Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
C oop woke up in a rush, trying to figure out what time it was, what day it was, did the kids have to go to school? Did somebody need to get fed? What the hell was going on?
He grabbed his phone, and that answered a couple of questions.
One, it was ten thirty in the morning, which was very late. Two, it was Saturday, so nobody had to go to school. Three, somebody probably needed to get fed. Four, it was very quiet in the house.
He’d worry more about that, except he could see Brooks’s good traveling boots sitting there at the end of the bed. He could see Brooks’s bag, his hat hanging on the rack. So it was all good.
Better than.
Brooks was home.
It took him at least a month to get up to get out there to pee, but he managed. Hell, he did his business, got his teeth brushed, and his face cleaned up. Lord, he needed a haircut. Maybe he’d get Momma to buzz it while she was here. He wasn’t feeling like sitting in a barber’s chair right now.
He stepped into his slippers and kind of crept out to the main room searching for Brooks or kids or folks.
Somebody.
Momma was standing in the kitchen buttering a blueberry muffin, and she smiled when she saw him. “Baby, what you doing up?”
“Well, I woke up, and I was looking for my kids, I think. Those smell good.”
“You want half of one and some milk?”
“What I want is a cup of coffee.”
“Baby, your belly is not ready for coffee. You got it split open. We’re just going to have to wait on that. Milk, juice, water.”
“Beer?” he teased.
She rolled her eyes. “Have a muffin.”
“Thanks, Momma. Where is everybody?”
“Oh, they’re all outside. Seriously, how you feeling?”
He thought on that a minute. “Sore, real sore, but comparatively? I think I might live.”
“Well, that’s good. I’m going to take that little Bella girl of Ricky’s out and about today, since I know everybody’s okay. I need to get her some prenatal vitamins and some clothes. She and I need to have some talks together, woman to woman.”
“Oh. Well, that’s awful nice of you, Momma.” Coop wasn’t sure what to say to that. He wasn’t sure what to say to Bella. She was like a little ghost, sliding in and out of Ricky’s room.
“No, I’m just doing what her folks should have been doing, thank you.
” Momma rolled her eyes like thrown dice.
“You know, it’s not right. That little girl made a mistake and caught pregnant.
It happens. It’s unfortunate and not very good timing, but this is my first great-grandbaby, and it is going to be a blessing. Dammit.”
He could almost hear her go, “So there, ha”.
“What can I do? Do you wanna see if Lucy wants to come with you? Get some girl time?”
“I did ask,” Momma said. “She said, no thank you. I think perhaps all three of the girls and I should have girl dates together while I’m here.
Your dad’s gonna take the three boys. Just, you know, some one-on-one time with us.
” She stopped, pursed her lips. “That little boy, the youngest boy, Johnny. He’s special, son. ”
Oh, she was not going to speak against his youngest boy. No way. That little guy was brilliant, smarter than all of the rest of them put together. “They’re all special, Momma.”
“Oh, stop it, you know what I mean.” She stared at him until he looked down.
“I just think you might think about putting him in some super-good classes. That Watson, the teacher? He’s smart.
I can also get your brother David out here, possibly your sister.
You never know with her, but I think he needs to be engaged. ”
Because obviously him and Brooks couldn’t manage. Jesus. “Well, that’s why he’s in the same class as Mason, Momma.”
“Right, because that’s not a damn nightmare. Can you imagine if any of you kids had been in the same class? Lord help me. You’d have killed each other. You’d have killed me.”
Coop set to chuckling. “Don’t make me laugh, Momma, it hurts.”
“You better come in and sit down. Take a load off and eat your damn muffin.”
He chatted a few more minutes with his mom, nibbled on his sweet, then went to see where everyone was, over the top of Momma’s objections. Maybe they were all out at the?—
“Okay, Lucy, toss the rope at Johnny.” He heard that loud and clear, not too far out by the back of the house. So Coop went to look out the kitchen door.
He leaned hard, peering out to see what the heck they were doing out there.
They had a roll of large twine and were marking off space for something at the end of the deck. Two somethings, Coop thought.
What the heck were they measuring?
“Okay, now, Johnny, walk to the end of the deck.”
Johnny did, and it was like a human chess game, but with Brooks marking things with spray paint.
He stepped out on the back deck. “What are y’all doing?” Coop asked.
“Marking off a hot tub and an aboveground pool,” Lucy said, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
“I looked at all the schematics to make sure I wasn’t messing with water or septic,” Brooks told him. “We need a hot tub, but the kids wouldn’t help unless I promised them a pool.”
“Ah.” He chuckled. Kids did love a pool. “Well, I’m just glad there are muffins.” He held up the one he’d been munching on, the streusel on top making him moan.
Brooks stared at him, those dark eyes eating him up. Now, that was nice, wasn’t it? He sure did like that stare, even if he wasn’t up for acrobatics yet. Maybe a nice, sedate trot around the ring in a month or so…
Coop grinned at Brooks, then winked. “Well, y’all knock yourselves out. I’m going to sit my old butt down.”
“We’re almost done!” Mason called.
He reckoned Brooks had been trying to let him sleep in, so he nodded. He wasn’t opposed to a hot tub or a pool. The hot tub could get built out on the deck, and be one of them real simple things. Then maybe a swim spa for the kids. No need to have a huge aboveground dealie .
“Morning, Uncle Coop.” Ricky came out of the mother-in-law suite, hair wet, sticking up all over. “Are those for everyone?”
“The muffins? Yep. You just leave me one more. And leave a few for Brooks. You know how he does.”
