Copper (21 page)

Marla slid into his lap and kissed him.  “I would miss you if I left too,” she said when they finally broke apart.  “Nightly dates and random sleepovers would never be enough. That’s why I didn’t leave last week when Natalie did,” she shyly admitted. 

“This memorial garden is a statement of the depth of my commitment to you. I love you, and I don’t want to be without you for a second longer than I have to be.   I want you to move in with me permanently and turn this house into our home.”

“I don’t see how any woman could turn down your offer, I know I can’t. I love you too, and yes, I’ll live with you. I know we’ve only been together about a month, but I really can’t imagine living anywhere other than by your side.”  She buried her face in the side of his neck, enjoying the companionable silence for several seconds. 

“I need to let Natalie know as soon as possible, so she can make plans. I don’t think she’ll want to get another roommate, but when our lease runs out in a couple of months she might want to downsize to save rent money.”  She frowned and ran a hand through her hair.  She looked distracted and didn’t say anything else, so Copper broke the silence.

“Why would she want to do that?”  Copper wanted to know.  “We pay her a great salary.  She should be able to afford the apartment y’all have been living in without having to bother with a roommate.”

Marla sucked in her bottom lip and gave him a nervous look. “She’s going to kill me!  I shouldn’t have said anything.  Can you just forget that last statement?”

“No!” He looked her straight in the eyes with a no-nonsense look that said he wasn’t backing down. “What’s going on?  Natalie isn’t just an employee. She’s your sister that makes her family, as far as I’m concerned.”

Marla hugged him.  “How is it that you always know the right thing to say to me?” she pondered out loud.  Taking a deep breath, she spilled the news that she hated keeping from Copper.  “Natalie’s been accepted into the Veterinarian Technician program at one of the local colleges. She accepted yesterday.  She plans to give the Metal Cowboys’ her notice first thing Monday morning. I shouldn’t have told you. It’s her job and her news, but it was weighing me down. I don’t like hiding things from you.”

“Wow, lots of changes for the Taylor sisters,” he teased. “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll be sure to act suitably surprised when she resigns.  I can’t make any promise about how Chrome is going to react when he hears the news.” Copper’s face was grim.

Marla traced an imaginary line on his skin. “What’s his deal anyway? Sometimes when he doesn’t know I’m looking, I catch him staring at Natalie. I’m positive he’s attracted to her, but he never makes a move, even though sparks fly between the two of them on a regular basis. 

“Chrome is complicated, more so than the rest of us.  That’s all I can say about the subject.” He gave a negative shake of his head.  “I don’t think he’s going to take your sister’s departure well at all,” Copper warned.

Marla shrugged.  “Natalie put several years of her life on hold for me.  Now it’s her turn.  She deserves to find a sexy and devoted man who will love her.  Maybe this move will force Chrome to show his hand and finally express an interest in my sister.”

“Maybe,” Copper remarked.  “He carries scars that can’t be seen. He has to stop torturing himself about the past and finally let go, before he has another serious relationship. Natalie isn’t a one-night stand kind of woman, and he understands that. It’s probably why he’s kept his distance even though it’s obvious he wants her.”

Marla shuddered and buried her face in the side of Copper’s neck.  “We all have things in our past that haunt us, it seems. I hope Chrome eventually finds the peace that I was able to find. If not, Natalie’s better off starting over.  I’ve seen the way she looks at him when they’re aren’t exchanging words and arguing.  She wants him too.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s latent physical attraction that both of them are trying to repress.”

“Probably,” Marla agreed. She hopped up and grabbed Copper’s hand. “Let’s go to the apartment right now, give Natalie our good news, and sort through the rest of the things I have over there.”

“Works for me, I want you fully moved in with me by next weekend.”

Marla laughed.  “That’s fast, but it’s doable.”

“It’s the next big step toward the life I want to build with you. I don’t offer to share my home and life with just anyone. This is huge for me.”

“Me too, I’ve never met another man I’ve loved and trusted enough to make a home with until now.  You’re it for me, Copper Ellison.”  She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his.  “I love you.” 

“I love you now and always.”  He sealed his promise with a kiss that made Marla curl her toes and cling to his body. When he released her, she entwined her fingers with his, and they walked to his bike and toward the start of their future together hand in hand.

Thank you
and I hope you enjoyed reading Copper!  Reviews are welcomed and appreciated.  Please visit my website irisabbott.com or my Facebook page
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Table of Contents

Books by Iris Abbott

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TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE