Chapter 19
Cooper
I’ve been smiling like a psycho since I drove away from Mae. When I get back onto the ranch, I park next to my house and have to sit there for a minute. Reaching for my water bottle, I unscrew the cap and take a swig, and my phone buzzes.
Mae.
Mae: Thank you for making this evening more than memorable.
Cooper: It was an honor
Mae: Maybe we can do it again soon…
I chuckle because I thought it was obvious that we would.
Cooper: We will absolutely do it again soon, and I’m glad to know you feel the same.
I stare at my phone, waiting for her to respond, and she doesn’t.
It was a bit of a long shot, assuming she feels the way I do.
But if I’ve learned anything from tonight, it’s that Mae keeps things close to the chest, and it takes her a minute to open up.
I like to think of myself as a pretty upbeat, hope for the best kind of guy.
So I’m going to lean on the edge of her being nervous to let herself feel anything with me because the clock is ticking.
Which is fair, and I have to remember to pace myself, but I think that’s going to get harder to do the more we see each other.
At the risk of overstepping, I send her the link to Looking Back on This by Riley Green because it popped into my head after I kissed her.
It’s not country from the 80s, but it still counts.
But I’m a man on a mission with limited time.
I told her how I feel, and I need to do everything I can to back it up.
Naomi should be asleep by now since it’s 10:30 at night. Hopefully, I can fall right into bed because I have to be up in a few hours. We have later starts on Saturdays, but there’s still work to do.
Careful not to make any noise, I climb the stairs and open the door as quietly as I can. Naomi sleeps like the dead but there have been a few times she’s heard me come in, and then she gets a second wind.
But when I open the door, nothing is the way I hoped it would be, and I know I won’t be getting to bed anytime soon.
Naomi, Gracie, and June are decked out in Naomi’s dress-up clothes and tiaras singing … wait, is that Shania Twain?
Oh boy. Why couldn’t it be Alan Jackson or anyone else?
Man, I feel Like a Woman! Is playing so loud my ears are ringing, but I can’t help but smile because the girls haven’t noticed I’m home and Naomi’s smile is brighter than the sun as she and Gracie sing to each other while June plays the air guitar.
The counter is littered with popcorn and candy June and Gracie must have smuggled in, and a board game that clearly wasn’t played, along with drawings, glitter, and Naomi’s crayons all over the table and floor.
I can’t find it in myself to be mad about it because I’m grateful Naomi has women like them in her life.
Rebekah can’t be replaced, but there is a gap they can fill for a little girl.
I lean against the door and watch them have fun with each other, ignoring the giant mess of my house.
The song finally winds down. June looks up and pauses the music. Before I can say a word, she whispers something to Naomi, and she takes off like a rocket to her room while Gracie runs around the house picking things up, and June smiles.
“Hey, we uh, thought you might be later,” she says, pushing me back out the door.
I chuckle and plop down in the rocking chair on the porch.
“Y’all having fun?” I ask her.
She nods. “Yes, we were. I know you have a schedule, but she was having so much fun and—”
“June, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. She’ll be a terror in the morning, but I’m glad y’all had fun.”
“How about I come back and crash on the couch so you can leave her sleeping,” June offers.
I huff and readjust my hat. “Sure, that’s fine.”
June sighs. “So how did it go?”
A grin grows on my face, and I glance at her dimly lit face from the porch light.
“That good, huh?” she asks.
I rub my chin and avoid eye contact. A gentleman never tells. But if I know June, she’ll probably pull it out of Mae tomorrow.
“Good. I’m glad. She told me a lot of what she’s been through, and after seeing it with our own eyes …. I’m glad she finally found someone who will treat her right.”
“I will, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves,” I tell June.
The door opens again, and Gracie sticks her head out.
“Okay, you can come back inside,” June says.
I laugh and walk back through the door, and almost everything is cleaned up. Dress-up clothes are piled in her basket, and the crayons are at least gathered on the counter, and there’s less glitter. I’ll take it.
“Thanks ladies. I appreciate it. A round at the Wooden Cowboy is on me.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Gracie says.
“Night,” they each say and close the door behind them.
I go to check on Naomi, assuming she’s pretending to be asleep, but in fact she is out cold, still wearing her tutu, feather boa, and a …
fishing vest. I gently unravel the feather boa around her neck and check the fishing vest to make sure there aren’t hooks on it.
It’s empty. Then I pull up the covers and tuck her in, placing her tiara on her bedside table.
That was a lot easier than I thought.
After I get ready for bed, my mind stays on Mae, wishing I could’ve stayed in that moment with her for a little longer.
***
“Something smells good in here,” I say, coming through the door and hanging my hat on the hook. June and Naomi have flour on them and the counter.
