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“It is,” Cooper said

“Good” She gave a shaky se part of the appeal of living here” She looked down into the coffee in her hand “I can’t even explain it, Cooper, I just feelI feel connected to things here I’ve never felt connected to anywhere before”

“And that’s why you’re staying?” He wanted her to say yes; because the truth was, as good as he felt about her staying, Cooper had been worried all night that she’d e decision based on him He liked the doc too much for her to throhat she’d already built for the possibility of as between them He would have been happy to try a relationship with a co out

“Yes,” she said, and he felt the relief sweep through hi—the people here are obviously a factor Everyone is warhed “Of uess”

“You thinking of Vaughn?”

“Andrew actually But I guess Vaughn, too”

“That was because of the hotel The council approved planning before Jaclyn became mayor She became mayor in the middle of the hotel’s construction and with the help of Bailey, as especially pissed off by Vaughn’s arrival, tried to put a stop to it Legally they couldn’t do anything, but their public disapproval of his hotel has left soh, as far as I can see”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah Anyway, you were saying”

“Oh Right I was saying that I’ve never connected with strangers the way I’ve connected with the people here Bailey, E on in my head and then suddenly Andrew turned up”

Cooper scowled The moment he’d met hiance on him When he’d put his ar He’d also wondered how the hell she could see souy was the kind of

In fact, that still bothered him a little

“I didn’t invite him,” she said “I was shocked when Bailey toldannoyed “We were never in a relationship and I won’t go into it—”

“I’d appreciate that”

She smirked “All I will tell you is that I respected hieon But—and this sounds awful—I have never actually liked him very much”

It didn’t sound awful It filled hi to do with him?”

Jess shifted uncomfortably “I didn’t want a relationship with anyoneat least I didn’t think so But I’m still a woman”

As relieved as he felt that she wasn’t the kind of woant prick, Cooper also wasn’t particularly happy talking about her getting her needs met by the asshole, either

“Gotcha,” he bit out

“Anyhen he showed up here suddenly announcing that he missed me and hoere too old toserious about one anotherI was stunned” She scrunched up her nose in irritation “Typical Andrew,about what I wanted and I called an old friend for advice That, plus Andrew’s behavior in here tonight, made me realize what I didn’t want And what I didn’t as him—and the really scary part” She looked up at Cooper with big round eyes, dark with true uncertainty that made him want to reach over and comfort her “I don’t know if I want to be a doctor anymore”

Surprise stopped hi for her like he’d intended

He didn’t knohat to say at that point

Her professionwellCooper saw that as being a part of who she was He knew that was strange since he’d never actually seen her practiceto heal was a big part of her character

“I’”

“I’hter “It’s just thatthere is a possibility I went into this career for the wrong reasons”

“What wrong reasons?”

Jess looked down “I can’t fully explain it Just, and h reason to be a doctor”

The silence fell between them

He didn’t want her to hide anything fro But it was still neeen thes about him that he would wait to tell her That went both ways

He didn’t need to knohat the doc wasn’t telling him Not yet

He reh “What about what you toldyour mark?”

Cooper’s reaze back to his “I don’t know I don’t know if that’s all hed “I know I’ myself very well”

They were quiet awhile as they drank their coffee Cooper thought over her dilemma It concerned him Clearly, Jessica was in a mixed-up place in her life—she wasn’t the wholly self-assured woht she hen she first walked into his bar He’d been attracted to that aspect of her personality But knowing differently didn’t make him any less attracted to her It made her less than perfect, it ht need him after all, and to his surprise, Cooper liked that He liked that a fuck of a lot He wanted to help her find what it was she was looking for o;It is,” Cooper said