Say I'm Yours

by Michaels, Corinne

  “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.

  “No, but what about what happened this morning? How can you be so cool about it?”

  He releases a heavy sigh. “I feel like you want me to be angry about you and Trent.”

  I pause and think about that for a second. My first instinct is to tell him he’s crazy. Why would I want that? But maybe he’s right. I do keep bringing it up, pushing it back in his face, and reminding him after we spent the day relaxed and happy.

  I step closer to Cooper and place my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry if I’m makin’ you feel that way. I don’t think I want you to be angry. I know that if I found someone in your house after the date like we had . . . I’d be pissed.”

  He tugs me closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I’m not happy, but I’m not pissed. I’m the one pursuing you, Grace. I’m the one who’s tryin’ to get you to see me as more than just a friend. I also know you. You’re not the girl who would purposely set out to hurt my feelings. You’re confused, sad, and still tryin’ to see past the last two decades of Trent. My bein’ angry with you won’t do anything. Yes, he was with you last night, and I don’t want to know what happened. I’m sure I can guess, but I’d rather not have it confirmed. Now,” he pauses, and his eyes turn hard, “if we decide that we’re goin’ to make a real go at this, I’m not willin’ to share you. If you pick me, then you’ll have to pick me.”

  And there is the part of me that wants to run away. Having to pick him. Because I don’t know that if I had to choose right now, it would be him. My eyes close, and I shake my head as I grapple with what to say.

  “Before you freak out, I want to be clear that we’re not in a rush here. I can be very patient.”

  “Honestly?” I touch his chest and stare at the freckle on his pec. “I’m scared.”

  “Scared of what?”

  Here it goes. I lift my head and gaze into his eyes. I need to say it and be completely honest with myself. “You. Us. The idea of us!” I push back, but Cooper is stronger and holds me against him. “You’re my best friend’s brother. You’re Cooper!”

  “And you’re Grace,” he smirks.

  I roll my eyes. “Funny.”

  “I thought so.”

  “Don’t you get it?” I ask. “You’ve always been a part of my life. I don’t want us to screw that up!”

  I look in his deep green eyes and see the fear that floats over the surface. He’s scared, too. It may not be for the same reasons, but it’s there.

  “You’re actin’ like I think we should get married. We’re friends, we’ll always be friends, and maybe we can be more.”

  “I’m not sayin’ that. I worry that I’m going to lose something that means a lot to me.”

  “Which is?” Cooper asks.

  “Our friendship.”

  Cooper gets closer and shakes his head. “You’re not going to. Trust me.”

  I do trust him, it’s me I don’t trust.

  “So, I’ll keep workin’, and you can decide about dinner.”

  The least I can do to show my gratitude is have dinner with him. Cooper has been here, busting his butt, and I am eternally grateful for it. Plus, after being with him all day, I want to keep hanging out with him. He makes me feel different. I don’t worry about pissing him off and him disappearing. It’s easy and light. Not everything is this big deal, and he’s sweet.

  “All right. I’ll have dinner with you.”

  “How about we avoid driving?” Cooper suggests and gives me a grin. “Lessens the chance that we’ll blow a tire again.”

  “As friends?”

  “As friends, just dinner. I can cook if you want,” Cooper offers.

  There is no way out of this, and if I don’t really have a choice, I might as well make sure the food is edible. “I’ll cook. Lord knows we don’t want to eat whatever you make. Come over to my place tonight, we can talk, eat, and see about a second chance at a date.”

  “Then I get to pick the movie,” he tacks on. “If you’re cookin’ then I’m providing the entertainment.”

  I know Cooper’s taste in movies. “I’m not watching some John Wayne movie. You’re going to have to pick a movie made from this millennium.” I point my finger at him, and he laughs.

  “They all suck.”

  “No, they don’t. You’re stuck on the same five movies. It’s time to broaden your horizons.”

  Cooper leans in, kisses my cheek, and then walks toward the door. “I’ve got a lot of work to do on that tractor. You’ve got some food to make.” He grins. “Get to it, woman.”

  My hands brace the edge of the barn door and my temple rests against my knuckles as I watch him walk toward the tractor. I almost think he’s going to leave without looking back, but then he turns and smiles.

  “Hey, Grace?” Cooper questions. “This may not be a date, but don’t be surprised if I bring flowers again.”

  He seems persistent about doing this, and honestly, I’ve warned him all I can. Emily is right, he’s a big boy and isn’t going into this blind.

  I lift my head and muster my courage. “Be there by eight.”

  “I have the perfect movie,” he yells back.

  “Which is?”

  “Not tellin’. I’ll see you tonight!”

  Cooper waves once before he disappears. Dinner at my house, no chance of tires exploding, and just two old friends sharing a meal.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter 10

  Trent

  “D ad , stop.” I swat at his hand as he tries to fix the line on my rod. I’ve been fishing since I was three, and he still treats me like an idiot. Today is not the day to fuck with me. I’m in no mood. We’ve been out here for hours, and I still haven’t caught a damn thing.

