Chapter 16
Sixteen
Copeland
“Can I get you anything?” I ask Mom. She’s sitting on the back patio with a blanket over her lap.
Even with the bright rays from the sun, she can’t seem to get warm enough.
She has chemo again on Tuesday, and I hate what that drug does to her.
I know it’s saving her, but it’s also making her sick.
I wasn’t sure about having everyone over today, but she was insistent that she wanted to enjoy the day and have her boys, their friends, and her friends here, as well, so here we are—one big Memorial Day party.
“I’m fine. Stop fussing.” She smiles. “Isn’t Ellie here? Go bother her.” She waves her hands as if to get me to go away.
I laugh. “She’s here with her sisters, somewhere.” Somewhere in the back of the yard with her sisters and my sister-in-law, Macie. I always know where she is; it’s not something I can control. I’m just always seeking her out. Craving my eyes on her.
“You should go find her.”
“I wanted to check on you.”
“And I’m right here. I’ll let you know if I need something. Or your brother. He’s checked on me as much as you have, and the party just started,” she says, a smile in her voice.
“You have your phone. Call me if you don’t see me.
” She’s been weak, getting tired easily, and I don’t want her stumbling around the yard for something that Chandler or I can take care of for her.
I’m hovering, but I don’t care. This is my mom, the woman who raised us all on her own after Dad died.
She’s been my rock my entire life, and I want to return the favor by being hers now.
“Mary, you have to try this,” Wanda says, stepping up next to us and offering Mom a red Solo cup.
I raise my eyebrow in question, and Wanda scoffs. “It’s punch. I didn’t spike it. Not yet.” She laughs, and my mom joins her. “Go, we’ve got girl talk.”
“All right, but I’m watching you.” I point at Wanda, then at my mom. “You two troublemakers be good.”
“No promises,” Mom singsongs, as Wanda takes the lounger next to hers, and they start talking about who knows what. I don’t really care. All I know is that my mom is here, she’s smiling, and my girl is also here. That’s a good day in my book.
Staring out across the yard, I watch Ellison. She’s with her sisters, and they’re sitting on a blanket with Kinzie and Macie. She’s got a smile on her face, and damn, my girl looks beautiful, not that today is any different from any other day.
“You’re drooling,” Chandler says, tapping at his chin.
“Probably.” I chuckle, not even bothering to hide the fact that I’m watching her like a creep.
“Things good there?” Chandler asks.
“We’re working on it.”
“She’s been sad.” He nods toward where the ladies are sitting. “Not depressed or anything, but that smile on her face, the one that reaches her eyes, it’s been missing for far too long.”
“I fucked up.”
“Meh.” Chandler shrugs, and I laugh. “Do better this time around.”
“Is that your sage advice, big brother?” I ask, laughing.
“Sure. But I’ve got one better for you. Are you ready?” I nod. “Just love her, Cope. The rest will fall into place.”
“That’s as easy as breathing,” I confess.
“Good. Now, let’s go see what our girls are doing.”
Together we walk through the yard to where the ladies are huddled on their blanket. We’ve barely stopped when my niece, Maeve, comes rushing over.
“Uncle Cope, look what we got!” She holds up a water gun.
“Wow. Where did you get that?” I crouch down so that we’re eye level.
“Grandma! Colter got one, too.” Her eyes are bright with excitement.
“Grandma’s the best,” I tell her, my heart squeezing. I should have kids her age or older by now, and they would have had years to spend with my mom. Regret washes over me for all the time wasted.
“Maeve!” Colter calls out, and my niece takes off running.
“To have their energy.” Macie smiles fondly as she watches her daughter race off after her big brother.
“Just a little of that would be nice,” I tell my sister-in-law. “What are you ladies doing over here?” I ask the question in general, but my gaze is only on Ellison.
“Sitting out of the sun,” Leighton answers.
“Got room for two more?” Chandler asks, already moving to sit on the blanket, pulling his wife onto his lap.
“Tighten up, Ellie,” Courtlynn says, cackling. “You’re going to have to sit on your man’s lap.”
“I’m fine,” I say, moving to sit on the grass. It’s not the worst place I’ve had to sit.
“Ellison!” Kinzie scolds her. “Don’t be greedy.”
“If y’all would quit your gabbing, I could have told him to sit with me.” Ellison shakes her head, an amused smile tugging at her lips. She smiles up at me. “You want to sit with me?” she asks, her tone soft, almost shy.
“Yes.” I don’t bother bullshitting her. My answer makes everyone laugh, but I couldn’t care less. Ellison moves, and I slide my ass onto the blanket, and she takes a seat on my lap. Unable to help myself, I slide an arm around her waist and kiss her bare shoulder. “This okay?” I whisper in her ear.
