Chapter 39
Cooper
Gravel crunches in front of the house. Naomi drops her dolls and runs to the door, throwing it open.
“Mae!” Naomi yells.
“Hey you,” she says, smiling as she comes up the stairs.
Naomi launches herself into Mae, and she leans over to hug her. My throat tightens, and I reach for my water.
Mae’s gaze finally finds mine, and my heart stops. I think the world did too.
“Hey,” she says shyly.
I walk around the island and pull her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her. “I missed you,” I mumble into her hair.
“You really are a stage-five clinger.”
“What’s a stage-five clinger?” Naomi asks.
Mae snorts into my chest, and I look at my daughter. “It’s what you are when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before.”
Naomi makes a face. “Did you not get enough sleep last night?” she asks me.
Mae starts laughing into my chest, and I rub her back.
“No, princess, I did not.”
Naomi shrugs and goes back to her puzzle.
“You’re sure this is okay?” Mae asks.
“I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t think so,” I say under my breath.
Mae takes a step back to slip off her sneakers. “What can I do to help?” she asks.
“Can you set the table? The casserole is almost done.”
“You made casserole?”
“Princess casserole!” Naomi yells.
“It’s her favorite: barbecue chicken and baked mac and cheese. Two things I knew how to make at the time. I manage to sneak some carrots and stuff in there for vegetables.”
Mae smiles and glances at Naomi. “Princess casserole is very fitting.”
“Did you have a good time with the girls?” I ask her.
Mae nods and her eyes brighten. I’m glad she’s making friends here. Yet another reason to stay and be with me. Yep, I’m a goner.
“It was fun. I got a new outfit for our next date night.”
“Oh? I can’t wait to see it,” I say, pointedly looking her up and down.
A pink blush creeps over her cheeks, and she looks away. “I haven’t splurged on clothes like this in a while.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
The timer dings, and I pull the dish out of the oven and pour each of us a glass of tea.
When we finish dinner, Mae plays with Naomi until it’s time for bed, and all feels right in the world.
Things don’t feel lopsided, like I’m not the only one carrying the weight of life.
I’m not my own anymore, which is a dangerous place to be.
I know I’ve never been truly alone, with my amazing family.
But it ultimately falls on me, and doing this single, is exhausting. Worth it, but exhausting nonetheless.
After I get Naomi to bed. I find Mae washing and drying dishes in the kitchen.
Coming up behind her, I slide my hand over her hip and kiss her temple. “Thank you for doing the dishes.”
“No problem.”
I grab a chair and spin it around, hooking my leg over the seat to sit down and rest my elbows on the back.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“For what?” she asks, drying her hands.
“For a private fashion show, baby, let me see what you got.”
Mae gives me an incredulous look, and I grin from ear to ear.
“You want to see what I bought? You want me to put it on so you can see it on?” she asks slowly.
I smile and wiggle my eyebrows.
“Coop, that’s weird.”
“Is it? I mean I prefer you in nothing. But I’d like to see what I’m working with.” I toss her a wink, and she makes a face.
“You’re serious,” she says deadpan.
“Deadly.”
“Okay,” she says, drawing the word out, and walks past me. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she mutters under her breath.
I hop off my chair and follow her outside.
She pops the trunk, and I grab the handful of bags to carry them into my room.
She follows behind and crosses her arms.
“You seriously want me to model the clothes I got? I literally bought a pair of comfy pants,” she says quietly, cognizant of Naomi.
“I wanna see’ em.”
Mae snorts and turns around. “Okay, get out,” she says over her shoulder.
I return to my seat in the kitchen, with a beer in hand, and a few moments later hear my bedroom door open.
She walks barefoot around the corner in a gingham sundress that goes past her knees, nips in at her waist and pushes up her chest. One of the straps is already falling off her shoulder, and it takes everything in me not to get up and help the rest of the dress fall to the floor. I think it might look better there.
I smile at her, and she blushes under the kitchen lights. “Yeah, that’s a keeper,” I rasp.
Mae grabs the sides of the dress and swings back and forth. “I thought so too.”
I lift my finger in a turnaround gesture, and she rolls her eyes, but spins in place anyway.
“Damn, baby.”
“Do you really want me to keep going? This is silly,” she says.
“No, it is not. I think this might be my new favorite pastime.”
Mae rolls her eyes again and goes back to my room.
A few minutes later she comes out in boot-cut jeans and a classic black button-up shirt with the tails hanging out.
