“There isn’t, at least, not on this twenty acres.”
I shot him a questioning look, pausing with my sandwich halfway to my mouth. “That’s specific…”
He cleared his throat. “This plot of land is for sale, Allie. That’s why I brought you out here, actually.”
“Wait, what? You’re buying a plot of land?” My mind was spinning, trying to put together the pieces of information.
“Well,” he glanced down at his hands for a beat. “I could. If that’s what you want. I’ve given it a lot of thought over the past couple of weeks that we’ve been apart. Whenever we talk, you seem so refreshed and happy, and I feel like you being here—in the country—agrees with you. So, if that’s what it takes, I’d be willing to relocate and build a home here, or another plot like this one, whatever you think is best.”
My mouth dropped open and I couldn’t believe the words coming from his mouth. Just the sight of him wearing jeans and riding a horse had been enough of a shock to my system. It was such a far cry from the way he’d been when we’d first met, back when I assumed he was basically glued into his power suit, and didn’t own a pair of shoes that cost less than most used sedans. “Cooper, are you serious? What about Brighton? You can’t give that up,” I rambled, my thoughts coming faster than my words.
He held up a hand. “No, no. I wouldn’t give up the company. I would work remotely as much as possible and fly back to LA when I needed to be there. I don’t have all the details worked out, but I have enough to know that it’d be possible.”
I stared off into the distance beyond his shoulder, suddenly imagining a farmhouse sprouting from the ground, a small fence surrounding it, maybe a dog and a couple of chickens running around a coop. When I’d left Kansas it wasn’t because I hated life in the country, there was a pace to it that appealed to me, even still, and being so close to home and being able to see my parents and Ben on a daily basis had been more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. But that didn’t necessarily mean I could do it full time, forever. Did it?
“So? What do you think?” Cooper asked, a tinge of nervousness in his voice.
I grabbed his hands and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I think you’re amazing and I love you.”
He smiled and kissed me. “I love you too, Allison.”
My heart squeezed in my chest, so full it was like it could burst open. “I’ll think about it, okay? I need some time to process everything. It would be great to live so close to my family, and I do like the pace and beauty of life out here, but it’d be a big change. In some ways, I feel like I’m just settling into my new role at Plush and I don’t want to give that up.”
“Who said you had to give that up?” Cooper asked.
“Well, I just—”
Cooped tucked a finger under my chin. “Allison, I will give you the stars—not that you can’t chase them down on your own—if that’s what you want. All I’m asking is to be wherever you are when you’re searching for what you really want. I don’t want a Stepford wife, or whatever else it is you think I’m looking for. I have everything I want, and need, and desire…with you.” He pressed his lips to mine, slowly exploring them in a soft kiss that conveyed the things he was thinking and feeling. Things that went beyond words.
I nudged aside the basket and straddled Cooper’s thighs, resting my hands on his shoulders and pulling him into another deep kiss. When we broke apart to catch our breath, I stripped my shirt off over my head and threw it into the grass beside us. “Whatcha doin’ there little lady?” Cooper asked, working on the soft drawl he was trying to perfect.
“Seducing you,” I said, leaning down and kissing a trail at the side of his neck, hitting every spot that made him groan.
“Right here?” He asked.
“You said there was no one for twenty acres. Who’s going to see us?” I asked, laughing at the stunned expression on his face. It wasn’t very often I could catch him off guard, and I took full advantage of doing every little thing that drove him wild right there in our own little piece of the middle of nowhere.
Chapter Fourteen — Cooper
One Year Later…
I pushed through the doors to the back office area of the new Plush Nature flagship store in time to hear…
“Thank you for holding, this is Mrs. Brighton, how may I help you?”
Pleasure coursed through my body at the sound of Allie purring out her new name…my name…and I wondered if I would ever stop marveling at the fact that she was finally mine.
All mine.
For life.
The door shut behind me and Allie looked up and broke into a beautiful smile at the sight of me. She waved and then turned her attention back to the person on the other end of the call, scribbling down notes on her sketchpad. I crossed the office space and propped up against the desk, waiting for her to finish. The store wasn’t open to the public yet, but it would be ready within the next two weeks. It truly was Allie’s baby. She’d put in countless hours with a horde of interior designers, marketing gurus, and merchandising geniuses to ensure every last detail was perfect.
And it truly was.
I couldn’t help but smile, knowing how proud my father would be if he could see what she—we—had turned Plush into.
“Hey there Mr. Brighton,” Allie purred at me when she set the phone down on the desk.