“Tyler isn’t going to leave and you know it.” Cooper forced himself to remain calm. She was already starting to wall herself off. “He won’t leave the animals ... and he won’t leave you either. That’s not who he is.”
“I know but—”
“No.” Cooper cut her off with a firm headshake. “We’re a team, Hannah. That means we’re in this together. As for the others, though ... .” He trailed off, thinking of Becky. “I’ll send word to Danielle. I think only the other coven members were hanging around today. I’ll make sure they don’t come back until we send word that it’s safe.”
Hannah nodded. “I guess that’s something.”
“It is.” He moved his hand to her neck and started massaging. “Tell me what you’ve found out about the nexus. I’m not sure I believe anything Astra says, but occasionally she has good information so I don’t want to dismiss it outright.”
“I haven’t been able to find a lot,” Hannah admitted. “I’ll bet there is more information to be discovered in the books once I dig in.”
“Is that your plan for the entire night?”
“Do you have another suggestion?”
This time the smile he offered was wide. “I might have one. I think you need a change of scenery.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning we’re going into town for dinner.”
“But I have research to do.”
“And it can wait until after you’ve eaten. You need a break from this place. I do, too. We’ll go to dinner and then come back and do research together.”
Hannah was prepared to shoot down the suggestion and then she thought better of it. “You know, a nice dinner sounds great.”
“I’m thinking red meat. Steak and potatoes.”
She grinned. “Comfort food.”
“Exactly.”
She cuddled closer. “Where do I sign up?”
He tapped his lips suggestively. “Where do you think?”
“Well, it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.”
“That’s my girl.”
9
Nine
Cooper picked a spot he knew on the lake. It was a restaurant Hannah had never been to before and she was absolutely delighted when she saw the twinkle lights on the patio.
“Oh, wow.”
Cooper slid her a sidelong look, smiling at the way her eyes lit up. She filled him with joy even in the middle of a crisis. “They have good food, too,” he promised.
“I didn’t think I was hungry until you said that,” she admitted ruefully, slipping her hand in his. “I’m starving, though.”
“You’ve had a big day.”
“Yeah.”
“We’re going to talk about it after we order.” He was firm. As much as he wanted her to relax, he also wanted to touch on a few things that were bothering him.
“Are you angry?” Hannah looked almost pained at the prospect.
“No.” He attempted to reassure her by squeezing her hand. When her expression didn’t change, he heaved out a sigh. “I’m not happy. I understand why you went down there. I just ... you mean a lot to me, Hannah. I’m allowed to be afraid for you.”
She nodded without hesitation. “I’m afraid for you, too.”
He frowned. “Because of what Astra said?”
“I know you want me to say no, to discard everything she told me, but I’m not sure I can.”
“Well, we’re going to talk about that, too.” Cooper kept a firm grip on her hand as they moved to the hostess stand. “It can wait until after we order our food, though.”
“Fair enough.” Hannah slid closer to him so he could put his arm around her shoulders, lifting her eyes to the clear blue sky. “It’s a nice night for a fight.”
Amused despite himself, he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Believe it or not, I don’t happen to believe it’s going to be a big fight.”
“That will be nice.”
“Definitely.”
THEIR TABLE WAS LOCATED ON THE FAR edge of the patio, with a clear view of the lake, and Hannah sighed as she cocked her head and listened to the noises of the night.
“This place is beautiful,” she enthused, grabbing the specials menu from the center of the table. “I can’t believe you’ve never brought me here before. It feels like you’ve been holding out.”
Cooper snickered. “Honestly, I’ve never been here before. Boone told me about this place a few weeks ago, said it would be good for a romantic date, and he once brought me takeout when we were having lunch and it was very good.”
“And you’re just now bringing me?” Hannah let loose a teasing tsk. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“I wanted to save it for when we both needed something different.”
“Like a break from reality?”
“Like ... a night together.” He patted her hand as it rested on top of the table. “It’s going to be okay. I know it feels like a lot right now, but we’re going to figure it out.”
She shifted her eyes to him, thoughtful. “Do you ever get tired of telling me that? It seems to me that’s your usual refrain because I’m freaking out over one thing or another.”
“I never get tired of anything where you’re concerned,” he countered. “You’re one of those people who makes the world better simply by being in it. You’re magical ... on more than one level. I could never get tired of you.”
The waitress picked that moment to arrive at the edge of the table, her order pad ready, and she let loose a wistful sigh as she looked between the couple. “Oh, man. I just got dumped two weeks ago. You guys are going to make me believe in love again and take a chance on another loser. I hate you already on principle.”
Cooper flashed a smile, amused. “The trick is to find the right person,” he said, winking for Hannah’s benefit. “That makes a world of difference.”
“Oh, I have no doubt.” The woman’s name tag read “Jenn” and she was all smiles as she glanced between faces. “Geez. You two are so
