Sometimes, Forever (Sometimes Moments #2) (7 page)

The sadness in her eyes returned. Why was she sad? Was it because he mentioned family? To play it safe, he decided to tease her. Go into topics they could laugh about and not about their families, especially hers.

“So,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Ever had your heart broken, Peyton Spencer?”

At the time, you had my wife’s heart. And that would have killed me. You still have a place in her heart, and that’s something I would never want to have.

T
he horror in Peyton’s eyes was unmistakeable.

He wished he hadn’t asked.

It appeared as if she were about to cry.

Cooper’s heart twisted, creating heat and spreading it through every inch of his chest. Heartbreak, safe territory? He was an absolute asshole and idiot. He was stupid for thinking anyone would be okay or comfortable to talk about their heartbreak to a complete stranger.

If he thought he ever had a chance with Peyton Spencer, he had completely blown it.

“I have,” she finally whispered.

He heard the pain in her voice, and it caused him to wince. Her sadness weighed heavily on his chest. He’d hurt her with a question.

“I’m-I’m sorry … Christ, I’m so sorry, Peyton,” he blurted out and stood up. He was a mess. He had no idea how to fix something like this. In fact, he’d never had an issue with women until her. He had no idea how to approach someone like her. “I’ll just … I’ll go. I’m sorry, Peyton. I didn’t mean to hurt you like that.”

Then he stepped away from the table sideways. Peyton’s focus fell on the teacup, and all Cooper could do was stare at the way her hands formed fists.

Just as he was about to leave, Peyton asked, “Have you ever had your heart broken, Cooper Hepburn?” She raised her chin and her pain-filled blue eyes collided with his.

“No,” he honestly admitted.

Her lips had pressed together before they formed a small smile. “I envy you.”

“You shouldn’t,” he said.

Peyton took a deep breath and got out of her chair. Then she stood next to him. “I envy you,” she repeated. “You don’t know what it’s like. And honestly, I wouldn’t wish it on you. My heartbreak is a lot more complicated than a boy breaking it. Someday, I might tell you. Bit by bit, if that’s okay?”

“Really?” It confused him that she would want anything to do with him.

She said nothing as she stared at him as if she were searching for something in his eyes. Her silence terrified him.

Please don’t be done with me, Peyton.

Finally, Peyton nodded. “Really. Could you stay right there for two seconds?”

His heart burst with joy. He hoped someday she’d love him. The concept of friends was bullshit from the very start, and he knew that. He was going to fall in love with her. He was sure of it.

“Okay.”

She spun around and left him alone in the Polaroid room. He tried to listen to her footsteps. She had gone down the hall, and he heard a door open and shut. Minutes had ticked by before he heard the same door opening and shutting. Then Peyton walked towards him with a Polaroid camera in her hand. She took a deep breath, and once she reached him, she handed him the small camera.

“What’s the camera for?” he asked as he glanced down at it in his hand.

“To take Polaroids of your life’s
sometimes moments
,” she said.

Cooper quickly swung his gaze back to her. “What’s a sometimes moment?”

Peyton had smiled before she took hold of his left hand. Cooper flinched because the sensation of her touch drove his heart wild. His eyes met Peyton’s, and he swore, at that moment, he only wanted her love. All the irrational thoughts he had, he wanted. Peyton then spun them around and faced the wall. After a few steps forward, she let go of his hand.

Cooper hated that she did.

Hated that he wanted to feel her fingers thread through his.

She let out a heavy exhale. “These,” she said, pointing at the wall. “These are sometimes moments. They are moments in your life that you’ll look back on and smile.”

But Cooper hadn’t looked at the wall. He had already done so earlier. He had kept his eyes on Peyton as she explained what sometimes moments were. Watched as she was unaware of how beautiful she was when she got lost in the concept. And watched as she stared at the wall of photographs; Cooper knowing full well that she was staring at the one in the middle. The one of the teenage boy. But at that moment, he didn’t care.

Instead, he powered on the camera and then held it up to look through the small glass window. With a small breath, he pressed the button with his index finger and took a Polaroid of her. The flash had surprised her, and Peyton had flinched.

Cooper lowered the camera and removed the picture from it. Then he waited for the photo to develop. When it had, he smiled at the sight.

Peyton lost in her thoughts was truly beautiful.

“You’re a lot more than a sometimes moment, Peyton.” He slipped the photo into the front pocket of his blue work shirt. “You’re someone’s forever,” he said.

