“Well it didn’t stop Dad from acting like I handed you both the getaway car.”
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck before looking out at the horizon. “Dad’s just pissed because none of us turned out exactly how he planned.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
“He wanted me here forever.” I glance down at the reins in my hands. “But if I stayed, I would’ve hated my life.”
Cooper finally looks over at me.
“I’m glad you chose to chase after what you love,” he says. “You gotta do what makes you happy, Colt.” He pauses. “Just… don’t forget where you come from while you’re doing it. Don’t forget there’s people here who love you and want to see you too.”
Something in my chest cracks open at that because I’ve spent so long acting like Bluewater Bluffs was something I escaped from that I forgot it could still be home too.
No matter what happens in Saltwater Springs, whether I get the permanent spot or not, I still have a home to come back to.
Emotions lodge thick in my throat and I swallow against them, refusing to cry in front of my brother. “Thanks.”
Cooper shrugs again, “Don’t make it weird.”
A laugh bubbles out of me, and after a second I glance around. “Where’s Cade anyway?”
“While you’ve been off becoming a surf hotshot, the ranch has been under attack.”
“What?”
“Some hotshot interior designer moved to town a few months ago. She has rich investors backing her, and she wants to buy up half the coast and build some luxury resorts.”
My stomach drops. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” Cooper shakes his head. “She’s been sniffing around the ranch too. Something about the view from our property being perfect.”
“What the hell?”
“She’s got another thing coming.” Cooper pats his horse’s neck. “Cade’s dealing with it. We all are. You focus on surfing.”
I stare at him. “You sure you guys don’t need me?”
“Positive.”
Relief and guilt twist together in my chest. “Thanks,” I say again, quieter this time.
Cooper smirks. “You can repay me by finally talking to Dad.”
I grimace immediately. “Hard pass.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
He sighs. “That man misses you, idiot.”
I scoff. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“Colton.” Cooper turns toward me. “He watches every replay of your surf competitions when he thinks everyone else is asleep.”
I freeze. “What?”
“And he pays to have a weekly copy of the Coastal Times delivered all the way out here too, just in case there’s news about you in it.”
