feel the knots in my stomach forming in anticipation of seeing her again.  Damn, I think Sally might be right, I am smitten.

I pull into the spot reserved for law enforcement right outside the front and park.  I flip down the visor to check my appearance.  I’m taken back by my reflection.  I almost didn’t recognize myself with my hair neatly combed.  I chuckle and run my fingers through my hair loosening the gel holding it in place.  My hair starts to turn up at the ends like it’s trying to curl and I slap my baseball-style police cap on it.  That’s more like it.

I step out of the vehicle and head inside.  The restaurant isn’t very busy today.  It usually gets pretty busy around lunchtime, but I guess it’s slower because of the weather.  I immediately notice Skye sitting at a table for two with Summer by the window.

“Hey Sherriff,” Summer stands up greeting me.  “What can I help you with?” she greets me.  As she stands and I see she’s wearing her apron, which means she’s working her shift right now.

“I’m just going to order some lunch for myself and something to go for Sally,” I tell her.

“Well why don’t you just have a seat right here and I’ll be happy to serve you,” she comments, holding out the chair she just vacated.  I look in askance at Skye because I don’t want to intrude on her meal.  She smiles her cheeks turning rosy and shrugs in acquiescence.

“I’ll take the clam chowder in the bread bowl with a side salad and a cup of coffee.  I’d like a Reuben sandwich with the kettle cooked chips to go, thanks,” I tell Summer, as I take the seat across from Skye.  I’ll have to remember to thank Sally for suggesting we eat here for lunch.

“How are you liking our town so far?” I ask, attempting to get Skye talking.  She looks up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers.

“I just got here yesterday, so I haven’t seen much and the only people I’ve met so far are you, Jon and the woman at the bar last night and she made a lasting impression.  Not exactly a positive one,” she replies.

I watch her as she dunks her grilled cheese sandwich into her tomato soup and nibbles on it.  Some of the soup dribbles down her chin and she looks up at me in embarrassment as she dabs at her face with her napkin.  Summer walks up with my coffee and soup.

“Here you go, Cooper.  The soup will be out in a minute,” Summer says setting the coffee and salad down in front of me.  She stands there for a minute looking between me and Skye.  “You two would make the cutest couple.  You know Skye’s single right?” she impishly supplies.

Skye sputters some of her ice tea onto the table and I chuckle.  Summer laughs and Skye gives her a murderous look.  I don’t want to embarrass Skye any further, so I don’t comment, but I don’t need Summer’s not so subtle hints to help pique my interest in her sister.  My interest is already piqued.

“You’ll have to excuse my little sister.  For some reason, she’s got it in her head that I need a man.  I’m perfectly content on my own for now.  I mean, not that you were interested or anything I’m just clarifying in case you thought I was interested in dating you or something.  I’m probably not your type anyway,” she finishes quietly.

Not my type?  I don’t know what she thinks my type is, but beautiful, confident, and kind women are definitely my type.  I just smile at her and sip my coffee.  I could strangle Summer for making what could have been a simple lunch with a beautiful woman into and uncomfortable situation for Skye.

“Summer tells me that you use to date that woman that harassed me last night.  Hailey was her name, Right?  Are you the reason she wanted to pick a fight with me?” she openly asks.

“More than likely,” I reply, rubbing my hand on the back of my neck.

“Well Sherriff Talbott I’m not one to fight for a man or over one so if you could let your women admirers know, that would be great,” she informs me.  Judging by the look on her face she’s dead serious.  Great.  She has completely the wrong impression of me.

“I’m no cowboy Casanova, Skye.  I’m a one-woman kind of man.  If some women become possessive or jump to the wrong concussions, it’s through no fault of mine.  I’m always upfront and honest about my intentions.  Just so we’re clear,” I say pointedly, looking her in the eyes.

“If you say so,” she mumbles.

“I can vouch for Cooper on that one,” Summer chimes in, as she approaches with the rest of my meal.  “Cooper hasn’t dated many women here at all, but the ones he does seem to get attached pretty quickly.  Makes you kinda wonder what kind of magic he’s working with,” Summer insinuates with a wicked smile.  I blush and duck my head, digging into the bowl of clam chowder she placed in front of me.

Chapter Seven

Skye

I don’t know what Summer thinks she’s doing, but she just embarrassed me and Cooper.  Although I have to admit it was absolutely adorable seeing him blush after Summer made the comment about him working his magic on women.

“Are you coming to Dawn’s birthday party this weekend?” Summer asks Cooper.  He doesn’t say anything, just shrugs his shoulders.  He hasn’t said much of anything since he sat at the table with me but the odd thing is that his silence isn’t uncomfortable in the slightest.

“You should come,” I say, not knowing why those words just left my mouth.  There’s something about him that pulls at me.  He looks up from his soup and the small smile on his lips makes my tummy flutter.  Why does he have to be so damn attractive?

Summer stands there watching the silent exchange between me and Cooper for a minute.  She smiles to herself and then spins around on her heel leaving us to our meals.  I finish off my soup and take a sip of my iced tea.

“I might,” Cooper says out of the blue.  It takes me a minute to realize that he’s finally responding to my request for him to attend Dawn’s birthday party.  I smile at him and turn my head as I hear someone coming in the front door.

“Hey, Boss.  What’s up Skye?” Jon greets us flashing his killer dimples.  Jon grabs a chair from a nearby table and pulls it up to ours, inviting himself to join us.  His smile is so infectious that I can’t help but smile back at him.  From the corner of my eye, I can see Cooper scowling.

“Did you stop by for lunch too?” I ask Jon.

“I sure did, but knowing that I might run into a certain pretty lady might have swayed me just a little too,” he flirts.  Cooper rolls his eyes and I laugh.  I look between the two men and I can’t help but grin.  The masculine beauty in front of me is almost blinding.  I can’t decide which one I want to look at more.  It’s like choosing between Taylor Lautner and Bradly Cooper.  Each has a completely different look but both are sexy as hell.

Jon reaches over and grabs the remainder of my grilled cheese sandwich and polishes it off in two bites.  He’s definitely lacking in manners.  It’s a good thing I was done eating that.  I can tell Jon is starting to annoy Cooper, who’s definitely more of a gentleman.

“So, how did you two end up having lunch together?  Is this a date?” Jon asks, with a raised brow.

“No.  The Sherriff just happened to come in while I was having lunch and Summer seated him here against his will,” I tease.

“I’ll willingly take your place, Cooper.  I don’t mind sitting with a pretty lady,” Jon comments.  I see Summer heading towards our table and I mentally brace myself for whatever crazy comments she’s about to impart.

“What brings you here, lady killer?” she addresses Jon.  “I’ve got a perfectly good table you can sit at over here without you poaching on Cooper’s territory,” she offers.  Was she referring to me as Cooper’s territory?  I feel my face flush and sneak a peek at Cooper who just gives me a lopsided grin, revealing a dimple I hadn’t noticed before.  Jon looks back and forth between me and Cooper and clears his throat.

“Do you mind if I join you?” he asks.

“The more the merrier,” I offer, magnanimously.  Summer sighs in exasperation because I’ve just thwarted her attempt at matchmaking.

“Great, I’ll have what she had,” Jon says to Summer.

“I think you already did,” Cooper snidely remarks and I chuckle.

“Hey, look who’s coming through the door now,” Summer remarks.  I look up to see my baby sister Dawn followed by a girl and a guy that I don’t know.

I take in the sight of my little sister with her honey-colored hair and skin looking so much like Summer that it’s uncanny.  Dawn’s a little taller than Summer and her hair only comes to her shoulders where Summer’s flows to the middle of her back like mine.  I stand up to give her a hug and she limply returns it.

“Hey there Skye.  It’s been a long time,” she says, greeting me as if I’m an old acquaintance instead of her sister.  Her eyes have been glued to Cooper since she walked in.

“Why don’t you join us for lunch?  We can all move to a bigger table to accommodate us all,” I offer.  I’d like to catch up with Dawn, even though we’re not as close as me and Summer, we’re still sisters.

