as you?”
Since the man had been engaged to one of People magazine’s Most Beautiful Women, and had a very dry wit besides, Bree wasn’t sure she should take him seriously. But his stunned demeanor never changed, and she decided he was playing it straight this time.
“I’m too busy,” she said simply. When he cocked his head in disbelief, she figured that since he’d been up front with her, she owed him the truth. “Even if I wasn’t, my parents’ messy divorce convinced me that constant traveling and marriage don’t mix.”
Cooper absorbed it with a somber expression. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. I was in college when they finally split, and to be honest, it was a relief. My dad was an AP correspondent, and we moved around a lot. When he was on assignment, they fought about him being away too much. When he was home, they fought about him being underfoot. Not the best model for happily ever after.”
“I guess not.” After a sip of water, he asked, “Which one of them came up with your unique name?”
Bree groaned. “My mother. She’s a hopeless romantic, and her favorite movie is Sabrina. You know, the one where the two rich brothers fall in love with the butler’s daughter who used to be a plain Jane and—poof!—turns into Audrey Hepburn?”
Grinning, Cooper forked up a cherry tomato from his salad. “Sounds familiar.”
“As if that wasn’t mortifying enough, she saddled me with Constance for a middle name. It’s a tribute to some aunt she adored, but really, who uses names like that anymore?”
He laughed, and even though it was at her expense, she couldn’t help joining in. There was something about him that made her feel at ease, as if he’d pushed some invisible “relax” button inside her that no one else had ever found. While they devoured their lobsters, they chatted comfortably about nothing in particular. Before long, it felt as if they’d known each other for years instead of only a few hours.
For dessert they ordered a humongous slice of Boston cream pie and two forks. It was like a scene from some gushy romantic movie, but Bree was having such a great time, she decided to ignore the sappiness and just enjoy the evening.
They’d nearly finished off their pie when he said, “I almost forgot to tell you how the lighthouse got its name.”
Actually Mavis already had, but Bree decided to let him have his moment. “That’s right. Go ahead.”
“After a dozen ships or so broke up on those rocks, the townsfolk got together and built the tower. They called it Last Chance because it was the captains’ last chance to correct their course before running aground.”
“Neat story,” she murmured, scribbling it down even though she’d recorded Mavis telling it earlier. Normally she wouldn’t humor a source this way, but Cooper had been so great with her, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“So, that’s it.” Setting down his dessert fork, he checked his watch. “I guess I should get you back, then.”
It had been a long, exhausting day, and she was definitely ready to hit the sack. But when she opened her mouth to agree, she heard herself say, “If you’ve got time, I wouldn’t mind hearing some more about the summer-long regatta.”
What? Where had that come from? Betrayed by her suddenly unpredictable emotions, Bree forced herself to smile as if she hadn’t completely lost her mind.
Fortunately Cooper either didn’t notice her momentary lapse of sanity or he was so accustomed to odd characters it didn’t bother him. “Sure. What do you want to know?”
“Whatever you think people who aren’t from around here would find interesting. Quirky,” she clarified, pulling her steno pad over to take notes. “Like what kind of costume does Reggie wear?”
Threading his fingers together on the table, Cooper grinned. “He’s always Teddy Roosevelt. Even wears little glasses and a forest ranger’s hat.”
“Who does Mavis go as?”
“Mavis. She doesn’t think much of dressing up herself, but she’s got no reservations about decking out Reggie. She says he enjoys pretending to be someone else once in a while.”
Laughing, Bree jotted that down and set up her phone to record. If this first nugget was any indication, she was in for some Holiday Harbor gold.
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