Chapter 25
Chapter twenty-five
Dakota
“Cooper Ryon Mayson. Put me down,” I command, my voice as stern as I can muster.
Except it’s not stern. It’s breathy and confused because my fake husband just nonchalantly called me baby then just proceeded to spank my ass after he slammed our bedroom door shut.
“Oh, full naming me now.” He stops to ease me down. “I’m in trouble.”
“Big trouble,” I mumble when he stands to his full height just to peer down at me.
“I’m going to need you to reel in the panic for me, yeah?” He twirls his thick fingers in the air above my head and all I can think about is what those fingers would feel like…
I blink, shaking my head. Nope. Not going there.
“Ok.” I take a deep breath. “I’m calm.”
He snorts. “Right.” He reaches out, removing the rubber gloves from my hands.
“How about this. You take Arizona into town and do some school shopping. If she’s going to be starting this week, she needs some supplies.
A backpack. Those glitter pens or whatever the hell you used to draw on all of my notebooks in middle school. ”
“Gel pens,” I correct as he places the gloves on the dresser.
“I’m sure she could use some more clothes too. A good pair of tennis shoes. Pair of boots.”
“I think we might need to ease her into the boots.” I drop down on the edge of the bed. “She’s terrified of the horses.”
Cooper sits down beside me, his legs spread wide.
His thigh presses against mine, and my stomach flips.
I’ve managed to keep this under control the last few years.
I’ve gotten good at avoiding the Cooper Effect.
But since the day he said those vows. The day he kissed me like I was really his, I’ve been struggling.
“Hey,” he says, his palm settling on my knee. “You’re not in this alone. I’m right here. So is a whole truck load of people who support you.”
I close my eyes. “I know that.”
“Then why the spiral?” He asks.
“There is no spiral,” I scoff.
“Kota. You’re wearing my clothes,” he whispers, his hand squeezing my knee.
I clamp my mouth shut. Growing up, whenever I’d have a bad day, or a night when my dad was drunk and disorderly, I would always slip into one of Cooper’s hoodies or shirts that I’d stolen from his room when he wasn’t looking.
I had stolen a bottle of his cologne too.
Call me a criminal, but it made me feel safe.
He made me feel safe in a household where love and security were nonexistent.
I’m pretty sure he knew, but he never called me out on it.
So anytime I’m stressed or just need to feel him when I know he can’t be there to ease the pain, I revert back to fourteen year old Dakota.
The one that desperately wished she was a part of a family like his.
“Yeah,” is all I say, letting the silence hang.
“You know…” his voice lowers. “Have I ever told you that you look beautiful in my clothes?”
My breath hitches. My lungs burning as our eyes lock.
The look he’s giving me right now tells me that what he just said…he means it.
The air thickens, his eyes dipping to my mouth. Is he going to kiss me? The hand on my leg slides up my exposed thigh, and right when I’m about to say screw the list of rules, a knock sounds at the door.
I clear my throat, jumping a few inches away from Cooper.
“Yes?” I call out.
“Um, some rando is at the door.” Ari’s muffled voice flows from the other side.
I’m on my feet in an instant, a wave of warning hitting my chest. It’s him. The protective side of me flares, the need to shield Arizona from that monster is overwhelmingly strong as I rip the door open.
“What? Who is it?” I ask, peeking my head into the hall.
She shrugs. “Never seen him. But he kind of looks like Cooper, except he’s like really grumpy.”
I glance back at Cooper who pushes up from the bed. He grins, knowing exactly who it is and the wild rhythm of my heart starts to slow.
“I’ll grab it,” Cooper says as he squeezes past us.
I roll my shoulders back with relief as Ari gives me a confused look. “Well, who is it?”
I wrap my arm around her shoulder, guiding her back down the hallway. “You ever met a real life bull rider?”
She gives me a pointed look. “What do you think?”
I snicker before we enter the living room just in time for the stranger to saunter into the cabin.
“Well, look what the cat drug in,” I tease when a cowboy walks in looking like he just pulled an all nighter.
Which he probably had.
“Arizona, this is Cooper’s cousin. Meet the infamous Parker Stillwater.”