7. COOPER

7

COOPER

"Hey, where are you going?"

With my phone clutched in my hand, I stopped moving and turned to face Marco. We'd had a problem with one of the conche machines in the chocolate factory. The conche machines played an important role in the chocolate making process, and even if we had more than one of them, having one down disrupted the production and flow.

Marco and I, along with two other guys on the team, came down to the factory to repair the machine. We'd been working on it for the last hour, having diagnosed the problem, and it was well on its way to being fully repaired within the next two hours or so.

I still had a mountain of work to do with Liam over at the amusement park—the expansion was adding another layer of work there—and I had wanted to stop by the hotel to talk to Ivy. Unfortunately, I couldn't do either of those things yet.

Holding my phone up in front of me, I said, "I just got a call from Wyatt. He's with my dad and Tate, so I can only assume there's a meeting happening."

Marco let out a laugh. "Your favorite."

My lip curled in disgust as I shook my head. "Yeah, right." Jerking my head toward the conche machine, I asked, "Do you have this under control?"

"Of course, I do."

"Alright, good. Because after I see what they need from me, I've got a couple other things to take care of," I told him. "When you're finished up with this, give me a call, and I'll let you know where I need the three of you to go. I've got another crew over at the museum right now, so depending on whether anything else pops up, I might have two of you head over there and the other meet up with me."

"No problem. I'll talk to you in about two hours, assuming we don't run into any problems with this," Marco returned. "Enjoy your meeting."

I narrowed my eyes at my best friend before turning and stalking off. It was widely known by just about everyone I oversaw in the operations and maintenance department, as well as my family members, that there was nothing I hated more than attending meetings.

The way I saw it, nothing got accomplished in meetings. At least, not the kind of work that I needed to get done. And if I was sitting in on a meeting, the things I needed to do would be delayed in getting completed.

Since my family was aware of my aversion to meetings, they tried to call me in only when it was absolutely necessary, after they'd gone through several meetings and had reached the point where my input was now required.

Although I was well aware they wouldn't be calling me if they hadn't reached the point where it was necessary, I still couldn't stop myself from feeling irritated.

I left the factory and made my way to the building that housed our offices. As I rode the elevator to the floor where I'd find my family waiting, I glanced down at my phone, tapped on the screen to open my text messages, and scrolled through the most recent text string.

If there was one thing that could bring a smile to my face while I was at work, it was a simple thought of Skye. Recalling the way she looked at me or something she said had this unexplainable power to improve my mood.

When I woke up this morning, my thoughts had immediately drifted to her and our date last night. So much about what I'd learned about her life had left me stunned, but the grace and humility she continued to live with had me intrigued. There was something undeniably special about Skye, and I was convinced I'd only scratched the surface of what made her the woman she was. I wanted to know more, and she had me captivated enough to want to do whatever it took to get it.

So, believing she was going to need constant reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere, I sent her a text this morning.

Do you think it'll be believable?

I wanted to ask her something that would invite additional conversation, because as hectic as things were in my life, I found myself wanting to make time for Skye.

As the elevator doors opened, I slid my phone back into my pocket and made my way to Wyatt's office.

The moment I stepped inside, my eyes narrowed, and I attempted to discern what was happening.

Not only did I find Wyatt, my dad, Malcolm, and Tate there, but my younger sister, Jules, and my mom, Evelyn, were also there.

All of them were wearing looks of excitement and were caught up in a conversation. My mom spotted me first and smiled. "Hey, Coop. How's it going?"

"Hi, Mom. It's busy. I was working in the warehouse with Marco on the conche machine," I explained.

"Did you guys figure out the problem?" my dad questioned me.

I nodded. "Yeah, Marco is there with Trey and Raul right now, fixing it. Within the next two hours, it should be up and running again."

"That's excellent."

"Yeah, but I still have a laundry list of things I've got to get done, so I'm hoping you didn't request for me to come here just to ask how my day is going. Since Liam and Ivy aren't here, I can only assume you've concocted another project you need me to take on," I surmised.

Wyatt moved in my direction, clapped a hand on my shoulder, and asked, "Are you ever going to lighten up and enjoy a break for a few minutes?"

My eyes cut harshly to his and narrowed further. "I've got things to do."

