Chapter 9
COOPER
“Welcome home, Ms. Crawford.”
Angel grinned, stepping onto the porch of her now complete home. “I can’t believe it’s done!”
We’d finished two weeks ahead of schedule, and when I called Angel to let her know the good news, she hopped on the road and drove straight to Rosewood Heights. “All done,” I confirmed. “Appliances, flooring… everything.”
She hugged me. “You’re my hero.”
It had been weeks since I’d seen her. One weekend, she’d called and said she was flying to L.A. with Tee to look for houses. The second weekend was Mother’s Day, so she’d stayed in Charleston to celebrate the holiday with her family.
I leaned down, placing a kiss to her mouth. “I missed you.”
She smiled. “I missed you, too.”
“Where’s Mehki? I have a surprise for him.”
Averting her gaze, she walked over to the new front door. “I left him with Tee.” She ran her hand over the intricate details in the glass. “I love this.”
“I figured you would.”
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “You going to show me around?”
Nodding, I motioned for her to step inside, then followed her in. “Oh my God! Cooper! I love it.”
We’d managed to salvage a lot of the original features, but Angel liked a more modern design so we added a lot of contemporary elements. “I figured you’d love the grey.”
“I do.” She spun around in the living room, pointing out little details. “Everything looks so much brighter in here. No more dark paneling and wallpaper.”
We started at the sunroom, to the kitchen, then upstairs. Grabbing her hand, I led her into Mehki’s room first.
She placed her hand over her mouth. “Oh, Cooper, you bought him a bed?”
I walked over to the full-over-full bunk bed. “This more than a bed. It’s a fort.” I’d even purchased the bedding. Spider-Man everything.
“He’s going to be so excited.” Her voice cracked and I frowned.
That gnawing feeling of dread crept back into my gut. “Are you okay, baby?”
She nodded. “I’m just so… happy.” She rounded the bed, screaming and jumping back when she spotted my other surprise. “Cooper, I’m going to kill you. You bought him a damn tarantula.”
“You said you were leaning toward a yes,” I explained. “So, I called a friend of mine and made it happen. If you want me to take it back, I will.”
She sent me a mock glare. “No. He’s going to need something to keep him busy this summer.”
We headed to the next room. After we’d seen everything else on the second floor, I led her into the master bedroom. An air mattress was blown up in the middle of the room.
“You trying to tell me something?” she asked saucily.
“Maybe,” I said.
Angel smirked, then disappeared into the master bathroom. I heard her gasp and knew she’d spotted my surprise for her. I entered the room. She was sitting in her Aunt Lou’s original clawfoot tub. “You really outdid yourself,” she said.
Back in January, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to save the tub, but I found someone who was able to restore it. The hell I went through making it happen was worth the smile on her face now, though.
“I can’t wait to soak in it.” She closed her eyes. “Have a nice bubble bath. Candles, music. Me time.”