“I’m going to head out,” Cooper says, and I glance over at him noticing that he’s finished his lunch.  “Can I get that to-go order now Summer?” he asks standing up to collect his thick jacket off the back of the chair.  I see the crestfallen look on Dawn’s face and I already know she won’t be joining me.

“That’s alright Skye.  Me Trixie and Darren were just grabbing something quick to go,” she tells me.  Her friend Trixie gives her an evil look but she just ignores it.

“Guess it’s just me and you then,” Jon smiles at me.

Chapter Eight

It’s Saturday night and I’m sitting in the parking lot of AG’s Bar & Grill deciding whether I should go in or not.  The place is already packed and more people are pulling in.  I’m hesitant to join the party because of all the possible things that can go wrong with a large crowd of people consuming alcohol.

On the other hand, my presence might keep a few bad things from happening in the first place.  Besides, I can’t let Jon steal all of Skye’s attention like he did the other day.  I want to get to know this woman.  I grab the gift I brought for Dawn and head towards the restaurant.  Well, the gift I had Sally get for me, to give to Dawn.  I have no idea what kind of gifts young girls want.

“Cooper, you came,” I hear Dawn exclaiming as I walk through the door.  She invited me weeks ago but I hadn’t previously had any intention of coming until Skye mentioned it.  “Doesn’t the birthday girl get a hug?” she says wrapping her arms around my neck.  I give her a quick hug and pull back, handing her the gift.  She squeals in delight and runs off to place it with the millions of other gifts stacked on a nearby table.

I look around the room for one face in particular and I see her standing near the small stage usually only utilized on karaoke night.  Skye’s talking to Summer, looking to die for in black leather pants and a red cashmere sweater.  Before this moment, I wouldn’t have taken her for a leather pants kind of girl.  But with her long hair loose and those red high heels, she’s looking like a rock star, slash, sex kitten.

I don’t want to appear too eager so I mingle a little bit, walking around greeting people that I know.  I spy Jon talking to Trixie Carter in a dark corner.  She’s a good friend of Dawn’s and has a reputation for being promiscuous.  Jon spots me and breaks away from Trixie. 

“Hey, Boss.  I never thought I’d see you here,” Jon clasps my hand and we bump shoulders.  I just shrug in response.  I like Jon, he and I are actually friends of a sort.  He’s more of a ladies man than I am, though.  I’m looking to settle down and he’s still playing the field.  But Jon’s in no hurry to get married and start a family.  At twenty-eight years old he’s still got a little more time left to have his fun.

“What’s up with Skye? Do you think she’d go out with me?” he asks.  I narrow my eyes at him.  “No, no.  I mean like on a date.  I can tell that she’s not a one night stand kind of girl.  That’s the kind of girl you take home to mom,” Jon quickly clarifies.  He knows that I’m aware of his love them and leave them reputation.

Just my luck, Jon is already trying to date Skye.  I knew he would try to sleep with her and I wasn’t worried about that because like him I knew she wouldn’t be the type to go for that.  But he wants to date her?  I mean seriously date her?  I don’t know. She just might go for that.  Jon’s a good looking guy and when he’s not trying to get into a woman’s pants, he’s been known to be funny and sweet.  I’m in trouble.

“Ladies and gentlemen thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate my baby sister’s twenty-first birthday.  If you know our little Dawn you know she loves her country music, as a matter of fact, all three of us do.  We got it from our Momma.  Thanks, Mom!”  She shouts pointing to her mother in the crowd.   “Anyway, in case you didn’t know, our big sister Skye moved into town this week.  Come up here Skye,” she reaches a hand down to Skye helping her up on the stage.  “My beautiful big sister Skye here has promised to provide most of tonight’s entertainment.  I say most because she will need to take a break or two,” Summer laughs and continues on.

“Skye is a modest girl and hates when I tell people this…..” There’s a pause as Skye tries to take the microphone from Summer.  Summer sidesteps her retaining her grip. “She’s so humble.  If you look up Skye Williams up on the internet you can find a performance taped by of a friend of hers that went viral a few months back.  She was even offered a few record deals but our Skye sings for the love of music, and tonight she’ll sing for you.  So without further ado, I give you Skye Williams.”