  “Does Daddy need to fix your line again?” Wyatt tries to piss me off, which happens often.

  I flip him off and go back to adjusting the fly.

  “Trent has always been a little special,” Zach starts in. “Has he ever won?”

  “I won twice, thanks . . . asshole.”

  Not that it’s all that much of a competition to catch fish in this lake since we stock it every year specifically for the Hennington fish off. It doesn’t mean I don’t absolutely dread this day, though. Sure, Zach and Wyatt have won at least ten times each, but that’s because they’re losers who fish every day. I would much rather be shooting or working out. I’d love to see one of them try to compete in a shoot off. They’d both lose.

  “Ohhh,” Wyatt says while laughing. “Twice.”

  “Enough!” My father puts a stop to our bickering. “You three are still as annoying as when you were teenagers.”

  All three of us look at each other and shrug. We’re all close in age, stubborn, a little dense, and yet there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them. My brothers are everything to me. When Wyatt lost his shit last year, I was at his house every day. When Zach got h
urt, I flew out to California to get him home. Being back in town together is all I could ask for.

  Family is the only thing that matters. And Grace, but she let me know where I stand.

  “How’s work, son?” My father asks.

  “I’m hiring another deputy. This way I can work a little less.” I finally got the approval last week.

  “And how are things goin’ with gettin’ Grace back?”

  “It’s not. It’s done.”

  “He got his head out of his ass a little too late,” Zach tosses another insult.

  Dad clears his throat. “Don’t waste time, Trent. If you don’t cherish every second with that woman, you’ll regret it. Trust me on this, if you want her, you need to prove that to her.”

  My father loves my mother more than any rational person cares for another. It’s a relationship my brothers and I always envied and, in our own ways, tried to find for ourselves. My mother and father can have a complete conversation without words, which probably came in handy when raising us.

  “I’ve told her what I want.”

  “Then win her back,” he retorts.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  He snorts. “The hell it isn’t. You can’t expect her to believe what you tell her. She needs to see that you’re changin’.”

  Dad has always been pushing all of us to find a love like that. I’m surprised he hasn’t brought Grace up before now.

  “I did show her, and she chose someone else.”

  He nods. “I guess she wasn’t the one then.”

  What the fuck does that mean? Of course, she’s the one. “Yeah, well, I guess I just didn’t know until it was too late.”

  He casts his line and exhales. “A man always knows. It’s a matter of being smart enough to act on it.”

  I don’t say anything to that. I’ve known for a long time that Grace is the one, but I was too stubborn to change. I liked our arrangement. It worked for me. We’d have dinner, go out dancing, have mind-blowing sex, and then go on our way. I didn’t have to answer to her and she didn’t need to tell me what she was doing.

  “Why are you always so wise and vague at the same time?” I grumble. “It’s really annoying.”

  Dad shrugs and turns to Wyatt. “How’s my daughter-in-law doin’?”

  “I’m doing great, Pop. Work is good, I’m still debating going in with Cooper and becomin’ part owner.”

  My hand clenches the rod as he says his name. Right now, he could be at her house. I have no idea what they’re talking about or if he’s convinced her that he’s the better choice. I’m stuck here, trying to keep myself from going back over there.

  She can say that she didn’t feel the love between us this morning, but she’s lying. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m not playing around anymore. I didn’t want to go there last night, but because she needed me, I did. Never did I think we’d have sex, but I couldn’t resist her.

  The way she moaned my name. The sounds she made and how she nestled against me while she slept. It was everything I could do to keep from ripping her clothes off in the middle of the night. Now, all I can think about is that she’s with Cooper.

  “I didn’t ask about you, I asked about Angie,” he retorts.

  Wyatt scoffs, and I choke back my laughter. “She’s doin’ all right. It’s different this pregnancy than the last.”

  “And you both are talkin’?” My father looks at the hill, which is his subtle way of remembering the baby they lost last year.

  “Faith is always somethin’ we talk about.”

  “And when am I going to get another grandbaby from you, Zachary?”

  Sometimes being the only one not married has its perks, like now. Though, I got my fair share of flak for not being married with kids. When I hit forty, he gave up completely and let it go.

  Zach grumbles and casts his line. “Oh, look, a fish!”

  “Here fishy, fishy, fishy!” Wyatt calls.

  All of us turn to look at him as if he’s lost his fucking mind. “What the hell?” I ask.

  “What? It’s my and Angie’s thing. You had to be there.”

  “Are you drunk?” Zach questions.

  He shakes his head. “Why don’t we drink when we do this?”

  Dad clears his throat. “Because when you three drink someone gets a damn black eye and I end up listenin’ to your mama for two hours about corralling you idiots.”

  He has a point. “Still, it would make this a little more fun. We could make a drinking game out of it.”

  “Yes!” Wyatt agrees.

  My father starts to sway a little, and I grab his arm. “You all right, old man?”

