Page 85 of Cooper

Her eyes widen when I bring in Cooper.

“Ryan, this is my sister, Lucianna. Luci, this is my boyfriend, Ryan Cooper.”

“Ryan Cooper, hello.” Lucianna smiles and holds out her free hand. Her English is broken and heavily accented, but she understands more than she speaks.

“Hi.” He squeezes her hand and then peers at the baby. “Congratulations. She’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She cocks her head at me and speaks in Limaji. “You have an American boyfriend. Mama will be fit to be tied.”

I smile. “I know.”

“He’s cute.”

“I know that too.”

“Aw, come on, no fair!” Cooper protests. “I’m learning Limaji, but I’m not there yet.”

“She said you’re cute.”

“Thanks.” He grins at her.

“Ryan,” Lucianna says his name slowly, continuing in English. “I like this name.”

“But she’s a girl,” I say.

“Ryan is actually unisex these days,” Cooper says.

I translate for Lucianna, and she nods. “This is her name. Ryann Natalia Provesta.” She spells out Ryann.

“Oh.” Suddenly I’m the emotional one. “Really? Mama will hate that name.”

“She’s my baby, my choice.”

“She’s naming her after us,” I tell Cooper.

“Damn, that’s sweet.” He leans over and presses a soft kiss on the top of Lucianna’s head. “Thank you. I’m honored.”

She nods. “Go now. You must sleep.”

“I’ll be back in the morning,” I tell her. “Don’t tell Mama I’m here. I’ll call here when I wake up.”

“I won’t say anything.” Lucianna turns to Cooper. “Nice to meet you, Ryan Cooper.”

“Good night, Lucianna.”

He takes my hand, and we stroll out into the night.

“Having your sister name her baby after me wasn’t on my bingo card,” he says as we get into the SUV.

“Mine either. We’ve hardly spoken at all the last couple of years, but fucking Pieter is hitting her again.” I glance at him. “Will you handle that for me? It’s not that I can’t, but it’s more about optics. He’ll be more afraid—and less embarrassed—if a man kicks his ass. If I do it, he’ll be intimidated but then tell my parents on me and it becomes a whole thing. If you do it?—”

“I’ve got you,” he says quietly. “Just tell me where and when.”

“If possible, Sandor should go too. Seeing our country’s prince watch him get his ass kicked might hammer it home.”

“I’ll hammer it home with my fist,” he mutters.

“I don’t want you to kill him,” I say with a laugh.

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