I watched as people stood up and started to exit their pew, as I continued to sing the closing song. I was singing with some older ladies, they were around my mom's age, so I knew them pretty well. But who didn't I know in this town. I couldn't help but look around one last time, looking for a certain brown-eyed cowboy, but he wasn't here, just his mom in the back. I was sad that Cooper wasn't at church, he used to come, but he didn't today.
I felt bad for his mom sometime, sometimes the other moms would talk harshly about her and her so called "husband". Saying that it was a disgrace that she could marry such a man, who was supposedly the devil. This is before I knew about Cooper's family, or I would of said something to them about it. Because Desiree is a very lovely woman, and one of the nicest people I know in this town.
After the song ended, we closed our books, thanked the lovely pianist and guitar players for doing a good job today, and then we stepped off the little stage near the altar. I said goodbyes to to women in the small choir and then I joined my family who was waiting for me. "Hey." I said as I stood next to Ashley.
"Nice job, and by the way, I love your dress." Ashley said and playfully tugged at my dress, making me smile as I looked down at my dress.
"Thanks."
I don't mean to sound conceited but I thought I looked pretty cute today. Going along with my dress, my hair was straightened with a waterfall braid in on one side, my hair reached down to my tail-bone, and then I was wearing a pair of Holy Cow Couture cream-colored moccasins. Always have to look good when you go to church.
Standing outside with my mom, I look at other groups of people conversing with each other, not really caring what the current group is talking about. I look up at the beaming sun, as it already feels too hot, it's only 11 o'clock! "I bet she hasn't seen her husband in years, if you even call him that." Suddenly this sentence gets through to my brain and I'm able to process what Mrs. Hewitt said to the other girls. Then I look where she is looking, and I see Desiree talking to Father Matthew.
"I've warned Father about her and her family, I wonder if he's tellin' her to go to confession." She snickers and then some follow her, laughing along. I look back at them, then to my mom, who just stands there quietly, then I look back at them. What Catholic's they are, judging someone without know the whole picture.
"What's so bad about her family?" I question Mrs. Hewitt and the others, my tone is innocent and unharmful.
"Haven't you heard about her husband? Her-"
"But why does marrying her husband make her a bad person? Maybe there's something more to that, maybe she's trying to get out of it, maybe you guys shouldn't be so quick to judge." I cut her off, earning a glare from my mother, but I don't mind her.
Mrs. Hewitt is baffled at my words, and her moth opens, hoping words will come out, but they don't. "Well her son is a prime example of her actions, gettin' in all of those fights." Oh, she did not.
"So Cooper's a bad person for standing up to people who talk the same way you're talking right now? Is that the only thing you know about him? I see the way you judge people in church. I saw you even look at Mrs. May here, and then turn around and stick your finger in your mouth.-"
"DaKota." My mother warns me, but I don't loose eye contact with Mrs. Hewitt as Mrs. May gasps in disbelief.
"If you think that makes her a bad mother, you should check under your son's bed and see all the adult magazines and pot pipes under there." She dramatically gasps at me, and I just smile sweetly at her, "Y'all have a nice day now." I say with the best-prettiest smile I can give them and then I walk away from them, my mother apologizing behind me.
*****************
Coffee pot in hand, I laugh at the table full of story-tellin'-cowboys, they sure could make any one's day. I fill each of their cups, giving them a smile and then left to go make other rounds at booths and tables. Sunday's were my favorite, because of church, then the church crowd at the diner, and they are usually my craft days also.
I looked at my family, sitting along the island counter, deciding not to go over to them because I didn't want to get scolded, again. Oh, you betcha I got scolded after the Mrs. Hewitt incident, but I really didn't care, because I knew I was right. "DaKota, come here." I hear my father's voice behind me and I mentally curse and turn around and go towards them.
"Yes?" I ask them going around the counter, putting down the coffee back onto the hot plate.
"We're going to Missoula after this, to go sort out stuff for the wedding, you need anything before we leave?" I smile at this because maybe I could get Cooper to come over for bit, since we haven't had some time together in days.
"No I'm good." I have to bite my lip to keep my smile from growing.
"Why are you smiling?" My brother raises his eyebrow at me. "You're not thinking of having a boy over are you?" He jokes and I roll my eyes, even though it's what I exactly plan to do.
"I'm just excited for the wedding." I play off and they all nod once and then I'm off back running around the diner, helping or serving people.
I rip the order ticket out of the pad and then place it on the order 'merry-go-round' yelling, "Gotta a new one." and then Maybell comes from the kitchen, balancing plates in her hands. "Let me help ya." I say and literally take plates from her hands.
