SIXTEEN
Cooper ushered Nancy into the living quarters of the newly named Triple S Ranch. The furniture was finally in place, and Megan had added small decorative touches like black and white pictures of horses on the walls, and blue and white checked pillows on the black leather couch and chairs. "Well, what do you think?"
She looked around the room. "It's nice, Cooper. You should be very comfortable here."
Not quite the enthusiastic response he'd hoped for, but Megan had warned him that she might not seem too excited at first. "Follow me. There's a lot more." He led her into the kitchen, where the blue and white accents continued in the curtains over the windows and the tile backsplash. Blue and white dishes were on display on pristine white shelves.
Nancy ran a finger across the granite countertops. "I like it. It's efficient, but pretty. A little too feminine for you, maybe."
Cooper ignored that comment and continued on to the dining room, the gym, his office, and then the bedrooms. The first one he showed her was sparsely decorated, with a handmade quilt on the queen-sized sleigh bed, a dresser and two bedside tables and little else. She made noncommittal noises and he smiled to himself.
Next he showed her the master bedroom, with a massive king-sized, four-poster bed. At one end of the room, a window seat was built into a bay window that looked out over the pasture. Two wing chairs sat in a corner near a stone fireplace.
"It's beautiful." Nancy walked to the window and tested the window seat. "This would be a great place to sit and read, or just daydream."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. A place to get away and forget about everything once in a while." He showed her the master bath with its claw foot tub and walk in shower, the huge walk in closet, the private patio.
Her expression had relaxed and she seemed genuinely interested now, which gave him hope. She'd checked out the fancy waterfall showerhead and the antique sideboard that held the sink. Time for the final reveal.
"The last bedroom is right across the hall," he said, letting her precede him through the door. He wanted her to see it first, while he hung back to give her time to take it in.
***
Nancy opened the door and stopped, stunned. The room was a little girl's dream, with a white canopy bed, low shelves filled with dolls and toys that ran along two sides of the room. One wall had framed pictures of horses and dogs across the top, and a chalkboard that ran halfway down the wall from the chair rail to the floor, and a whiteboard down the rest of the wall. A low dressing table and a couple of doors took up the last wall.
She wandered across the room and opened one of the doors. It led to a fully-equipped, wheelchair accessible bathroom, decorated in white with pink and yellow accents. The second door opened into a large closet, with the clothes bars at just the right height for a wheelchair-bound child to reach them. The same was true for the drawers that lined one wall.
She put a hand to her mouth to try and stop the tears in her eyes from overflowing, but they fell anyway. She turned to find Cooper standing in the doorway, leaning heavily on his crutches. "Do you think she'll like it?"
Nancy knew who he meant, but she wanted him to say it. He'd never asked her to move in with Becky. She wanted him to ask her now. "I don't know. Who is it for?"
He cocked one eyebrow. "You know who it's for. Look, I know I haven't exactly been the easiest guy to get along with, but these last two weeks alone have shown me how much I need you with me. You and Becky. I want you to come live with me. Both of you."
Nancy kept her face impassive. "What exactly do you want, Cooper? A couple of live in housemates? A nurse to take care of you? If so, we can probably work something out. Of course, I'll charge my regular fee…"
She never got to finish her sentence. Cooper moved pretty fast for a man on crutches. Before she could get another word out, his mouth took hers in a deep, drugging kiss. The crutches got in his way and he tossed them to the floor, leaning against the wall for support. He pulled her against him, his hands closing around her bottom to pull her in close.
"Damn it, Nancy. I don't want a nurse. I want you. I love you."
She placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. There she saw the truth of his statement, along with the longing he didn't try to hide. "I love you, too, Cooper. But I have something to tell you."
"Before you say anything," he said, reaching into his pocket. "I need you to answer one question." In his hand he held a small box. He opened it and took out a ring. "Will you marry me, Sunshine?"
She held out her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes, on one condition."
He leaned his head back so he could see her face. "And that condition would be?"
"I come as a package deal."
"Well, yeah. I thought it was obvious that Becky was part of this proposal."
"Not just Becky. We're going to have to turn that spare bedroom into a nursery."
A slow grin spread across his face. "Does that mean you're carrying my baby?"
She nodded. "We're having a Christmas baby."
Cooper let out a whoop. "Hot damn! I'm going to be a father. Wait until I tell Nick and Blake."
Nancy laughed. "Not once, but twice. Becky and this one." She put a hand on the small bump hidden by her bulky sweater.
Cooper took her face in both hands. "I promise you, I will be the best husband and father you've ever seen. I love you, and I love Becky. And I already love our little one." He slid a hand under her sweater and below her waistband to rub her belly.
Nancy placed her hand on top of his. "I know you will, Cooper Saunders. And I know you do."
He slid his hand lower. Nancy let out a low groan. "Can we try out that king sized bed? I'm not sure you're up for sex against the wall just yet."
"Sunshine, I'm up for anything. But yeah, the bed would be better."
She handed him the crutches and followed him back to the master bedroom. He closed the door and flipped the lock before crossing to the bank of windows to close the curtains. "Too many curious eyes around here right now," he said. "Come here."
Cooper yanked the covers back and stretched out on the bed. Nancy lay down on top of him, and kissed him with all of the emotion and love in her heart.
***
"So when can we bring Becky home?" he asked, slipping his arms back into his crutches. "I need her here to keep me working hard when I'm ready to give up."
Nancy buttoned her jeans and followed him back to the living room. "Next week. I can't wait to tell her. She'll be so happy."
"Can you drive me to the center? I'd like to tell her with you."
"Definitely." She ran her hands through his hair. "Sorry, you looked like you just got out of bed."
"Hey, for a guy like me, that's a badge of pride." Cooper grinned and pulled her to him. "But you still look like you just got out of bed, so that's okay." He pulled her through the front door before she could smooth her hair back into place. The knowing looks from some of the men working on the front of the house made Nancy blush, but Cooper seemed to stand a little taller.
Men. She would have loved him even if he'd never regained the use of the lower part of his body. But he was so happy, she couldn't help but smile as he opened the door of her car for her and made his way around to the passenger side.
"One of these days, I'm going to be the one in the driver's seat," he said.
"You always have been, Cooper. I've just been along for the ride."
###
Thank you for purchasing The Bluest Eyes in Texas! If you enjoyed it, I would appreciate it if you would help others find and enjoy this book, too.
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Be sure to look for Book 4 in the Lone Star Cowboys series, coming soon, where I will continue the story of the Tanners, the Saunders, the Reillys, and Jean, Nick, and Blake. We'll see the beginning of the school and therapy center and watch the youngest generation get their start. I'll also be introducing a new character based on one of my fans who has been a great supporter of my writing as part of an online Valentine's Day promotion.
If you'd like to connect with me online, you can find me here:
Twitter @ToriScott
Email: toriscott@gmail.com
If you enjoyed The Bluest Eyes in Texas, you might also enjoy Superstition by Tori Scott.
A Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick for June, 2012 4 1/2 stars, and a finalist in the International Digital Awards.
"If you love action-adventure, this book is for you! If you've never read paranormal fiction before, don't let that stop you. This book is so much more than the sum of its parts. I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought SUPERSTITION, but it grabbed me on the first page and didn't let go. From the beginning, I was fascinated by the protagonists, and, on meeting the antagonists, I wanted desperately to see them get their comeuppance. Every time I was sure I knew what Tori was up to, she surprised me. She's an amazing writer."
Read on for an excerpt.
SUPERSTITON