She glances at me over her shoulder and nods. She turns back around and jumps back into the conversation with the other ladies, as if sitting on my lap on this sunny Monday afternoon is normal for us. It used to be, and I hope like hell it will be again.
Chandler nods at me, as if he approves, and all I can do is grin. We’re still taking steps toward our future, but this one feels big, and right here on this blanket with her on my lap is exactly where I want to be.
“Is this some kind of group huddle thing?” a deep voice asks. Turning my head, I see Cody, Chandler’s best friend, wearing a lazy smile.
“We’re going to need a bigger blanket.” Leighton chuckles.
“Oh, I think Kinzie can take one for the team,” Ellison says with glee. Kinzie’s eyes bug out of her head, but she quickly snaps out of it, smiles, and shrugs. “Come on over. The more the merrier,” she says, but there’s something in her voice.
“I’m good,” Cody says.
“Oh, no, you have to,” Courtlynn says.
“She doesn’t bite,” Ellison teases him.
“Daddy!” Cody’s son, Carter, comes rushing up to him. “Look what Miss Mary gaved me.” He holds up his own water gun.
“Gave you,” Cody corrects his son. “Did you thank Miss Mary?” he asks his boy.
Carter bobs his head up and down in quick succession. “And I gaved her a big hug ’cause you said hers sick, and hugs make me feel better when I’m sick,” he says with the innocence of a child.
“Good man,” Cody says, running his hands over Carter’s hair.
“Daaad,” Carter whines before he slips away, chasing after my niece and nephew.
“Sorry about that,” Cody says.
“No worries, my man. Carter’s right. Hugs make everything better,” I say, wrapping both arms around Ellison and pulling her closer. She comes willingly, placing her hands over mine.
“I happen to agree,” Chandler says, hugging Macie. We share a look. One that says we’re both going to be hugging our mother once we leave this blanket.
“Is this some weird game of Twister?” Macklin asks, joining us. Bowen and Dixon stand next to him.
“Kinky Twister,” Courtlynn muses. “I could get down with that.”
“Nope. Too many family members,” Leighton says, shuddering.
“It’s time to start the grill anyway,” Chandler says. He kisses Macie’s cheek and shuffles so that he can stand.
“I’ll help,” Cody says, turning away, but not before his eyes flash toward Kinzie.
Interesting.
I don’t want to move from this spot, but I know I need to go help Chandler with the grill. “Do you need anything?” I ask Ellison.
“I’m good,” she says.
I sigh. “I need to go help him.”
“Sure.” She stands and offers me her hand to help me stand. I take it, allowing her to pull me up, and pull her into a hug, burying my face in her neck.
“Uncle Cope, is Ellison your girlfriend?” my nephew, Colter, asks as he rushes to stop next to us.
My eyes find Ellison’s, and my hands are still wrapped around her in an embrace. “I’m working on it, bud,” I tell him.
Ellison blushes, and I step away from her before my cock embarrasses me. This is not the time to be getting hard.
“She’s pretty.”
I gasp. “What? Are you hitting on my girl?” I ask him, ruffling his hair.
Colter shrugs. “She’s not yours yet. That means I still have a chance.”
“You’re ten,” I deadpan.
“Miss Ellison might like younger men.”
“Colter?”
“Yeah?”
“Run.”
He cackles and takes off toward the house.
I stare after him before leaning in to kiss Ellison’s cheek. “You gonna let my nephew take you away from me?” I tease her.
“I never thought I’d be a cougar at thirty-two, but here we are.” She laughs.
“Behave,” I tell her, before letting her go and chasing after my nephew.
“I’m coming for you, Colt!” I call out. His water gun is no match for the water hose.
That’ll teach him to go after my girl. We’re both drenched and laughing by the time he calls, “Mercy,” and rushes back to play with his sister and Carter, who were smart enough to stay out of the line of fire of the water hose.
I hear laughter and look over to see my mom and her friends watching us with warm smiles. My eyes then go to Ellison, who is also watching with a similar look. “Got a minute?” Bowen asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah.” I drop the hose and move to turn it off before following him around the side of the house to the front porch. We take a seat on the porch steps and sit in silence. It surrounds us like a weighted blanket, but he’s the one who wanted to talk, so I wait for him.
“Are we good?” Bowen asks.
“Yeah, we’re good,” I reply immediately. Bowen has been one of my best friends since kindergarten. I didn’t stay in touch as much as I should have, and maybe if I had, he could have called me on my shit years ago. However, I won’t tolerate him speaking to Ellie like that. Friend or not.
He holds his hand out for me, and we shake. “Ellison loves you, Cope.”
“I love her, too.”