“Uncle Coop!” Naomi yells and runs around the island before jumping into my arms. She doesn’t care that I smell like cattle and sweat. Maybe it’s because it’s all she’s known.
“Hi sweetheart. I missed you. Looks like you’ve been baking,” I say, kissing her on the cheek.
Naomi hugs my neck extra tight, which isn’t usually like her unless she’s going to bed. I glance at June over her shoulder, and she smiles sadly. “You good, princess?” I ask her.
She sighs and lays her head on my shoulder. “I just missed you.”
“I wasn’t gone that long,” I tell her.
“But you weren’t here when I woke up.”
“I didn’t want to wake you up to go check the cattle,” I tell her.
“I know, Auntie June told me.”
“Okay, well, it’s me and you for the rest of the day,” I tell her. I was going to catch up on errands, but it will have to wait. It’s clear I need to spend some time with my kid.
“Really?” she asks.
I nod. “We’re going to have dinner at the main house, but yes.”
“Can I paint your nails?” she asks.
I snort and look at June as she flashes me her terrible manicure. “Sure, but I've gotta wash my hands first.”
“Okay!” she says excitedly.
“Naomi, we should practice roping today too!” I holler as she bolts to her room.
When she disappears, I look at June. “What’s going on?” I ask June.
She sighs. “Honestly, I think it’s just kid stuff. She woke up grumpy and was looking for you. But found me instead. She uh…” June trails off as if she’s trying to come up with the words.
I glance at the hall, and Naomi still isn’t back.
“She asked about Rebekah today,” June says.
“What did you say?” I ask her.
“She asked where she was, and I’m sorry, Coop, I know she seems to ask about her when she’s super tired, but I was truthful with her. I said I didn’t know, but I’m sure she’s okay, and then she burst into tears.”
I blink, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.
These moments don’t happen often anymore, but they were common when Naomi was younger.
As she gets older, I assume they’ll become more frequent again, and I’m struggling with how to respond to any of it.
Other than, she didn’t want you. I won’t say that, but it is the truth.
“That’s all we can do. I want to be honest with her,” I rasp.
“I know you do, so that’s why I said it. She was really wanting you after that.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” I ask.
June lifts a shoulder. “Because I felt like I could handle it, I’m her family, Coop.
I will care for her when you can’t or if you’re not there because you’re working.
I love that little girl so much I’d give anything to help her.
So I held her while she cried and told her how much her family loves her because that’s what she needed. ”
“Thank you,” I croak. June is right. That’s what I would have done.
Naomi comes running back into the kitchen with her box full of nail polish, and I internally cringe, but I’ll let her paint my nails.
The guys will give me hell for it, but I don’t care.
I’m plenty secure in my masculinity to let my daughter paint my nails.
Plus, it comes off in about a day with all the work.
“Alrighty, you two, I’ll see you up at the house later,” June says, setting a dish to dry in the rack.
“Thanks, June.” I tell her as she walks past.
June looks at Naomi setting up her nail polish with far too many colors for the amount of fingers I have.
“You smell, and you’re welcome,” June quips as the door closes behind her.
Naomi and I spend the rest of the day painting nails, coloring, practicing her roping, and mutton busting. She held on for seven seconds, which is her best time. Then she passed out for a nap about five minutes after I put the original Cinderella on. It’s been a good day.
I pull a blanket over her and leave the movie to play while I get my paperwork out.
If today wasn’t confirmation enough, it’s time to start the process to get full custody of Naomi.
There’s a list of legal terms listed under the heading, “terms you should know” that make my head hurt.
I have to request a hearing at the courthouse, and as part of that process, they have to find Rebekah and serve her.
If she doesn’t appear, then it will be uncontested.
I’ve already decided Naomi doesn’t need to be there.
It could get ugly if Rebekah does show up, and Naomi doesn’t need to see that.
I am here to carry that burden for her. I always will.
Surprisingly, the form isn’t complicated, but tedious. After that, I start the paperwork to fully adopt Naomi. After some internet searches, I found the process can be fast or slow. It all depends, and part of that equation is one of the parents.
We still don’t know who Naomi’s father is to this day, but he has never been interested in being a parent to her.
Rebekah tried, and at first I didn’t want to do the adoption because it felt like too much.
Not because I don’t want to be Naomi’s dad, but because it could take away the possibility of giving Rebekah the chance to be a mom to Naomi.
But the more I think about it, I am her father and I wouldn’t have it any other way, and my hope for Rebekah is nearly nonexistent.
People can surprise you, but I don’t want Naomi to live life wondering.
I want her to live with the full confidence of a little girl growing up to become a woman with a family who loves, supports, and cares for her without question.
That’s how I was raised, that’s how my cousins were raised, that is how she will be raised.