Page 62 of Broken Heart

Of course, Cooper proved it was my comfort he had at the forefront of his mind. “Are you going to be okay hanging with my sisters, Rhea, and Ava while I play? Or would you rather I sit this out?”

“Go and play,” I urged him. “I’ll be fine.”

Cooper had proven he wasn’t the kind of guy who’d ever put me in a situation that would be harmful or uncomfortable for me, and I knew this would be no different. So, I had nothing to worry about. But it meant the world to me that he was content to put my needs before his wants. It was incredibly sweet.

With my assurance I’d be okay, Cooper and I walked toward the action. His grandparents, like his parents, had a sizeable property with a massive open space in the back of the house to not only host a BBQ but for the game, too.

When we’d gotten close, Cooper had urged me to grab the empty seat beside Rhea. My seat and hers were on one end of the semi-circle of chairs that had been claimed by Ivy, Jules, and Ava.

“Hey, Skye,” Jules bubbled. “It looks like you’re being smart, like the women in this family.”

I smiled at Cooper’s youngest sister before turning that smile on the rest of them. “Yeah. The volleyball in the pool was one thing, but this would be pushing it for me. You don’t mind if I join you, do you?”

“Not at all.”

I glanced up at Cooper, who was clearly pleased with his sister being so welcoming. “Go have fun.”

“Okay. Don’t let them tell you any lies about me,” he advised, holding his hands over his head and creating a makeshift crown. “No matter what they say, I’m an angel.”

I rolled my eyes and sat down as he ran off. Ivy had her eyes on her brother and mumbled, “I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Pardon?”

Turning her attention to me, she said, “Don’t get me wrong. Cooper is generally pleasant in situations not involving work, but he’s different.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Ava chimed in. “This is another level, if you ask me.”

“I… Is it a bad thing?” I asked, feeling my belly tighten painfully with worry.

Ivy and Ava shook their heads, but it was Jules who answered. “No. I think we’re all just feeling a bit of shock. That’s all. Trust me, this is wonderful.”

Okay, so that made me feel much better. The coiling feeling I’d felt in my stomach unraveled with relief.

When my eyes slid to Rhea for additional confirmation, she said, “I’m with you, Skye. I’ve never seen the grumpy side of Cooper. He’s always been nice to me. Then again, I’ve really only seen him in these types of situations.”

I still hadn’t gotten over the fact everyone seemed to believe Cooper was a grouch. He was never angry or moody around me.

“I get the feeling if Cooper hadn’t met Skye, you would have eventually seen it,” Ivy said. “You just haven’t had enough time around him yet for it to come out.”

It seemed they believed I’d had a profound effect on Cooper’s mood. It warmed my heart to think I had the power to impact a man like him in such a tremendous way, and I couldn’t hide how it made me feel. The corners of my mouth tipped up in a smile.

Just then, there was a bit of a commotion out in the middle of the field. We all looked in that direction and saw that despite the loud voices, everyone seemed to be happy. It was all just a bit of friendly fire.

“Well, I have been around Cooper enough to notice the competitive side to him,” I confessed. “That man doesn’t like to lose.”

“Ha! That’s a Westwood trait,” Ava declared. “All the guys are like that.”

“Speaking from experience, I can confirm that’s the truth,” Rhea added. “Wyatt refused to be denied.”

“Can I ask how you and Wyatt met?”

Before Rhea could respond, Jules declared, “Oh, boy. You better buckle up for this one.”

To say I was intrigued would have been an understatement, so I settled myself in for Rhea’s answer. Only, that was short-lived.

Because a flying disc went whizzing through the air, pulling my attention away from the women. Apparently, all of the Westwood men were men of action, not just Cooper. I would have expected they’d all need some time to sort out teams and rules, but they just jumped right into the game without needing to spend much time talking about it.

Color me impressed.