Page 50 of Broken Heart

But I didn’t use my fingers.

Cooper held on to the tail as I pulled out the meat using my teeth. There was an explosion of delicious flavor in my mouth, forcing me to drop my head back, close my eyes, and moan. I chewed, swallowed, and returned my attention to Cooper, whose gaze had darkened. He had a smile playing on his lips. “Good?”

I returned the smile, nodded, and declared, “I can see why it’s your favorite. That was so yummy.”

Cooper held the skewer out to me. “It’s yours.”

“No. That’s yours, and it’s your favorite. I can’t take it,” I said.

He tipped his head to the side in the direction of his plate and pointed out, “I have two others. Plus, I can just go back and grab more if I want. You take this one.”

I sent a look of appreciation his way as I took the skewer from him. “Thanks, Cooper.”

He gave me a wink, squeezed my thigh, and said, “You’re welcome, Skye.”

The two of us returned our attention to our food, and I started to feel more relaxed.

For a short while, I happily ate while I moved my gaze through the crowd, trying to recall everyone’s name. I was relatively sure I recalled the names of Cooper’s immediate family, which I thought was most important.

But eventually, the mental gymnastics were brought to a halt when someone said, “So, Skye, did I hear correctly that you’re also part of a family business?”

That question came from Rhea, who looked completely at ease, sitting beside Wyatt as they ate.

I offered a slight nod in return before I explained, “Well, I’m technically the sole owner now. My grandmother opened The Next Chapter forty-three years ago. It’s a used and indie bookstore that’s been a part of my life since I was a kid. My grandmother, who raised me from the time I was eight when my parents died, has since passed, but I’ve been honored to follow in her footsteps and continue running the store.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Rhea said.

“Thank you.”

“Your parents died when you were eight?” Jules asked. Her voice indicated she couldn’t begin to wrap her head around the possibility of that being true.

“Yes. Sadly, they were the victims of a robbery gone wrong,” I shared. When I noted the horrified looks around me, I apologized, “Sorry, that’s probably too heavy for the occasion.”

I felt Cooper’s hand settle on my thigh again. “I don’t think anyone is looking for an apology, sweetheart.”

“Of course, we’re not,” Malcolm insisted.

While there were still muted conversations happening in other groups around the backyard, an awkward silence fell over those that surrounded Cooper and me. I felt awful for bringing the spirit of the party down.

Fortunately, Evelyn was quick on her toes. “You know, I went into that bookstore looking for a job once.”

Relief swept through me, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for her in that moment. Because not only was Evelyn changing the subject, but apparently, she was sharing information that nobody else seemed to have heard before now.

There were gasps from all around, and it appeared that even her children weren’t aware of this information. I glanced at Cooper, and he shot me a look that indicated he had just heard this news for the first time in his life.

“You did?” I asked.

She nodded. “It was just around the holiday season so many years ago. In fact, it was the same day I met Malcolm. I had just lost my warehouse job the day before, so I was out looking for another one. I was walking through downtown Landing and stopped in at the bookstore. It was probably your grandmother I spoke to when I was there. Unfortunately, she said she wasn’t hiring.”

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry,” I apologized.

Evelyn shook her head, a bright smile on her face. “Don’t be. If she had been hiring, I wouldn’t have continued walking down the street handing out resumes, and I never would have met Malcolm inside the coffeeshop a little farther down the block.”

“Are you talking about The Java House?”

“That’s the one. I love that it’s still there, along with your bookstore.”

“I’m grateful for the bookstore, too,” Marco declared.

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