And at that point, even though they were both exhausted, Cooper wasn’t sure he’d be able to let Tessa sleep. When he gave in to the urge to put his hands on her, she’d been too worried that Dalton would hear them, so he had held off on tormenting her, choosing rather to make love to her only once before they crashed just after four in the morning.

And now as they lay in his bed, Tessa stirred in his arms, the silky strands of her hair tickling his arm when she moved. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head and waited to see if she was awake.

When she didn’t rouse, he figured he needed to get up. The sunlight was just beginning to come in through his windows, and he knew his parents would be there soon. They had called him the day before to let him know they were driving down to visit. And yes, he had knowingly kept that a secret from Tessa. No sense in worrying her even more.

After making a pot of coffee, Cooper let the dogs out the back door and joined them on the porch. Sliding into one of the plastic chairs, Cooper stared out at the land in front of him as the sun continued its remarkable ascent into the sky.

“Mornin’.” Tessa’s drowsy voice came from behind him a second before her arms wrapped over his shoulders and around his neck.

“Mornin’, baby,” he greeted her, his hands landing on her arms, enjoying the softness of her against him. “Sleep well?”

“Not too bad,” she answered and he heard the smile in her voice.

A loud bark had Tessa pulling away. “Thanks for letting them out this morning. You should’ve woken me up.”

“They’re easy to manage,” Cooper told her, glancing at her over his shoulder. “And anyway, you needed the sleep.”

Tessa’s knockout smile made his heart lurch in his chest. He’d spend the rest of his life trying to make her smile like that if she would let him. However, he knew now wasn’t the time to try and push that issue. One day at a time is what they agreed to, and he was trying damn hard to stick to his word. It was a little harder now that he knew that he loved her.

Grabbing her arm, he pulled her around in front of him and then down onto his lap. Placing his hand on her bare thigh, he smiled. “My dad and mom will be here in a bit,” he warned her, taking in the fact that she was wearing only his button down shirt. Since it came to her knees, he knew she was modestly covered, but she probably wouldn’t appreciate meeting his parents for the first time dressed like that.

“Here? Today?” Her voice was high and thin, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of fear in her eyes.

“Yep. So, go on in and take a shower. You’ve got time.”

“But Coop –” She started to argue as she rose to her feet.

“No, ‘buts’, Tessa. Just do it.” He laughed as he smacked her on the butt. “I’ll handle the dogs and Dalton will be up shortly.”

Without another word, she disappeared inside. Maybe he should’ve warned her in advance that his parents were coming, but Cooper truly wanted her to meet them. He knew Tessa, and if she had any sort of advanced notice, she’d probably have come up with at least one excuse. Probably more.

Half an hour later, Cooper was just finished frying the bacon and scrambling enough eggs to feed a small country when there was a knock on the front door. His father’s booming voice was the first warning, followed by the excited barks of Tessa’s dogs.

“Come in,” he hollered over the loud barks.

After scooping the eggs on a plate and tossing a paper towel over them, he ventured into the front room where his parents stood petting the dogs like they’d been friends all their life.

“Momma,” Cooper greeted his mother, giving her a kiss on the cheek when she stood. “How was the trip?”

“Oh, you know your father,” she teased. “Sometimes I worry that his foot’s on the brake and not the gas.”

“Oh, hush, woman,” his father belted out as he stood to his full height, which was eye level with Cooper. “Too fast. Too slow. It’d be easier if she’d just tell me how fast she wants me to drive and I set the cruise control.”

“Why didn’t you mention that before? That would make it so much easier,” Becca Krenshaw teased as she poked her husband in the ribs.

“Watch it, woman,” David said with a smile. “So, this is the house, huh?”

Cooper glanced around the room, trying to see the house for the first time through his father’s eyes. “Yup, this is it. It needs some work, but I like it.”

“It’s charming,” his mother said as she moved through the open living room. “Open, airy, just like a country house should be.”

Cooper bit back his laugh. His parents lived in a four thousand square foot cabin in the Smoky Mountains, so this was like a cardboard box in comparison to their three story retreat.

“Is that food I smell?” David asked, his hand landing firmly on Cooper’s shoulder.

“Yes, sir,” Cooper answered, glancing down the dim hallway as they made their way toward the kitchen. He was surprised Tessa hadn’t appeared yet. Then again, if she had her way, she would probably hide out in his bedroom until she thought the coast was clear.

Not that he was going to let her.

When the back screen door opened and then shut, Cooper turned abruptly to see his angel in blue jeans standing in the doorway, a shy smile on her face. Sneaky woman. She must’ve snuck out the back door when his parents arrived so she wouldn’t be caught coming out of his bedroom.

Cooper saw the dogs running down the back porch steps which meant she had done exactly that when he had been greeting is parents.

“Hey, darlin’,” Cooper said, heading straight for her. “Mom, Dad, this is Tessa Donovan. Tessa, this is my mother, Becca, and my father, David.”

“Oh, she’s a beauty,” Becca swooned as she moved in close, grabbing both of Tessa’s hands in hers and then pulling her in for a hug. That was his mother. She didn’t have any respect for personal space whatsoever when it came to the people in her life.

“Woman, let her be,” David said with a laugh after a good thirty seconds or so.

“Why don’t y’all head on out to the table on the back porch and Tessa and I will bring the food out.” Cooper held the door open for his parents as they disappeared outside.