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“I don’t understand?” Reese says, glancing over at me.
“It’s not just my foundation, baby. It’s ours. We both have to sign today. I’ll be the President, and my job is to silently fund it, and hopefully use my career for fundraising and awareness. You are listed as the executive director of the foundation. You run it all. It’s all in your capable hands.”
“What does that mean?” she asks with tears in her eyes.
“It means that all the things you wished that you could do for your kids, you can do. Only this is on a grander scale. You will have free rein to organize fundraising and distribution of supplies, and everything else that’s involved. It’s a startup, so there will be a lot of work to get it off the ground.”
“I-I can’t believe you did this.”
“You said you wanted to do more. I’m giving you the power to do that.”
“Cooper.” She sobs my name as she covers her face with her hands.
“I’m going to step out and give the two of you a few minutes. Just open the door when you’re ready,” John says, standing and leaving us alone in his office.
“Come here.” I pull her from her chair and place her in my lap. My arms wrap around her as I hold her close. Her tears come fast, but I’m there to catch them. “I thought this would make you happy,” I say, feeling her out. I think the tears are happy tears, but I’m not sure.
“It does, Coop. You have no idea. This is…. I have no words. I can’t believe you did this for me.” She wipes at her cheeks with the backs of her hands.
“Haven’t you realized by now I would do anything for you?”
She nods. “I’m in shock. I don’t really know what to say to this. I don’t know…,” she says, shaking her head.
Time to put it all out there. “I was hoping you would want to do this full-time. Run the foundation. I was hoping you would move here with me. That we could buy a house, change your last name, have a couple of kids. What is it they always say? And they lived happily ever after? I want that to be us, Reese. All of it. I want it all with you.”
More tears, but an even brighter smile, greets me. “I guess we have some papers to sign.”
I kiss her quickly before she moves to her seat, and I get up to open the door, letting John know we’re ready for him.
“All right, so this is all the legal filings for the Latham Reeves Foundation.”
“Oh my God,” Reese says breathily.
“We can change it,” I tell her, then look at John for confirmation. “Right?”
“Of course, we would just need to adjust the documents and reprint,” he says without an ounce of annoyance. With what I’m paying him, there better not be a sign of any.
“No.” She shakes her head. “It’s perfect.”
“Wonderful, let’s get started,” John suggests.
John takes his time going through each document to explain what we are signing. Reese asks great questions, and they all boil down to one answer. This is her foundation to build and to grow. She smiles the entire time, and she keeps having to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
An hour later, we’re walking out of John’s office with two folders holding identical information. “I can’t believe that you did this,” Reese says once we’re in my truck.
“Good surprise?”
“The best. Cooper, this is everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“I know. You told me.”
“And you listened.”
“So, what do you say we grab some dinner since there are no groceries in the 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 18Reese“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.