“You look like a sexy cowgirl.” I purr my tongue for extra effect.
She smiles and lifts a shoulder. “Gracie talked me into it. I thought it would look nice with my cowboy boots.”
“I reckon she’s right.”
“I have one more dress and lounge pants. It’s not really anything worth modeling for you.”
I puff out my lip and give her puppy-dog eyes, used to get my mama every time. “Please?”
She throws her head back on a groan. “You are annoying,” she says and spins around back to my room.
I take another swig of beer, wondering how I got here, let alone convinced Mae to model the clothes she bought. I can’t help myself. I love looking at her.
She comes out of my room and I nearly spit my beer out.
I cough a couple of times, staring at this woman in what looks like a nightie, as in lingerie.
It’s a sleeveless, silky dress that reaches her mid-calf.
Buttons run up the center, with lace around the edges.
It’s stunning, more breathtaking, actually.
“I’m sorry this is for going out in? This isn’t for … you know,” I ask.
Her eyebrow is tipped up, and she slides her hands over her hips.
“This is the dress I was going to wear on our date,” she says saucily.
I shake my head and stand up to get a better look.
“Nope, date is cancelled,” I say, shaking my head.
Mae snorts and crosses her arms. “Last time I checked, I can decide what I get to wear.”
“Yes, that’s true, but preferably something that I won’t have to get into fistfights for.”
“Afraid to protect my honor, Coop?”
I stand up a little straighter and grab her hips, pulling her into me. “Not at all, but I won’t be responsible for what happens to this dress when we get home.”
“Break it, you buy it, caveman.”
“I think that’s a price I’m willing to pay,” I say, stooping down to kiss her. “You look radiant, Mae, truly.”
She pushes my chest, making me take a step back. “Not tonight, Mr.”
I groan, and she goes back to my room.
“Okay, this is the last of it. I told you it’s nothing special, they’re literally lounge pants. I wanted something for winter and they were on sale,” she says, looking down at her legs.
I stare at my woman, currently wearing my t-shirt with her lounge pants, and I’m pretty sure this is my favorite outfit of all.
“I see you saved the best for last.”
She scrunches her cute nose. “What?”
I’d drop to my knee right now if I knew where she stood. Hell, I’d crawl on my hands and knees to earn her hand. She has no idea the impact she’s had on me, on Naomi, let alone my heart.
“This is my favorite outfit,” I whisper grabbing her butt.
“I borrowed your t-shirt,” she rasps.
“I see that.”
“I’ll put it back. I just needed something to wear with these.”
“Keep it,” I tell her.
“Uh, okay,” she says, leaning into me.
The temperature changes between us, and the heat ratchets up even though the AC is blowing.
“Are you satisfied with the fashion show?” she asks me.
I chuckle and kiss her. “The purpose was to add more fuel to the spank bank, stubborn.”
She gasps and gives me an offended look.
I throw my head back in a laugh, and she covers my mouth quickly.
“Be quiet, you’ll wake up Naomi!” she whisper-shouts.
“Sorry,” I say behind her hand.
“I’m joking,” I whisper.
“You better be,” she mutters.
“But what if I wasn’t?”
Mae purses her lips.
“Okay fine I’m joking, but my brain takes over all the time and replays our previous moments over and over again.”
She doesn’t respond right away and looks down at her feet. “I can’t stop thinking about them either.”
My chest puffs, and I lean down, dipping my nose into her neck, breathing her in. She smells like a hint of coffee, and me.
“Stay the night,” I tell her. It’s really not a question.
“I don’t have any of my stuff,” she says.
“Use mine, I’ve got an extra toothbrush.”
“But what about Naomi?” she asks.
I shrug. Mae is the only woman Naomi will ever see in the morning, so I’m not bothered.
“Fine, but I’ll get up before Naomi does.”
I chuckle and start turning us in circles. There’s no music playing, but a ballad is belting from my heart. “Baby, you will have to get up at 4:45 in the morning.”
“Fine,” she grumbles.
I chuckle and reach for the kitchen light. “Then let’s go get ready for bed.”
While Mae is in the shower, I get my pajamas on. My phone buzzes and I sigh, expecting it to be my cousin because there’s never a dull moment on this ranch. I was really looking forward to a night with Mae.
I pick it up without looking. “Hello?”
“Cooper?” Rebekah says.
