Page 31 of One-of-a-Kind Bride (Home to Texas #1)

“That’s good news for you, but bad news for Last Stand.”

“It’s bad news for me too.” Cassie came into the room, her eyes misted with tears. “Are you leaving?”

Taylor forgot that Cassie had eagle ears. She and Muffy had been so quiet, Taylor thought they were in another part of the house. “Oh, uh.”

“It’s okay,” Nicole said. “I’ll go in and change out of my gown now. We’re through, right? You two can talk.”

And after Nicole left the room, Taylor took Cassie’s hand leading her into the kitchen. “Have a seat, Cass.”

She sat at the table and Taylor sat too, facing her, still holding her hand. “I didn’t know you were leaving so soon,” Cassie said.

“I didn’t know either. And I haven’t taken the job yet. I’m thinking it over.”

“Does my dad know?”

Taylor blinked. “Your dad? No, he doesn’t know. Not yet. Honey, you know I don’t live here. You knew I was going to have to leave eventually.”

“Yes, but you like it here and we all like you.”

“I like you too. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She put her head down. “I think I’ll go home now.”

“I’ll walk you.”

Cassie wasn’t her jubilant self on the walk home. She kept her head down and didn’t say a word. “You know, that single you hit yesterday was pretty awesome, you brought two runs in.”

“Thanks.”

“And that double play you made won you guys the game.”

She shrugged. “I suppose.”

A knot formed in Taylor’s stomach. Cassie was hurting inside and it was her fault.

She allowed the child to get close to her and maybe that was wrong, but it had happened organically.

They’d become friends, and then more than friends, just like Taylor and her father.

Now, she’d have to explain to Coop. He’d been right all along.

Cassie did get hurt and it was the very last thing she wanted to have happen.

Once they reached the house, Taylor gave Cassie a big hug and the girl walked into the house. Taylor took a seat on the porch steps, her head down. She felt awful. The screen door opened and then flapped shut.

Coop took a seat beside her, their legs brushing. “Care to tell me what’s up with my daughter? She walked in, went right to her bedroom, and threw herself on her bed. Sometimes, she’s a drama queen, but I don’t think that’s it today.”

“No, it’s not. She’s upset.”

“Did she do something wrong?”

Taylor shook her head. “No, nothing like that. She overheard me talking to Nicole about a job offer I received from New York. I haven’t accepted the job, but she got wind of it and well, she feels bad.”

“Because you’ll be leaving?”

Taylor sighed. “I told her I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“Is it a good offer?” he asked.

“It’s pretty much everything I’d want. More input. More trust in my designs. A small staff.” She’d spent an hour on the telephone interview and it had gone better than she’d hoped.

“Wow,” he said. “That sounds too good to pass up.”

She turned to face him. As usual, his eyes gleamed as blue as a sun-drenched ocean. “I’m not sure what to do.”

“Taye, if it’s what you want, then you should take the offer.”

But it wasn’t what she wanted. What she wanted was sitting right next to her. But he still wasn’t opening up. He had a battalion guarding his heart, and there was no crack in the armor, that she could see.

She sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”

Coop let out a long sigh too. “We’ll miss you around here, that’s for sure.”

Taylor had no comeback for that. Missing her family and the Coopers was what she feared most. But she couldn’t voice it, because she’d break down. And Coop didn’t need to see her blubbering.

“Well, I’d best go check on Cass. Talk it out with her.”

She nodded and rose too. “I’ll be going now.”

“Yeah, I know.” Coop gave her a long look, as if to say he’d always known she’d be going, but that wasn’t what she’d meant at all. He was just being annoying Coop again.

She stood there a minute ready to plead her case and make him see he had more to lose than to gain, by her leaving. But he wasn’t giving an inch. He’d pretty much told her to take the job and go back to where she’d come from.

Taylor didn’t muster her courage, didn’t fight the good fight, she simply left his house and headed back to Julie’s house.

She had an early dinner date with Blake Charles, and she didn’t want to be late.

*

Coop popped his head into Cassie’s room and found her lying on her bed looking at her favorite baseball book. Looking at, not really seeing it. Coop knew that numbing feeling too. And part of him was experiencing that now. Because Taylor was leaving.

“Hi, Cass.”

She didn’t look up from her book.

He walked inside and was taken with how his daughter’s room was a mixture of little girl and true-blue baseball fan.

She had dolls and furniture sitting in a dollhouse he’d built for her when she was four, one wall decorated with colorings and drawings she’d done since kindergarten.

