celebrate your divorce.”
COOPER
“You’re not coming with us to the hospital?”
Cooper shook his head at one of his best paramedics, Lindy Melendez, as he watched them load the patient onto the ambulance for the short ride to the local ER. “It’s my sister’s birthday and I don’t want to ditch her. You all look like you have it covered.”
“Good thing for her you were here.”
“Right place, right time. I’m glad it worked out for the best.”
The patient would be fine. Already, she was almost back to normal, though it had taken a second epinephrine injection. It had been determined that a new cook in The Sea Shanty’s kitchen had added some shrimp when he started running low on halibut for the fish tacos, without informing the servers. It was a rookie mistake that might have been disastrous.
He headed over to Melody’s table to find his sister opening presents.
“You all didn’t have to get me anything,” she said to her friends. “I told you I only wanted to spend time with you all.”
“Shush,” said Bea Romero with a stern look. “You’re always the first one to give a gift to someone else. This is our chance to do something for you.”
As he sat back down beside Olivia, Cooper was awash in gratitude for all of Melody’s friends. His sister had been through hell since her husband walked out. It warmed his heart to see her friends rally around her to support her.
After she opened all her presents and they all raised their glasses to toast her and all the wonderful things in store for her, the party began to break up as Rosemary Duncan got a phone call from her husband and then said she had to leave to deal with an issue with one of their kids. Shortly after she left, Olivia rose, too.
“I’m so happy I could be here to celebrate with you but I should probably go. I don’t feel great about leaving my mom this long, even though Henry is with her.”
“I completely understand. Thank you so much for coming. Give Juliet my love. Drive carefully.”
“I would, except I walked,” Olivia said with a smile. “But I won’t jaywalk and I’ll be sure to stay on the sidewalk.”
With a general wave to everyone gathered to celebrate with Melody, she headed toward the door.
She had walked to the tavern and was now walking home, alone? Not on his watch. It was only a few blocks but he still didn’t feel good about it.
Cooper glanced at his sister. “I think I’ll take off, too, if you don’t mind. I’m on duty early.”
She looked between him and the doorway where Olivia had just left, a wrinkle between her brow as if trying to locate a frustrating puzzle piece.
“No,” she said slowly. “I don’t mind. I’ll be leaving soon, anyway. I told Caitlin I would be home around eleven. That’s only twenty more minutes.”
Was it that late already? He hugged her. “Happy birthday, kiddo. You’ve got a lifetime of happier ones ahead.”
She smiled, though it didn’t hide the lingering shadows in her eyes.
He headed out into the night, one of those perfect, cool, sea-scented evenings along the coast. It didn’t take long for him to catch up with Olivia.
She looked surprised and not precisely pleased to see him. “What are you doing? You don’t have to leave the party.”
“Things are wrapping up. The guest of honor is leaving soon.”
“I don’t need an escort, Cooper. I’ll be fine. I like to walk.”
“I like to walk, too. But then, I’m not a lone woman wandering around after dark.”
She looked exasperated but didn’t argue, and they set off toward Harper Hill.
It wouldn’t have mattered if she had argued. He wouldn’t back down. He had seen too much bad stuff happen to people who weren’t quite careful enough.
Yes, he could be overprotective. Melody called him a fussy mother hen. Cooper knew his instinctive need to protect others was rooted in his childhood, when he had carried far too much responsibility for someone so young.
Classic consequence of growing up a child with an alcoholic mother. Because of those scars from watching his mother relapse, fight her way back and relapse again, he had an inherent need to watch over those he cared about.
He was being a polite neighbor, he told himself. Only making sure she made it back to Sea Glass Cottage safely.
“That was something tonight,” she said as they headed through the mostly darkened downtown. “Saving that woman’s life. How did you know she needed an