Light of the Spirit, Page 2

  She ran her finger along the handle of her mug. “I was starting to think you sprang out of that hospital bed and got out of town.”

  In truth, he’d been trying to put her behind him. When Lia had showed up the day he was being released from the hospital with her dark eyes full of hope and a ticket in her hand, he couldn’t refuse it. But Lia was also a reminder of the fire and the strangeness he couldn’t explain.

  In spite of that, he’d kept the ticket, and tonight when he accidentally took it out of his wallet, he couldn’t resist seeing her again.

  He cleared his throat. “You think really fast on your feet. It was impressive.”

  “Thanks,” she said, then shrugged. “What can I say? I’m addicted to laughter.”

  “There are worse addictions.” He chuckled, surprising himself again.

  She sobered. “From what I’ve seen, you could use more of it in your life.”

  He raised a brow. “There isn’t a lot of fun and games in my world.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Lia Youlos threaded her fingers through her hair as she stared across the table at Cooper. While he’d been stuck in the hospital, getting him to laugh had become a personal challenge, luring her back to his hospital room almost every day during his stay. There was something about him, something weighing him down, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  In the rare moments when he forgot himself, or whatever problem was dogging him, she caught glimpses of a different guy. He was trapped in there someplace.

  She leaned in closer, her eyes locked on his. “I’ve lost two of my best friends since I came to Crystal City. We all came here to restore Les Neuf Soeurs, the Theater of the Muses. It’s what brought us together. But now two of them are dead and you were there when the theater went up in flames a few weeks ago. It would be so easy to curl into a ball and cry forever.” She sat back, crossing her arms, denying the tears that ached to fall. “I know giving yourself permission to smile again sometimes feels like a betrayal, but we have to keep going.”

  Pain creased his brow as he reached for her hand. “How do you do it?”

  She placed her hand in his, fighting to keep her voice steady. “You grab onto the happy memories and hold them tight. I try to picture the way they used to laugh at my stupid jokes.” Tears swam in her eyes. “And I try to remind myself that laughter heals.”

  He stared at their joined hands, and she wished she could read his mind. She didn’t know him that well, but she’d witnessed his heroism first hand. Cooper was a good man. Broody, yes, but she could tell there was more to him than he let others see.

  “I don’t think I told you how much your visits meant to me when I was stuck in the hospital. Knowing I might get to see you kept me from ripping my IV out and running away.”

  She pressed her lips together for a second and lowered her voice. “I wanted to be sure you were okay.” She leaned in a little closer. “And making you smile was an irresistible challenge.”

  He chuckled, shaking his head slowly. “I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re beautiful inside and out.”

  Heat flushed her cheeks, and she rolled her eyes as he squeezed her hand. She usually got laughs, but compliments were less familiar, leaving her a little off-balance and out of her comfort zone.

  His blue eyes filled with a playfulness that had her heart fluttering. “Oh please. I watched you pretend to be a highway patrol officer who quacked like a duck tonight, and now you’re blushing?”

  She grinned. “I’m in control onstage. It’s a totally different animal sitting across from a good-looking paramedic in a coffee shop.”

  “I clean up all right.” He raised a brow. “It’s tough to impress a woman from a cot in a backless gown.”

  She shrugged, struggling to keep a straight face. “I told you, unintentional flashing could’ve done it.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Cooper laughed again and took the last sip of his coffee. “Thanks again for inviting me to your show. Sorry it took me so long to use the ticket.”

  “I figured you were busy with rehab or something.” She slowly pulled her hand free of his to lift her own coffee cup. “I’m glad you’re all right. That seizure, or whatever it was, scared me. It’s probably for the best you can’t remember it.”

  He didn’t reply, his expression unreadable. Whatever he was hiding, she wasn’t going to figure it out tonight. She glanced at her phone. “I should get home. I’ve got an early day tomorrow.” Her gaze met his. “I’m not ready to go, but I really should.”

  He nodded. “Can I walk you back to your car?”

  “I’d like that.”

  The hint of a smile on his lips had her pulse racing through her veins. She wasn’t really ready for the night to end. Not yet.

