Page 61 of Broken Heart
The air left my lungs, my chest deflating while my spirits soared. Cooper’s admission might have left me feeling speechless, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t happy about it. I was happy about all of it. I think there was just a part of me that still didn’t believe it could really be this easy for me, that I could find someone like him and have it be the real deal.
Seemingly believing I needed additional instructions to continue functioning, Cooper added, “Don’t worry about what I said, sweetheart. Just finish your breakfast, and have a good day with me today.”
“Okay,” I murmured, lifting the last bit of my breakfast sandwich to my mouth. I did as Cooper had suggested and finished my breakfast. But after doing that and sitting in silence for far too many minutes afterward, I asked, “Can you tell me how I’m going to make that happen?”
“Make what happen?”
“You said I should have a good day with you today,” I reminded him. “I’m curious what I can expect at this gathering today.”
Something warm stole over Cooper’s expression, a smile forming on his face almost instantly. “It probably doesn’t bring you much comfort or clarification if I tell you that it’s a typical Westwood get-together. But that’s exactly what it is, and hopefully there will come a time when I can say that, and you’ll just know what I’m talking about.”
My belly flipped, and something squeezed in my chest. I liked that he wanted us to get to a place where I just knew what to expect because his family would become a bigger part of my life. The ache came from the longing I felt, wanting what he was saying to come to fruition. “So, should I expect it to be like your birthday party was?” I asked, feeling compelled to stay on topic.
Cooper let out a laugh. “Sort of. There won’t be as many people here today, but it’s still going to be just as fun. It’ll just be my grandparents, my parents, my brothers and sisters, Rhea, Ava, and maybe Marco. Plus, my aunt, uncle, and their kids will be here.”
“Oh, really? That’s all,” I teased.
“I know. We’re not a small crew to most people, but it feels normal to me,” Cooper said. “We don’t always do the same thing every year, but we have a few traditions. One of those traditions is a tournament of some sort. The game will change every year, and my Gram and Pop get to choose what it is. Usually, depending on the activity, it’s just the guys in the family that get involved in that. The women typically watch, laugh at us and our shenanigans, or ignore us altogether. Sometimes, we’ll go out on the lake in the boat or go swimming. What I can guarantee is that there’ll be a ton of food, lots of conversation, and a bunch of fun. We always end the evening with everyone finding a spot somewhere on the property to watch the fireworks.”
It sounded wonderful, and I was looking forward to it.
I’d gone from being a woman who wasn’t exactly thrilled with large crowds to finally feeling excited about the prospect of it. Maybe it was because I’d already attended Cooper’s party and had already met the people who’d be in attendance today, or perhaps it was something else. Maybe I’d finally found people I liked being around.
Granted, I hadn’t had enough time yet to build any sort of meaningful relationship with any of them, but I liked what I saw. I couldn’t miss the way they interacted with one another and how they treated each other. The Westwood family was everything I imagined a family should be.
“It sounds like I’m in for a real treat,” I said. “I’m kind of excited for it.”
Cooper looked over at me and grinned. “Yeah, I’d say so. What I like is that you don’t seem to have the nerves you had a few days ago.”
He was right. Nodding, I said, “It’s funny you say that, because I was just thinking that I’d like to try to get to know some of your family a bit better. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to do that today.”
Without an ounce of hesitation, Cooper reached over and grabbed hold of my hand. Then, in a move I hadn’t been expecting, he pressed his lips to my knuckles, allowing them to linger there while something moved through his features. “There’s going to be plenty of time for that to happen today. It makes me happy to know you want to do that.”
My fingers twitched against his, my mind still buzzing from the feel of his lips on my skin. Something about what I’d said had impacted him, and that kiss made it impossible not to notice. Doing my best to ignore the trembling in my belly, so I wouldn’t crawl across the center console while he was driving, I whispered, “Yeah, me too.”
For the remainder of our drive, Cooper told me about the previous years’ tournaments, and the games they played. It seemed his grandparents had planned just about every game imaginable, from cornhole and three-legged races to flag football and dodgeball. They’d even done tug-of-war, a water balloon toss, and kickball.
Fun.
Even if I got to do nothing else besides witness whatever Cooper’s grandparents had decided would be the game for this year, I didn’t doubt I was going to enjoy myself and be entertained. Because I was quickly learning, if there was one thing the Westwood family excelled at, it was knowing how to have a good time.
Keeping that thought in mind, I could only consider myself lucky to have met Cooper. Because what I hoped I’d be able to share with him tonight would only lead to the two of us having some fun of our own.
18
SKYE
It was Frisbee.
Ultimate Frisbee, to be precise.
Cooper and I had arrived about an hour ago, and much to my relief, the setting was just as he’d described. Only his immediate family, his grandparents, and his aunt, uncle, and cousins were in attendance. Rhea and Ava were both present as well, but Marco had not arrived yet.
Even with the number of people present, it was still far more intimate than Cooper’s party had been. And I liked that, because I felt much more comfortable and believed I’d be able to connect with at least one or two of his family members.
From the moment we’d gotten here, Cooper and I had mingled with his family. Everyone was making small talk, grabbing drinks, and enjoying the sunshine. But it became clear there was something big on the horizon when Cooper’s grandparents revealed they’d decided on having a Frisbee tournament.
Ever since I’d met him, it was obvious Cooper had a competitive side. What I hadn’t anticipated was seeing all of his brothers and cousins were the same way. They were eager to get things started. And just as he said, most of the women opted out of the battle.