Chapter 10
Cooper
My stomach does a funny flip as I walk to the truck with Naomi, with two vases of flowers. They might be a bit much, but out of the women in my life, Aunt Dixie and my mama deserve much more than pretty flowers.
The way Mae spoke to Naomi gives me a bit of hope. But something changed between now and the first time. She flirted back; I know it. But this time was different. I glance in my rearview mirror. Naomi is focusing on the red rose in her hand.
Was it Naomi? Does Mae not like kids?
My heart sinks at the thought. I had a great feeling about her. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know her, but there are certain kinds of people you come into contact with in life and you get a good feeling about them. Mae is one of them, which is why I’m so confused.
Cool it, Cooper, you’re getting ahead of yourself.
Part of me wants to go back and ask if I offended her, but we have to get home before Mom and Dad arrive, and I know Naomi didn’t clean her room, and I still need to pick up the house.
Flirting will have to wait.
***
Right as I start the last load of laundry, I hear a knock on the screen door and Naomi’s screech.
“Grandma!” she shrieks.
I smile to myself and shut the accordion doors in front of the stackable washer and dryer.
“There’s my princess!” she says, hugging Naomi.
“Hey Mama,” I say.
“Cooper, my boy,” Dad says, bringing me into a hug.
We give each other a hug, and my mother pulls me into her arms, kissing me on the cheek, and holds me for an extra minute.
“How are you, baby?” she asks.
I pull back, and she clasps my cheek.
“Tired, I’m sure,” she says quietly.
I lift a shoulder. Being tired doesn’t matter. All that matters is that Naomi is cared for and full of love. I’ll beat myself into the ground if I have to, to make sure of it.
“Grandpa, Uncle Coop took me fishing the other day, and I caught one this big!” she says, thoroughly overexaggerating the size of the small fish she caught.
My dad chuckles and listens intently to her admonished story.
“Do you want a cup of coffee?” I ask her.
“Sure,” she says, following me into the small kitchen. This cabin was intended for one person. It has two bedrooms and one bathroom, but it works for me and Naomi.
I pour her a cup and hand it to her. She drops into her seat and sighs.
“How was the trip?” I ask her.
“Good, it’s a bit of a hike. We stopped in Texas to see your Aunt Kinsley,” she says.
“How are they?” I haven’t talked to that side of the family in a long time. We’re all so busy running ranches, or in my case raising a child, I barely have time to myself.
“They’re good. Busy. Oil is a nasty game, though,” she says.
I nod and take a sip. That side of my family, the Kings, are not only ranchers but oil tycoons. They have multiple drills and crews in Texas, searching and pumping black gold.
“They were asking about you and Naomi.”
I hum, trying to figure out how to bring up the topic that’s been on my mind for a couple of years.
I thought Rebekah would come back at some point, but she hasn’t, and I’m coming to the conclusion she never will.
We haven’t gotten so much as a letter in the mail, a text, or a phone call.
Utter silence since she left all those years ago.
I’ve been thinking it’s time for me to take the next step.
“So I’ve been thinking—”
“There they are!” Aunt Dixie says, coming through the screen door.
“Grandma Dixie!” Naomi yells.
I pour everyone a cup of coffee. Naomi pulls my uncle Mason into her fishing story.
Aunt Dixie comes in and pats my cheek before pulling my mom into a hug. They chat and she sits at our little dining table.
I check on Naomi, and she’s not paying a bit of attention to me. So I figure now is as good a time as any.
“Cooper, what were going to say?” Mom asks.
I look up from my coffee and lean against the counter so they can hear me. I don’t want Naomi to hear.
“So, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I wanted to give…
” I trail off and take a deep breath, willing the tightness in my throat to release.
“I wanted to give Rebekah the benefit of the doubt, or rather, the chance to come back, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.
So I’m going to see if I can get full custody of Naomi. ”
Aunt Dixie and my mom stare with wide, glassy eyes. I can’t imagine how my parents feel about all of this. Rebekah is their daughter, yes she’s my sister, but Naomi is basically my daughter, and it would rip my heart out to know there is nothing I can do to help her.
We don’t talk about Rebekah, not because we don’t want to, but it’s become an unspoken rule. She’s been gone this long, and no one expects that to change.
“You have been a wonderful father to Naomi, Cooper. I see it every day. She’s turning into an amazing little girl, and though you don’t need my permission, you have my full support,” Aunt Dixie says.
My mom swallows thickly and looks out the window to gather herself. “I wondered if this day would come,” she says and takes another breath before looking me in the eye.
“I’ve been saving for a while, and I have the money to hire a lawyer.”
Mom takes a drink of coffee. “Are you sure, Cooper?”
“I’ve raised her, Mama. She’s my kid as far as I’m concerned.”