"Alright, alright," Tate interrupted. "Let's cut to the chase here, so Cooper can get back to drowning himself in endless work."

"Like you have any room to talk," I said. "If anyone needs to make time to relax a little, it's you. There's nobody in this room that's as uptight and lost in their work as you."

"Precisely the reason I'm looking to have this discussion," he noted. "The sooner we have this, the sooner we can both return to doing what we love."

When nobody made a move to speak, I took a guess as to what was happening. My gaze settled on Jules. My baby sister, freshly out of high school, nervously bit her lip, an indication I hadn't been wrong.

"What's going on, Jules?"

"How do you know it's about me?" she countered.

I shrugged. "Lucky guess."

She inhaled deeply and sighed, a rush of air leaving her lungs as she moved out from behind Wyatt's desk.

"Well, I talked to Mom about this first, and she suggested I go to Tate about it," Jules began. "He and I have spent a lot of time over the last couple of weeks discussing it, and once we worked out all the details and came up with a plan, we went to Dad and Wyatt. They are both in agreement about it, so we decided it was time to bring you on board with it."

At least I couldn't say I didn't know my family. I wasn't the least bit surprised they had conducted several meetings about something before choosing to bring it up to me. "Well, I'm here now, so tell me what's going on."

Jules moved in my direction and came to a stop a few feet in front of me. "I've been thinking about what I'd like to do once I finish the accelerated pastry program, and I've come up with an idea."

My brows shot up in surprise. Though Jules had always been very focused, I hadn't realized she was thinking that far ahead. She still had close to a year of learning ahead of her. To say I was curious to know what she'd come up with would have been an understatement.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I want to have a bakery," she declared.

"What?"

A smile breaking out on her face, she said, "I want to have my own bakery."

It was safe to say I'd expected my sister intended to use the knowledge she gained in the pastry program to build a career. But I was still unsure how this impacted me. "That's excellent. You know how much we all enjoy everything you make. I think you'll be wildly successful."

Something warm stole over her expression. "Thanks, Cooper. That means a lot to me. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be as successful as I'd like to be if I can't convince you to help me."

Slowly, everything was coming together. "Considering I don't know the first thing about baking, I get the feeling I've got to build something."

"Will you?" she asked, hope surging in her features and her voice.

I glanced around the room, noting the anticipation written on the faces of my parents and my two brothers. Whether they believed they all needed to be here or not remained unclear, but it was entirely unnecessary.

Returning my attention to Jules, I asked, "What are you looking to have me do?"

"I was hoping you'd be willing to build a bakery for me," she revealed.

"Where?"

She shrugged. "Well, I don't know if it's possible, but I was hoping we could put it near the food court, perhaps right after people disembark from the chocolate-making tour ride."

My mind immediately ran through all the possible options for accomplishing this task for Jules. It would be no small undertaking. "It's going to be a lot of work, Jules," I told her.

Nodding, she murmured, "I understand. I know you have a lot on your plate right now, especially with helping Liam in the oversight of the amusement park expansion. That's why I thought it might help to ask you about it now. But I realize there's only so much you can do."

I could feel the crease form between my brows. "Why does it sound like you're disappointed?"

Shaking her head, she pressed her lips together. Following a beat of silence, Jules answered, "I… I… it's nothing. It's just that I was really excited about this."

"You should be," I told her, my eyes darting around the room again. Noting the concerned looks on everyone's faces, I asked, "Do you guys think I'd ever decline doing this?"

Relief swept through them, and the heaviness I hadn't even noticed was in the air suddenly lifted.

"I knew you would," my mom said softly, pride written all over her face.

"Of course, I will," I confirmed, bringing my focus back to Jules. "I'd be honored to play a role in helping you realize your dreams. And I'll do what I can to make it happen by the time you're done with your program."

Without a moment of hesitation, Jules lunged forward and threw her arms around me. "Thank you, Coop."

"You're welcome," I replied, hugging her back. "But we're family, Jules. Don't ever doubt that I'll always be here for you, no matter what you need."

Her arms tightened around me briefly before she loosened her hold and stepped back. "I won't."

I offered a smile in return. "Good." My eyes slid to the side where Tate was standing, and I said, "I can only assume you've worked up a whole plan for this?"