“Yeah.” Ricky made a face. “I guess I’ll learn that, right? Not to eat until the kid does?”
“I reckon so.” He studied Ricky. “You talk to Brooks yet? I mean, about your situation?”
Ricky shrugged, his shoulders moving uneasily. “Sort of. I told him I want to marry her.”
“Well, good. By the way, my momma wants to take Bella out today.”
“Yeah, she said.” Ricky laughed. “Bella’s not working today, so that’s cool. She’s barfing her lungs out. No pressure.”
“Well, not for Bella.” He stared at Ricky over the top of his glasses.
“Ouch.” Ricky went to grab some coffee. “I’ll drink this before I take breakfast to?—”
“Son, no food in the bedrooms. Even the ones down here.” He and Brooks even did their late-night cold pizza in the kitchen.
“Right. I just don’t want her to have to smell coffee.” Ricky glanced at him. “I’m not an asshole, Coop. I swear to God.”
He knew that. “It’s nice enough y’all can go sit on the porch.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea.” Ricky beamed at him.
The rest of the kids came pouring into the kitchen. “We did it!” Lucy crowed. “Now we get our presents.”
“There’s presents?” Ricky asked.
“Yep. A whole bag from Australia. I wanted to save them so we could enjoy them. I got something for all of you, and for Bella and the baby too,” Brook said .
“Oh, too cool.” Ricky bounced, and Coop bit back his grin. Such a kid. “Thanks. This’ll be the baby’s first present.”
Mina tilted her head. “Where’s the baby?”
Ricky went pink, but Coop wasn’t rescuing him. He was old enough to do the deed, he was old enough to explain it, dammit.
Brooks just stared at the kid too.
Ricky cleared his throat. “Well, Bella and me, we’re having a baby, Mina. You know how we all came out of Momma’s stomach?”
“So it’s still in Bella?” Mina frowned when Ricky nodded. “Then why does it need a present?”
Brooks’s warm chuckle made Coop smile. “Because that way I get to be the first one to give it to him or her.”
Mina’s expression was deeply suspicious. “But I get mine now, not when the baby is born?”
“Yep.” Brooks winked. “But I might make you wait for me to have a muffin now.”
“Uncle Brooks!” Mina wailed. “Please, please can I have it?”
Brooks glanced over at his mom. “What do you think, Amanda? Should I let her have it?”
“Granny say, yes. Please, I said please?” Mina’s eyes were the size of saucers.
“She did say please. That was very nice of her. I vote you let her have her gift.” Momma’s smile was pure happiness as Mina launched herself into Momma’s arms.
All right.
He chuckled as Brooks passed everything out. None of it was serious, all of them were little silly things, but all the kids were tickled.
Even Ricky and Bella who seemed exhausted in the morning these days because puking would do that to you .
Personally, he thought if he puked he might die. No question, just…boom.
“Yeah, I think Uncle Coop needs to go lay down. He’s looking like he’s dragging ass.”
“Uncle Brooks! You said a cuss!” Johnny’s eyes were huge. “That is naughty . You have to put a dollar in the jar.”
“A dollar?” Brooks blinked. “Inflation’s getting bad.”
“We’re saving for Disney. We want to go to California, all of us, and that’s a lot of monies.
” Johnny’s face was so serious. “Ricky looked it up. For all of us to go to Disneyland for a week is going to cost a bazillion dollars. So, we’re going to wash cars, and work hard. But cuss words are a dollar.”
“Well—”
Coop grinned. Kids needed something to work toward. He believed that with all his heart.
“Can me and Grandpa come too?” Momma asked.
Mina nodded. “Yes, you can come too. We’ll…um…pick up pennies outside for you that will be yours, okay?”
“That sounds perfect.”
Brooks met his gaze, the hilarity in those dark eyes making Coop bite back a sharp bark of laughter. Woo. That smarted. Maybe Brooks was right. Maybe he did need to go lie down again.
“Brooks.”
“I got you. Look out, you lot. Coming through to get your Uncle Coop.” Brooks lifted him to standing, helping him to the bedroom.
Lucy grabbed Thor as he ran to join them, but Loki zipped by, landing on the bed with a thud.
Coop had to grin. “My babies.”
“They do love you.” Brooks eased him down to the mattress. “Loki, you be good. Thor can come in, Lucy, but let’s get Uncle Coop all piled up with the pillows, okay?”
“Okay, Uncle Brooks. ”
Oh, his Lucy was a doll baby. Coop adored all the kids, in fact.
“You just close your eyes, Uncle. Rest. Uncle Brooks is making spaghetti for supper.” Lucy kissed his cheek. “You are all stubbled.”
“I know. I’ll shave here in a bit.”
“You rest,” Brooks ordered him.
“I’ll try.”
They got him all fenced in again, Loki, Thor, and Suki all up against the pillows and his legs, and Lucy waited at the door for Brooks, clearly not wanting to get in the way or maybe afraid to hurt him.
And Brooks bent to kiss him. “Be good, please? When you’re ready to get up, text me, and I’ll come help.”
“You got my word, love. Thank you.”
“‘Love’.” Lucy beamed. “You love him?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“I love Uncle Coop too, kiddo.” Brooks winked at him, then turned to head out with Lucy. “Lots. And I need him to get better.”
Yeah. Coop got that. But for the first time since the kick, he felt like he was on the mend. He’d really been a mess inside, he reckoned.
But now, it was time to rest and heal.
He had to get his kids through the spring.