11
“Did we miss it? Are we too late?”
The anxious joy in Mac’s voice ripped into Coop’s heart like a dull, jagged blade. He had hoped to hear that same excitement in her voice earlier, when he’d shown her the ring.
Jesus, what an idiot he was.
“Other than a few moans and groans, you haven’t missed a thing.” Lexi Matthews—Trevor’s wife—smiled wide as she greeted them as they entered the waiting room. The tiny blonde was even more petite than Mac, and as cute as she was sweet.
“Oh, thank God.” Mac accepted Lexi’s hug. “I really wanted to be here when the baby was born.”
“Me, too!”
“How’s Liv?”
“How do you think?” Lexi rolled her eyes. “Her water broke at home while she was getting out of the shower, and of course Jake rushed her straight here. Olivia’s been totally calm and collected the entire time. Jake, on the other hand, is a different story.”
Mac chuckled. “I bet.”
“Come on.” Lexi wrapped her hand around Mac’s forearm. “I’ll take you to see her. Liv’s been asking about you. She wasn’t sure you’d be able to be here, with everything else that’s been going on.”
“I wasn’t, either.”
The other woman gave Mac a sad smile. “We’ve all been so worried about you.” Lexi glanced up at him. “Both of you.”
Coop forced a small smile in return before Lexi pulled Mac away.
From over her shoulder, Mac said, “Aren’t you coming with?”
He shook his head. “You go. I’ll see them when the baby’s here.”
Heartache filled her beautiful eyes, but he didn’t have it in him to say anything more.
Shoving his hands into his jeans, his fingertips hit the ring he’d forgotten was still there. A painful ache spread throughout his chest as he stepped back out of the room, watching Mac walk down the hallway with Lexi.
Feeling like the biggest fool in the world, Coop suddenly wished he could go back in time. If he could, he’d take back everything he’d said to her in that damn barn.
Every. Single. Word.
“I’m guessin’ from the look on your face, the proposal didn’t go as well as you’d hoped?”
Coop turned to see Derek walking over to him. Thankfully, the man was by himself.
“Nope.”
“Maybe you should talk to her.”
He glared at his friend. “Talking is what got me in this position in the first damn place. I never should’ve let you guys talk me into this.”
“Guys?”
“You and my dad. Between his ‘when you know, you know’ speech and your ‘no time like the present’ bullshit, I stupidly thought I was making the right choice. Instead all I made was a complete ass of myself.”
The pity Derek felt for him was right there, staring back at him from the other man’s blue-gray eyes. “I’m sorry, Coop. I gotta admit, I never thought that would happen. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. We all have.”
“Thought I had, too.” Coop grabbed the back of his neck, squeezing the hell out of the tense muscles there. “Apparently we’ve all been seeing shit that isn’t there, because she shot me down faster than a Hellfire missile. Which makes no damn sense to me. Not after the week we just spent together.”
“That good, huh?” Derek gave him a sideways smile.
