Bliss by Kaylee Ryan Page 0,58

house, and we can go home and talk about what our next steps are going to be?”

“Yes,” she quickly agrees.

“What sounds good?” I ask, pulling out of the parking lot.

“Anything. I’m starving. Let’s do something we can take home with us, though.”

“There’s a great pizza delivery just down from me. We can call it in now and shouldn’t have to wait too long.”

“We need beer if we’re going to be eating pizza,” she replies.

“That’s my girl.” I turn the truck into the nearest gas station and hand her my phone. “It’s under Maurice’s. Order whatever you want. You know what I like.” I wink and head inside to get my girl some beer.

Chapter 18

Reese

“Why did you let me eat so much?” I ask Cooper. We’re sitting on his couch with an open pizza box on the coffee table.

“Told you it was good.” He smirks.

“I don’t think I can move,” I say, trying to lean over and place my now-empty beer bottle on the table. He takes mercy on me and does it for me.

“You want another?”

“No. I’m good. Thanks though.”

“All right.” He drains his bottle and sets it on the table as well. “Now, we talk.” He stretches his legs out beside me and pulls my feet into his lap.

“Honestly, I don’t know where to start.”

“Let’s start with now that it’s had time to really sink in, are you upset about the foundation?”

“No. Not even a little. I’m… flabbergasted to be honest. That you would think to do something like that for me.”

“I was hoping that would be your response. I know you pretty well, and you’ve talked a lot about wanting to do more. I can’t believe I’m getting ready to say this, but if you want to run the foundation from your apartment, we could make that work. You would just have to come back to Indy for contracts, etc. Everything will be done through John. He’s already on retainer for me anyway.”

“Isn’t that weird for you? That you have an attorney on retainer.”

“Yeah.” He shrugs. “At first it was really hard to adjust to all the changes, but I’ve accepted them now and have accepted that while I’m still me, the same old Cooper I’ve always been, I’m also now a professional football player, and that comes with status and prestige in most cases, and there is nothing I can do to change that.”

“You’re wrong, Coop. You’re making changes. You’re changing the world. Look at what you did today. That’s amazing. I’m so proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished. What you did for the kids in the home, that meant everything to them.”

“I did it for you, Reese.”

I nod. This is my Cooper. The love of my life. The man who created a foundation to make my dreams come true. If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. “So, what are you thinking?” I ask him.

“I told you what I was thinking. I think it’s your turn to talk.”

“How would this work? I mean, if I give up my job to run the foundation, how am I going to support myself?”

“I assume if I say that I’ll support you, that idea’s not going to go over so well?” he asks.

“Not particularly. I mean, what would the media think, our parents, and friends?”

“Fuck the media. Our parents and friends have seen this”—he motions between the two of us—“coming for years. It’s what we think that matters.”

“I don’t know, Cooper.”

“Fine. The foundation will pay you a salary, just as any foundation would,” he concedes.

“But that’s taking away from the kids.”

“Baby…” He chuckles. “You can’t have it both ways. Unless you’re leaning toward keeping your job and running the foundation from Columbus.”

“You’re here.” I state the obvious.

“And I want you here with me.”

“I want to be where you are,” I confess.

“What’s mine is yours, Reese. I created this foundation for you and for me. It was with the hopes that not only do you get to do what you’ve always wanted, reach more people, help more people, it would also bring you home to me.”

“Tell me how you see this playing out? Where are we a year from now, five years from now?” I ask.

“Married, and in five years a kid or two.”

I get that fluttering feeling in my belly. The one I’ve come to associate with Cooper. Only he has ever made me feel this way. Thinking of our future, marriage and kids, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted. With him. Only with him. I