-Oliver-

As lonely as it was, I knew I needed one more night to mourn the end of my relationship with Brad. I tried to get all the tears out of my system so I could focus on being happy and making the most of the rest of my trip. Cooper was a great guy, and he didn't deserve to have me moping around while he was spending time with me.

Once I finished packing up all my stuff, I took one last look at the hotel room, and then turned and put it all behind me. I checked out of the hotel and went outside to sit on the curb and wait for Cooper. I hated that the first week of my trip had ended in heartbreak, but I was excited to spend the second week with Cooper. I liked being around him, and I was sure I'd be feeling better after just a few minutes in his presence.

It was starting to rain when Cooper pulled into the parking lot, but he waved and smiled when he saw me. Before I could pick up both of my bags, he was out of the truck and grabbing my other bag to put in the backseat.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm okay," I said, putting the bag I was holding in the backseat. "I just have to move on, and hanging out with you and seeing more of Washington will definitely keep my mind off everything else. What's the plan for today?"

"We're going to stop by my house first to drop off your stuff, and then we can head over to Rialto Beach. It's not far from my house, and I love going there on blustery days like today."

"Sounds great to me." I smiled, thinking about how Cooper could enjoy anything, even the beach on a rainy day.

"I hope you'll like it. Pacific Northwest beaches are different from what you've got in southern California. More rugged. It's amazing to see how angry the ocean is on days like this. I can spend hours watching the waves crash against the sea stacks and roar up onto the sand."

"That sounds awesome. And it's so beautiful out here that the rain doesn't even diminish the scenery."

Cooper grinned at me as we got in the truck. "I'm glad you feel that way."

Once we were out of town, I stared out the window at the trees and the lake. I would have been fine riding along quietly and just taking in the scenery, but I heard the faint sound of music.

"Do you get any radio stations out here?"

"Not many. I keep some CDs in my truck instead."

"What do you have?"

"No one specific. I just put a bunch of songs I like on a CD so I have variety."

I laughed. "Old school, like making a mix tape. I like it."

Cooper turned up the volume, and I vaguely recognized the cheerful song. It was Amy Grant's "Baby, Baby", which was one of the last things I expected to hear. I grinned, looking over at Cooper. "Wow, I haven't heard this song in years."

"I love this song," Cooper replied, a big smile lighting up his face.

He began to sing the lyrics, dancing in his seat and gesturing with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. I didn't remember all the words, but I moved back and forth to the music and kept my eyes on Cooper. It was hilarious seeing this huge, bearded man singing along to this song and making up his own dance moves. Cooper was a terrible singer, but he was having so much fun with it.

I had no doubt that I'd made the right decision to stay in Washington with Cooper. His upbeat, playful attitude and kind, caring personality were exactly what I needed right now.

-

Cooper's house was just outside of town, down a gravel drive and surrounded by trees. It was a small house that resembled a log cabin, with rich brown wood and a green tin roof. There was a covered porch on the front with a couple rocking chairs.

"This is great," I said, looking around at the trees. "It's like you're in your own little forest."

"That's what I was aiming for. I love sitting on the porch without having to see cars and people go by. It's peaceful - just me and the elk."

"Really? I've never seen an elk in person. Do you think I'll see one while I'm here?"

"I'm sure you will. Sometimes they're out in the yard in the morning. We'll keep an eye out for them."

I followed Cooper into the house. It was modestly decorated with lots of outdoorsy elements. Fortunately, there weren't any animal heads on the wall. That kind of thing always creeped me out.

There were two small bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, and Cooper led me to one of them and set my bags inside. The whole house felt like a home - comfortably lived in and well cared for. I knew housing prices were probably a lot cheaper here than in southern California, but even so, I really admired how Cooper had his life together.

When I went back out to the living room, Cooper looked me up and down. "Is that your only jacket?"

"Yeah. Is it okay?"

"For California, it's fine, but you'll need something warmer and waterproof for the beach. I've got one you can borrow."

The navy blue rain jacket Cooper gave me was huge on me and made me feel like a kid, but it smelled like Cooper, and if I closed my eyes, it was almost like Cooper was giving me a warm hug.

-

At the parking area for the beach, I could smell the salty ocean air as soon as I stepped out of the truck. There were a few trees in front of us, and a stretch of driftwood just beyond the trees. It was still raining a little and the wind was cold, but I hardly felt it with Cooper's jacket on.

"We have to walk through the logs," Cooper said. "Might have to climb over a few. Be careful, because the wood can get slippery when it's wet."

The logs were huge and all bleached by the sun. It was as though the shore was littered with giant bones, and it gave the beach an eerie feel. But it was a beautiful eerie, not creepy eerie. Cooper waited as I climbed over some of the logs, standing close in case I needed something to hold onto.

On the other side of the logs, I stopped and took in the sight before me. The sand was a dark grey and much of the shore was covered in smooth, oval rocks. The grey-green water was capped with white as waves crested and broke, starting with a dull roar in the distance and then getting louder and louder until they crashed onto the shore. In the distance, there was a big, rocky island topped with dark evergreen trees on the left, and to the right several massive rock formations rose from the ocean.

