November

Chapter Twenty Three

-Oliver-

I knew I had made the right choice.

My first day here with Cooper was like living in a dream. After we got out of bed, he helped me bring all of my stuff in from my car and find a place for it. He happily pushed his clothes into one half of his closet and consolidated the stuff in his drawers so that I had room for mine. It was a small gesture, but it made me feel welcome and wanted. When I had moved in with Brad, he acted like my stuff was an inconvenience and complained about what little I did have.

We managed to make dinner together and eat most of it before ending up in bed again. I couldn't get enough of Cooper. This big bear of a man was so affectionate and attentive to me, and he let me do whatever I wanted with him. Making him feel good was quickly becoming one of my favorite things.

I was tired from two days of driving and the excitement of being with Cooper again, so I fell asleep in Cooper's arms and didn't wake up once, not even when he got out of the bed the next morning. The scent of syrup and bacon finally woke me, and I sat up to see Cooper making his way into the bedroom with a plate in each hand.

We went for a short hike and then spent the rest of the afternoon strolling along Ruby Beach, hand in hand. As I breathed in the scent of the salty ocean air and glanced over at Cooper, I almost couldn't believe this was my life now. I was in a beautiful place with a beautiful man, and it couldn't be more perfect.

Shortly after the sun went down, we pulled into the driveway of Cooper's parents' house. They had dinner as a family every Sunday. I was looking forward to seeing all of them again, but I was also nervous and couldn't help feeling like I was intruding. They'd been nothing but welcoming when I crashed their Thanksgiving dinner, but showing up at every Sunday dinner going forward was different.

"Annabelle's going to be so excited," Cooper told me, grinning. "She always asks about you."

"She's adorable," I replied, smiling back at him. "I'm hoping that she can help me improve my baking skills. I'd love to be as good as her someday."

Cooper laughed and squeezed my hand. "That would make her day to hear you say that."

When we walked into the house, I could hear laughter and voices coming from the kitchen. I stayed behind Cooper as we made our way over to the kitchen entrance.

"I have a surprise!" Cooper called out.

He stepped to the side, and I saw Annabelle's eyes light up as soon as she saw me. "Oliver!" She ran over and hugged me tightly.

I gave her little shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I missed you, and all of your delicious cookies."

When I looked up, Andy and Eileen were smiling at me, and Rhett looked a combination of confused and wary.

"What a great surprise!" Eileen said, coming across the room to hug me. "Are you back for another visit already?"

Cooper looked over at me, and we smiled at each other. "No, I'm here for a temporary job so that Cooper and I can give a relationship a shot. If he doesn't get sick of me, I'll make the move permanent."

Eileen's reaction was almost instantaneous, and tears sprang to her eyes as she brought her hand to her mouth. Annabelle tugged at my arm, her eyes shining with excitement. "So you are Cooper's boyfriend now?"

"I am."

She looked back and forth between Cooper and I, not able to stop smiling. "I hoped it would be you. You make him happy and he talks about you a lot."

I laughed. "He makes me happy too."

"We're all happy," Eileen cut in, regaining some of her composure. "All I've ever wanted is for Cooper to find a nice man, but it's tough to do out here. I can't put into words how overjoyed I am that someone has decided to move here for my boy."