***
“I warned you from the beginning that I’m a user,” Piper told her husband that night as she lay in his arms, all woozy and satiated from their lovemaking.
“How long do you think it’ll be before I outlive my usefulness?”
“A very long time.” She curled into his chest. She didn’t know exactly how she’d pull it off, but she intended to be a superstar wife. “I can’t believe we’re married.” She sighed.
“I thought we weren’t going to mention it.”
“Only tonight.” She flipped to her back. “Now that I’ve landed a man, I’m thinking about letting myself go. No more dresses, makeup, haircuts . . .”
“You barely get haircuts now,” he pointed out, drawing her close once again.
“Dresses are a lot of bother.”
“Fine with me, but you’re going to miss sneaking looks at yourself in the mirror whenever you get dressed up.”
Her smile turned into a frown. “You have to get a prenup. Or a postnup. Honestly, Coop! For someone who’s supposed to be a crackerjack businessman, you’ve been completely irresponsible.”
He yawned and curled his hand over her thigh. “You and Heath work it out.”
“Is that the way this marriage is going to go? The three of us. You, me, and your agent?”
“That’s how it rolls when you marry an overprivileged ex-jock.”
She laughed and held up her hand, admiring in the soft bedroom light the ring he’d given her. A spiral of tiny diamonds wrapped a narrow gold band. “You could have afforded a lot bigger.”
“True.” He kissed the slope of her breast. “But you’d have killed me.”
He knew her so well. Not only her jewelry preference, but also her flaws and insecurities, along with every one of her hang-ups. But he loved her all the same.
“I have a ring for you, too,” she said, “but you won’t get it for a couple of weeks.”
He twisted the platinum band she’d bought him by wiping out a big chunk of her savings. “I already have a ring.”
“Not that kind of ring.”
His head came up off the pillow. “Tell me you didn’t—”
“I had to. It was on my conscience. Mrs. Calebow and I had a long conversation after the ceremony, and she and I worked out a trade. A replacement Super Bowl ring in exchange for some computer security work I’ll be doing for the Stars this winter.”
“Pipe, I don’t give a damn about that ring.”
“You’d better give a damn!” she exclaimed. “Because now I’ll have to give up all my Bears T-shirts for real.”
He laughed. “It’s a good thing you’re tough.”
Not so tough. But tough enough. Because once you married a champion, you had to be ready to play at the top of your game.
Epilogue
Jada sat cross-legged on the floor of Piper and Coop’s house in Lincoln Park and watched eleven-month-old Isabelle Graham and her twin brother, Will, wobble from one piece of furniture to the next looking totally drunk. They were batting around a scruffy pink pig and babbling to each other in a language only they understood, which made them even more adorable. She loved them with all her heart.
She remembered when Piper had found out she was having twins. Jada had been staying with them while her mom was in Lansing meeting Eric’s parents for the first time. She’d been a junior in high school, old enough to stay by herself. But she liked spending time with Coop and Piper, so she hadn’t bitched about it.
Piper was super nervous when she got pregnant, but that was nothing compared to what happened when she had her first ultrasound. Because Jada was taking biology—and because she’d pleaded with them—Piper and Coop had let her come along for the doctor’s appointment. When Piper found out she was having twins, she had a total freak-out. She’d jumped off the table, ultrasound goo still plastered all over her stomach, and charged Coop. “One!” she’d yelled. “I said I’d have one for you! And you agreed to take care of it! I never said anything about two! Do you have to be an overachiever in everything?”
Coop had lifted her off her feet, getting goo all over himself, and said she’d be the best mother of twins ever because of her competitive nature. Then she’d yelled that he was the one with a competitive nature and that she was too emotional to have twins. Coop said it was true she was emotional and asked her if she felt like crying. When she said she did, he’d told her to go ahead. She had, but not for long, and then she’d started hugging him back. The whole time, the medical technician was standing there with the ultrasound thingy in her hand and staring at them like they were both crazy.
Coop had been right about Piper being a great mother, but Coop was a great dad, too. They’d both gone through a lot of changes in the three years since they’d gotten married. Coop had sold Spiral and started an urban gardening program. He already had seven gardens growing in abandoned lots that used to be littered with a bunch of old tires and broken liquor bottles. Coop had former gang members planting and weeding alongside old people and single mothers, everybody working together to feed their communities. In September, Coop was opening a training facility to aid young people in finding jobs in the food industry. Piper said that helping transform neighborhoods was a perfect occupation for a man who loved big challenges.
In Jada’s opinion, Piper’s work was even more interesting. Dove Investigations now specialized in background checks and fraud investigations for a bunch of companies, and Piper had enough business to hire two employees. But that wasn’t the fascinating part. The more Jada had talked to Piper about child sex trafficking, the madder Piper had gotten until she was even more passionate than Jada. Now she used her computer skills to put pimps out of business and find the men who preyed on the girls. Among other things, she posed as a fourteen-year-old in online chat rooms. She also built phony Web sites that the police used to set up stings. Eric, who was a lieutenant now, took over from there. Piper said it was dirty, stomach-churning work, but she’d never felt cleaner.
Jada heard the caterer clanking dishes in the kitchen. Tonight was Coop and Piper’s anniversary, and they were throwing a big party to make up for what Coop called their bargain-basement wedding. Piper and Jada didn’t think it had been bargain-basement. Piper said it was the most beautiful wedding ever, and Jada loved it because it was the place where her mom had stolen Eric from Piper’s friend Jen. That worked out, though, because Jen met a really great guy plus got this big meteorology award. As for Eric . . . He was the coolest stepdad. Jada could talk to him about anything, and he loved her mom. Jada hardly ever thought about what had happened with Hank. Maybe it was bloodthirsty, but she was glad he’d gotten killed in a prison fight.
