Chapter 43
Mae
I knew I shouldn’t have stayed the night at Cooper’s. I knew he’d make me late. Then again, he made both of us late, so I blame him. Thankfully Naomi didn’t wake up on time either, otherwise that would have been a very difficult conversation.
We need to start locking the bedroom door.
The shop is a mess, and I have one of my clients coming in to sign off on her flower selections and give me her down payment.
I’m nervous because I’m not sure I’ll get these exotic flowers in time, and they don’t keep long.
If I’ve learned anything in the wedding floral game, it’s that timing is everything.
Hysteria by Def Leppard plays loudly, and I’m trying to focus on the beat and not my slow devolvement into insecure panic.
I have a wedding next week that was super last minute because Silver Hill Ranch had a cancellation, fit someone in and then thrust them into my arms. Everything is absolutely fine.
The upside to all of this is that I’m going to be in the black this year. Paxton Flower Shop will make a small profit, and it hasn’t even been a year.
I should pat myself on the back because I’ve worked hard, but I need to complete the jobs first. I’m more than nervous to fulfill these contracts. I don’t want to mess it up, or ruin someone’s big day.
Come on, stubborn, you’ve got this. There’s no doubt in my mind.
My heart swells replaying the words he whispered in my ear this morning. His unfettered confidence in me gives me the encouragement I need to at least act like I know what I’m doing. But with him, I think it is possible to do everything because I have him standing beside me, ready to jump in.
It’s an odd feeling to see how everything you’ve hoped and prayed for is happening right in front of you, and it’s easy to lose sight of.
But I refuse to let myself. There was a day I thought I’d end up alone.
Loved. But alone when it’s all said and done.
My heart shatters for the girl I once was.
My fairytale was more like a nightmare for the most part, but then Cooper came along.
I’ve always hated the, ‘when you’re not looking for him he’ll show up’.
That’s bull crap. But as much as I hate to admit it; it was the right time for me.
Later than others, but a part of my journey, nonetheless.
One day I’ll probably look back and say I wouldn’t change anything.
I don’t think I could say it today, but it doesn’t matter now, does it? He found me, or maybe I found him.
My phone rings and I groan, searching for it in the mountain of papers I have everywhere. I understand why my aunt is so messy. It’s hard for one person to keep this place running.
I finally find my phone and it’s my aunt.
“Hey Auntie.”
“Hello, darling, so I heard you and Cooper Hayes are together.”
I chuckle and look out the window. “I figured you’d find out eventually.”
“He’s a good boy. Your uncle approves.”
“Thank you,” I rasp.
She hums. “I wanted to give you a heads up before we got there, but your uncle and I are coming home.”
“What?”
“Did you not hear me?” she asks, louder this time. “We’re coming home. We’ve enjoyed time here, but it’s not our home. Paxton is.”
“Are you taking the flower shop back?” I ask her.
At this point, I’m not sure I want to give it back. I’m learning to love this, even though I’m afraid of messing up constantly, but I want to try.
“Goodness no. I’ll help you, but I’m done.”
“So you don’t like it there?” I ask her.
“Hold on,” she says.
I frown.
“Hello?”
“I think I patched her in. Bella, are you there?” Aunt Francesca asks.
“Mom?”
“Hi, tesoro. So … we wanted to tell you something.”
My stomach lurches.
“Are you okay? What’s going on? I’ll get a flight as soon as I can —”
“Mae!” Mom yells.
“What?”
Aunt Francesca laughs, and a headache blooms in my temple.
“I’m fine. But we need to tell you something.”
I huff, irritated. “Okay, what?”
“You know how I told you to take advantage of this opportunity to go to Paxton? Do something different?” Mom asks.
“Um … yeah?”
“We never bought a house in Florida, sweetheart. We rented,” Aunt Francesca says.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”
“We were always going to come back to Paxton. Your uncle could never survive down here,” Aunt Francesca says.
“Okay, I don’t understand.”
“I was going to shut the doors to the shop. But your mother had a better idea,” Aunt Francesca says.
Then it all suddenly makes sense. There’s a reason I don’t believe in coincidences.
“Mom!”
She giggles.
“How? Why?” I spit out, unable to form a full sentence.
“I’m not your responsibility, Mae. I love you so much. But it’s because I love you I wanted you to experience something different. Even if it was in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Cooper or no Cooper, you needed to be forced out of being burdened with me.”
“Mom, you’re not a burden,” I rasp.
“We can agree to disagree. But I wanted more for you, and this was the best way to make it happen.”
“You planned this all along?” I ask them.
“Yes,” they both say.
“But it all worked out, didn’t it?” Aunt Francesca says excitedly.
I huff. “I feel like you both got lucky.”
“Even if that’s the case, it still happened,” Mom says.
“I don’t know if I should thank you or scream.”
“You can do both, but we did this because we love you,” Aunt Francesca says.
“So what about the shop?” I ask.
“It’s still yours!” Aunt Francesca chirps.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say nothing! Be in love!” my mom says.
“I can’t believe this.”
“I’m happy for you, sweetheart. It’s time for you to spread your wings now. It’s time for you to start a new chapter.”
My heart dips. “But will you be okay? We live so far apart.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m going to visit your mother for a while. You just focus on your cowboy and that little girl,” Aunt Francesca says.
“I … okay.”
“Good. We love you!” Aunt Francesca says and hangs up.
“Mom?”
