For Keeps by Karen Booth Read Free Book Online

other side of his desk. “Pull up a box.” His office was littered with cardboard moving crates.
    “Very funny.” Brian pulled a chair from the corner and collapsed into it. “Please tell me this is all going to pay off some day.”
    “It’s just because we’re trying to move the office next week. That’s the only reason that it’s insanity around here. It’ll be so much better once we’re in the new space.” Cooper drained the last of his Red Bull. “I can’t last much longer. I gotta take a nap or something.”
    “Yeah, I just got off the phone with Laura. I need to do the same thing. She’s not happy about being home alone with two kids on a long weekend.”
    Cooper watched as his brother stretched his neck. The guilt over keeping him at work and away from his wife and kids weighed on him. “Why don’t we take a break? Chris looks like a zombie and he smells worse.” He shut down his laptop. “Reconvene this afternoon?”
    “Um, yeah. I think that sounds good,” Brian said with plain hesitation.
    “You know what? Chris and I can take it from here. You get some sleep and hang out with the kids. Tell them their Uncle Coop says hi.” He slid his laptop into a black leather bag.
    “Are you sure? Some of this is my fault.”
    “If we’d programmed it correctly in the first place, we wouldn’t be having this problem. Don’t worry about it.”
     
    Allie tapped on the hard shell of her cellphone as the cab hurtled through the city, little traffic on a Sunday morning. Skies were gray, rain misted. She wondered what Cooper was doing, knowing the likely answer was that he was still in bed. Twisting her lips, she slid the phone back into her bag. I’ll call him later.
    Andrea had taken a sleeping pill last night, leaving Allie alone and wide awake in the guestroom. After hours of discussing Bill and his wandering dick, Allie had hoped the sheer mental exhaustion would put her out like a light. Instead, her mind wandered to Cooper and everything that had happened Friday night. Being so tired made it easy to worry less about what he might be thinking. She only wondered now if it would happen again and how she might feel about it if it did.
    “Lady,” the cab driver barked. “This the right address?”
    Allie shook her head and looked up to see Cooper keying his way into their building. “Shit. Yes.” She scrambled to dig her wallet out of her purse, tossing the driver a twenty. “Keep the change.”
    Cooper was out of sight once she entered the building, but she could hear footfalls coming from the steps. She rushed to the stairwell, but slowed as soon as he might see her. Three treads up, she heard his voice.
    “Allie, hey.” He leaned over the railing and smiled. He was a bit haggard, eyes tired and stubble along his jaw. “How’s your sister?”
    “She’s doing better. Now she’s just pissed.” She hurried up the stairs as he waited. “Big night out?” Her pulse picked up as she put two and two together. He’s been out partying. Probably with women.
    He smiled and shook his head. “I’ve been working all night.”
    Her shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Everything okay?”
    “Not really, but it’s boring. You don’t want to hear about it. I’m just home to take a nap and a shower, grab some real food.”
    They continued up to Allie’s floor, the point of no return. She wanted him to come in, wanted to spend time with him again. She also wanted to know what exactly they were doing. Either you put yourself out there or you don’t. “I could feed you,” she blurted. Her heartbeat sped up again as she waited for the answer.
    Cooper reached for her elbow. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to think that all I want you for is food.”
    It took everything Allie had to keep from exclaiming something about not caring what he wanted her for . “I don’t think that.”
    “Good. I’m starving.”
    She dropped her bag on the entry table and went to the kitchen, her brain sifting through no