He nodded. "We have."

"Get whatever you've got over to me, and I'll review it," I told him.

Tate's expression matched my mom's from just a few seconds earlier. "Will do."

"You know, it blows my mind that any of you thought I wouldn't do this for her," I declared.

"We knew you had a lot on your plate, son," my dad replied.

"That doesn't matter. You're all my family, and I'm never not going to help any of you whenever you need me," I argued. "I might bitch about it, but I'm still going to do it."

Through his laughter, Wyatt said, "We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Alright, am I good to go here? I've got to get back to work."

"We're good," Dad confirmed.

Before I could turn to walk away, I felt my phone vibrate against my leg. Pulling it out, I saw the name I'd been hoping to see all morning long and felt something move through me at the sight of it.

Skye had responded to my text, and she'd replied exactly how I'd expected.

SKYE

I'd love nothing more than to answer your question, but I have no idea what you are talking about.

Recognizing she had her phone on her and might have a few minutes to talk, I quickly tapped out a response.

Us. Do you think we'll be believable at the charity event?

SKYE

Oh. I don't know. What do you think?

I think we have a fighting chance, but it might not be a bad idea to be certain.

SKYE

How would we do that?

We could get together again one more time before the event. Just to be sure.

"Earth to Cooper."

Wyatt's voice broke through the thoughts I was having and forced me to lower my phone. Everyone was still in the office, staring at me like I'd grown three heads.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" I asked.

"I… what's going on?" he countered.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"You've never looked that happy while at work," Tate interjected.

Jules gasped. "Oh, there's a girl. Isn't there?"

I didn't respond.

Following an extended silence, my mom moved close, wrapped her hands around my arm, and squeezed. "Aw, Cooper. I'm so excited. Who is she?"

"What makes you two assume there's a girl?" I questioned them.

My mom was beaming at me as Jules declared, "I might not have ever really been able to see you while you were here working over the years, since I was still in school, but I know you, Cooper. You would not be texting and smiling like that if Marco or anyone else were reaching out to you about something related to work. That look on your face says it all."

Once again, I remained silent.

My dad took that opportunity to join in the conversation. "Is there someone?"

They weren't going to let it go, so I figured it was best to just set the record straight. "There is a girl, but we're not officially dating or anything like that. She got out of a bad relationship a few months ago and isn't looking to get into another one."

"So, you're just friends?" Wyatt pressed.

If anyone should have been able to understand my predicament, it was Wyatt. He had a girlfriend now, but the start of things between them had been a bit rocky, considering she believed he was merely out to steal her family's farm.

"We're figuring that out," I answered. "She's the owner of the bookstore that I needed to repair the door on last week, and I happened to be there when a situation popped up. I'm going to be escorting her to the charity event for literacy that's being hosted at the hotel next weekend."

"Oh, that's wonderful," my mom said. "I think if you just take your time and show her the kind of guy you are, whatever is preventing her from wanting to pursue another relationship will no longer be a hindrance."

I could feel the tension ease from my frame as I sent a small smile in her direction. "I appreciate that, Mom. But don't get your hopes up. I'm just helping her out of a tough spot right now."

"I'm not so sure I believe that's all there is to it," my dad stated. "That level of distraction mixed with the look on your face tells me there's a whole lot more there for you, even if she's not ready for it."

Refuting that point would have been foolish. Not only would they not believe me, but the truth was that I didn't want to lie about it, either. I wanted more with Skye than she wanted in return.

"Maybe. But for now, I just need to do what Mom said and take it slow. Whatever happens, happens."

"If there's anything we can do to help, just let us know," Jules offered.

"I appreciate that. Thanks. Now, I really do have to get back to work, so Tate, don't forget to get everything over to me. I'll start reviewing it later tonight."

"Will do. And good luck with the girl."

With that, I turned around and walked out of Wyatt's office.

And only after I'd made it back onto the elevator did I look at my phone to see Skye's response.

SKYE

Do you really want to do that?

I grinned.

I'd love nothing more. I'll call you later tonight to set something up.

Almost instantly, she replied.

SKYE

Okay.

With a smile still plastered on my face, I tucked my phone back into my pocket. And I wore it there for the next few minutes until I got back to work.