  When they exited the coffee shop, Cooper reached for Lia’s hand. His fingers laced with hers like he’d been holding her hand for years. Being with her made it impossible to think about anything other than how much he wanted to be even closer to her. She quieted the fear that constantly whispered through his mind.

  She looked up at him as they walked. “I hope this won’t be the last time I see you.”

  He glanced back at her. “Not if I can help it.” It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her why he was dreading getting in the ambulance tomorrow, but then he’d have to tell her about the strange light. Until he had an explanation, he just sounded nuts.

  Hell, maybe he was.

  She stopped beside her car and faced him. Her gaze wandered over his face. “Thank you for everything, Cooper.”

  “No.” He shook his head and, without thinking, brought his hand up to cup her soft cheek. “I needed this tonight.” He bent toward her, hesitating, giving her the chance to duck into her car. Instead, her full lips parted, her eyes on his as he leaned in closer.

  “Lia! Thank gods! I can’t get the alarm system for the improv club to turn on.”

  They both straightened, and Cooper turned around. A woman with long, dark hair and black-framed glasses came toward them, her mouth forming a perfect O as realization dawned. “Oh my god, sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  Lia chuckled, glancing up at him with a knowing look. Damn, she was sexy as hell.

  She focused on the other woman. “That’s okay.” She turned to him again. “Cooper, this is Clio. Clio, Cooper.”

  She offered her hand. “I remember you. The paramedic from the fire. You saved Reed.”

  He shook her hand with a nod. “Nice to meet you, Clio.” He peered at her leg. “How’s your ankle?”

  “I’m upright, so no complaints.” She shrugged. “I’m still going to physical therapy a couple times a week, but I’ll be all right.”

  “Good to hear it.”

  “Well, I better get the alarm on…” Lia met his eyes. “I’m here every night Thursday through Sunday. Maybe I’ll see you again soon?”

  “I’ll be back on shift most nights, but for you, I’ll figure something out.” He hadn’t flirted in so long, he was surprised he remembered how.

  And there was that infectious smile again.

  “Good.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Good night.”

  “’Night.” He watched her go until she got inside the building.

  Somehow, he would find a way to control what was happening to him, because he refused to let this be the last time he saw her smile.

  Lia woke up five minutes before her alarm and hopped in the shower. After a quick blow-dry and date with her flat iron, her curly hair was tamed into a straight, silky bob. She pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a green top, checked herself in the mirror, and headed for the kitchen.

  Trinity was already munching on a protein bar and nursing a cup of coffee at the table. Lia took a mug out of the cupboard and smiled at her new roommate. Since their friend Erica had moved in with Reed, her fiancé, Trin had an empty bedroom and needed someone to chip in for rent. Lia’s apartment over the salon was noisy and constantly smelled like hair dye
and perm solution, so when she heard Trin was looking for a new roommate, Lia didn’t hesitate to move in.

  While all three of them were modern-day vessels for the Greek muses, Lia embodied the Muse of Comedy. Bringing out smiles and laughter came naturally to her. In fact, she ached to lift the spirits of those around her. Their joy charged her batteries.

  But Trinity was the Muse of Melody, and many of her songs were far from joyful. She and Erica, the Muse of Lyrics—among other things—had been perfect roommates in that sense.

  Trin smirked. “Okay, you are practically glowing. What the hell did I miss?”

  Lia pulled out a chair with a grin. “Cooper came to the improv show last night.”

  “And he is…?” Trin raised an eyebrow.

  Although Cooper had worked on Lia and Tera after the fire—and had somehow brought Reed back from the dead—the rest of her muse sisters had been with the other EMTs, who had been working on Polly.

  Lia swallowed the lump in her throat. “He’s the paramedic who saved Reed.”

  Recognition lit Trinity’s eyes. “Ahh. And you like him.”

  Lia nodded. She was the last person in the world to be coy or secretive. “He’s gorgeous—blond hair and bright-blue eyes, tall, chiseled jaw, and he helps people. What’s not to like?”

  Trin set her mug on the table. “Seems like there’s a but coming.”