She made a small gasp.

He hadn’t missed it.

He actually loved it as much as her laugh.

“I’m sorry about before. It got way too personal. If I talk about things that make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. I had better get back to the farm. I’ll see you later.” Cooper hadn’t given her time to reply. He had walked past her and exited the hotel, determined to become Peyton’s forever.

If she’d let him.

Her love for you will be something I can never try to claim.

I
t had been two weeks since Cooper was last at the Spencer-Reid. With his boss, Graham, back from his honeymoon, he was continuously working. New orders, new clients, and a lot more deliveries in town and the surrounding communities, but he didn’t mind the work. Cooper enjoyed it. What he hadn’t liked was being away from Peyton. He was determined to get to know her, but work had gotten in the way.

Then again, space was what he needed. There was a lot about Peyton Spencer that he didn’t know. She had said that her heartbreak had been complicated. He wasn’t sure how she defined ‘complicated,’ but it had been all he thought of. He was sure he’d see it through. Cooper wanted to come out of it worthy of her trust. Worthy enough to be her forever. He didn’t want to be sometimes. A sometimes moment, that was what she had said. He was sure that term meant more than just the moments he’d look back on later in life. Someday, she’d tell him the
true
meaning.

Cooper had bumped into Peyton two Fridays ago. It was at the local bakery after he had just dropped off a last-minute delivery. When he had asked how she was, she had smiled and let out a sigh. She appeared tired, but she still had that flawless smile. She had said that a wedding that weekend was keeping her busy. As much as she would enjoy the actual event, she had hated the lead-up. Then he had to leave and that was the last time he had seen her.

The fact he couldn’t stop thinking about her led him to the Daylesford pub. In his almost two months in the small town, he had wondered about the pub. Madilynne and Graham never spoke about the local drinking tavern. They spoke about all the other businesses but not the pub. His curiosity and the need to drink Peyton away, even for a second, had him entering.

Cooper stood at the door, surprised that it was exactly what he thought a small country pub would be like. Dark oak everywhere, dim lights, pool tables, and classic Australian hits playing. He also recognised people from town drinking and chatting. He understood why Madilynne wouldn’t be seen here. Though she was a small town girl at heart—even though she hated to admit it—she was a lot classier than the Daylesford pub.

“Cooper!” several men shouted.

He nodded their way, appreciating their drunk smiles as he headed towards the counter. It wasn’t like back home, it felt more ominous, and the kind of pub one goes to bury their sorrows. As Cooper sat on a barstool, he scanned the room to find that not many visited the local pub.

“Evenin’,” a man said, pressing his palm against the counter as he looked Cooper up and down.

From what he could tell, the man serving him was definitely a few years younger than he was. He had brown hair tussled as if he hadn’t made an effort and brown eyes. His nose was slightly crooked appearing as if it had been broken before.

The man squinted. “Never seen you before.”

“I’m Cooper. I work for Graham Scott at the farm,” he explained and introduced.

“You’re the new guy in town?”

He nodded. “I guess that’s me.”

The man pushed off the bar and glanced around the pub. He appeared nervous, but only for a second. Then he swallowed hard and breathed in, composing himself. “I’m Jay Preston; I run this place.”

“Nice to meet you,” Cooper said, resting his arms on the counter.

“Not when they tell you,” Jay muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Can I get you some—”

A woman clumsily sat on the barstool next to Cooper’s, interrupting Jay. She had brunette hair that faded to blonde at the ends. “Jay, can I please get—” The woman paused, as if she felt Cooper staring at her, and then she turned her attention to him. The moment she did, a smile spread across her bright pink lacquered lips. “Hi, I’ve never seen you in here before.”

She was pretty. Perfectly sculpted eyebrows and her makeup had been done without a hint of imperfection. This woman was plastic pretty. Not a piece of her out of place. And that was a shame. Maybe he liked the imperfections on people. Liked to see the realness of them. There was no denying her attractiveness, but for Cooper, he felt nothing towards her. Not in the way he had when he had met Peyton.

“I’m Cooper Hepburn; I work for Graham.” He put forward his hand, and she glanced down at it.

“Daisy Wilcox. It’s so very nice to meet you, Cooper,” she said in a flirty voice. Then they shook hands.

And nothing.

No surge or want.

Cooper felt nothing towards her.

She was nice.

But that was it.

“Daisy, you mind giving us a second?” Jay asked, slicing through their conversation.