“She’s right, sweetheart. We love you, now let go of the rope,” she says and then hangs up.
I burst into laughter and shake my head while I call Cooper. I should have known they were up to something.
***
Cooper comes running through the front door of the shop wearing a grim expression. There’s dirt all over him and sweat dripping down his neck onto his shirt as if he ran from the ranch to me.
My stomach drops. “What’s wrong?”
“I got the call,” he rasps, panting.
I puff out a breath, but my heart is pounding like I’m sprinting. “That’s a good thing.”
He takes his hat off, raking fingers through his hair, and paces back and forth in front of the register. “It should be, but—”
“Coop, we talked about this. You’ve done your part, and we talked to the lawyer. He said you’ve done a wonderful job. Everything is going to be okay.”
He takes a stuttered breath and nods to himself. “I can’t lose her, Mae. I can’t.” His voice cracks and he looks at me with eyes panic clouding his features.
I come around the counter and wrap my arms around his waist, laying my ear over his sweaty chest where the heart I love so much beats. “You’re not going to lose her. Everything is going to work out,” I say, and hope that I don’t end up eating my words at the end of this.
He tucks his nose into my neck and takes a deep breath. “I hope you’re right.”
***
“We’ll be back in a little bit. Be good for Grandma,” Cooper says to Naomi.
“When will you be back?” she asks.
“I’m not sure, princess.”
Naomi pouts and hugs both of us.
“Good luck,” Dixie whispers to us and pushes Naomi towards the kitchen.
“I’m feeling brisket and cornbread, how does that sound?” she asks Naomi.
Cooper takes my hand tightly and leads us out of the house.
I couldn’t eat breakfast this morning. My stomach has been churning the moment my eyes opened, and even then I didn’t sleep well. Thoughts swirl and crash against my skull with all the what if’s if this doesn’t go well?
“I—” he says, and cuts himself off.
I stop and tug on him. “Talk to me,” I whisper, standing on my toes and rubbing the back of his tense neck.
“Tell me it’s going to be okay. I need to hear you say it,” he croaks.
I kiss him gently, with all the love I can push through my lips. “It’s going to be okay, my love.”
He groans opening the truck door for me. “Thank you.”
“I still can’t believe your mom and aunt pulled one over on you,” he says on a half-hearted laugh.
“I know it’s wild, and I’m irritated that it worked.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes, and kisses my knuckles. “Hell, I’m not.”
We pull up to the courthouse, and any levity in the truck is gone. This step is a good one. It’s the unknown that has us shaking in our boots.
Once we get through the metal detector, we have to wait outside the courtroom for Cooper’s lawyer.
A few minutes later Ralph meets us, and Cooper shoves his hands in his pockets, listening carefully to Ralph’s instructions. We both need to be quiet and let him do most of the talking until he says otherwise, or unless the judge addresses him directly.
“Will they ask Mae anything? We weren’t together before I put the paperwork in.”
Ralph flips through a few pages in his folder. “I’d say it’s unlikely, but not impossible. So, Ms. Morgan, I would suggest you being prepared to answer questions.”
“I can do that,” I rasp and wipe my sweaty palms.
Ralph checks his watch. “We better get in there,” he says. We follow him, then he pauses. “I’ve been praying for you, Cooper. I think it’s what’s best for little Naomi. Your sister, God bless her, but this is what’s best for that child and I will make that clear to the judge.”
Cooper swallows, and his hand tightens around mine.
We’re followed by a few others into the courtroom, and my jaw drops when I see the whole Hayes family, except for Dixie and, of course, Naomi.
Every single ranch hand who works at Hayes Ranch.
The Wests are here with their kids and spouses.
People I’ve met since I’ve lived here, but who have known Cooper and Naomi for many years, are sitting in the seats.
“They all wanted to speak to your character,” Ralph says.
I look up at Cooper, and his mouth falls open in shock.
“It’s going to be okay,” I tell him and kiss his knuckles.
He nods, and we follow Ralph to the front and sit next to him at a large table.
“All rise. Hear ye, hear ye, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Paxton County is open pursuant to adjournment. All having business before this honorable court draw near, give attention, and you shall be heard. You may be seated,” the bailiff says.
We sit down and I keep Cooper’s hand in my lap, trying to soothe him as much as I can without sitting on him.
“Thank you, George. Looks like we are here for the legal guardianship of Naomi Nicole Hayes.” He pauses and looks through his papers.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it would appear that Naomi is already in the custody of Cooper Hayes, her uncle, and has been for nearly six years.
And you’re trying to get full legal guardianship for her. Is that correct?”
Ralph stands. “Yes, Your Honor.”
The judge flips through more papers.
“And is the mother, Rebekah Hayes, present today?” he asks.
Everyone looks around, wondering if she slipped in after we started.
“I don’t—” Ralph is cut off.
Cooper tenses under my touch and looks in the direction of a woman with long brown hair and an uncanny resemblance to Naomi walking down the aisle to the front of the courtroom.
“Yes, Your Honor, I’m here.”
Cooper’s hand squeezes mine, and my heart sinks. Everything feels like it’s about to crumble with one wrong move. I ignore all the voices in my head telling me this would never work and focus on being Cooper’s rock.
What makes you think you could keep Cooper if he loses Naomi? I push the thought away and focus on what’s in front of me. Those thoughts won’t win anymore, but I don’t know why I hoped we could get through this unscathed.