Ultimate Romance Collection. Rebecca Winters
the marriage real. She had immediately rebuffed it. At the time, it hadn’t bothered him one iota. That idea hadn’t been at the top of his list anyway.
So why was he thinking about it now?
Once again the answer was the same. He loved his son. Unlike his parents, who believed their love for each other weighed more than the love for their child, he didn’t hold such beliefs. Although he’d seen his child for the first time only last night, more love than he thought he could ever have for any other human being had seeped into his heart and it was going to stay there.
He loved his parents. He loved his SEAL teammates as brothers. But the love he had for his child was so amazing that more than once today he’d had to pause to make sure he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing.
That little face looked so much like him it was uncanny. Maybe the next time they would have a girl and she would look more like Bristol. Coop went still.
How could he even think what he just had? A daughter? With Bristol as the mother? Jeez.
He stood and began pacing. He was really losing it to even think such a thing. He needed to stay focused. The only person he needed to be thinking about was his son. But how could he think of his son and not think of his son’s mother? The woman who’d given birth to him? The woman who made sure he got all the things he needed? The woman who was already teaching him a second language?
Hadn’t he decided earlier today that they came as a package deal? But that had only been regarding financial support and nothing more. Hadn’t it? Then why was he thinking all crazy? Why was he thinking beyond the financial to something even more? To marriage?
Because she’s the woman you want.
Want and not love.
He knew love had nothing to do with it. Whatever feelings he had for Bristol were purely physical. That kiss today proved it, as well as the sexual chemistry surrounding them whenever they were together. That conclusion about the nature of their relationship didn’t bother him and he doubted it bothered her.
Coop stood and checked his watch. He needed to go to the fitness center to work off his sexual frustrations, and he had plenty. When he arrived at her house to take them to dinner, maybe he would have worked some sense back into his brain.
“Daddy is back, Mommy?”
Bristol couldn’t ignore the excitement in her son’s voice. He had been disappointed when he woke up from his nap to find Coop gone. The light had come back into his little eyes only when she’d told him Coop would be back and would take them out to dinner to eat spaghetti.
Laramie had jumped with anticipation when he heard the sound of the doorbell. Now he was right at her heels as she moved toward the door. He was ready and she didn’t want to admit it, but so was she. Her lips were still tingling from her and Coop’s kiss earlier and she hadn’t been able to paint for thinking of him.
And that wasn’t good. She needed to get more than a grip. She needed to put things in perspective. When she did, that kiss would be placed on the back burner, where it belonged.
Looking through the peephole, she confirmed it was Coop. He looked handsome, just like the Texan he was proud to say he was. She opened the door and tilted her head to look up at him. Before she could say anything, Laramie, who’d managed to squeeze between her legs, said, “Daddy, you left me.”
Her son’s words had been spoken with such heartfelt pain that she understood why Coop reached down and pulled Laramie into his arms. She stepped back for him to enter. She was amazed at how quickly Laramie had taken to Coop. Maybe it was a male thing. Maybe he would get attached to any man. She wouldn’t know because he rarely saw other men. Ms. Charlotte’s sons came around every so often and Bristol hadn’t dated since Laramie was born.
“I’ll get his coat so we can go,” she said, when Laramie sat down on the sofa.
“No rush,” Coop said, glancing at her. “We have time.”
She started to tell him that he couldn’t get all emotional whenever Laramie flashed those sad brown eyes at him. Besides, due to the nature of Coop’s job as a SEAL, there would be plenty of times when Laramie wouldn’t see him. It was not like this would be Coop’s address. He lived heaven knew where. But not here.
She crossed the room to the coatrack to get Laramie’s jacket and heard what Coop was telling their son. He was being as honest as he could. “There will be days when Daddy will have to go away. Sometimes for a long time.”
“How long?” Laramie asked his father. “This long?” Laramie then stretched his little arms out wide.
“Maybe even this long,” Coop said, stretching out his own arms even wider.
“Oh.” A disappointed pout curved Laramie’s tiny lips.
Coop gathered his son close. “Just remember, I will always come back.”
Bristol stopped. She had gone along with everything Coop had said until now. But considering the type of job he did, he couldn’t promise that he would always come back. How dare he make such a promise to Laramie?
“Where you go, Daddy?”
“Far away. To keep you safe.”
“Keep me safe?”
“Yes. Always.”
Of course Laramie had more questions but Bristol had heard enough. She grabbed his coat off the coatrack, determined that she would have a talk with Coop when they returned from dinner, after she put Laramie to bed.
“Here’s his coat,” she said, returning to the living room to hand the coat to Coop.
There was no need for her to try and put on Laramie’s coat since he was determined to stick to Coop like glue. The thought didn’t bother her and she wasn’t filled with even an ounce of jealousy. There was enough of Laramie to go around for the both of them. She thought it was sad her mother hadn’t thought that way when it came to Bristol’s father.
“Ready?”
She glanced over at Coop as she buttoned up her own coat. “Yes.”
“I rented a car for us to use,” Coop said, picking up Laramie.
“Just to go to the restaurant? We could have taken a cab.”
“I plan to be in New York for a while and figured I would need one for you and Laramie.”
She frowned. “Why would you need it for me and Laramie? If we need to go anywhere, we can take the subway like we always do.”
“Not while I’m around,” he said, heading for the door with Laramie.
Bristol didn’t move for a moment, trying to push feelings of annoyance away. She was not used to depending on anyone except Ms. Charlotte. She should just accept what he’d offered as a kind and thoughtful gesture and let it go. Besides, her mother had always told her to pick her battles. What was foremost on her mind right now was the lie he’d told their son a few moments ago—that promise to always come back.
* * *
“Are you okay?” Coop asked Bristol, after she opened the front door. They were returning from dinner and he was carrying a sleeping Laramie in his arms.
“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“You were quiet at dinner.”
She shrugged as she closed the door behind them. “I think Laramie did enough talking for the both of us.”
Coop couldn’t help but chuckle. That was true. His son had definitely been the life of the party. Their waitress had fallen in love with him and had been surprised at how well he conversed for his age. Laramie had eaten all of his spaghetti and clapped his hands