Page 84 of Sweet Temptation
“You never hurt her, honey,” Carys offers warmly and looks at her husband. “Tell him that wasn’t his fault, Coop. She got sick. It happened. You couldn’t control that, Lucky.”
“He was the reason she was swimming in the lake in the fucking rain, Carys. He was the reason she snuck out that night, and he was the reason she got sick and spent three of the scariest weeks of our lives in the hospital, not knowing if we were bringing our daughter home or burying her.”
Carys pales and leans against the wall, like Cooper just hit her, but Cooper holds his ground.
“What is wrong with you?” She looks at him like she can’t believe what he just said, but I can because he said it all to me before. He and my father said it all to me when it happened. That’s when they decided it was better if I left Lexie alone.Youmake her reckless, I believe were his exact words. “They were kids. They didn’t know better.”
“It was his job to know better.” Cooper never takes his eyes off me to look at his wife, and for the first time, I see it. I didn’t back then. I was too young and too scared. I missed the fear. I can see it now because I know what I’m looking at. I see it in the mirror every fucking morning.
“I didn’t know better then. But I do now. I love your daughter. I’m going to marry her, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving her.” And when Cooper opens his mouth, I cut him off without a single fuck given to what he was about to say. “The rest ofmylife. Not hers. Do you understand?”
His cool blue eyes sharpen, and Carys takes his hand in hers.
“I’m not here, asking for permission to marry her, because the only person’s permission I need is Lexie’s, and I haven’t asked her yet. But I want you to know I plan on it.Soon. And I swear not even God himself is going to stop me.” My heart thumps loudly in my chest, now that I’m finally saying the words I’ve been wanting to say for so fucking long. “You can try if you want, but I’m not a scared teenager anymore. I’m a man who will do whatever it takes to keep her happy and healthy and safe. I’m going to make sure she has everything she’s ever wanted, including my name.”
Okay, that last part may have been just to piss him off, but the way he flinches at the idea of his daughter with my name is surprisingly satisfying.
“Oh, Lucky.” Carys drops the hold she had on Cooper and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “I’ve been so proud to be someone who got to watch you grow up and into an incredible man. Watching you and the boys all these years, I’ve watched how you love, and I’ve watched how you lived. The good and the bad, but here’s the thing... none of us are perfect. No one only has good days. We all make mistakes.” She glares at Cooper.“All of us.” Her voice thickens with emotion. “But you’ve got to choose the good, no matter how much harder that choice is. You are a good man. And you love our girl. And there is no one else I’d rather get to watch her spend her life with.”
“I love her, Carys.” No truer words have ever left my lips.
“I know, honey. I know.”
Cooper shakes his head and walks away like I figured he would.
“Don’t worry about him. He’s a father who’s scared for his little girl. Just wait. If you’re lucky one day, you’ll know what that’s like.”
Her words hit me square in the chest.
One day.
Lexie and I haven’t talked about kids, but I want them.
With her, I want everything.
LEXIE
All you need is love.
And a cupcake.
And maybe a tiara.
—Lexie’s Secret Thoughts
Lexie
Okay, ladies. Lucky’s birthday is in a week, and I want to throw him a party at West End. But I haven’t done anything yet. Help!
Saylor
Okay. We need a spreadsheet.
Aurora
You need a life if spreadsheet was the first place your mind went.
Saylor
