Page 35 of Broken Heart

I gave him a nod of understanding. “Okay. I’ll check it out later.”

“Sounds good.”

I said goodbye to my brothers and walked out.

Though I needed to talk to Tate about something I had in mind, I thought it was more important to head over to the hotel to talk to Ivy. On the way there, I pulled out my phone and gave Jules a call.

“Hey, Coop. How’s it going?” she greeted me.

“Hi, Jules. You aren’t in class, are you?” I asked.

“If I was, I certainly wouldn’t have answered your call. So, tell me what I did to deserve the honor of getting a call from you on a random Tuesday afternoon.”

I smiled at the same time I rolled my eyes. Jules was such a good kid with a positive attitude. She always got good grades and did what was expected of her. I should have known better than to ask her such a stupid question. “Well, my birthday is coming up,” I started.

“Oh, do you have a special request for me?” she asked excitedly before I could say another word.

“Actually, I do,” I told her.

Jules squealed with delight. “I can’t believe it. Every time I’ve ever asked you what I can make for you, I’m always told to surprise you. This has made my day. What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?”

I could just imagine her bouncing up and down on her toes excitedly. “I kind of don’t want cake. I mean, you can certainly make that if you want, but I was curious if you’d be able to make a dessert style bread.”

“What?”

“I don’t care what kind, but I’d really appreciate it if you could make a banana bread or something like that,” I explained.

Jules didn’t respond. In fact, it felt as though the excited and upbeat mood she’d been in had vanished, because nothing came through the line. I pulled my phone from my ear, saw that our call was still connected, and called, “Jules?”

“Is this… are you… what are you not telling me?” she asked.

She was going to have to know the truth. “I invited the girl I mentioned last week to come and celebrate my birthday with us, and I’ve learned a bit about the things she likes.”

Not missing a beat, Jules didn’t hesitate to call me out. “You said you two were just friends.”

“We are, but I’d like for us to be more, and I think I could use your help in impressing her,” I explained.

I could hear the smile in my sister’s voice. “Oh, I’m so excited for you, Cooper. I’d love to help you out. Don’t you worry at all. I’m going to come up with something super special.”

The smile was back on my face. “Thanks, Jules. I really appreciate it.”

She let out a laugh. “Hey, you’ve agreed to build me a bakery. I figure I’m going to owe you close to a lifetime of baked goods.”

Laughter spilled out of me. “That works for me. Listen, I just got to the hotel, and I’ve got to talk to Ivy. I’ll see you later this week.”

“Absolutely.”

Jules and I disconnected just as I stepped inside the front door to the hotel.

I didn’t immediately spot my sister, so I moved in the direction of the front desk. “Hi, Cooper,” one of the front desk employees greeted me. “Looking for Ivy?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Is she around, or did she already leave for the day?”

“She’s here. I think she’s down in the grand ballroom.”

“Perfect. Thanks.”

I walked off and made my way down the hall toward the grand ballroom. When I stepped inside, I found my sister there, directing several employees as to what she needed to have done with the setup of the tables and chairs. I waited patiently, not wanting to interrupt.