The Off Limits Rule

Lucy Marshall, a twenty-nine-year-old single mother, moves back to Nashville to live with her older brother, Drew, an ob-gyn, after her life in Atlanta fell apart. She lost her job at a hair salon for canceling on too many clients, broke up with her lukewarm boyfriend Tim, and received an eviction notice after her roommate broke their lease. Lucy originally moved to Atlanta partly to escape the emotional pull of Brent, the father of her four-year-old son, Levi. Brent was a one-night stand who made clear from the start he wanted no relationship with her, yet he occasionally strung Lucy along with just enough attention to keep her hoping, only to date other women. Now, back home and wallowing on her bedroom floor surrounded by candy wrappers, Lucy feels like a failure. Drew forces her out of the house for a boating trip on the lake.

On the boat, Lucy meets Cooper James, Drew's former roommate and best friend. She expected someone unattractive, but Cooper is tall, tan, blond, and muscular. Lucy can barely speak around him and is mortified by her old swim-team swimsuit. Cooper is equally drawn to Lucy but recognizes she is off-limits as Drew's sister, fresh from a breakup, and a mother. Cooper moved to Nashville from Charlotte about a year ago after his long-term girlfriend, Janie, rejected his elaborate public proposal. Humiliated, he reinvented himself as a casual dater, and this noncommittal persona is the only version Drew has ever known. Cooper challenges Lucy to go cliff jumping, and she leaps with him hand in hand. That night, she discovers he texted himself from her phone so she would have his number, along with a video of their jump in which they are clearly looking at each other. On the drive home, Drew warns Lucy to stay away from Cooper romantically.

Two weeks later, Lucy starts working at Honeysuckle Salon, where she bonds with the owner, Jessie, a pregnant woman whose baby's father abandoned her. Cooper visits the salon for a haircut and apologizes for never replying to a heartfelt text Lucy sent after the cliff jump, explaining he did not know how to match her honesty. One evening, Cooper catches Lucy dancing alone in her room and calls her "cute," which upsets her; she confesses she is tired of feeling invisible and wants to feel exciting. That night, he sneaks her out of the house for a supposed trespassing adventure, leading her to a pool where they swim and talk openly. Lucy shares her history of being overlooked by men, and Cooper hints that his own life has not turned out as he hoped. When Lucy leans in to kiss him, Cooper pulls back. She interprets this as rejection, but his real reason is that he wants to pursue her properly by getting Drew's blessing first. He then reveals the pool is his own, and they explore his nearly empty house. He explains he has not furnished it because he wants to choose things with a future partner, signaling his desire for commitment.

Cooper takes Drew out for drinks and confesses his feelings for Lucy. Drew shuts him down, insisting Cooper is incapable of commitment and that Lucy deserves better. Cooper does not share his history with Janie because the conversation offers no opening. When Cooper later gets food poisoning, he calls Lucy instead of anyone else. She comes over with ginger ale and small housewarming gifts, and he falls asleep with his head in her lap. After two weeks of silence, Lucy texts Cooper again and invites him to fly kites at the park with her and Levi.

The park day goes beautifully. Cooper carries Levi on his shoulders, cheers him on, and lifts Lucy on his feet so she can share the fun. Back at the house, he changes her car oil shirtless while Levi helps. When a physician's assistant named Ethan, set up by Drew, calls to ask Lucy on a date, she accepts partly to force herself past what she sees as an unattainable crush. Cooper helps her pick out an outfit, zipping up a red dress with his knuckles grazing her spine, then kisses her cheek and leaves. He shows up at the same restaurant with a female friend, and they flirt by text all evening. Cooper calls Lucy during the meal to tell her she is beautiful and should stop diminishing herself. Her date with Ethan fizzles.

Cooper arrives at Lucy's house afterward with wine. They spend the evening on the couch, her legs draped across his lap. Emboldened by alcohol, Lucy tells Cooper she would have said yes if he had proposed to her, then propositions him. Cooper gently declines, tucks her into bed, and sleeps on the couch. The next morning, embarrassed but determined, Lucy drives to Cooper's office at Hampton Creative and tells him she has feelings for him. Cooper confirms he feels the same but explains he promised Drew he would not pursue her. They agree to an "off-limits rule," remaining strictly friends until Drew comes around. Just then, Brent arrives for a client meeting. Cooper impulsively kisses Lucy in front of him, pretending she is his girlfriend. Rattled, Brent insists on a double dinner to get to know Cooper.

At the dinner with Brent and his girlfriend Tanya, Cooper and Lucy agree their no-touching rule is suspended only while Brent is present. Over the meal, Brent makes condescending remarks about Lucy, and Cooper confronts him, accusing Brent of keeping Lucy as a back-burner option. After dinner, Brent privately tells Lucy he has realized Cooper is right and that he is ready to settle down with her. Lucy turns him down, telling him he missed his chance.

While Drew is away on a three-week volunteer medical trip to Costa Rica, Cooper and Lucy arrange to "accidentally" bump into each other in public. At a grocery store, Cooper carries Levi on his shoulders while they shop together. One night, Cooper climbs a ladder to Lucy's bedroom window, and they lie together kissing and talking. Lucy confesses her insecurities about her post-pregnancy body, and Cooper tenderly reassures her. The next morning, Lucy accidentally says she loves him, and Cooper returns the words without hesitation. Rather than sneaking back out the window, he marches downstairs shirtless to face Drew, who has returned early from his trip.

Drew reacts with anger. Cooper tells him he spent the night, loves Lucy and Levi, and is fully committed. Drew accuses Cooper of being incapable of change and tells Lucy she is making a bad decision, then storms out. For three weeks, Drew avoids them, until Levi develops severe abdominal pain and is rushed to the hospital with appendicitis requiring emergency surgery. Cooper drives Lucy to the hospital and stays by her side all night. Drew's phone was dead during a delivery, and he does not learn about Levi until later. Jessie confronts Drew in his driveway before he reaches the hospital. Drew arrives with balloons and apologizes, admitting his concern for Lucy hardened into wounded pride. He acknowledges he judged Cooper unfairly based on only one year of knowing him. They reconcile, and Lucy forgives Drew after extracting a promise of ten babysitting nights.

With Drew's blessing, Cooper and Lucy flourish. They order furniture for his empty house together, symbolizing their commitment to a shared life. Cooper asks Lucy if she would say yes to a proposal. She hesitates, worried they have only been together about two months. Cooper carries her to his pool, the place where he first knew he wanted forever with her, and tells her he has been certain since the day they met. Moved and ready to stop holding back, Lucy says yes.

In the epilogue, they marry in a small vineyard ceremony one month later, with Levi walking Lucy down the aisle. Drew serves as best man and Jessie as maid of honor. Cooper vows to love Lucy and Levi fiercely and to hold nothing back. The novel closes with the family at home on a movie night in matching dinosaur pajama pants. After Levi falls asleep, Cooper tucks him into his new bedroom, decorated with dinosaur wallpaper. The story ends with a teaser for the companion novel, The Temporary Roomie: Jessie calls Lucy in a panic because her grandfather is visiting and she has been lying about having a fiancé, setting up a plot that involves Jessie and Drew.