I stare at the man who is larger than life to me, always has been. He and my dad are brothers and thicker than thieves. Uncle Mason stayed to run the ranch, and my dad went more corporate cowboy, knowing that ranch life is a rollercoaster that can also include major loss of money. He didn’t want that for our family.
“Okay, out with it. Was Naomi alright? Did she do something? I can talk to her,” I tell them.
Uncle Mason shakes his head and Aunt Dixie smiles weakly. “Um, Cooper, your uh, Rebekah came by today.”
Blood rushes in my ears. I’m sure if I looked at myself in the mirror my skin would be pale despite the all day every day tan.
I swallow thickly and lift my chin. “Did she talk to Naomi?”
“No, and I wouldn’t let her in the house,” Uncle Mason says.
“Does Naomi know she was here?”
“No, I talked to her on the porch while the girls were occupied,” Aunt Dixie says.
“What did she want?” I grit.
“She wanted to talk to you, Coop.”
I frown, confused, and also pissed that I wasn’t here to talk to her myself.
“Did she say why?” I ask them.
Aunt Dixie shakes her head. “She didn’t ask to speak to Naomi, and I wasn’t sure how to take that.”
“I’m not sure either,” I mutter.
“She left her phone number with me and asked that you call her when you can.”
Aunt Dixie hands me the folded piece of paper, and I shove it in my pocket without looking. “I don’t know what to do with this.” I’m between panic and anger. I won’t let her take Naomi from me. She will have to prove to me that she is capable of handling a growing little girl and everything that comes with it.
I’ve tried really hard over the years not to judge my sister because I recognize there are things I don’t know because she refused to tell any of us. Some of it was obvious, like the alcohol abuse, but she didn’t look strung out when she left Naomi, which left all of us even more confused.
“I think you should call her,” Uncle Mason says.
I glance at him, and he peeks at Aunt Dixie. “Hear her out. It doesn’t mean anything has to change. But—”
“It could mean Naomi gets her mother back,” I say for him.
He dips his chin, and Aunt Dixie sniffles. “I was worried about this.”
“Do you think it’s because of the guardianship and everything?”
I shake my head. “No, the papers were being reviewed and everything prepped to be filed. Ralph would have called to tell me when they were officially filed and Rebekah notified. I told him I wanted to know and be prepared just in case.”
“So she came here all on her own? Maybe she really is better,” Aunt Dixie says.
“I guess I’ll find out,” I mutter.
They wince, and I try to ignore the crushing sensation in my heart.
“Daddy?” Naomi calls for me, and it makes the smushed organ in my chest tear apart. Hearing her call me that is like a gift every time I hear it. I don’t want to stop hearing it — ever.
“I’m coming, princess,” I call.
“I noticed she started calling you Dad,” Aunt Dixie says.
I scratch my chin, looking at her. “She asked because it made sense in her mind,” I tell them.