  He yanks his arm away. “I’m fine. Focus on fishing and maybe we’ll actually catch something.”

  I go back to my line after casting a look at both my brothers. He suffered a stroke a few years back, which is what caused Zach to stay after his injury and run the ranch. I debate questioning him, but think better of it. He does not do well with us worrying about him.

  At all.

  “I’m getting the boys quads,” Zach pipes up.

  “Oh, that’s a great idea. We never got in trouble on ours.” Wyatt adds.

  Dad shakes his head and starts to pull in his line. “I got something.” Like the lifelong fisherman he is, he reels the trout in with finesse.

  I still haven’t caught anything.

  I hate fishing.

  He walks out to the edge of the dock and puts it in his bucket. My brothers and I turn back to our conversation and joke about the lack of sex Wyatt must be having. Angie has been sicker than usual and will barely let him near her. I swear her child has turned her into the devil. She threw something at my head when I stopped by a few days ago, and all I did was say she looked pretty.

  She told me I was a liar and to get out of her house.

  “She’s crazy!” Wyatt complains. “Presley came over yesterday and told me to call a priest to come extract the demon from her.”

  “Pres said she’s never seen her so miserable.”

  “I don’t know what to do with her,” he admits. “I love her, but I don’t like her much right now.”

  “She’s scared,” I tell him. “She went through hell the last time she was pregnant. The last thing she wants is to be happy.”

  “When did you become all in-tune with women and their thoughts?” Zach looks over with a smirk.

  “It’s not rocket science! I get fear. Fear can make you do some stupid shit.”

  Wyatt smiles. “Like letting the girl you love date someone else?”

  “Yes, asshole. Like that.”

  “Keep talking like that and Dad will have your ass,” Zach warns.

  Where is he? He usually can’t get back here quick enough so he has a chance at winning. “Dad, I could use some backup.”

  “Pop?” Zach calls, but he doesn’t respond.

  I look over by the buckets, but he isn’t there. I start scanning the shoreline, trying to see where he went, but when I find him, adrenaline rushes through my veins. I drop my rod and rush toward him. “Dad!”

  My brothers are on my heels as we rush to where he’s lying on the ground. “Dad!” I call again, but he doesn’t respond. “Call 911!” I scream to Wyatt who already has his phone out.

  I roll him onto his back and check for a pulse. “Trent?” Zach asks as I search for any sign of life.

  “He’s not breathing, I’m starting CPR. Call Mom!”

  I push on his chest and blow air in his mouth. Wyatt and Zach get the Gator out of the way for the emergency crews on their way, and I keep going. I check for a pulse and still can’t find it. I don’t know how long it will take, but I don’t relent.

  “Come on, Dad!” I yell as I do another round of compressions. “Come on, don’t give up!” I blow another breath and start right back.

  My arms begin to cramp. My chest hurts, and I’m out of breath, but there’s no way I’m letting him die.

  “How long has it been?”
I ask Wyatt.

  “Four minutes. I hear the sirens, they’re almost here.”

  “Let me,” Zach tries to get me to move, seeing the sweat dripping down my face.

  “I got it!”

  My brothers stand ready to step in, but the trees are now filled with emergency lights. The two EMTs, Beau and Thom, rush over, and I start rattling off what I can remember about my father’s medical history. Both of them worked on Angie last year. I pray to God that we have a better outcome.

  “Ride with them,” Zach yells to me. “We’ll be right behind you!”

  I run toward the ambulance, hop in the back, and watch as they try to revive my father.

  * * *

  “W here is he ?” Mama rushes through the doors with Mrs. Kannan.

  “He’s with the doctors.” Zach grabs her arm. “They haven’t said anything.”

  Mama hurries to the counter and starts yelling about needing to see the doctor right now. “You need to call Dr. Halpern here! Right now!”

  “Mama.” I touch her shoulder.

  “Now! Go get him!” She scolds the nurse and turns to me. “Boys.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I-I—”

  Wyatt rushes forward, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay. He’s going to be all right.”

  “No.” She cries in his arms. “It’s not going to be all right.”

  “He’s strong.” I rub her back. “He’ll pull through.”

  Her head lifts and she cries harder. “He won’t, honey. He won’t, and I can’t . . .”

  “What do you mean?” Zach questions her. “Why do you think he won’t pull through, Mama?”

  She steps out of Wyatt’s arm and starts to shake a little. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t’ve listened to him, but your daddy was very firm on what he wanted.”

  My stomach drops as she starts talking in circles. “Ma?”

  The three of us stand in line as her tears spill down her face. “This isn’t how I planned to tell you, but I don’t have a choice.” Mama shakes her head and straightens her back. “Six months ago, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. It’s incurable, and he begged me . . .” She grabs my hand and Wyatt’s, forming us into a huddle. “He made me promise not to tell you. He told me that he didn’t want you boys to know, and he was goin’ to spend his time the way he wanted. I fought him, but you know your daddy.”