She pushed off from the counter. “That’s what you want to talk about?”

Cooper’s eyes widened, and she knew he realized he was skating on thin ice.

She had to turn so he didn’t see her face. She reached up for a glass, then went to the fridge for filtered water. As she poured, she tried to sort out her emotions. She didn’t know whether to laugh in his face and tell him the jig was up or to get angry at him for sleeping with her roommate. She went for both.

“You’re an idiot,” she cried, spinning around. “You think I don’t know what’s going on?”

Cooper’s face flushed and he looked at his toes.

“When did you meet Anna?” she demanded.

He looked up and said, his blush deepening, “Today.”

“Oh. My. God.”

“Hey, it happened.” His tone was defensive. “Why are you making such a big deal about it?”

“She’s my roommate!”

Cooper breathed in but said nothing.

Linnea threw her hands up. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Anna walked into the room in black yoga pants and her lime-green sports bra, inside out. “What’s going on?”

Linnea speared her with a gaze. “You tell me.”

Anna cast a glance at Cooper. He tried not to smile.

“We hooked up,” said Anna. “We’re not trying to keep it a secret. Do you have a problem with that?”

Linnea’s eyes widened. “Yes, I have a problem with that!”

Anna had the grace or good sense to remain quiet.

“Hey, Lin,” Cooper said in a conciliatory tone, “I’m sorry if this offends you. We didn’t think it would bother you.”

“You didn’t think at all,” Linnea fired back. She felt the last shreds of self-restraint give way and couldn’t hold in the flood of words. “I’m doing my best,” she shouted, lifting her hands in fury, “my level best, to be half as gracious as Cara was to me when she took me in. And Lovie before her. I opened my house to you”—she glared at Anna—“and let’s be honest, you haven’t been easy. And now,” she said, spearing Cooper with her gaze, “you’re asking me to take you in? What do you think this is? The Holiday Inn? I’m fed up! I’m done! You all can just leave me alone.”

Anna paled.

Cooper narrowed his eyes.

Linnea bunched her fists and hurried from the room, making a beeline to the rear porch. Outdoors, the breeze whisked her hair as she paced the deck, gulping air, trying to calm down. She felt deflated and, worse, embarrassed for having lost it like that. My God, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. She put her hands to her face. That was the opposite of how she’d wanted to act—calm, gracious, accepting. She felt like a complete, utter failure. She just wanted to run away.

She heard the wood creak behind her and, turning, saw Cooper walking slowly toward her.

“Lin,” he called out, his tone tentative.