Her baseball mitt, balls and bats sat in one corner of the room with posters of her favorite Texas Rangers taped up on the space over her bed.

“Mind if I sit?” He took a seat on the edge of her bed. “You gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

She sighed. Sometimes his eight-year-old daughter looked like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. “Taylor is leaving.”

“I know.”

“She told you? She didn’t think it would make a difference if you knew.”

That stung. “I just found out, sweetheart. But I always knew she wouldn’t stay.”

“She said she doesn’t live here. But she could. She could live here.”

“She needs a job, Cass. There’s a job waiting for her in New York.”

“You don’t want her to stay, do you, Daddy? I thought she was your friend.”

Coop rubbed the back of his neck. A headache was coming on. There was too much crowding up in there, too much he’d been sorting through. And now, his daughter was making sense. Too much sense. “She is my friend.”

“You like her, Daddy. I know you do.”

“It’s complicated, Cass.”

“It’s not that complicated,” Joe chimed in.

His father had shown up in Cass’s doorway, leaning his body against it and giving him a pointed look. Two against one.

“Dad, you’re not helping,” Coop said.

“Here, I thought I was.” He winked at Cassie and she smiled.

Oh, man.

“Okay, enough said. I’m sorry you’re disappointed, Cass, but sometimes we—” He stopped himself.

He couldn’t tell his daughter that sometimes we don’t get what we want.

She’d lost her mother, someone who’d cuddle her at night, someone who would know to buy her dresses, someone to confide in about female things.

Cass certainly hadn’t gotten what she wanted in life.

So, telling her that would cut into her still seeping wound.

He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Cass. It’s going to be okay.”

Cass only nodded and lifted her book again.

Thirty minutes later, Coop plopped his hat on his head, got in his truck and drove into town.

He was determined to put a smile on his daughter’s face today.

He parked in front of Char Pie and stepped out of his truck.

Taking his hat off, he breathed in cool fresh air.

Summer would be here soon, but today was brilliant, the sky blue with no sign of Texas humidity.

He heard footsteps on the sidewalk and a couple laughing, their laughter reaching over to him and as he pivoted around recognizing the female voice, he spotted Taylor being escorted into a restaurant with Blake.

Something twisted in his gut.

Taylor and Blake?

Whatever they were talking about sure made Taylor laugh.

Coop stuck his hat back on his head, pushed it down and barreled into the pie place.

“Hey, there.” The cheerful girl behind the counter smiled. Why was everyone so darn happy around here? “How can I help you?”

Was there any help for him? He scoffed and looked at the pie shelves. “I’ll take a cherry pie and one of those big, giant chocolate fudge brownies.” The brownie was all for Cass. It was her favorite and she loved cherry pie too. So she could have some of that as well.

In the back of his mind, he knew this wasn’t what Cassie wanted. But it was the best he could do at the moment. His head wasn’t exactly clear.

Cheerful Christy packed up the items and sent him off with her big smile.

Once he got home, his dad offered up dinner, meatloaf and potatoes, not his best meal and they ate it in silence. “Hey, Cass, guess what I picked up today?”

“What’s that?”

Coop walked over to the counter and opened up the bag. “Cherry pie and…your favorite.” He pulled out the brownie and Cass’s eyes grew wide for a few seconds.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

“Want some now?”

She nodded, and he set the entire brownie in front of her. He was certain he was breaking half a dozen parenting rules right now. “Here you go.”

“I think I’ll skip cherry pie for now,” his dad said.

“That’s not like you, Pop. You okay?”

“Fine, son. Just gonna rest up a bit.”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll get the dishes tonight.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Grandpa? What’s wrong?” Cassie walked over to him, concern bringing the corners of her mouth down.

“Nothing, honey. I’m fit as a fiddle. Just didn’t sleep too well last night, is all.” He patted Cassie’s head and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be fine.”

An hour later, Coop sat down at his drafting table, working on major plans to renovate the Barton ranch house about three miles up the road.

The job would take him into the fall months and he’d have to use his entire crew to finish it on time.

He was glad for the steady work and really had no complaints about his professional life. At least that wasn’t suffering.

Nor was his appetite. He’d dug into that cherry pie tonight like there was no tomorrow. Now his stomach rebelled. He put his pencil down and sipped coffee. He had an odd feeling tonight and it wasn’t just about Cassie or seeing Taylor with Blake, it was about his dad.