Bittersweet Symphony (The Damaged Souls series Book 2) by Belinda Boring Page B

for him—his own self-doubt often getting in his way. Sooner or later he’d realize what an incredible man he was—not just the sum total of all his failings and weaknesses.
    Time and healing would bring him that clarity. All I had to do was love him, which was getting easier and easier, not that it was difficult to begin with. He was just a little rough around the edges sometimes.
    Hell, it was part of his appeal.
    “I know you do,” Cooper whispered softly, once again taking me in his arms. It seemed like there was no other place I wanted to be recently.  There was something about his touch—his energy—that skirted across my skin, bringing a sense of calmness with it.
    I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I craved it.
    “How about you go in and visit with my mom. I’m sure she’d appreciate the company.” I hadn’t missed Cooper’s quick glance at the clock hanging above the garage door. He was counting down the seconds until we could be alone. “My dad’s not due for another thirty minutes and by then, we’ll be done.” When Marty snorted, he added. “I’ll make sure we’re done.”
    The thought of talking with Heather again made me smile. I didn’t think Cooper realized how much his mom liked talking about him, or how I always walked away with some juicy tidbit from his childhood. She was proud of her son—it was blatantly obvious each time she looked his way or mentioned him.
    Lifting up onto my tiptoes, I kissed his lips once more . . . then again for good measure.
    He was addicting.
    “Okie dokie,” I replied, stepping out of his reach and watching Cooper’s hand slowly drop to his side. “Maybe today she’ll bring out the blackmail material.” I couldn’t help the cheeky grin that spread across my face. “Maybe even some bath-time photos.” Casting him a mischievous wink, I didn’t stay long enough to hear his response.
    That didn’t stop the guys, however—their shouts for inclusion in whatever dirt I managed to uncover echoed behind me. The fact they hadn’t already tried conning Heather out of juicy details was a surprise.
    Crossing the well-maintained yard, walking along the paved path I was sure Cooper had helped install, I tentatively knocked at the back door. “Heather?”
    “Come on in, honey,” came her warm response from inside the house. I’d been there plenty of times to follow the sound. Sure enough, she was sitting at the dining table, shuffling through opened envelopes, a pen and notepad by her arm. “You caught me doing something completely glamorous.” She chuckled, lifting one of the many letters . . . a bill if I guessed correctly. “If only there was a way to escape it every month.”
    Groaning, I slid into the empty chair near her. “If you figure out how, please tell me. Just the thought of what awaits me back home in my own mailbox gives me an ulcer.”
    Nothing gave me a headache faster than knowing in the same breath that I received money, I then had to part with it. Just another perk to being an adult.
    Heather dropped the sheet of paper with a long, exhausted sigh and absently rubbed at her forehead. “How are you, Caylee? How’s school?”
    It was rough being so far away from my own parents. Having Cooper’s welcome me so eagerly into their family took away the gentle sting of being homesick. They’d accepted me wholeheartedly and I’d started considering Heather as my second mom.
    It helped on those days when all I needed was a hug from someone who wanted nothing else but to offer comfort and listen. I sometimes wondered whether Cooper knew about some of the impromptu visits I’d made when I’d simply been in the area and needed to chat.
    Seeing how close he was with her, I didn’t think he’d mind.
    Sometimes the only one who could reach through that moment of panic was a mother.
    “Same old, same old. I haven’t told Cooper yet but I found out earlier that I won the scholarship I’d applied for.” My face heated, even though I