“You have, and I’m sure your father will agree with me. We’ll help you with the money. You have our blessing and our support,” she says, swiping a tear.
It feels as though a weight has lifted. Naomi needs solid ground, and I’m going to continue to provide that for her.
But what I don’t tell them is I want Naomi to have siblings.
I want her to have a mother. Naomi is surrounded by amazing women like Dixie, my mother, June, and even a bit of Gracie.
But I want Naomi to have a mother who will understand her like no one else.
Rebekah couldn’t be that for her, and I feel like it’s my job to make sure Naomi can because the reality is, as much as I want to be both for her, I know I can’t.
***
We got a bonfire going tonight, and I’m not making Naomi stick to her bedtime, though I’m hoping she passes out at some point.
I take a sip of beer and stare at the fire while Naomi and my mom roast a marshmallow.“Hey cuz,” June says.
“Hey June Bug, did you just get back?” I ask her.
She sighs back into the chair before taking a swig of beer. “It was a long one today. I was called out to a ranch about two hours away. I had a whole string of vaccinations for horses. Some of their cattle had to be quarantined. They were in rough shape, but I think I got them back on track.”
“Glad you’re back in one piece.”
She chuckles. “It was a close one today, had a bull with an infection, and he was pissed.”
“Let me guess, you said challenge accepted.”
She laughs. “Maybe.”
I snort and shake my head.
“I saw those flowers in the house. Are they from the Paxton Flower Shop?” she asks.
I nod. “Got them for Mama and Aunt Dixie. Naomi picked them out.”
“Good job, they’re beautiful. So I take it you met Mae then?”
I pause, bottle at my lips, and look at June. “I did. I didn’t realize you were friends.”
“Yeah, Gracie and I needed flowers for something, and we invited her out. I found out Francesca and Leo left her the shop and moved down to Florida. I’ve been checking on her because she’s kind of alone out here.”
“That’s nice of you,” I mumble, staring at the fire.
“I guess. I told her that’s what we do out here,” June says.
“You’re right about that.”
“I also heard from my big brother that you saw her when we were at the Wooden Cowboy.”
I make a face, and she throws her head back on a cackle. “Does Coopy have a crush?”
I don’t answer. There’s a lot going through my mind.
I mean, sure, Mae is beautiful, and I had to force myself not to stare blatantly at her while I was with Naomi.
But I’m also about to go through the process of legally becoming Naomi’s guardian and continue trying to be a good father to her. I’m not sure how dating fits into that.
“Cooper,” June says, placing her hand on my arm.
I glance at her and take another drink of beer.
“We see all you give to her, Coop. And I know you know, but we are here to help you. You aren’t alone in this.”
I grab her hand and squeeze it. “Thanks, June Bug.”
“Of course. Okay, enough sappy stuff. Do you have a crush on Mae?” June asks excitedly.
I snort and shake my head. “I mean, I don’t know her, so I don’t think I can say either way.”
“But you’re clearly into her,” June says.
“Why do you want me to admit it so badly?” I ask her.
She sighs and leans back in her chair.
“Because I want you to be happy, and I don’t know Mae super well, she’s a little quiet but I can tell she’s got a good heart. I can see it,” she says.
“I suspect you just want to set me up so you can ignore your own feelings.”
June goes quiet, and I peek at her again. “I want you to be happy too,” I say gently.
June refuses to look at me and swallows thickly. I know she thinks most of us don’t see, and she hides it well. But family, especially one like ours, sees what we might want to keep to ourselves because we’re all up in each other’s business.
“I am happy, Cooper,” she whispers.
“Why won’t you go for it? What’s stopping you?” I ask her.
June sighs and takes a long drink. “There are things you don’t know, Coop. Things that I don’t want to talk about.”
“Did he hurt you?” I growl. I’ll go get my cousins, and we will beat his face in.
“No, not like that, not … no. Let me put it this way — it’s complicated, and I don’t think I’m ready to face it, and I definitely know he’s not,” she says.
I press my lips together, not sure what that means. “Well, let me know if you need me.”
She hums, staring into the fire.
My mom waves her hand at me from across the fire pit. Naomi is sound asleep in her lap. I set my bottle on the edge of the log next to me and walk around to them.
“I think it’s time to put the princess to bed,” Mom says.
Stooping down, I gather Naomi into my arms to carry her up to the house, and I can’t stop thinking about the battle that could be ahead of me.
I’ve had the paperwork for a while, but I’ve left it blank because I wasn’t sure what the right move was.
With my family’s blessing, I know this is the best decision.
There might be a fight with Rebekah, or there won’t, which would be an issue in and of itself, and the last thing I want is for Naomi to be caught in the middle.