Coop’s eyes narrowed, but he was distracted when the microwave dinged. The cheese was melting onto the plate and smelled like heaven as he turned around, holding it out to Beau.
“Can’t cook?” Coop asked, grabbing him a fork and napkin, then nodding toward the living room when Beau would have sat at the tiny kitchen table.
“Hmm? Oh, I’m okay, but Danny didn’t eat pasta or dairy.” He carefully carried the plate over to the couch and pushed Trucker away when he tried to fall headfirst into the cheesy goodness.
Coop sat at the other end, back against the armrest and legs up on the cushions—though he kept his knees bent so he didn’t invade Beau’s space—and snapped his fingers to get Trucker to back off. “Why didn’t you just make it for yourself? I’m sure he could have managed to feed himself.”
Beau shrugged, digging into the deliciousness and trying to ignore how his face was heating up. “He didn’t think I should eat it either, and it didn’t seem like it was worth the argument.”
He slowly chewed, waiting for Coop to ask the inevitable follow-up questions, like why Beau had put up with that or why Danny had felt the need to try and restrict his diet. When the silence stretched out, the food became tasteless in his mouth as he realized Coop didn’t have to ask. He’d seen Beau practically naked.
He already knew why Beau’s boyfriend had been unhappy with his body.
Chapter 4
Never in Coop’s life had he ever despised someone before he’d even met them.
He wasn’t sure how it had happened, but after spending less than an hour with Beau, he sort of wanted to kick this Danny guy’s ass. Which was a little weird considering Coop generally didn’t care enough about other people’s relationships to get so invested.
But there was something about Beau…
He pulled Trucker between the V of his legs and absently petted him as he studied Beau eating the leftover lasagna. The oversized sweatshirt made him look even smaller than he was and added a layer of vulnerability that Coop wasn’t sure he could handle. Helping out people in trouble had been his weakness for years until he finally stopped putting himself in positions of getting taken advantage of.
Mainly, he stopped dating or seeing the same men or women twice.
Before his thoughts could get sucked down a hole of past dating mistakes, he decided to distract himself. “What do you do?”
Beau froze, fork halfway to his mouth, and stared at Coop with wide eyes. He couldn’t tell if Beau thought he was so much of an ass that he’d never ask about him or if no one ever asked Beau about himself.
“Um, I’m an accountant.”
Nodding, he straightened his legs a little but made sure they still didn’t touch Beau. “Do you like it?”
Again, Beau’s gaze met his in surprise. “Yeah, I do,” he said slowly, seemingly waiting for Coop to lose interest or change the subject. “Numbers make sense, and I’m good at it.”
“My dad always used to be one of those people who would say things like ‘it’s never work if you love it,’” Coop said, propping his elbow on the back of the couch and leaning his head on his fist, suddenly tired. “I used to argue with him that a job could just be a job, but now I own my own business and love what I do. He found that hilarious.”
Beau nodded and slowly chewed another forkful before responding. “I enjoy my job, but I think that has a lot to do with where I work rather than what I spend all day doing.”
“Where do you work?” Coop raised a brow, curiosity getting the best of him.
“I work for my dad’s company.”
“Does he own the firm or something?” He grunted as Trucker rearranged himself and elbowed him in the gut. Catching the smile Beau tried to hide made it less painful for some reason.
“He owns a land development company. I just work in the finance department.” Beau shrugged like that was no big deal and kept his eyes on his mostly empty plate.
“That sounds interesting. Are you two close?”
There was that slow, almost hesitant nod again. “Yeah. My mom died when I was little, so it’s just been us ever since. We’re… really close.” Beau chuckled awkwardly. “I know it’s lame, but he’s basically my best friend.”
Coop frowned, trying to catch Beau’s sad brown eyes after he set his empty plate on the coffee table and pulling his legs up to wrap his arms around them. “Hey, that’s not lame. My dad and I were really close too. I miss him a lot.”
Resting the side of his head on his knees, Beau finally met his gaze. “He died?”
“Yeah,” Coop said, voice thick with emotion. “About four years ago. Cancer.”
“I’m so sorry, Coop,” Beau whispered, reaching over slowly and lightly clasping Coop’s ankle, giving it a squeeze before letting go.
“Thank you.” He wanted to tell Beau he could touch him longer if he wanted to, but that would be dumb as hell. Not only was Beau literally just out of a shitty relationship, but Coop didn’t sleep with people like him—sweet, kind, adorable, but one hundred percent the commitment type. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks. I was only three, so I don’t really remember her.”
“Still.” They sat silently for several moments, and then Coop said, “And loving your family isn’t lame. My siblings drive me crazy, but they’re also my favorite people in the world.”
Beau’s smile wasn’t huge, but it was better than the sorrow that had been lingering in the corners of his downturned mouth. “Why do they drive you crazy?”
Coop laughed. “It’s more my sister—she keeps trying to set me up, even though I’ve told her a hundred times I’m not interested in a relationship. But she’s one of those people who are ridiculously happy in their marriage and want everyone else to be happy too, you know?”
Beau nodded and smiled wider. Coop wasn’t normally so chatty, but he was finding the warm, quiet cabin and Beau’s easy presence to be like a spell weaving around him and drawing the words out. The snow was falling outside, but with the windows covered, they never would have known the storm was still raging.
“My brother is more easygoing, but when we all get together, it’s like he turns into a ten-year-old again. We were all at my mom’s for Christmas last month, and he and I got into it so bad I almost left.”
Eyes wide, Beau rearranged himself so he was cross-legged and facing Coop on the couch. Trucker the Traitor immediately scrambled over to lie across Beau’s lap instead.
“What were you fighting over?” Beau asked, fingers digging into Trucker’s fur and sending his dog straight to heaven.
“I don’t even remember,” he said, smiling at Beau’s unbelieving face. “Really. Brent just pushes my buttons because he’s the baby and can practically get away with murder, and he knows it.”
“I can’t believe you don’t even remember what it was about.”
Coop chuckled and relaxed against the couch arm behind him. “You don’t have siblings, do you?”
Shaking his head, Beau looked down at Trucker with pink cheeks. “No. Always wanted them though. My dad and I are close, but… Growing up, there were times he wasn’t around a lot. He’s always been a bit of a workaholic.”