Page 39 of Ready or Not

He grabs some small, open-top organizational bins. They’re not too big. I’m fairly sure I’ve never seen those before. He drops a couple on the footrest for the glider and drags over one of the laundry baskets. He takes a seat near my feet and grabs a handful of the outfits on top.

“I think this is the three-to-six and six-to-nine months basket. My mom said you’d probably want some way to swap them out for the clothes she outgrows. This way, all you have to do is grab one of these little storage bins from the closet, and you’ll have all the clothes in the size you’re looking for.” He chuckles, picking up a long-sleeve zip-up onesie. “My mom said my brother and I were born fitting into three-to-six month clothing.”

I drop the outfits in my lap and pick one up to fold it. It’s a pink dress with dark purple trim around the neck, bottom, and arms.

“That one has matching pants.” Cooper tosses them into my lap. “But I don’t know if you want the outfits together or shirts and dresses in one place and pants in another.”

My thumb teases over the soft material of the dress as my heart races.

I spent the last nine months thinking he wanted nothing to do with me, let alone the baby he didn’t know about. He didn’t even wait for the results of what I assume was a paternity test.

I asked Holt about it earlier, and he shrugged, but he wasn’t able to block enough of the bond to keep it from me. And I’m not even a little upset Cooper would want one.

I know the baby is his—there’s literally no other possibility, but he doesn’t know that.

Still, waiting for the results would have been the smart thing to do. At least, from his perspective.

If I were him, I would have waited to tell my family until I was positive. But he’s been in here, organizing her stuff, doing laundry, and putting the crib together.

My chest aches.

When we first met, I really did think he was a good guy. Then I was hurt and pissed off, and I wanted him around so I could lean on him for support and ask his advice. Now he’s back again, putting in the work to get ready for our daughter, just like he put in the work to get me to know him all those months ago.

It’s really hard to think that he’s the asshole I made him out to be in my mind when he didn’t come back to the club.

If he really wanted nothing to do with us, then he could have walked away. He knows Bishop, Holt, and Mercy would be here to take care of us, but he’s made it clear he wants to be in her life too.

I fold the dress with the pants tucked inside and lean to put it in the bin.

It’s still way too early to tell.

Only time will prove if he’s serious or not.

“It’s crazy how many pieces of newborn clothing will fit in one load of laundry.” Cooper laughs as we finish folding the last of the second basket.

“The clothes weren’t bad, but the hundreds of washcloths, burp rags, and baby blankets might be overkill.” I smile back, gliding on the chair. He helped me lift my legs onto the footrest a while ago.

“Yeah, but as my mom pointed out, you don’t want to need them and not have them.” He chuckles, carrying the bin to the closet before shoving it on one of the shelves. That white T-shirt of his pulls up, showing several inches of his abs and lower stomach.

I refocus on Aurora’s name on the wall to combat the hazy memories filing through my mind of the faces he made while he was inside me. It’s also not healthy to remember the way his muscular body caged me.

He swaggers back with his bare feet and those tight jeans stretched around his thighs.

I can’t seem to look away.

“Are you ready to head to bed? It’s got to be one or two in the morning by now.” He scratches the thick stubble covering his jaw. “Do you want help getting up? I mean, I know you’re not going to bed with me. I just meant that I’d help you get to bed.” His head falls back as he snorts. “Fucking hell, we’ve got to be in the most uncomfortable situation in the history of the universe.”

“No, not even close.” I laugh. “It is awkward, but it’ll all work out. I’ll have breakfast with your mom tomorrow. Wait, I guess that’s today. Yeah, I should probably try to get a few extra hours of sleep, in that case.”

Cooper takes the last few steps, offering me his hands. He pulls me up, and my eyes stay glued to his forearms and biceps as they flex. He yanks a little too strongly, making my stomach collide with his.

My nostrils flare, breathing him in. There are no words to describe how his scent affects my system. I tilt my head up until I can meet his eyes, and my mouth falls open.

It’s so weird. Something really strange is going on whenever I catch his scent. It wasn’t bad when he was on the floor, but now that he’s within reach, my mouth actually waters. My fingers twist in his shirt as I try to shake away the hormonal response.

“It’s seriously bizarre, but whenever I catch your scent, it’s like my chest gets warm and fuzzy. It feels like I’ve had four beers or smoked a joint.” Cooper nuzzles his cheek to the top of my head. “You know what I mean—that buzzed feeling.”

I nod, moving my hands to clutch his shoulders. “Up.”

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