I wasn't so sure about that as an effective plan to be a good dad, but it was sweet, and I was enjoying the attention. "So you want company?"
"Yes, I would like to plant flowers with my baby momma," he said with a sweet smile.
I pursed my lips. "You know I don't like that phrase."
He sighed. "How about roommate?"
"Much better." Anything but baby momma. That reminded me too much of my mother and the gossip surrounding me and my siblings about our absent fathers.
He picked up my hand, holding it between his. "Ivy, will you please join me this morning? I could use your help and wisdom planting flowers. Will you make a few old people happy? And me?"
I couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "Yes."
He kissed the top of my hand before he let it go, and tingles erupted on my skin. I felt a little flustered as I pulled back.
He grabbed the toast and placed it on a plate between us.
The fact that he cooked for me was nice, but I was worried it would be tough to go back to living on my own, especially when I had a baby to take care of. But I'd vowed to stop worrying about the what-ifs and enjoy my current reality which came with tasty meals and earth-shattering orgasms.
The least I could do was help him with whatever he needed at the senior center.
"It's going to be fun." He arranged his omelet on top of one of the slices of toast,
I savored the flavor of the mushrooms as I bit into the fluffy eggs. "I don't have a green thumb."
"It'll be fine," he said between bites.
I never let anyone commandeer my life, but I had to admit it was nice when I was less scheduled and more open to the possibilities. Last week, he'd taken me to an art festival that had handmade jewelry that I loved. He'd bought a set of earrings that I'd spent a lot of time admiring. I didn't need something like that, especially with a baby on the way, but Cooper had insisted that I should have something pretty.
He finished his omelet, rinsed off his plate, and placed it in the dishwasher. Then he leaned a hip on the counter, lifting his mug. "I'm going to make you love spontaneity."
"I prefer to plan ahead." I had a hard time switching gears, but I'd found myself less likely to schedule things for myself now that I was living with Cooper. I'd arranged more appointments during the weekdays when he was working. Nighttime and weekend appointments were inevitable, but I'd managed to keep them to a minimum. It was good practice for when the baby arrived. Childcare wouldn't be available at those times unless I found a nanny with a flexible schedule. Maybe a student who was taking classes.
I'd need to work on interviewing possible candidates. The baby would be here before I knew it. Cooper had been working on the nursery and Dalton's house in his spare time.
I stood. "I'm going to take a shower. Should I wear gardening clothes?"
"Wear a sundress so we can go to lunch afterward," Cooper said.
That seemed a little odd, but Cooper didn't want me to overdo things, so maybe this was his way of getting me to take it easy. "Okay."
I still showered in the guest bath and kept my clothes in the spare bedroom. I didn't want to get too used to being in Cooper's room. When the baby came, things could change. We'd fall into our respective roles as parents. He might not see me the same way.
I quickly showered, putting a longer dress on that skimmed my heels. Then I slid my feet into comfortable sandals. My feet ached if I wore heels or was on my feet too long, even though my bump was still modest.
I figured I had a few more weeks before my belly got bigger and I was more uncomfortable. So far, Cooper hadn't been repelled by my changing body. He seemed to revel in the subtle changes, and he never missed an opportunity to touch my stomach, wanting to know when he'd be able to feel the baby kick.
It was sweet, and it made me think he'd be a great dad. But I didn't have much experience with one of those.
Downstairs, Cooper was already showered and dressed in a polo shirt and cargo shorts. They weren't work clothes, but maybe he intended to do light work before we enjoyed lunch.
We took his work truck to the senior center. "I need to talk to Phyllis before we get to work."
"Okay," I said as he took my hand, holding it all the way to the front door, which opened automatically.
When I'd asked why he wanted to hold my hand, he said it was in case I lost my balance, which he'd read was common with pregnant women. I was a little suspicious that it was a couple move. But I enjoyed it too much to put a stop to it.
We walked into the cool lobby which was fairly empty for the time of day.
