Grace (The Family Simon #5)- Juliana Stone Page 0,79

frown quickly stole her smile. “How long have you known?”

Cooper set his mug down. “A week I guess.”

“And I’m just finding out now?” Okay. Grace had never been the overly emotional type, but what the hell? Why was she the last to know? And why were there tears pricking the corners of her damn eyes? Again?

“Tucker called you, darlin’. He said you didn’t get back to him and asked me to let you know.”

Right. He’d called a few days earlier and she’d been so busy she forgot.

“Oh, sorry. He did call,” she admitted, taking a sip from Jack Frost.

Cooper’s eyes saw too much and she glanced away. Her gaze landed on a couple a few tables over. They were smack dab in the middle of a very busy and very loud pub, yet the two of them were so caught up in each other Grace bet they wouldn’t know if a freaking earthquake ripped The Black Dog in two.

The man held her hand, gently stroking his fingers across her knuckles and he leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek and smiling into her face. It was an intimate moment and Grace felt as if she should look away…yet she couldn’t.

“You want to talk about it?” Cooper asked quietly.

She shook her head and sighed, turning back to her cocktail. “No.”

“Okay. But can I just give you a little piece of advice?”

Grace’s head jerked up and she looked at her cousin in disbelief. “Don’t take this the wrong way Coop, but you’re the last person I’d expect to give any kind of relationship advice I’d actually listen to.”

Cooper took another sip of ale. “I know my track record sucks.”

“Sucks? You’ve never been in a serious relationship, at least not that I’m aware of. It’s not a secret. Everybody knows that.”

Grace fell silent, and she studied her cousin. He looked serious. Dead serious. There was something in his eyes that told her things were a hell of a lot more complicated than what she knew.

“Some people are better at hiding their scars but that doesn’t mean they hurt any less. Doesn’t mean they don’t cut just as deep. What it means is that some of us take longer to deal with stuff. And if you know someone like that…”

His meaning was clear and Grace’s eyes dropped.

“You might need to decide whether they’re worth the wait. Whether the pain they caused is worth the wait. And if they are, and if it is, you’ve got to be patient.”

Grace grabbed her straw and swirled the electric blue drink around the glass. She took a sip and settled back into her chair, watching her cousin closely.

“You started out saying some people and then you said, some of us.” Cooper didn’t look away. “You said some of us take longer to deal with stuff. Are you still dealing with…stuff?”

Cooper glanced away. He caught sight of the couple, still caught up in each other. And then he grabbed his mug and held it up. “I am. Maybe one day I’ll find someone who’s patient enough to deal with my shit.” He took a good, long drink and Grace did the same. “Maybe I won’t.”

Grace finished her drink. “I hope you do,” she said softly, reaching across to squeeze his hand.

He didn’t reply. He ordered another round and the two of them fell into an animated discussion about the gala. He had some great ideas and she was sad to learn he’d be unable to attend.

“I didn’t know you had a place in New England.”

“No?” Cooper grinned. “That’s good. It’s a secret, so don’t go spreading it around.”

She frowned. “You’re not staying with Maverick?”

“Nah. My place is just outside of the town he lives in. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be with family for the holidays.” He paused. “What about you? What are you plans?”

“I’ve got the gala on Christmas eve. Betty Jo and Beau are going to be there and so will Mom and Dad, at least for a while. They’re leaving just before midnight for the south of France to join Tucker and Abby.”

“You’re not going?”

She shook her head. “No. Wasn’t feeling it. I told Mom I’d be with Betty and Beau—they’re heading back to Michigan, but the truth is I’m staying put. Matt will be in New Waterford and I’m not sure I could handle seeing him just yet.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell Mom because she won’t let it go and I’d rather be alone than stuck with a bunch of people who are