“First aid first,” Hannah chided when she realized he was about to melt down over what happened. “You guys need to rest and let us look you over. After that ... well ... we’ll talk about the other stuff.”
Tyler pasted a look of bravado on his face. “That sounds like a plan to me.”
JACKIE AND DANIELLE WENT TO work on Tyler as he sat at one table and Hannah put her entire focus on Cooper, who refused to meet her steady gaze. She was developing a bit of a complex when she pressed a pad, covered in peroxide, to his cheek.
He let loose a low hiss but held still despite his obvious discomfort.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time,” Hannah noted as she tended him. “It’s okay. You’re ... okay.”
Finally, although it took monumental effort, he raised his eyes. She saw shame waiting there and was taken aback.
“This isn’t your fault,” she reassured him quickly, using her free hand to brush his hair away from his face. “You were being controlled.”
“That’s not an excuse,” Cooper shot back, his temper bubbling up. “I ... hurt him.” He flicked his eyes to Tyler and found the other man watching him with an unreadable expression. “I’m so sorry. I ... didn’t mean anything I said.”
Hannah’s heart constricted at the words, but she held it together. “You said stuff?” She’d missed that part. It must’ve been when they were inside the saloon. “What did you say?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Cooper stubbornly averted his gaze and stared at the wall. “None of it was true. It was all ... terrible. I’m ashamed of myself.”
Hannah worked her jaw and flicked her eyes to Tyler. He looked equally conflicted. “You guys should get this stuff out there, deal with it here and now. I know it’s difficult but ... we can’t afford to let this fester right now. If something was said, you both know it wasn’t the truth. Frank was controlling you ... and now he’s gone.”
“It felt like we meant the words,” Tyler offered in a low voice. He looked lost ... and scared ... and hurt. Hannah hated his response but didn’t know how to help him. “When I was saying the things I said ... I meant it at the time. Now, though, I hate myself.” He refused to look at Cooper. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Cooper muttered. He also kept his gaze anywhere but on his friend.
“Is this a man thing?” Hannah asked, rolling back on her haunches so she could regard them. “No, I’m being serious. I don’t understand why you guys are acting this way. Frank was clearly controlling you — and having a good time doing it — but he’s gone now. You guys are okay. Why can’t you just make up?”
“Because I called him ... I said ... .” Cooper couldn’t finish the sentence and Hannah’s heart went out to him.
“He called me the F-word,” Tyler volunteered, causing Jack and Danielle to suck in twin breaths of disgust.
For her part, Hannah felt mildly sick to her stomach. “Oh.”
“Now you know why I’m a terrible person,” Cooper growled. “I can’t believe I said that. I don’t say things like that. I don’t believe things like that.”
“I never would’ve believed that either,” Tyler offered helpfully, managing a rueful smile that Cooper didn’t see. “If it’s any consolation, in one breath you used the F-word and in the next you accused me of trying to steal Hannah from you. I think it’s entirely possible you didn’t know what you were saying.”
Hannah cringed. She should’ve known she would be at the heart of the meltdown. It made sense and yet ... . “See. It’s nonsense.” Her fingers were surprisingly strong as she brushed them against Cooper’s cheek to prod him to look at her. “You didn’t cause this,” she said when his tear-filled orbs finally snagged with her understanding stare. “It’s okay. You guys are going to be sore for a few days, but it could’ve been so much worse.”
“It’s not okay.” He furrowed his brow as he said the words and cupped her hand to his face, letting out a sigh. “I’m so sorry, Tyler.”
Tyler chuckled, taking everyone by surprise. “I’m sorry, too,” he said. “I mean ... really sorry. I know you didn’t mean what you said. It’s not your fault.”
“It feels like my fault.” Cooper was morose. “You’re my best friend. I didn’t mean any of those things. I just ... feel sick.”
Hannah searched her heart for a way to make him feel better and came up empty. Ultimately, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. To her utter surprise, Cooper banded his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, taking solace in her warmth and absorbing the strength she seemed to have at the ready.
“You shouldn’t let it get you down,” Tyler offered. He was clearly feeling better, because this time the smile he flashed lit up his entire face. “I believe I might’ve told you that you were an ugly guy and bad dresser ... and that you didn’t deserve Hannah. None of those things were true either.”
“What I said was worse,” Cooper lamented.
“Yes, but I made fun of your shoes. That is the king of insults in my world.”
Hannah couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she pulled back and fixed Tyler with a grateful grin. “That was really mean.”
“I know, right?” Tyler winked at her as Cooper sucked in a steadying breath. “Neither one of us meant what we said, man. It’s going to be okay.”
“Thanks to Hannah,” Jackie pointed out, affixing a bandage to Tyler’s arm. “She’s the reason we’re all still here. That ... thing ... would’ve killed all of us if she hadn’t reacted the way she did.”
The statement was enough to have Cooper lifting his head. “My hero,” he whispered, leaning forward so he could press his forehead to hers. “I didn’t even see what you did. I couldn’t get past Tyler. I mean
