Page 76 of Every Single Vow
Ari’s blue eyes shine with moisture as she swipes at her face. “Ok. I’m ready.”
“And only because it’s your birthday.” I give a pointed look. “There’s a pizza with an ungodly amount of pineapple on it calling your name.”
Her smile brightens. “Sick.”
“There’s not a single piece left,” Ruthie says as she gathers up the empty pizza boxes.
“I’m pretty sure Ryder ate an entire box by himself,” Ivy says before elbowing him in the ribs.
“I was starving. Try being up all night with a sick heifer,” he grumbles.
We spent the last two hours eating, laughing, and watching Arizona open her gifts. It was so heartwarming to see her genuine smile and gratitude. She hugged every neck, even Christine when she got here. We were able to introduce Christine to the whole family, and even with the shadow of my father lurking, I think she sees how well Ari fits with us.
“Ok. We have one more gift,” I announce, smiling at Cooper.
He shoots me a wink, then opens the front door. “Follow me.”
Ari follows, as I slowly lag behind, walking the path back to our house. How we managed to pull off a complete room remodel in the small amount of time we had available was a miracle. All thanks to Emmett and Ryder.
When Cooper leads her inside, she glances over at me in confusion. “Are we going to the guest room?”
Cooper presses a palm against the bedroom door. “Nope. We’re going toyourroom.”
Ari freezes when she steps into the doorway. A brand new dresser sits on the back wall, which is a beautiful pale blue. The new bedspread is a quilt material with lightly painted feathers. Whips of colors and strokes of a paintbrush decorate the material to give it an artistic vibe. A new drawing desk sits in the corner, along with a lamp and a new sketchbook with a set of pencils. And the kicker, which I haven’t even seen until now, is the frames. My throat swells when I see the three framed drawings hanging on the wall.
“Coop,” I whisper.
His fingers intertwine with mine as Ari and I stare at her drawings. One is of Rebel. A beautifully shaded drawing of his profile. The other is of Buster as he drinks from a trough. Then the last one, the one that has tears forming in my eyes is of me and Arizona. We’re walking on what appears to be two different roads, but one arm is outstretched, our fingers linking over the space.
“Ari, these are beautiful.” I blink.
“Those are my favorites.” Ari looks back to Cooper. “How did you know?”
“I see you, Ari,” he says simply.
“Thank you.” She gives a watery smile. “It’s perfect.”
Before I can reply, she spins around, her arms flinging up as she dives at us. Laughter echoes between us as we hug our girl.
“This is the best birthday ever,” she whispers.
I grin. “And guess what?”
She pulls her head back. “What?”
“It’s not over yet.”
Chapter fifty
Cooper
Heather and Arizona laugh hysterically as the teacups spin another circle. The carnival is in full swing, reminding me of so many times I brought Dakota here. How I punched that asshole Rhodes when he hurt her feelings and when I almost kissed her on the Ferris wheel when we were seventeen.
A soft hand curls around my arm, and I peer down to see my wife smile up at me. “You ready to take me on a ride, cowboy?”
My hand slides down to snake around her narrow waist. “I got something you can ride,” I murmur into her ear.
She chuckles. “This is a family friendly event, Cooper.”
