Chapter Eleven
Cooper couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed shopping as much as he had with Tess several days ago. At one point, he was afraid to even look at her for fear they’d both burst into laughter and send her doubled over in pain again. In the end, they did indeed buy matching Hawaiian outfits, but nothing as bold as the first outrageous ones they’d pulled out.
By the time Tess was running out of steam, they’d managed to purchase several comfy dresses. Apparently, cotton comfort was in fashion this season. She bought a few short sleeve dresses, a few sleeveless, and all of them looked fabulous on her. Though she’d only tried on a couple. It hadn’t occurred to either of them that getting in and out of clothes would be exhausting for her, and a bit uncomfortable. He knew she was trying her best to hide the discomfort, but he could read it in her eyes as easily as he could have read her name on a driver’s license.
“It’s time to see Mama.” He unsnapped the straps on the car seat.
Grinning up at him, Emma kicked her feet and contentedly squealed, “Mama!”
He knew exactly how the kid felt. Ever since leaving the house with Emma, as he’d done every day this week, all he could think about was coming back to the ranch and seeing Tess again. Lifting Emma out of the seat, he kissed her temple and when her arms flew around his neck and squeezed tightly, he couldn’t help but squeeze her back. The routine had become so natural, he couldn’t remember a time when things were any different. First he’d rise and get dressed before seeing to Emma. Then they would join her mother for breakfast.
At first they would meet in the dining room so that Emma wouldn’t see Tess struggling with going down the stairs. With each day, Tess’s mobility improved and the last couple of days, she’d meet them by the changing table and help get Emma ready for her day. After breakfast he would take Emma to daycare so that Tess wouldn’t have to strain herself. Not that his grandparents and the staff would allow her to, but still, as long as Emma was happy at daycare, it made the most sense.
Trotting up the front steps, with Emma still holding on to his neck, he didn’t have to bother with the front door, Jeeves had it open and waiting for him.
“Miss Teresa is in the parlor waiting.” Jeeves leaned into him slightly and lowered his voice. “She’s been working all afternoon, sir, and talking with Miss Katrina.”
Stubborn was the first word that came to mind. “Thank you for letting me know.”
Since Tess had come home, she’d insisted she was at least capable of doing some work from the recliner on a laptop. He’d thought he’d won the battle of she should fully recover, but apparently, he’d underestimated her determination. He really should have known better.
To his surprise, rather than find Tess on the recliner waiting for her little girl, she was approaching the entry to the family’s gathering room. “Hello, baby!”
Emma perked up, her grin wide as the Rio Grande and smart little girl that she was, she opened her arms to hug her mama but didn’t pull away for Tess to hold her. Every single day this child’s intuitive understanding amazed him.
“You’re looking good.” He heard his own words and panic struck. “I mean, not that you don’t always look good… I mean, it’s just… you look stronger, like you’re feeling better.”
Not bothering to hide her mirth at his stumbling over his own words, Tess chuckled softly. “I feel a lot better. I think sitting around waiting wasn’t doing me any favors. I got with Katrina today and she sent me some preliminary docs to review and help me get a feel for what’s going on.”
“And?”
“To be determined. There’s a lot to take in, but I already have a few ideas spinning around in my head to streamline a few procedures. I noticed a crossover of replication in processes, but I need to stew on it a bit. See how things can better fit in the time-box.”
“Just don’t push too hard.”
“I won’t. But I was thinking. Since I’m walking and feeling better, I thought Emma might enjoy a visit to the stables.”
“You think you’re really up to it?” Go ahead, pea brain, doubt the smartest woman you ever met. “Never mind. I think it’s a great idea. I bet there’s even a foal or calf in the barn. This time of year there usually is.”
Her hand touched his arm and he could have sworn the heat seared his skin. “It’s okay. I really am feeling much better. And you don’t have to worry about every word you say. I knew what you meant.”
At least someone knew what he meant, because right about now, he was pretty confused about what he was thinking and feeling. Hefting Emma tightly in one arm, he waved toward the back door with the other.
“Up me down.” Emma wiggled in his grip. Tess was right, it was going to be a sorry day when she stopped saying that.
Letting her down, he assumed she was going to want her mother to pick her up, but still holding on to his hand, she scrambled close to her mother and snatched hold of her hand too. The good thing was that Emma’s toddler pace was in line with Tess’ recovering pace. The downside was that as much as he loved—to his surprise truly loved—holding little Emma’s hand and spending time with her, right now, he really wished it was Tess’s hand he got to hold. Maybe what he needed to do was find a time, sooner than later, when he could do just that.
Was it silly of Teresa to wish that she could walk holding Cooper’s hand? Heaven knew all through their high school friendship, she’d longed for a chance to walk holding hands, but those were teenage daydreams laced with a vivid imagination, well grounded in the impossible fairy tale and the elusive happily ever after. From the time she was a young child, for as long as she could remember, she longed for a real family of her own. One that sat down to dinner every night at an actual table and who helped with homework and took summer vacations and visited grandma and grandpa for Christmas. At some point those daydreams of wishful thinking shifted focus on one man. Eventually, she grew up and learned to focus her efforts on the real world.