"Thank you honey." She says and then I follow her to her table and give the correct plates to the correct customers. As we turn to leave the table she says, "Cutie at table six." I roll my eyes, but it turns into a smile once I see the cutie she's talking about. I can only see the backside of him, but I knew it was him. He was wearing his National High School rodeo jacket, that jacket looked so good on him.
"Maybell said there was a cutie over here, but I wasn't expecting you." I tease him as I stand in front of the booth. His eyes light up when he sees me and his pink lips turn into a smirk and then he chuckles.
"Well hi to you too. I ran into your parents on the way in, your dad actually said hi to me." He says, surprising me in a way.
"Well that's surprising. So did you just come here to see me, or get food?" I say to him, having a hard time hiding my smile.
"Of course I came here to see you, I missed my girl." His smile could make someone rob a bank and then make them turn themselves in after just because he told them to flashing them his smile.
I lowered my voice a bit, "My parents are leaving for the day, wanna come to my house after you're done eating?" His smile widens at my invitation.
"Only if I get to spend some time with Pocahontas." He says making me laugh. Pocahontas is a crazy-buckskin miniature horse that we have, and she's a real show. Cooper absolutely loves her.
"Okay, what do you want to eat?" I ask him, pulling my note pad out and clicking my pen.
"Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and chocolate milk." He says and then hands me his menu.
"Okay, that should be out in about 10 minuets." I start to turn towards the kitchen, but he catches my hand and pulls me close to him, close enough I can smell his cologne. "And for dessert I want a kiss from my girlfriend." He softly whispers in my ear.
I pull away, my cheeks getting red, "That might take a little longer than the pancakes." I say and start to back away from him.
"I'll wait." He calls out to me as I smirk back at him and go into the kitchen.
I looked down at Cooper's plates in my hands, and my smile faded when I looked up and saw someone sitting next to him in the booth. You guessed it, that someone would have to be Miss Avery Johnson, she has some nerve. Cooper looks up and meets my eyes, he looks sorry and has a look that says that he couldn't do anything about it.
She still hasn't noticed me yet, until I forcefully slide the plates down onto the table and then she looks up shocked and she smiles. "Hello DaKota." Oh please. Then I notice how close she actually is to Cooper, her arm pressed against his.
"I'm surprised to see you here." I cross my arms over my chest, letting her know my attitude towards her.
"Oh you mean after you attacked me?" She says and I scoff at her. "I'm not surprised you did though."
"What does that mean?" I noticed Cooper shift uncomfortably.
"I've heard that dogs like to fight." She says with a smug look on her face as she stands up, getting closer to me. "You're just jealous." She says and then I laugh, then I see Cooper stand up, almost in the middle of us.
"I'm jealous? Please tell me why." I laugh again, waiting for her to answer.
"Because every one knows I'm better than you. After you decided to go on a little vacation, this town was all over me, Avery this, Avery that. Not once did anyone mention something about pathetic DaKota." I clenched my fists at my sides, resisting the urge to knock her out.
"Avery that's enough." Cooper's deep voice says and she just smirks.
"Weird, never heard you say that to me before Cooper." She smirks, making my blood boil. Cooper's face turns hard and he doesn't even look at me.
"I think it's time for you to leave." I say to her and she stands in her place.
"You know I'd slap you but I don't want to get whore all over my hand." She smirks like that's the best comeback she's ever had, bitch try me.
"Why not? You already have it all over you're body." Cooper lets out a laugh, earning a death glare from Avery.
Avery squeals and then she raises her hand to slap me, but in a flash I'm pulled behind Cooper and then I hear the impact, but Cooper doesn't looked phased at all. "Oh Cooper, baby, I'm so sorry." She apologizes and then reaches up to touch his face. Cooper steps back, making my chest hit his back, and I'm ready to pounce again. She ain't touching my man.
"Avery you need to leave, now!" Cooper said, his hand still wrapped around my lower arm, me peaking around his shoulder. Avery stomps her little pedicured feet and leaves the diner, Cooper and I watching her go to her Slug-Bug and struggling to back out of her spot, what a little bitch.
*************
I parked my pickup in my usual spot, while Cooper's pickup parked beside mine. I shut off the engine and jumped out and slammed my door, I'm obviously still fuming over the whole Avery encounter ten minuets ago. I didn't turn around to look at Cooper but I knew he was out of his truck by the sound of his door closing. "DaKota." He calls for my stomping self as I head for the porch of my house.
I turn around to face him, "Why didn't you let me at her?" I crossed my arms and clenched my jaw at him. He stood in front of me with a look on his face that I didn't like, one that said you-know-I'm-right.
"If she would have slapped you, I'm afraid you would have done more than just break her nose. And you could have been possibly sued, so you should be thanking me for saving you some money." He says with a straight face for most of it, but at the end he adds a playful smirk.
