Find Wonder in All Things - By Karen M. Cox Page 0,64

was glad to see you.” A gust of wind took a wisp of hair over her face, and she brushed it back with a delicate hand. Cooper Edwards’ gaze warmed, and his eyes slid down her form with admiration.

“And now I run into you as well — my lucky day. I would have come by to visit you, too, if I’d known how to contact you,” he hinted.

“Oh, I don’t have a phone, but you can always reach me through Dad.” Laurel rarely told anyone where her cabin was. Anyone close enough to visit her at home knew where it was already.

At last, Cooper noticed her companions and paused, expecting an introduction.

“Oh, these are some friends of mine; this is Carrie and Heather, and this is James.”

Cooper nodded hello to the other three. “Well,” he said, turning back to Laurel, “I guess I’ll be heading out. Have to be back for class by three.”

“Of course; don’t let us keep you. I’m glad you came to see Dad though. I’m sure it was the highlight of his week.”

Cooper laughed and looked down in an attempt to appear humble, but it rang false on him.

“The pleasure was mine, I’m sure.”

“Goodbye then.”

“Au revoir.” He leaned over then and, to her surprise, took her elbow and kissed her cheek. James stiffened slightly, and so did she.

“Who was that?” Carrie asked after he was out of earshot.

“A friend of Mr. Elliot’s of course. Weren’t you listening?” Heather replied in an exasperated voice.

“He’s cute for an old guy — very distinguished.”

“He’s a professor at my old college.” Laurel, more than a little curious at this spontaneous visit, turned to watch him walk away. “I ran into him last week at a craft fair.”

“And he drives all this way to see your dad for the first time in years, and then he drops a little lip love on you?” Carrie teased. “Have you been holding out on us, Laurel?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s my dad’s friend and, therefore, mine.”

“He didn’t look at you like he wants to be friends. I didn’t see a ring on his finger either. You should think about it,” Carrie sing-songed.

Laurel waved her off and continued toward the marina so quickly that she didn’t catch James’s scowl as he watched the man disappear into the distance. After a second, he followed along behind the girls, but the easygoing smile he sported earlier was long gone.

Chapter 19

Because the Harvilles and John Benwick planned to leave for California right after the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Stuart and Virginia Pendleton decided to invite everyone on a two-day, houseboat excursion. The weather promised to be hot and sunny, so Dylan and James said they would also bring their motor boats along for skiing.

“I’m terrible at skiing,” Carrie pouted. “It’s all I can do to get up on two skis. I’m not like Stu, who can ski on one. Even Heather’s better than me.”

“I don’t know about that,” Heather answered. “I haven’t skied on one in a few years. I might have forgotten how.”

“It’s like riding a bike; you never forget,” James reassured her. She beamed at him in return.

“Do you ski a lot in California?”

“Yeah, we go when we can.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine, Carrie,” Virginia encouraged her as she packed a cooler into the ski boat. “I’m going to ride in the houseboat with Stu, Eric, Millie, Susan and Gary.” She counted them on her fingers as she listed each one. “Dylan, Crosby and Spring will take Dylan’s boat and meet us at the campground, and John’s going with James and the girls in his boat. What do you want to do, Laurel?”

“I don’t care. I’ll ride with you . . . ”

“Why don’t you ride with us?” John asked as he approached the boat with a slalom ski under one arm and a couple of life jackets under the other. “You know the lake better than any of us; you can make sure we don’t get lost on the way.”

“Sure, if you like.”

“Great, that’s settled, then.” John gave her an affable smile. They had developed a comfortable friendship over the last several days, and the results were not lost on Eric Harville. A few nights before, he had pulled Laurel aside and said low in her ear, “I don’t know what you said to John that night at James’s house, but whatever it was, I’m eternally grateful to you. He’s been better this past week than I’ve seen him in months — since Fiona got