Page 29 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Cooper

We ate dinner together most nights, unless I was working on Dalton's house. It had become routine to play basketball with Duncan after my weekly pickup games with my brothers, and I joined them afterward for ice cream. I’d carved out time in my schedule to pick up Duncan and take him to the youth basketball league on Wednesdays.

It was a good time for me to bond with him.

As Ivy neared her third trimester, she was more likely than not to fall asleep on the couch. I always carried her to our bed, enjoying seeing her sleep on my pillow.

She hadn't officially moved into my room. I noticed her clothes and toiletries were in the guest room and bath. But something seemed to have shifted after the baby shower. She was more relaxed and open to the idea of us. Less suspicious of my intentions.

It was time to officially ask her to move in with me. It wasn't enough because I wanted so much more. But it was a good first step. I didn't want to scare her.

I set up a small, round table near the fire pit on the beach. The ocean was visible, but the table was secluded behind palm trees.

It was the perfect spot to ask her to move in with me. I hung lights on the branches of the trees, lit the tiki torches, and ordered food from a local seafood restaurant. I wanted it to be special and didn't think I could cook a nice meal.

As I decorated the space, it felt like I was asking her to marry me. I suspected this was similar in her mind. Finally, I plucked petals off the red roses I'd bought and scattered them on the table and in the sand. Hopefully, it was romantic enough.

On some level, I thought that I could win her with a grand gesture of sorts, but Ivy was more practical than that. She had to feel like she could trust me not to leave her.

I hoped I'd met that expectation or at least quelled some of those fears. When she was due to come home, I went inside the house, checking on the food that was warming in the oven, and waited for her.

When she came in at seven, she dropped her bag and immediately kicked off her heels.

"I can't believe you're still wearing those."

Her belly had popped, and there was no mistaking that she was pregnant. The idea that the baby was mine never failed to fill me with awe.

"People respect me more if I wear a professional outfit."

"They can respect you just as well in flats." I worried that she'd fall or lose her balance in those things.

I swept her off her feet and carried her to the couch, where I set her down so that her feet rested in my lap. I massaged the soles, and her head fell back.

"That feels amazing."

"Are you hungry? I thought we could eat outside."

"I don't care where we eat as long as I can sleep soon. I'm exhausted. I think the third trimester has hit me."

"You don't have to worry about anything. I can take care of cleaning the house and getting everything ready."

She lifted her head, meeting my gaze. "You already do everything."

"I want to take care of you. That's one of the reasons I asked you to move in with me. Foot massage, food, and then I'll get you to bed."

Her face softened. "Yes."

Once I finished with her feet, she went to the bathroom, and I washed my hands in the sink. Then I carried glasses with apple cider to the table on the beach.

When I returned, she stood on the patio, having changed into a comfortable-looking shirt and lounge pants. "I thought we were eating outside."

"We are. I set a table up on the beach."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Come on." I held out my hand to her, and she took it without any hesitation. She was more comfortable with displays of affection now. When we approached the table, Ivy gasped. "I can't believe you did all of this."

"Do you like it?"

Her gaze was following the circle of lights. "It's magnificent."

I grinned. "I'm glad you like it."

I held her chair for her, and when she sat, I said, "I'll just grab our plates from inside."

She rose as if to help me, but I held my hand out to her. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

She smiled sweetly. "Okay."

Her gaze turned to the gentle waves lapping on the shore, and I hurried to get the food. I took two plates to the table where she was still waiting.

"What's the occasion?" she asked when I sat down.

"I thought you deserved a nice dinner."

Ivy picked up her fork. "Yeah, but this is more than dinner. You hung lights everywhere."

"I did it because I hoped you would enjoy it. Now eat. I have more planned for you tonight."

She shook her head. "I can't imagine what else you have planned unless it's a nice bubble bath."

"That's a good idea." One I hadn't thought of, but I should have.

She hadn't been utilizing it as much lately.

She'd advertised for more clients, and her appointments had slowly picked up.

I knew she wanted to earn more money before she needed to take some leave.

But she was only going to be more tired.

Logistically, it would be difficult for her to keep up as her pregnancy progressed.

I wished she had an assistant or someone who could help. A second realtor would be ideal. But it wasn't my place to tell her what to do with her business.

We dug into our seafood linguine dish. I was happy I'd left this part of the evening to the professionals because it was divine. Occasionally, she moaned, and I was pleased she was enjoying it so much.

