Free Lasting Summer - [Loving Summer 05] by Kailin Gow, Kailin Romance Page B

something I…”
    I held my breath.
     
    “Oh hi!” Rachel walked out of her room
with a duffle bag. “I was just heading out. I booked a commercial, and it’s up
at San Fran so I’m flying there right now.”
    “Rachel!” I went to her. She didn’t smile,
and I didn’t blame her. It had been awkward between us, when I broke up with
Drew and refused to talk to him for weeks, which she was against.
    “Um, Astor will be at the Academy
covering for my class so…”
    “That’s nice of Astor,” I said, actually
relieved I did listen to him and sold a part of the Academy to him.
    “Yeah,” Rachel said carefully. “Astor’s
been incredible. It was a shame how you had to break up with him.”
    “He broke up with me,” I said.
    “Whatever. He’s too nice of a guy to
deserve having his heart broken.”
    “What?”
    “Well, hopefully he’d be different once
I come back from San Fran,” Rachel said. “Because it seems, you’ve already
moved on from him, from Drew, and even Nat!” She glanced over at Cooper who had
taken a seat at the kitchen island…the seat Nat usually sat in when he was
here. How appropriate, I thought.
    For a moment Rachel seemed frozen as she
looked at Cooper. Then she shook her head. “Nah, it couldn’t be.”
    “What couldn’t be?” I asked.
    “Never mind. I must be just seeing
things. Anyways, I’m outta here, and um, whoever you are…”
    “Cooper,” I said.
    “Nice to meet you,” she said. “Just know
you’re in line with some pretty amazing guys for her so if you even want a
chance with her, you treat her right, not like my knucklehead brother Drew.”
With that, she walked out the door.
    Despite whatever was going on between me
and her, whatever was going on between she and Astor, or even with Drew; I
still loved her like a sister. And she still had my back.
    Cooper had an amused grin on his face as
his eyebrows cocked up in a question. “So…what’s going on with her?”
    “She’s my best friend from babyhood, and
she lives with me here now that she’s going to USC for her freshman year. But
she and I…we just went through some pretty heavy stuff, not just about my ex,
who happened to be her twin. And my other ex, who happened to be her older
brother. I think me not being with either one of them had strained my
relationship with her.”
    Cooper smiled. “Rachel, is it? She seems
pretty tough yet vulnerable inside. I can understand what she’s going through,
but in the end, it’s your life. You can’t live your life to please Rachel. In
the end, whomever you end up with will be your choice and no one else’s. Give
Rachel some time. Check up with her, talk to her, be her friend and sister. It
seemed she needs you more than she let on.”
    I nodded. “You’re so wise,” I said. “Are
you sure you’re not an old man in some hot young guy’s body? Oh, did I just say
that?”
    Cooper laughed. “So you think I’m hot?”
    I blushed.
    He came up to me and took my arms in his
hand, leading me to sit on the sofa next to him. “Do you think I’m as hot as
that Peacock in class?” he whispered close to my ears. “I have to admit, Sum, I
find you pretty hot yourself…”
    “I’m…”
     
    The front door opened, and I jumped up
from my seat. Who could that be?
     
    A beautiful woman in her mid-40s with
long flowing chestnut hair and green eyes walked in. She was clad in a khaki
linen suit that flattered her trim athletic frame. From how glamorous she
looked, you wouldn’t believe she was an officer in the army, but in special
intelligence.
    “Mom!” I cried, running to her.
    “Summer!” she said, hugging me tight. “I
still can’t get over how big you’ve gotten while I was out fulfilling my
missions.”
    “Are you going to stay before taking off
again?” I asked. “I mean…”
    “I know what you mean,” she said,
patting my cheeks. “I have some time off, but I will be sent off again. It’s my
call of duty.”
    “I know. I