"Wow. This is incredible," I said to Cooper. "Definitely not like the beaches I'm used to. What are those?" I asked, pointing at the rock formations.

"Sea stacks. They were formed by the wind and water eroding away cliffs until all that's left are those rocky columns."

"Rugged is the perfect word to describe this. And I see exactly what you mean when you say the ocean is angry. Is it like this when you're out fishing?"

"It can be," Cooper replied. "I learned pretty quickly to respect the ocean. It's beautiful, but it can be absolutely deadly."

I was struck with the sudden thought of Cooper out on one of the fishing boats, getting tossed about by the waves. I hadn't thought about how dangerous his job could be, but seeing the ocean on a day like this put it into perspective. If Cooper was my boyfriend, I'd be a nervous wreck the entire time he was out on a fishing job. Maybe it wasn't just the distance that had bothered his ex-boyfriend.

We walked up and down the beach in both directions. I took as many pictures as I could and tried not to get my phone wet. The spray from the ocean was intense at times, but I was mesmerized by it. "I see why you like watching the waves. I feel like I could do this forever."

"I think it's relaxing, in a weird way."

I tried to keep my hands in my pockets so they wouldn't get cold. We were still a good distance away from the parking lot and it was going to take a few minutes to get back. The wind started to blow harder, and I moved closer to Cooper. Right after that, rain began to fall more heavily.

"Let's go back to the truck," Cooper said. "If you're okay with jogging, we should move quickly."

The wind was blowing the rain into our faces, and it gusted hard enough to push the hood of the jacket down. I laughed and turned to Cooper. "I think it's time to run, not just jog."

He was laughing too as we ran down the beach. When we reached the truck, we were both soaked. Our hair was plastered to our foreheads and water dripped off our noses. Cooper pushed his hair off his forehead and started the truck. "Sometimes it gets like this. I'm glad you were a good sport about it."

"It was fun. I'd love to go back, although maybe when it's nicer out," I replied, shivering a bit as I smiled at him.

He turned the heat up and then reached into the backseat. "I usually keep an extra flannel or two in here. You can dry off your hair."

Once I had wiped down my face and hair, I stuck my hands in front of the heater.

"I probably should have brought gloves for you," Cooper said. He reached for my hands and held them in his own to warm them up. 

His hands weren't cold at all, and they felt nice. It reminded me of when he'd held my hand on the plane. I had the urge to intertwine our fingers and keep holding his hand on the drive back to his house, but that was silly. He wasn't my boyfriend, and I wasn't going to let myself have a crush on someone just one day after Brad and I had broken up.

"Thank you. You're clearly more cut out for this weather than I am."

"I'm just used to it. Besides, all this muscle and fat probably doesn't hurt," he joked. "Let's get you home. You'll warm right up after a hot shower and some food."

-

Back at Cooper's house, I ended up seated in front of his fireplace as he bustled around the kitchen. "Do you want some help?"

"No, I got it." He appeared at my side and handed me a mug of hot chocolate. "You focus on getting warm while I make dinner. Is pasta okay?"

"Pasta sounds great. I'm not a picky eater, so anything is fine with me."

"Good. I'm not a fancy guy, so it would have been a problem if you were expecting lobster and champagne," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Although, I can cook a tasty fish dinner."

"Let's cook together one night," I suggested. "I want to chip in some money for food."

"Sounds like a plan. I've got fish in the freezer, but we can go to the store and get some vegetables as a side."

I moved closer to the fire and sipped my hot chocolate. I was a lot more content to hang out in someone's house and eat a home cooked meal than I was to go to one nice restaurant after another. This was more my style, and it wouldn't be happening if Brad and I were still together.

After a few minutes, I felt bad that Cooper was letting me stay at his house and cooking dinner for me, so I got up and insisted on setting the table and washing pots and pans as he finished with them. Dinner was perfect. Cooper had made spaghetti and meatballs with a side of garlic bread, and I couldn't imagine having anything else after a day out in the wind and rain.

"What do you want to do tomorrow? What else is on your list?" Cooper asked.

"I want to do the Hall of Mosses trail you recommended, and see Ruby Beach. Are those close enough to each other?"

"Great choices. Both of them are less than an hour from here, so it's no problem to see both. I think it's going to be rainy in the morning and will clear up in the afternoon, so we should go to the rainforest first and the beach second."

"I'm glad I'm doing the rest of my trip with an expert," I said, flashing him a smile. "I should befriend a local every time I travel."

Cooper's laugh filled the room, and I gazed at him softly, my eyes wandering over his profile. I'd thought Cooper was attractive from the start, but the more I got to know him, the more attractive he became. His coffee-colored hair was shining in the light of the fire, and the crinkles around his eyes when he smiled made him look just as warm and friendly as he was. 

I forced myself to look away. I'd already told myself I wasn't going to have a crush so soon after a break-up, and it wouldn't do any good to have a crush on the guy I was staying with for the next week. I needed to see Cooper as a friend and nothing else.