Grace let out a soft, sympathetic gasp. Willow leaned forward, her eyes wide with a mix of protectiveness and curiosity. The others were equally intrigued. “He fixed the shelf in my laundry room. The one Cora climbed a couple weeks ago. He’s good with his hands,” she said, exasperated with herself. This wasn’t the intel they wanted. “I watched him fall in love with her in an instant. Who can blame him?”
“What about you?” Charity pressed.
“I don’t want that to matter,” she admitted. “So far it’s always the three of us, though he wants time with me.”
“That’s a good sign,” Camille mused.
Scarlett disagreed. “Not romantically.” She’d caught flashes of the old desire, but no indication he wanted to rekindle things in that area. Trust went both ways and she’d burned him. Badly. “Only to plan how to tell Cora the truth and decide how shared custody will work.”
“Hold on,” Holly snapped. “Shared custody? Without a lawyer? Without a background check? Scarlett, you don’t know this guy. Not really. Seven years is a long time for someone to stay a good guy. I can run a full search—employment records, credit history, any civil suits in California. You need information before you agree to any changes.”
“It’s the opposite,” Scarlett said, shaking her head. “I know who he is: kind, reliable, steady. That’s the problem. He’s exactly the same, but I’m completely different.”
“Is he staying?” Trina asked.
“So he claims,” Scarlett replied. “Y’all know I’ve spent her whole life being everything to her. Not easy, but worth it. Then,” she snapped her fingers, “in one afternoon, he’s her new best friend. She looks at him like he hung the moon. It’s obvious that by myself I’m not enough anymore.”
Not enough for either of them.
“He’s a novelty,” Grace stated. “But that won’t last.Youare Cora’s world. If he’s really a good guy, his showing up doesn’t subtract from your relationship, it only adds one more person to the pile of folks who adore her and care for her.”
Scarlett laughed bitterly. Her friend made sense, but she kept envisioning the worst-case scenarios of Cora crying when Cooper’s career called him away. “For how long? He’s a brilliant,talented professor at the peak of his career. The colleges and universities that need him aren’t local.”
“You’re afraid because there are too many unknowns,” Willow offered. “Maybe you need to have that adults-only meeting with a family lawyer on call.”
“Probably,” she agreed. Not like she held out any hope for romance at this point.
“You’ve been in mama-bear mode for seven years, Scarlett,” Trina reminded her. “You’ve been so guarded that you’ve forgotten how to justbe. You’re an accomplished professional, a talented musician, and a hell of a mother. Maybe letting Cooper into Cora’s life is the best way you get to be all those things at once.”
At what cost? Every option Scarlett could envision put her daughter’s tender heart at risk or set herself up for another irreparable heartbreak.
“I say make him earn it.” Holly sat back, arms folded. “You’ve been in charge this long, don’t just hand over the reins. If he wants to be a dad, let him do the heavy lifting. The school runs, the soccer practices, bedtime and bad dreams. If he’s still here when the novelty wears off, then you’ll know.”
“You’re suggesting I invite him to move in?” she challenged. Once again, her heart shouted in approval, but her gut was staunchly against it.
“Not before you get a family lawyer involved,” Willow advised. “I can send you a few names.”
“Was it a crush?” Charity asked. “Because from over here, I’d swear you’re in love with him.”
“No.” The denial burned in the back of her throat. “I’m happy with the way he loves her,” Scarlett said. “That’s all.”
Just because she still dreamed about those hot summer nights in his arms didn’t mean he wanted the same thing. And what if she worked up the courage to tell him he was the one?What if she kissed him again? How would she ever know he wantedherand not just the easiest path into Cora’s life?
“He’ll leave,” she murmured. “His career is too important.” And if they hooked up again, she’d feel obligated to follow him to keep the family together. Cora’s happiness was important, but not at the expense of her own. “It’s only a matter of time.”
“It could be different this time,” Hazel suggested. “If you keep the lines of communication open.”
Scarlett pressed her hands to her eyes for a moment. “You’re right. You’re all right.”
“We’ll stay on babysitting standby,” Trina said for all of them. “One of us will always be ready to take Cora so you and Cooper can sort out the adult parts of this situation.”
Everyone around the table agreed with enthusiasm and encouraging words. “All right. Thanks.” Scarlett looked at her friends—the women who knew her secrets and loved her anyway. For the first time since Cooper had appeared at the Pelican Pub, the tightness in her chest eased, just a fraction. She wasn’t alone in this. She had a fortress of women around her, ready to verify his credentials or offer him a second chance, depending on the needs of the moment.
“He’s older,” she mused. “He has silver at his temples now. He looks wiser and distinguished and part of me feels like the student again whenever he says my name.”
“Well stop that,” Hazel said with a theater-worthy gasp. “You’re both adults on equal footing now. Make the most of it.”
As they gave up on reading and chatted over less intense topics, Scarlett listened with half an ear. Her own thoughts were still too loud and scattered. What if he moved in? What if he moved on? The time for easy answers had passed and the longer she delayed, the worse things would get. She and Cooper had created a beautiful little girl and somehow, she had to come to terms with sharing Cora with him.