When Mr. Right failed to make an appearance, she went ahead with her life’s dream of having her own family. Even before she got pregnant with Emma, Teresa had planned her little family’s future. Emma would never want for her mother’s love or time.
“You look awfully serious.” Cooper slid the barn door open.
“Horsey!” Emma squealed with glee, her little arm pointing at a horse hanging his head over the stall door.
“Yes.” Teresa squeezed her daughter’s hand. “A real horsey.” Looking up, she smiled at Cooper.
Cooper returned the smile. “Looks like you were right.”
Emma tugged hard until their hold on her hands broke free as she darted toward the horse.
“Whoa, little one.” Cooper reached her daughter in two long strides and scooping her up, slid her onto his shoulders. “We don’t run up to horses. We have to approach slowly. Not fast. We don’t want to scare the horse, right?”
She frowned a minute and then sighed as though she’d considered his words and relented, having decided that she did not want to scare the horse more than she wanted to run to the massive animal. Which, Teresa did not understand why the inbred instinct for self-preservation hadn’t kicked in and kept Emma cautiously at her mother’s side.
Pausing by the tack room door, Cooper reached into a small bucket and dropped some treats into his pockets, holding one in his hand. “Do you want to feed the horsey?”
Two little feet kicked into his shoulders as she bounced in place. “Horsey.”
Cooper chuckled and looked to Teresa. “One track mind. She most definitely inherited your focused determination.”
Chuckling, Teresa shook her head. “I wouldn’t mind if she did indeed inherit a determined gene, but I suspect this is nothing more than two-year-old jubilance at something new.”
Opening his hand, palm open and flat with a treat in place, Cooper fed the horse and Emma giggled. He did it one more time before asking Emma if she wanted to feed the animal.
“Yes.” Her little head bobbed and golden locks bounced at the nape of her neck. An ache pricked at Teresa over how fast her little one was growing.
When he placed a treat into Emma’s hand, even though Teresa knew the horses weren’t dangerous, she also knew they had big teeth, Emma had little hands, and two-year-olds weren’t always very good at following rules. “Uh. Are you sure this is a good idea?”
His smile seared her like a surgical laser. “It will be fine.”
“I don’t know, she’s awfully young.”
“Horsey. Feed horsey.”
Teresa sighed and leveled her gaze with Cooper’s. “Are you sure, you’re sure?”
His head bobbed and she returned the nod, and like she’d done every day since Emma was born, prayed for God to watch over her.
To Teresa’s relief, Cooper set the treat in her daughter’s hand. Then, holding her hand in his, he eased her hand in front of the horse and held it steady.
The horse seemed to sniff at the air before ever so gently nipping the treat out of the little cherub’s hand. It was no surprise to Teresa when the horse’s lips tickled Emma’s palm, making her laugh.
Fingertips pursed together, Emma tapped the tips together and called out, “More.”
Cooper gave her another treat for the horse and again guided her through feeding the animal.
To Teresa, the scene was perfect. Her daughter was thrilled, she was regaining her strength, and Cooper was every bit the perfect father figure she’d always thought he would become. How could anyone come from such a loving and caring family and not be good parenting material? After all, he’d had excellent examples from his parents to his grandparents. Of course, no matter what her drug-induced dreams might have been or what Emma’s birth certificate said, this loving family scenario would be over soon. Too soon.
Lifting Emma off of his shoulder and setting her down on the ground, Cooper took her daughter’s hand and with Emma at his left, he leaned right, closer to Teresa. “Are you feeling okay? Should we go back?”
Obviously, he’d confused her thoughtful expression for one of discomfort. Though the whole situation was indeed a bit uncomfortable, it had nothing to do with her physical recovery. “Sorry. Lost in thought.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
Emma tugged at his hand and urged him to move forward to another stall. Cooper led her all the way down to a birthing stall where a calf was curled up in a corner while its mother munched on a snack. While he squatted down beside his charge and the calf, Emma gently pet the baby cow, Cooper looked up at Tess. “Still have that sweet tooth?”
“Is the pope Catholic,” she deadpanned, a sly smile immediately blooming on her face.
“So, what you’re saying is once we put Emma down for the night, it wouldn’t take much to talk you into going with me to Alamode for an ice cream?”
“You mean the mom and pop joint we always went to for a little peace and quiet while studying and the best homemade ice cream this side of the Mississippi is still in business?”
“Even the pandemic couldn’t kill people’s love of good ice cream.”
There was no way on earth she was skipping out on going anywhere with Cooper. Trying not to grin like a teenager invited to prom by the captain of the football team, she took in a deep breath and nodded. “You’re on.”