Page 47 of Broken Heart
“What’s in the bag?” Cooper asked.
Holding it up between us, I answered, “You said I should come prepared to swim, so I brought a bikini, a towel, and a few additional items.”
If it was possible, the look on Cooper’s face indicated he was happier to learn about me packing a bikini than he was about the actual gift I’d gotten him. “This is turning out to be the best birthday of my life.”
I rolled my eyes, and a few minutes later, Cooper and I were on our way to his parents’ house.
No sooner had we gotten in the truck when a question popped into my head that I’d been thinking about during the infrequent moments of reprieve at work today. “You know, it wasn’t until today that I realized I don’t know how old you are,” I declared.
“Twenty-seven.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Really?”
“Yeah. Why is that surprising?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I hadn’t expected we were the same age.”
“You’re twenty-seven, too?”
“No. I’m twenty-six, but in four and a half months, I’ll be twenty-seven.”
“What day is your birthday?” he asked.
“November 17th.”
He nodded, and the silence stretched between us for a few moments. “How are you planning to celebrate?”
In an instant, my mood grew solemn. I hadn’t even thought about my birthday or how I intended to celebrate it. Up until they died, I had my parents and my grandmother. Then it was just her until she passed. Maria had been there for some joint celebrations with my grandmother, and the two of us had celebrated together ever since. For the last two years, Simon was part of the mix.
Now, I had nobody.
“I don’t… I don’t have anyone to celebrate with,” I confessed quietly.
Cooper took his eyes off the road to glance at me as he reached for my hand. “What would make you think that? You’ve got me, sweetheart.”
“Do you think you and I will still be friends four months from now?”
“It’s my hope we’ll be more than friends,” he shared. “But even if that’s not what happens, I’m not going anywhere, Skye.”
This man had the power to bring me to my knees. Whether I chose to let us take things to the next step in a romantic relationship or not, Cooper intended to be around. “I hope you’re right.”
He gave my hand a squeeze. “I am. And you better prepare yourself, because I’m a Westwood. While I might not handle planning parties, I’ve got several people in my family that do. And if there’s one thing the Westwood family knows how to do, it’s finding a reason to celebrate and planning a party. I get the feeling you’re going to have one of your best birthdays of your life this year, too.”
I could only hope that would be the case. God, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be surrounded and celebrated by Cooper and his family. “I guess we’ll have to see what happens.”
Ten minutes later, Cooper and I arrived at a sprawling estate. He drove down the long, winding driveway to a breathtaking home. No, mansion. It was unbelievable, easily the largest home I’d ever seen.
At the sight of it, or more specifically, the number of cars lining the driveway, my belly trembled with nerves. What had I been thinking, agreeing to come to this?
Cooper pulled the truck to a stop, parked, and turned it off. “Ready?
I shook my head. “This looks like it’s going to be a lot of people.”
He glanced at the cars in the driveway. “This? This is nothing. It’s just the immediate family and a few friends. Hang tight. I’ll come around and get your door.”
Without waiting for me to respond, Cooper exited the truck and rounded the hood. I only felt marginally better when his hand grabbed hold of mine and didn’t let go as he led me down the path toward his party.
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