The look on Tessa’s face said she was surprised by his actions. Exactly what Cooper had been going for. If he really wanted to push it, he would follow her inside. But as much as he would like to get intimately familiar with her bed, he knew Tessa wouldn’t hang around long if she thought he was only after sex, even if she claimed it was all she wanted. Which he wasn’t. Sure, he was aching for another round with her, but he was slowly learning how to be patient.

“Go on now,” he told her as he swatted her on the butt, making her jump.

“Give me five minutes.” Tessa’s words trailed behind her as she disappeared into the house. Cooper would give her all night if she would just ask.

Half an hour later, they were pulling into one of the busier diner’s in the neighboring town. Tessa had mentioned that they had the best burgers and Cooper wasn’t one to argue so he’d let her give him directions.

Taking her hand, they walked inside together. Surprisingly, the restaurant was fairly busy for a Wednesday night, but not nearly as jam-packed as the restaurants Cooper was used to.

They found a booth in the back and Cooper gave Tessa some space, opting to sit across from her. He would much rather sit beside her, but he knew not to push his luck. She seemed nervous, but the fact that she had agreed to go out with him was a good sign.

They didn’t have to wait long before a harried waitress approached their table, sparing them a minimal glance as she took their drink orders and rattled off the specials. Once she disappeared, Cooper turned his attention back to Tessa, watching as she perused the menu.

“So what’s good here?” he asked, never bothering to open his menu. He’d already resigned himself to a cheeseburger. He was just making conversation.

“Depends on what you like,” she said, not looking up at him.

“You,” he whispered, and Tessa’s eyes shot up to meet his.

“What?”

“I like you, Tessa.”

The pretty blush that infused her cheeks made Cooper’s heart thump wildly, but oddly enough, the feeling wasn’t sexual. The woman stole his breath in so many ways, and when she lit up like that, he couldn’t help but want to wrap her in his arms and never let her go.

“Well, I’d suggest you go with the cheeseburger and fries, but whatever,” she said with a strangled laugh.

He continued to watch her until the waitress returned. This time the woman actually glanced at them, and Cooper noticed the instant she recognized him. Hoping she wouldn’t make a big deal out of it, Cooper took control of the situation, “What are you gonna have?” he asked Tessa directly.

“I’ll have the cheeseburger and fries. Oh, and a chocolate milk shake.”

“I’ll have the same, only make my milk shake a sweet tea.”

“You’re Cooper Krenshaw,” the woman said, her mouth hanging open. She never even bothered to write down their order, just continued to stare at him.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a grin. “Do you need our order again?”

“No. No, I got it. Two cheeseburgers and fries. One chocolate milk shake and a sweet tea.”

Glancing down at her name tag and then back up at her face, Cooper grinned as he said, “Thanks, Rose.”

“Sure,” she mumbled, turning away briefly and then back to stare at him. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Hey, Rose, is Ron in the back?” Tessa asked, effectively redirecting the woman’s attention.

“Yeah, he’s here,” Rose said with a huge grin. “Hey, Tessa. Sorry, I swear I wasn’t trying to be rude.” The waitress’s apology sounded genuine.

“No problem,” Tessa replied sweetly.

When Rose trotted off, Cooper looked at Tessa. “Who is Ron?”

Tessa’s brilliant smile had him answering with one of his own as they stared at each other.

“Ron owns this place. I know. I know. You thought Charlie did.” Tessa laughed. “Charlie is actually Ron’s son and no, he doesn’t work here.”

When Tessa glanced in Rose’s direction, Cooper frowned. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

“I get it. You’re famous. I figure half the people in here are fans of yours, even if they don’t necessarily know what you look like. How do you handle that everywhere you go?”

“It doesn’t happen as often as you’d think,” he explained. “In Nashville, it’s a regular occurrence to see someone out and about. For the most part, I just try to keep a low profile.”

“Has it happened much since you’ve been here? In Devil’s Bend, I mean?”

“Not really. I’ve been stopped a few times when I’m in town, but I think for the most part, people are giving me my space. It’s nice to be where I’m treated like a regular guy.” Cocking his head in the direction Rose disappeared, Cooper grinned. “And even Rose’s reaction was tame compared to some I’ve encountered.”

“Does it bother you when people approach you like that?”

Cooper had to ponder the question for a minute. In truth, it didn’t bother him at all. He felt like a normal person, so when someone recognized him and wanted to say hello, he mostly just went with it. Only when it encroached on his time did he get bothered by it, which honestly wasn’t often. “It’s still flattering,” he admitted.

“If that’s the case, what made you run from Nashville?”

The wording of Tessa’s question hit him like a brick to the back of the head, surprising and painful at the same time, and her interest in his answer made him curious.

“I’m not running from Nashville,” he said through gritted teeth. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. “Sorry. I guess I’m just having a hard time seeing it the way everyone else is, that’s all.”

“How do you think they see it?”

“I get it,” he told her. “I left suddenly, and I’m hiding out. Or at least they think I’m hiding out. But I’m not, Tessa. Right now, right here, is where I want to be. As much as I like the limelight, as grateful as I am for the opportunity to do what I love, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“So you’re saying it’s hard work to do what you love?”

“Yeah, it is.”