Page 44 of Cooper

“You have no idea how happy this makes me. Thank you so much for calling.”

She gives me her contact information. “I’ll be in touch should the need arise, Ms. Perry. Until then, good luck, and feel free to contact me, should you need to.”

“Thank you so much. Have a Merry Christmas.”

“Same to you, ma’am.”

She clicks off and I hang up, setting my phone on the counter, as I close my eyes tight, squeezing my fists together at my chest, squealing. It’s like I just won the fucking lottery. No two ways about it. This means that it shouldn’t be long before I can tell Cooper the truth. It’s almost over. I’m safe. Bean is safe. Nobody is coming after us now, but we just have to keep everything on the Q.T. a little while longer, which makes it so much easier when I can see light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that the end is near.

There’s an extra spring to my step as I deliver drink orders at Mingles. Let’s face it, it’s more than just the phone call, it’s everything. I have a wonderful man in my life that loves me and my daughter to death, and I’m carrying his baby. I’ve always wanted to have another baby, and now I am. When I called the doctor shortly after the call, an appointment was available for Monday, just before the funeral, so I took it, since Cooper stated that he’d be booking that day off, anyway. I asked Colton if he’d take Bean for me and let her go for a horse ride, and he was more than happy to do that for me.

“How are you doing, baby?” Cooper asks, sneaking up behind me, as I fill a drink order at the bar.

“Good. You?”

He kisses my neck. “Great. But I need to pee, so I’ll be back.” He says, as he goes to take his break. Wade is flirting with a girl at one of the tables, and I just shake my head and smile. He is a lady’s man for sure, through and through. Once I see Cooper come out of the men’s room, I tell him about Monday. “Okay, great. I’ve booked the day off at school. We should tell Bean about the funeral tomorrow?” He says, since tomorrow is Saturday, and she’ll be happy since Nate will be watching her.

“Yes. Give her some time to process or decide if she wants to go or not.” I agree. He brings me closer to him, breathing in deeply, as if taking in my scent. He is so precious. Liz walks by and smiles.

“Look at you two. Could you be any more in love?”

“Probably not.” Cooper says, kissing my forehead.

The sparkle in Liz’s eyes warms my heart. “I told him last night.”

Her smile brightens. “Congratulations. I take it you’re excited to be a daddy.”

“I am. Very excited.” He says, snuggling closer to me, swaying from side to side.

Wade suddenly gets up on the stage and speaks into the microphone, looking at us. “Alright, you two are making me puke. Cooper, dude, get your ass up here.”

Cooper rolls his eyes, even though Wade’s tone is playful, as he adds a little chuckle at the end of his comment.

“Try banging on something else for a while.” Wade adds with a laugh, and everyone seems to join in, like it’s a goddamn comedy club. Cooper smacks him upside the head as he passes him, getting another laugh.

All Wade does is smooth his perfect hair back, and he gets some catcalling from girls at the table where he was flirting moments ago, and he speaks into the microphone. “You ladies feel like a Christmas tune or something a little more pumping?”

“Play something with balls!” One of the girls calls.

“What, Christmas balls?” Wade teases.

“Whatever works for ya, honey.” She calls back.

“Alright, let’s do something Christmassy, to get you going, and then we’ll light this place up. Sound good?”

Cooper starts tapping on the cymbal, getting ready for their set, giving Wade a beat, and the bass guitarist starts up first, while Wade announces the song. Liz is still standing next to me. “So, how did he take it?”

I come back to reality, realizing what it is that she’s asking. “He was great. Shocked but pleasantly shocked. Very excited.”

“God, you’re lucky. Some men put on a brave face, but inside, they’re dying slowly.” She says with a chuckle, but I don’t know if she’s speaking from experience or just from hearsay. “It’s clear as day that he’s tickled, girl.” She says, looking at him. And she’s right. Behind that drum kit, he’s beaming, looking over at me, giving me a wink. I smile back at him. I want so badly to tell him that it’s almost over, but he’s so happy, and I don’t want to remind him about things that still linger that are troublesome. We’ve still got a funeral to go to, after all. But hopefully the doctor’s appointment before that will put things into perspective.

I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep all this happiness from Bean. I can’t wait to tell her. And I can’t wait to see what Cooper has in mind to surprise her with the news. Just thinking about it puts tingles in my stomach, and not just because I’m pregnant, either. So far I don’t even have any symptoms of that yet. Cooper climbs behind his drum kit and the band starts up. His smile is a mile wide. And I’m sure that it’s not just because he’s playing his drums.

When we get home, it’s so late, and Nate is asleep on the couch, so we leave him there, collapsing in bed ourselves. The next day we spend at Colton’s ranch. Luke is over with his kids, so Bean plays with them, namely his eldest daughter, Cassandra, who is Bean’s age. The twin boys, Brad and Brent, are a year younger. Bean is in her glory on the horses. She rides both of them with Colton’s help, and then Luke and Cooper take a turn riding.

Colton looks at me when they return. “Would you like a turn?”

Cooper and I exchange a glance. “No, that’s okay, thanks.” I answer, knowing full well that it’s not safe for me to mount a horse, since I’ve never ridden before, and now I am with child.

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