“I think it’s pictures of flowers.”
His brow furrows as he thinks about it. “So, do you have to build a bunch of arrangements or something?” he asks.
I snort. “I think so. I’m as clueless as you are. But I’ll research it and figure it out.”
“You’re so resourceful and determined. I like that about you.”
I grimace. “I think it’s simply how my brain works.”
“Well, I like your brain then,” he says.
I roll my lips together, trying to hold in my smile. “So, what about you?” I ask him.
His relaxed grin drops, and he shifts in his seat.“We don’t need to talk about me,” he says.
I reach for his hand before I have a chance to overthink it and link our fingers together. “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have asked. I want you to tell me.”
He takes a breath, about to answer, then the waitress comes up to us. Instead, we order our food and she disappears.
“So?” I push him.
“Rebekah came back,” he says, staring at his beer.
I don’t know who that is, so I don’t respond.
He glances up. “Rebekah is my sister,” he says.
I’m surprised, especially because Cooper said she wasn’t in the picture. This must have been a shock for him too.
“How do you feel about that?” I ask him.
“This is a mood killer. Are you sure you want to talk about this?” he asks.
“I do,” I tell him.
He rubs his mustache and drops his hand.
“She showed up on the ranch one day. I wasn’t there, and she didn’t interact with Naomi, but my aunt and uncle spoke with her. Long story short, she wants to be back in Naomi’s life, and I’m worried.”
“I would be, too.”
He explains to me that he invited Rebekah over. She and Naomi had a good interaction.
“You don’t seem too excited about it,” I say.
He sighs. “Rebekah looked good. She looked healthy. Naomi said she’d like to do a sleepover with her. I said I’d think about it, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. But she’s also working for it, you know? She’s my sister, but Naomi is my priority. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. Naomi should know her mother, but if Rebekah isn’t going to be that for her, then I don’t know if I can let her keep visiting.”
I listen closely, letting him talk through it all. It doesn’t feel like I have any place to give my opinion. Naomi is not my daughter, and Cooper and I are … well, I don’t know what we are. We’ve been on a handful of dates, that hardly makes me qualified to give an opinion, let alone one that has anything to do with his daughter.
Our food comes, and Cooper thanks the waitress before giving me an odd look.
“What?” I ask.
“This is what I was talking about. I don’t want to burden you with this, and I’m ruining our night. I’m sorry,” he says.
I shake my head, trying to come up with the words to tell him that’s not the case. I’m honored he wants my opinion.
“I don’t know what to do. I know I’m her dad, but I don’t know what the right thing is,” he says.
