Mae finds the cabinet with our glasses next to the sink easily and gets a cup of juice filled for Naomi while I put scrambled eggs on each of our plates, then divide the sausage links up.
I hand Naomi her plate while Mae carries her juice and cup of coffee to the table. I take our plates and set them at the little table, and go back for my coffee.
Pulling a stool from the island, I sit on it to give Mae the other chair. I’m at a loss for words as they talk to each other, and my chest stings because I can’t seem to get my heart to go back where it’s supposed to go.
“She entertains herself a lot, doesn’t she?” Mae asks, watching Naomi work a puzzle.
I hum. “There aren’t a lot of kids running around here. We try to keep her busy, especially during the summer. My aunt tries to schedule plenty of playdates for her.”
“Are you sure this is okay?” Mae asks.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Me, being here, like this. I know you protect Naomi, as you should,” she says quietly.
I reach across the table for her hand and kiss her knuckles.
A blush blooms across her cheeks, and she glances at Naomi.
“I don’t see the point in waiting. If I hadn’t called you last night, we would have spent time together at the fair in a few weeks,” I tell her. What I don’t say is I want them to get along, and the more time they have, the better it will be. I want to see how they interact and how they work together.
“Cooper, are you using your daughter to bribe me?” she asks, with the corner of her mouth tipped up. I know she’s asking a much larger question.
“Is it working?” I ask her.
She tilts her head in a ‘you’re kidding’ look.
“You can admit it, Mae, she’s pretty cute, and therefore convincing.”
Mae snorts. “You’re right, she’s quite convincing.”
“That just means my plan is working.”
Mae rolls her eyes.
“Hey, thank you.”
“For what?” she asks.
“For taking care of my kid. I trust you with her.”
Mae smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She glances over her shoulder at Naomi. “I did nothing but sleep in your bed. It’s not a problem.”
“Oh, I liked that part too.” I grin.
She shakes her head with a small smile and pulls away, grabbing our dishes to take them to the sink.
“Princess, go get dressed. We need to get down to the barn,” I tell her.
Naomi grumbles and heads to her room.
“If I can find you some clothes, would you be open to coming down to the barn with us?”
Mae spins around and leans against the counter. She purses her lips, and I can see the questions and the hesitation shift in her expression.
“Stay, please?” I offer.
“I have work to do, and I need to get to the shop. I have to be consistent with store hours and I have to keep trying to drum up business, otherwise the shop won’t last the year.”
