Page 43 of Say I'm Yours
He puts me right side up and the water rushes around my legs.
Well, I don’t think so. I squat low and start to paddle water at him like crazy. I’m not going to be the only one who gets soaked. “Take that!” I holler as I get him good.
“Oh yeah?” he taunts and then jumps in front of me, causing water to hit all the way up to my belly.
“You’re a dead man!” I giggle and charge forward.
Cooper doesn’t relent as he continues to go back at me. After a few minutes, that end with both of us being drenched and cooled off, we’re standing with big smiles on our faces. He moves closer and my teeth chatter.
“You cold?”
I nod. “Y-Yes. I’m-m f-freezing.”
Cooper helps me out onto the grass and wraps his arms around me. I lean into his big body and let him warm me. I nestle my head under his chin and he rubs his hands against my arms, creating friction.
It’s still ridiculously hot, so it doesn’t take long for my body temperature to rise back to normal. But I hold on for a little longer. Being in Cooper’s arms is different. It isn’t familiar, but it’s comfortable. Cooper would never let anything or anyone hurt me. I don’t worry if he’s going to break my heart. I can relax and close my eyes because he’ll protect me.
“Why don’t we get out of here and check on your pop, see if he needs a hand?” Cooper says without moving his arms from around me.
I lean back and tuck my wet hair behind my ear. “Sure. I bet he’s looking for us anyway.”
We head toward the barn to get the other tools we might need. My father is standing by his workbench, tinkering with something.
I can’t recall how many times I would sit on the stool next to him and watch him work. He was always this big, strong, and tough man. I thought there was no one who could ever hurt me. As long as my daddy was around, I was safe. He set the bar pretty high.
He turns around, and his eyes grow warm. “Hi, baby girl. You guys all done?”
Cooper clears his throat and walks toward him. “I’ve got a few more things on your list I’d like to get done, Mr. Rooney.”
My father smiles appreciatively. “You’re a good man. Comin’ over and workin’ on a day like today. This is a good man here, Grace.”
I look at Cooper and grin. “Yeah, he is.”
He drops the thing he was tinkering with and leans back. “I need to take a load off. My hip is givin’ me a hell of a time. If you need me, I’ll be in my chair. Thanks for all your help today, son.”
Cooper clasps his shoulder. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Daddy walks over and kisses my forehead. “Be good, darlin’.”
“Have a good nap!” I call out as he grumbles under his breath.
“If you need to go home and change or run errands, I can finish,” I offer.
Cooper steps closer, his dark hair shines in the sunlight streaming through the windows. “How about this . . . I’ll finish helping your pop out for a bit and you promise to make me dinner.”
“Dinner?”
“Yeah, you know that meal after lunch.” He nudges me. “I figure you can at least eat a meal with me since I’m bustin’ my ass all day in the hot sun, and you splashed me in the face.”
My muscles clench as I try to think of a way out of it. I’m not sure this is the best idea with everything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours.
“I don’t know, Coop. Today has been . . . intense?”
“Doesn’t mean dinner will be.”
He’s right, and I’m being crazy, but I feel like I need to be completely transparent with him. Regardless of what kind of romantic possibilities there may or may not be between us, he’s still my friend.
Being honest is the only way this will ever work.