When we were finished, I brought out a slice of chocolate cake.

"I'm not sure I have any room for dessert," she mumbled at the same time she lifted her fork and cut a bite.

"Let me know if you like it. We can always save it for later." I would have said after a round of sex, but she had a hard time staying awake these days.

Her mouth closed around her fork. I wondered how I should ask her to officially move in with me.

"Mmm. This is decadent."

"I'm glad you like it." I sighed, nervous about asking her now. I'd built this up so much in my head. "I wanted to ask you something."

She put down her fork and looked expectedly at me. "What is it?"

"You've been spending a lot of nights in my room, but I noticed you keep your clothes and toiletries in the guest room."

She frowned, and I wondered if she was worried I'd ask her to leave. "I didn't want to intrude on your space any more than necessary."

"I want you to move in with me officially. I don't want you in the guest room." It felt like a half-in, half-out situation. I wanted her all in. It was a simple request for anyone else, but for Ivy, I wasn't sure how she'd react.

She tipped her head. "Are you sure? What if you change your mind?"

I laughed as I took her hand. "Ivy, I'm not going to change my mind. I like having you in my space. And it has nothing to do with the baby."

Her eyes were a little shiny. "I'd like that."

The breath I'd been holding came out in a whoosh. I held my hand out to her, so that she stood next to the table.

I cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly. "How about a dance?"

She nodded, and I pulled her into my arms. We swayed to the sound of the waves lapping at the shore. After a minute, I asked, "Did you want to take a bath now?"

"I'd love that." We walked, holding hands, to the house where I started the bubble bath for her and helped her get in. "I'm going to run and clean off the table. Then I'll join you."

She smiled softly. "Thank you, Cooper. For everything."

I felt content, secure that for now, Ivy was happy living with me and planning our future together.

At least in the short term. It was a big step for her, and I hoped things would continue to progress.

I wasn't so secure that I thought she wouldn't have doubts.

But I was confident we'd work through them together.

I extinguished the torches, and took everything inside, cleaning the kitchen before I headed to the bathroom, intending to get in with her and possibly give her an orgasm or two. But her head rested on the rim, and her eyes were closed. Her breath was even. She was asleep.

I knelt next to the tub. "Ivy, we have to get you to bed."

It took a few seconds to rouse her and get her out of the tub and toweled off.

I'd hoped for a different ending to the evening.

I wanted that connection with her, but taking care of her satisfied something deep inside of me, and I suspected it did the same for her.

She wasn't used to this kind of treatment, and I wanted her to feel like it was expected when she was with me. I'd always put her first.

When she was dried off, she sat on the bed, and I carefully brushed her hair. "This is heavenly."

I made quick work of the tangles so that she could lie down.

"I'm sorry I can't stay awake."

"You're helping our baby grow. You need your sleep." I kissed her, and her eyes drifted closed. Then I cleaned up the bathroom.

It would only be a short few months, and then the baby would be here. At that point, we'd both be exhausted. I'd read enough blogs and books to know that babies slept during the day and kept their parents awake at night.

I just hoped we'd built a strong enough rapport that we could survive that adjustment.

I slipped into bed and wrapped my arm around her, careful to avoid her belly. I didn't want her to be uncomfortable. Especially when she was starting to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

She'd grow more uncomfortable, but I wanted to make this as easy for her as possible. I wanted to take care of her. I wanted to prove to her that not all men were alike. That I was nothing like her father.

I eventually rolled to my back, my mind too busy for me to fall asleep. I'd been obsessing about her father lately. What was he like? Should I find him for her? Would it help for her to talk to him? To get some closure? Or would it make everything worse?

I could at least hire a private investigator to locate him, and then I could decide what to do. I wouldn't tell her about it until I had more information. I wanted to protect her from the bad things in life, but at the same time, I wondered if some closure would be good for her.

Thinking your father didn't want you and had abandoned you wasn't healthy.

It would chip away at her if she let it.

And I wanted her to heal. I wanted her to see that there was a better life for her, one without the expectation that everyone would eventually disappoint her.

She could rely on her friends, my family, the adopted grandmothers at the senior center, and me.

I wanted to do this for her. There was some doubt in my mind that this was the right step. But I could always change course. If I found information that would hurt her, I didn't have to pass it along. I could keep it from her.

Satisfied I had the semblance of a plan, I finally drifted off.