The big house was awesome. He’d worked hard to earn it. So had Erin. He took a side path through the gate into the expansive backyard overlooking the Sound. A flash of color caught his gaze and he smiled, seeing the flutter of the tassels on Rennie’s pogo stick where she’d left it, propped up against the side of his deck. Being an uncle was one of his favorite things. He dug kids a lot. Which was good, because he knew Erin’s baby would fill the place with bright toys that squeaked or made music when they got stepped on.

Home was important. His brother had found it, his sister had found it and one of his best friends may have found it too. Life was very good indeed. He’d do this tour and use the webcam idea to be there in some way for the new baby and, more important, his sister.

16

Cope stopped at the grocery store near Ella’s building to grab a few extras for their weekend. Wine. Cheese and crackers. Chocolate. And a few boxes of condoms.

“My goodness, is this just a party for two, or can a guest join in?”

He looked up from the acres of boutique chocolate and found . . . Sandy? Cindy? Candy? Whatever, a woman he saw on and off for a stretch the year before. Talk about inventive. Whatshername there was like a sexual encyclopedia. And a yoga teacher, so she was extra bendy too.

Without thinking, he crooked a smile her way. “Not that the invitation isn’t enticing and all, but no. I’m not partying with anyone else but my girlfriend these days.” That also came out without thinking. He liked that last bit better.

“Girlfriend? You?” She laughed, making sure he saw all her parts jiggling. Not a lot of subtle, but she wasn’t hiding what she was either.

“Yep. Even us old dogs can learn new tricks.” He grabbed several of the dark chocolate truffle bars she liked so much. “Nice seeing you.”

“Cope, you’re not boyfriend material. You have to know that. You’re a great f**k and all, but you’re going to be cheating on this poor naive girl before she knows it.”

“I don’t cheat on anyone, thank you very much.” This offended him deeply. He might have liked to f**k a lot of women, back when he was with Candy—yeah that’s right, Candy—but he didn’t lie about it, and he wasn’t a cheater. He had principles, damn it.

“You’re not a one-woman man, Cope. You like women. You like sex. One woman can’t satisfy you. Is she a freak? Does she let you bring home friends? Maybe I’d like her. We had some good times with a few of my friends, remember?”

It was like some scene from his past playing through the middle of the grocery store. Like Scrooge being visited by women of years before.

“Look, we had some fun and all. But that’s in the past, and I’ve moved on.”

“Don’t kid yourself. You and me are alike. We don’t do relationships. We do each other. You’ll f**k up and prove me right.”

Still laughing, she moved past him with a little wave, leaving him pissed off in her wake. He wasn’t like her anymore. He had changed, and it was all about Ella, damn it. He could do it. He was boyfriend material, partner material even. It wasn’t even a matter of changing; he’d just been waiting for the right person, and he had her.

Ella smiled as the scenery whizzed by. “The trees are so pretty. I’m glad I brought my camera.”

“Camera, huh? We gonna do anything to be recorded for posterity?”

She snorted a laugh. “Um. No.” Not that she didn’t have a detailed memory of just how he looked naked. One she called up frequently because, well, hell, because he was fine!

“Party pooper. I made reservations at a little Italian place near my friend’s house. It’ll be a late dinner. That okay? I can stop now if you’re hungry.”

“No, I’m good. I eat at nine and ten a lot. But I’m sleeping late tomorrow.”

“Red, we’re sleeping until at least eleven. Then I’m going to ravish you, and we can nap until we decide if we want food or not.”

She felt her grin all the way to her toes. All the happy he brought to her life made her giddy. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve smiled this much,” she murmured, watching the sky purple, deepen into night.

“Thank you.”

“No. Thank you. Thank you for the package. I had the perfect frame to put the drawing in. I’m . . . well to say I’m touched and flattered doesn’t really do justice to how it made me feel. And you’ve been hiding another talent from me. Are you good at everything?”

He took her hand casually. “Now I’m touched and flattered. Which talent are you referring to?”

“The drawing. And what poem did you quote?”

“That’s mine, the poem that is. Just a little something. The drawing’s just a scribble. Nothing major.”

Was he kidding? “Nothing major? Get out of town. It’s beautiful. So you’re a poet, and artist and you do amazing woodwork? Damn, Andrew Copeland, you’re hiding your light under a bushel.”

“You’re beautiful, Ella. I just let the pen put a small part of you on paper.”

Do you just not know? How can you not see how wonderful you truly are? She thought about this a lot as they finished the drive west. How could he not know? Did his parents just not ever tell him how wonderful he was? Despite his father’s asinine behavior of late, Annalee seemed to adore her children.

“Here we are,” he said, pulling down a quiet street that fronted the sandy dunes and the water just feet away.