My heart drops into my stomach, swirls around, then flops to my feet.
“Hi Rebekah,” I mutter.
“I was served with paperwork for you to be Naomi’s legal guardian today.”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. This is for Naomi. This is what’s best for her, and if I have to fight her mother, my sister, then so be it.
“I’m glad you got it.”
“When did you start this?” she asks.
“A couple of months ago,” I tell her. I have nothing to hide.
“Why? You didn’t even call me to talk about it,” she says. I can hear the tinge of anger in her voice. She has no right to be angry.
“The phone works both ways, Rebekah.”
She huffs. “You’re right, it does, but I —”
“Look. I won’t argue about this over the phone. This is not about me. This is about what’s best for Naomi. I think you know that. But if you want to talk to me, call my lawyer. I—”
I cut myself off. There are a lot of things I want to say, like — what choice do I have? You left her. She calls me Daddy for a reason. Look at what happened last time, and I won’t let my kid go through that again. But I don’t.
Instead, I keep it as simple as I can. “If you have questions or an issue, call the lawyer. Goodnight Rebekah.”
Hanging up the phone, I toss it on the nightstand with a sigh. I knew this was a possibility. She could fight this, and it’s possible she could win. I don’t know if she has a steady job. We didn’t talk about all of that while she was here.
Indecision churns in my gut. If Rebekah chooses to fight this, it could expose Naomi to all of it.
The way she responded to Rebekah last time worries me.
She was not the little girl I’ve raised, and I knew she was hurting and had no idea what to make of it.
It took us a while for her to get back to normal, though I know she still thinks about Rebekah.
But she doesn’t ask me about her much anymore. Which is telling in and of itself.
Tan arms slide around my waist, and lips kiss my spine. “Hi,” Mae says.
I smile and turn around in her arms. “Have a good shower?”
She nods with sleepy eyes. She’s back in my shirt and her lounge pants, and everything about this feels good. It makes me feel like I’m finally the man I want to be.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired,” she says.
I stoop down and kiss her quickly. “The fashion show took it out of you.”
She snorts. “Sure, let’s go with that. What side of the bed do you normally sleep on?” she asks
“I’m usually there,” I tell her, pointing to the right side, closest to the door.
She shrugs and rounds to the left side of the bed.
I turn off the light and slide under the covers. Mae gets comfortable and wiggles in next to me.
“Wake me up when you get up so we don’t confuse Naomi,” she whispers.
“You forgot something.”
“What did I forget?” Mae says.
“To kiss me goodnight, duh,” I rumble.
Mae sighs.
“Oh, I’m sorry, is it an imposition for you?” I ask her.
She pinches me playfully, and I grunt. “That was mean, you should have to pay for that,” I tell her, sliding my hand down her back and grabbing her ass.
She squeaks and throws her leg over one of mine.
“You’re looking for excuses to feel me up,” she says into my neck.
I grab her chin, easily finding it in the dark, and our lips meet a breath later. When I kiss Mae, I can fight the entire world and win because of her. I could burn it all down or save it purely because she wanted me to.
Her tongue flickers against mine tentatively, and my hips unintentionally buck against her.
Mae whimpers into my mouth and I swallow it whole, trying to keep myself from devouring her.
I pull back enough to breathe, and Mae sighs. “You’ve gotten to be a good kisser.”
“I’ve had practice,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
I scoff. “I better be the only practice you’re getting,” I mumble.
“Nah, I’ve got a couple of guys on the side. They even give me pointers. But you don’t know them.”
I chuckle drawing my hand up her back. “I know just about everyone in this town, stubborn. And you can rest assured I’ll bury them where no one will ever find them.”
She hums. “Someone sounds a little jealous.”
“Immensely,” I growl and take her mouth again.
Mae bites my lower lip, and it makes me want her more. She rolls her hips against my thigh, and all the blood rushes between my legs.
“We need to stop,” she gasps.
“I know, but you can be quiet, can’t you?” I rumble, still holding her to me.
“Not with you,” she whispers.
I smile at that. “Way to boost a man’s ego.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” she sighs and wiggles away from my thigh.
I’d like to keep this going, but she’s right.
“Night, Coop,” she whispers.
“Goodnight, stubborn.”
As Mae’s breathing evens out, I can’t close my eyes. The what if’s of someone taking my kid from me roll through my head in endless directions, like a waking nightmare, and for the first time since I got Naomi in, I’m terrified of what could happen.