"Yeah well it would have been worth it." I stubbornly say with a grumble and look away from him, and then he wraps his arms around my waist, me still with crossed arms.
"Did I tell you that you look real pretty today?" He says with a gorgeous smile as he leans down more to get my attention.
I look at him for a second and then I roll my eyes and return my gaze at the barn, "You're just saying that to make me feel better." I shift weight onto my other leg and he takes that opportunity to pull me closer.
"I bet it worked, though." He said as he pressed his forehead against mine, making me look him in the eyes. I couldn't help but smile when I saw his glimmering eyes and the way he had to bend down to get to my eye-level.
"I guess.." I give into him and his smile widens, making me smile more, too. His face leans down and his lips capture mine, and we share a nice, romantic kiss for a couple of moments, automatically my day 10 times better..
************** COOPER **************
After pulling away from her delicious lips, I gave her a soft smile and then unwrapped my arms from her, put pulling her into my side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and we started walking towards the porch. "But she was way too close to you." DaKota mumbles under her breath but its loud enough for me to hear. I look down at her and shes looking down at her moving feet.
"Never would of thought you as the jealous type." I smirk a little bit and she looks up, but not up at me.
"I-I not really, but at the same time I- I don't know.." She kicks at the ground in frustration making me laugh, and then I give her shoulder a comforting squeeze.
"It's okay, if I had a super-hot boyfriend like me, I'd get jealous too." She smiles and then she smacks me in the stomach, making me laugh with her. If I could have anything in the world, I would ask to see that smile for the rest of my life.
"Race you to my room!" She says and then she takes off in front of me and I watch her long hair move along with her quick movements, and watch her dress come up higher, showing off her amazing legs. Being caught in my staring, I start to race after her.
I clearly let her beat me to her room, but I was right behind her the whole time. If it was one of my buddies, I would shoved him into the wall and I would of been the victor of the race. Once we both get into the room she turns around with a victorious smile, "HA HA! I beat you!" Then she claps her hands and does a little dance, making me laugh. "Maybe next time." She shrugs to me and goes towards her bed.
But I catch her arm and pull her back into my chest, and lean down so my mouth is close to her ear. "Maybe next time I won't be nice." Then I attack her neck with playful kisses and she giggles and squirms in my arms, and then I let her go. My eyes go from her to the obvious sewing machine in the corner of her room, she must of put in a while ago. "What's this?" I ask her and then I walk over to it and touch the fabric lying across the table.
"Nothing!" She says and then tries to block it by standing in front the machine, it makes me laugh.
"You sew?" I ask her in slight disbelief. Her shoulders relax and she nods and then steps away, almost as she's embarrassed or ashamed she does. "Can you show me?" I ask her and then she looks up at me and her eyes light up with excitement.
"Really?"
"Yeah! Show me what your workin' on." I nudge her on and she smiles a bit.
"Okay, go grab that chair." She says as she takes a seat on the plumped-cushioned burgundy swivel chair. I do as she tells me and then I grab the wooden chair from her other desk and pull it and settle it down to her left side. I watched her turn on the machine, making the needle light turn on and the needle adjusts, awakening.
"You seem excited." I laugh at her because her smile hasn't worn off like it usually does.
"I actually like sewing a lot, and I've never shown someone how to sew! Okay first, I'll show you the parts of the machine and explain how it works.. So the first thing is the bobbin, this is your bottom thread..."
I couldn't help but let out a small smiling as she continued to explain to basics of sewing to me, it was just too cute. I loved to see her talking about something so passionate to her, and seeing her eyes light up because she was excited to teach me. I would often find myself staring at her lips at time and she would catch me, and then would tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and then blush, I loved when she did that. That little action told me that I was doing something right, I was making her feel good about herself. She deserves to feel good about herself, there isn't one thing I can think of that makes her a bad person. Not one. DaKota is everything and more I could ever want in a girl, and I know that I am in love with her.
I was in love with her even before we starting dating. Strange enough, the moment I knew I was in love with her was the first time she punched Avery. When she punched Avery in the face, that showed me her strong, angry, and protective side, which she never shows. I'm not sure why I haven't told her yet..
Okay that's a lie.
I'm scared. I'm scared that she's not there yet in our relationship. I'm scared she'll be freaked out because of her past. I don't want to scare her, that's the last thing I want in the world. Plus we've only been dating for a few weeks, so it's probably too fast. "Cooper, did you hear what I said?" She asked me, leaning her neck down to look into my eyes that are on the bottom of the machine.
"No, sorry darlin'." Then I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"What was that for?" She smiled and looked back down at my lips.
Because I love you.
"Just cause." I smirked and she nodded and then she continued to instruct me.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow I am telling DaKota Annie Jones that I am in love with her.