***
As the caterers set up a small table in the hallway, Coop stopped inside the living room door. While Jada had watched Isabelle and Will, he and Pipe had gotten dressed for tonight’s party. They’d also managed to sneak in a quickie, a luxury since the twins had been born.
He gazed across the living room. Piper had dropped to her knees in the sleek red party dress she’d undoubtedly found on a sales rack somewhere. The twins were throwing themselves at her, one on each side. “Come on, monkeys,” Piper said into their necks. “It’s bedtime.”
He went over to join his family. “I’ll put them down,” he said. “You relax before the guests get here.”
“I’m very relaxed.” He sincerely hoped Jada didn’t pick up on the mischievous light in her eyes. “I’ll take care of them,” she said.
“It’s okay. I’ll handle it.”
“No need. You go talk to Jada.”
“I already talked to Jada,” he said firmly.
Jada laughed. “You guys are ridiculous. You know you’ll both end up putting them to bed.”
He looked over at her. “You’re my witness. You heard what Piper said. Once they came out of the chute, I was supposed to take care of them. Piper and I had an agreement.”
“Which I honored,” Piper said piously.
br /> “Yeah. At three o’clock in the morning.”
Piper smiled the smile that melted his bones. The smile that none of the city and state officials ever got to see when she was battling them in her fight to protect the street girls who had won both her heart and her will. She was the toughest woman he knew. Right up to the moment she walked inside their house.
“Come on, squirts. Bedtime.” He swept Isabelle into his arms while Piper picked up Will.
Not long after, he stood between the two cribs as Piper delivered her final bedtime kisses. He was a lucky man. He had good friends, work he believed in, the children of his dreams, and a wife he cherished above all. The doorbell rang, and Piper took his hand. Together, they walked downstairs to greet their friends.
It was a good night to be Cooper Graham. But then every night was.
Acknowledgments
How can I begin to thank the incredible team at William Morrow and Avon Books for their hard work, as well as the many friendships I’ve formed over the years: Carrie Feron, my longtime editor, confidante, and life coach; Pamela Spengler-Jaffee, who watches out for me when I’m not making her sip champagne in my shower (long story); Liate Stehlik, the amazing woman I want to be when I grow up; Tavia Kowalchuk, who carries me in her heart when she goes hiking. Thanks to the incomparable Lynn Grady, the superefficient Nicole Fischer and Leora Bernstein, and the enthusiastic Harper sales team: Brian Grogan, Doug Jones, Rachel Levenberg, Carla Parker, Dale Schmidt, and Donna Waitkus. I’m so appreciative of the help I’ve received from Shawn Nicholls and Angela Craft, as well as the digital marketing support from Tobly McSmith. Virginia Stanley, you’ve been my cheerleader for more years than I can remember. Elsie Lyons, thank you for my beautiful cover, and Shelly Perron, you are not only my valiant copy editor but the most patient woman on earth.
On the home front, if it weren’t for my amazing assistant, Sharon Mitchell, the gap between my books would be much greater. My husband, Bill Phillips, is a man of many talents, including titling this book. My sister Lydia is my lifelong soul mate. I have worked with Steven Axelrod and Lori Antonson at the Axelrod Agency for so long I feel as though they’re part of my family.
I am so blessed to have the most wonderful friends. They make me laugh, make me think, cheer me on, and inspire me, especially Nicki Anderson, Robyn Carr, Jennifer Greene, Kristin Hannah, Jayne Ann Krentz, Lindsay Longford, Dawn Struxness, Suzette Van, Julie Wachowski, and Margaret Watson. Andy Kamm and Allison Anderson, thank you for answering my questions. And, Jules, you’re my watchdog Down Under.
To my publishers all over the world, you have made me feel so welcome. Special thanks to my dear Marisa Tonnezer at Ediciones B in Barcelona, as well as the remarkable team at Blanvalet in Munich, especially Nicola Bartels, Berit Bohm, Anna-Lisa Hollerbach, and Sebastian Rothfuss. Also my dear Angela Spizig, who is my “voice” in Germany.
To my international readers and bloggers, thank you for introducing my books to so many others. And to all my readers, I love that you demanded another Chicago Stars book. (For those of you not familiar with how Heath and Annabelle became a couple, I think you’ll enjoy Match Me If You Can, a book also titled by my husband, as he never fails to remind me.) Thanks to all of you who’ve become my friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you’re interested in a list of my books, as well as seeing the titles of the Chicago Stars books in order, please visit my Web site at susanelizabethphillips.com, where you can also sign up for my newsletter.
Happy reading, my friends!
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
About the Author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips soars onto the New York Times bestseller list with every new publication. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a wife and the mother of two grown sons.
Also by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Heroes Are My Weakness
The Great Escape
Call Me Irresistible
What I Did for Love
Glitter Baby
Natural Born Charmer
Match Me If You Can
Ain’t She Sweet?
Breathing Room
This Heart of Mine
Just Imagine
First Lady
Lady Be Good
Dream a Little Dream
Nobody’s Baby but Mine
Kiss an Angel
Heaven, Texas
It Had to Be You
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
first star i see tonight. Copyright © 2016 by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
first edition
Digital Edition AUGUST 2016 ISBN: 978-0-06-240563-0
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-240561-6
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Susan Elizabeth Phillips, First Star I See Tonight
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