Winning the Single Mum's Heart. Линда Гуднайт

      The kindness in his tone rattled her. Normally she didn’t share her worries with anyone but Regina or Belle. “A little.”

      “What about Justin’s insurance?”

      She scooted the saucer across the countertop.

      “He didn’t have any.”

      Cooper’s long, talented fingers paused on an inch cube of Italian cream cake. “None?”

      “He kept intending to get some. After he died I found an application on his desk.” She shrugged one shoulder. It was all a moot point now.

      “That sucks.”

      At the blunt and un-Cooperlike assessment, she smiled. “I think I may have said that a few million times in the past two years.”

      A beat of silence passed. Then Cooper reached across the narrow space between them and tilted her chin, meeting her gaze with his earnest one. “I’m really sorry, Nat. Justin was a good man. He wouldn’t have done anything to purposely hurt you. He was crazy about you.”

      Tears prickled the backs of her eyelids. She’d long since passed the point of unquenchable grief, and most of the time she was just plain mad at Justin for having left her alone. But Cooper’s compassion was both unexpected and touching.

      “Crazy being the operative word,” she murmured, trying to keep her mind on the conversation and off the warm strength of Cooper’s fingers. Off the random thought that she could smell his cologne. Off the reminder that she’d once entertained romantic thoughts about him.

      Something shifted in the caramel-scented air. Cooper pushed away from the counter, eyes never leaving her face.

      Her heart set up a thunder dance, and her mind raced like two hamsters on a Ferris wheel. What was he doing? Why was he moving toward her with that wild glint in his eyes? Was he going to hug her? Comfort her? Kiss her?

      Before she could find out, a feral growl from somewhere behind them ripped through the kitchen.