Page 94 of Broken Heart

“But it’s your birthday,” he reasoned.

I nodded. “I know. But I don’t mind stopping over there, so you can help them. Come on. The longer we stand here, the longer until we can start celebrating.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” he asked.

“Positive.”

He hesitated a beat before focusing on the phone call again. “Alright, Mom. We’ll stop there first. But if it takes longer than expected, I might need to come back tomorrow.” Another pause. “Alright. We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Cooper disconnected the call, slid his phone back into his pocket, and turned sympathetic eyes in my direction. “I’m sorry. They’re having a problem with the kitchen sink. I could explain all the details to you now, but we’ll just delay getting our day together started. Are you all set to go?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

A minute later, Cooper and I were in his truck and on the way to his parents’ house. Though it would have been disappointing to have whatever plans Cooper came up with for my birthday ruined, it seemed we’d still be able to make it all happen and help his parents out of a bind. Plus, I hadn’t seen his mom and dad since they’d had a small celebration for Liam’s birthday at the end of October. They normally had such lavish celebrations, but Liam wasn’t up for it. So, he settled for a dinner with his family. And considering it hadn’t been anything extravagant by Westwood family standards, I still thought it was lovely.

Over the last couple of months, I’d grown closer with Cooper’s family, especially his mom and grandmother. And while I knew they would never replace the space in my heart reserved for my own family, I was eager to latch on to Cooper’s family.

They made me feel welcome all the time, and I no longer felt like an outsider. It was almost as though I’d become one of them. I was an only child, but the way Cooper’s siblings treated me, I felt like their sister. The boys occasionally joked around with me—mostly about how much Cooper’s mood had improved since I came into the picture—and the girls didn’t hesitate to bring me into the fold, too. Larry and Malcolm had also been extremely loving and kind toward me, too, treating me the way I knew my dad would have if he had still been alive.

As much as I adored all of them, it was the newfound relationship I had with Wendy and Evelyn that impacted me the most. The way they included me and looked after me reminded me of my grandmother and my mom. And when they’d both invited me to come help with their gardening as they prepared to head into the fall and winter months, my heart had all but exploded in my chest.

I’d been so devastated for so long about all that I’d lost, and in the months that I’d known Cooper, I’d gotten far more than I ever imagined possible. He gave me a family that I’d never want to let go of.

Before I knew it, we’d pulled into the driveway at his parents’ estate. Cooper came around to open my door, then held my hand as we walked to the front door. As I learned a while ago, none of the Westwood children ever knocked when they arrived at the house. If their parents were expecting them, the door was always unlocked.

Cooper opened the door and urged me inside ahead of him. After he closed the door, he guided me forward with his hand at the small of my back.

And that’s when it happened.

“Surprise!”

I came to an abrupt halt on the spot and took in the scene.

Cooper’s entire family was there. Even Liam was standing there with a smile on his face. Apparently, he wasn’t sick.

My wide eyes scanned the crowed, before they fell on Cooper. “What did you do?”

He grinned at me. “We’re celebrating your birthday.”

I was in shock. “You planned a surprise party for me?”

“Did you think there was any chance we wouldn’t make a big deal about your birthday?” he countered. “This family doesn’t ever miss the opportunity for a celebration, sweetheart. Just enjoy it.”

“Happy birthday, Skye.”

That came from Jules, who had been the first to approach. She opened her arms to me and hugged me tight. For the next several minutes, I was greeted by every member of Cooper’s family. Even his best friend, Marco, was there. Ava was still on tour, so sadly, she wasn’t in attendance. But even without Ava, it was still the best thing anyone had ever done for me.

When Cooper came into my life, I thought I was lucky to have met him. Meeting his family and becoming close with them as well was icing on the cake. There was no question just how fortunate I was. His family meant so much to me, and it meant the world they had gone to the trouble to plan a party for me.

After getting a round of hugs and birthday wishes, Evelyn said, “We’ve got all the food set up in the kitchen, so why don’t we head out there and get started? Then we’ll have time for fun and games before dessert.”

As everyone made their way toward the kitchen, I stopped and sought out Cooper. Wrapping both arms around his neck, I lifted on my toes and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Do you know how much I love you?”

His lips twitched with his amusement. “I have a pretty good idea.”

“This means everything to me, Cooper. Thank you for planning this.”

“To be fair, it was my idea to throw the surprise party for you, but the heavy lifting was done by my mom, my gram, and my sisters. I think my Aunt Mina was involved, too. I told them what I wanted, and they took care of it all.”