  “Not really a but. More of an also.” She blew on the steamy surface of her coffee before taking a tiny sip. “He’s super serious and broody.”

  “Perfect.” Trinity chuckled. “That’ll make you nuts, you know that, right?”

  She gave her roommate a playful kick under the table. “He almost kissed me last night.”

  “Almost?”

  Lia pulled her hair back from her face. “Clio couldn’t get the alarm to set.”

  Trin bopped herself on the forehead and grinned. “She was working late?”

  While they rebuilt their beloved Les Neuf Soeurs, the theater that had drawn all the muses to Crystal City in the first place, Lia’s tiny, black box theater was acting as the meeting place for all her muse sisters to plan and rebuild their theater. They used to meet at Callie and Hunter’s place, but after the arson fire at Les Neuf Soeurs, none of them were comfortable luring the enemy to their homes. They had added security cameras to Lia’s small part of the strip mall where the improv club was, and they were all keeping a vigilant eye out for the fanatics in Kronos masks who had set the Les Neuf Soeurs fire—the Order of the Titans.

  Since Callie, the leader of their muse sisterhood, had released the security footage from the fire to the police, the Order had kept their distance. Or maybe they thought burning the theater to the ground had already stopped the muses from their mission to inspire the world.

  If so, the Order sorely underestimated them. After Polly’s murder, they had become more committed and motivated than ever before, and with the addition of Nate, Hunter, and Reed as Guardians, Lia had never been more confident that they would achieve their vision of reopening Les Neuf Soeurs and inspiring mankind in all aspects of science and the arts.

  “Yeah, Clio has been burning the midnight oil.” Lia shook her head. “She’s convinced she can find the rest of our Guardians—or at least narrow the search—if she studies the lovers of the original mythological Greek muses.”

  Trin raised a brow. “That theory might hold up with Callie and Hunter, and maybe even Erica and Reed, but Mel would never have fallen for Nate if he had a horn and a fish tail like Achelous. Melpomene had strange taste in men.”

  Lia giggled. “Well, if you’re going to be literal, I guess not. But it can’t hurt to let Clio try, right?”

  “Probably not.” Trinity glanced at the clock, then back at Lia. “You’re leaving for the salon early.”

  “No salon today. It’s Wednesday, I have a date with my poker group at the Blessed Mary Village.”

  “The retirement home?” Trinity got up and put her mug in the sink. “How do you keep smiling in a place like that with the women who never get visitors? Seems pretty depressing.”

  “It’s not like that. Some of them still get visitors.” Lia shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel good when I hang out with them. They have so much knowledge and love to give. It’s lame to put them in a corner and wait for them to fade away.” Lia caught herself mounting her soapbox and toned it down a notch.

  “How’d you find them?” Trinity crumpled up the wrapper of her protein bar.

  “My mom had an aunt who lived there when I first moved to the West Coast from Chicago. She was my only friend when I got to Crystal City, and she introduced me to her poker group. After she passed away, I couldn’t just turn my back on my new friends. I cut and style their hair—a couple of them each week—and then we play cards.”

  Trin chuckled. “So it doesn’t bum you out to see them there?”

  “No. We laugh a lot, and if anything, they inspire me.” She grinned. “And when you can inspire a muse, you’ve got it going on.”

  “True.” Trinity smiled. “I’m heading out to meet up with Erica. She’s got some new lyrics for me, so hopefully we can nail the final track on the new album.” She started down the hallway and stopped, turning back slowly. “So this Cooper… Could he be your Guardian?”

  Lia rolled her eyes. “How would I know?”

  “When are you seeing him again?”

  “I’m not sure. We didn’t exchange phone numbers, but I told him when I’m at the improv club. Today is his first shift back since the fire, so I probably won’t hear from him for a while.”

  “If he’s as smart as he is good-looking, he’ll be back.” Trin vanished to her room, leaving Lia with her memories of her almost-kiss.

  She hoped she’d see Cooper again, but she wasn’t counting on it. There was something in his eyes, something dark. And though she ached to finally hear a belly laugh from his lips, she might not get what she wanted. The trouble with comedy was that you could put the joy and frivolity on display, but it was up to the audience members to let down their guards and laugh.

