I can see the exhaustion plain as day on his face. I want to relieve it, and the feeling startles me.
“Have you talked to Rebekah about this?” I ask him.
Cooper shakes his head. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
“You’re putting Naomi first. That’s what matters. But you’re right, if Rebekah is willing to be her mother, then maybe she should have that chance.”
He picks at his food, and it feels like I told him the wrong thing.
“If it were me, and I know I don’t know all the details. But if I had to leave my kid for some reason and then I was able to come back. I would do whatever it takes. It’s possible Rebekah will too. And I would want someone to give me the chance to live up to the expectation.”
“But what if she doesn’t?” he asks me.
My heart aches just looking at him. I can’t imagine having to make this decision, let alone one that could end up hurting multiple people you love.
“Have you talked to the rest of the family about it?” I ask him.
“A little, they know what’s going on, but they don’t know about letting Rebekah further into Naomi’s life.”
“Their opinion may help.” I suggest.
He tilts his head with amusement in his eyes, and he grabs my hand, bringing it to his lips. “Yours does. Thank you,” he says.
“You’re welcome,” I say, even though I don’t believe I did anything.
Cooper manages to change the topic. We talk and eat and then he convinced me to dance with him.
As he pulls me onto the dance floor, a pop song comes on, but leads us while we two-step.
“I’ve never been much of a dancer, and the clubs don’t count,” I tell him.
Cooper gazes down at me. “Really? You’re pretty good,” he says.
“I mean, it’s not hard to dance to the beat. But I’m talking about this,” I say, gesturing between us.
He wiggles his brow and tips the brim of his hat back a little, and kisses my cheek. “Maybe it’s because we work really well together.” He fixes his hat and places his hand back in mine.
I roll my eyes, attempting to hide my smile.
“So I’ve been thinking,” he says.
The song changes toMissing Youby John Waite, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes. God’s sense of humor has been ever-present lately, and it’s screaming at me now.
“What are you thinking about?”
He peers at me. It’s so easy, falling into his lead. As silly and cliché as it is, it feels like we’ve been doing this for years.
“I’m going to convince you to stay in Paxton,” he says with absolute determination in his voice.
The ache of desire fights the surprise squeezing my chest. I look away focusing on the other couples, noticing a few people who have come into the shop. A man who bought his wife flowers for her birthday tips his at to me.
Could I see myself staying here?
“Paxton looks good on you, stubborn,” Cooper says.
I peer up at him from under my lashes, and he pulls me tighter into his chest. “You don’t have to worry about the how or why, or when. That doesn’t matter right now.”
I huff. “How does that not matter? That’s a big decision, and there are other factors to consider.”