  She couldn’t do it for him.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Hey, Coop. Welcome back, man.” Jerry took his hand and tugged him in for a quick hug.

  “Good to be back,” Cooper said. He pulled away as another familiar face came out from the locker room.

  “Damn my eyes, it’s Apollo!”

  “Hey, Garcia.” Cooper shook his head and grabbed Steve’s hand. “You still need glasses, man.”

  “It’s not my problem that you were chiseled from marble.” Garcia chuckled and slapped Cooper’s shoulder. “Doctor cleared you to join the working stiffs again, huh?”

  Steve Garcia was a couple of years older than Cooper and about eight inches shorter. He’d given Cooper the nickname Apollo during Cooper’s first week with the unit. Apparently, Apollo was the only Greek god Steve could remember. Steve and Jerry had been partners as long as Cooper had been at the station.

  “Yeah, I’m ready to roll,” Cooper said.

  “Good timing, too.” Garcia glanced at Jerry. “Just got a call.”

  “You guys can take this one,” Nick said as he came around the corner. “Let the guy get changed.”

  Nick was Cooper’s partner on the rig and usually drove. Cooper was the Paramedic in Charge, meaning he took care of their patients in the back, among other things. Nick shoved Cooper’s shoulder. “I’ll go check the fluid and tire pressure on the rig.”

  Cooper headed for the locker room to stow his clean clothes. After a long shift, a shower and clean clothes were heaven. He tugged on his navy-blue, department-issued tee and changed into his dark-blue cargo pants. Then he just stared at his combat boots.

  He hadn’t put them on since the theater fire, and soot still covered the worn leather.

  He made sure he was alone before reaching into his locker and picking them up. The scent of charred wood slammed him right back into the moment, staring into Lia’s eyes as she begged
him to try one more time to save their firefighter friend. He replayed the rescue at the theater in his mind, as he had a million times.

  The back of his neck had throbbed as he laced his fingers together and started compressions. One, two, three, and then the world had tilted.

  He’d been blinded by pure white light with no visible source. It had flooded everything. His hands had burned, his skin had tingled, and then his heart had lurched, racing until he’d thought it might burst. Then came a strong pull, like his soul was being yanked free of his body and shot into the hole in the firefighter’s chest.

  Cooper had found the tiny cut in the artery, focused the light, and suddenly, he’d dropped into darkness. He had awoken in the hospital hooked up to an IV.

  When the doctor had asked him if he remembered what happened, he’d lied. What could he have said? Something had sucked away part of his life to give it back to the firefighter? And what about the cut on Lia’s head? Either she had superhuman healing powers, or that tingle he’d experienced in his fingers and the burn at the base of his skull were signs her wounds were taking from him, too.

  He wished he could blame it on insanity, but they’d tested and scanned every inch of his head. No brain tumors, no lesions, nothing.

  Cooper shook off the memory and headed out to the truck bay. He climbed inside the rig and opened the cabinets to check their supplies. Even though he’d been gone a few weeks, it all came back as easy as breathing. Gauze, bandages, hypodermic needles, swabs, intubation kits—he continued down his mental checklist until Nick finally peered into the back.

  “All set? We’ve got a morning call to Holiday Ranch.”

  “Yeah, we’re good here.” Cooper closed and latched the cabinet, then went around to the passenger side. Most mornings from seven to nine o’clock, they had calls from people who found a loved one or a neighbor unresponsive. Often, Cooper, Nick, and the other paramedics were too late to make a difference, but they showed up anyway, hoping they might be able to help.

  He buckled his seat belt while Nick took the call on the radio. Cooper stretched his fingers. In the past two years, he’d missed a couple of days of work after twisting his ankle carrying the gurney down two flights of stairs, but he’d never been sidelined for a few weeks like this. This morning, he had wondered if he’d be rusty or slow, but maybe it was the sort of thing one never forgot. Doctors and surgeons got the glory, but it was paramedics who stabilized the trauma patients so the docs could do their work.