“That must be hard.”
Simon shook his head and wrapped his arms around his knees. “Trust me. I prefer it that way.”
“At least you’ve got someone to take the focus off you,” Adam said, reminding them he was an only child.
“I guess I’m lucky,” Brooke said. “My mom supports everything I do.”
“What about your dad?” Adam asked. “Not Harland Jansen. I know he passed a couple years ago. But your real dad?”
How does he know that?
She didn’t like thinking about how her real dad left and never looked back. “I don’t know anything about what he’s doing now. He left us a long time ago. It’s just me, my mom, and Cody now.”
Simon scrunched his mouth. “Do you get along with him? Everything between me and my brother is a competition. And he wins all the time.”
“I’m sure that’s not true. And Cody isn’t my brother. We’re friends. And he’s older, and a guy, so I never felt like I had to compete with him. He always felt like someone I could count on to help me.”
“Must be nice,” Adam commented, and Simon nodded his agreement. “What are your plans after graduation?”
Brooke had put a lot of thought into what came next but didn’t have an actual plan. “I own part of the ranch, so I’ll help Cody run it.”
“Really?” Adam looked skeptical. “Is that an expectation or what you really want to do?” She smirked at him. “I see what you did there, throwing my question to you back at me.”
“Answer it,” he cajoled with a knowing grin.
“I love the ranch. Especially the horses. But there is something else I’ve thought about doing. But…it’s a silly idea.”
“I bet it’s not.” Adam stared at her, waiting.
“Putting together this party brought up a lot of memories of my stepdad and made me think.” She paused, unsure if she should say it out loud.
Adam and Simon stared, their gazes open and earnest for her to go on.
“I want to continue what my stepfather taught me. Community is everything. He supported local businesses. I want to do that, too, to keep our small businesses alive and thriving. I have some money. I thought I’d maybe open my own business or something.” Her heart pounded. She couldn’t believe she’d spoken that tiny little seed of a dream out loud.
Adam perked up. “My dad was talking to someone when we arrived. She was telling him that her local bookstore was probably going to close because she wants to retire next year and she can’t find anyone interested in buying or running it. You could do it.”
She had her inheritance. Cody managed it until she turned twenty-one next year. Investing in a small business sounded like a great idea. She loved reading romance and all its subgenres, fantasy, and thrillers. She could turn her love of books into a job she loved.
Adam shrugged. “I’d like to ditch my parents’ expectation and spend my days being a bookworm in a quiet shop.”
Brooke grinned. “It does sound lovely.” She imagined it in her head. “There’s a vacant space next to the bookstore. I could turn it into a café.”
Simon sat up straighter. “Now you’re talking. Coffee, tea, cupcakes and other treats.”
Brooke cocked her head toward the buffet. “They’re setting out dessert right now. Let’s head over and get some before all the double chocolate cupcakes are gone.”
They all stood and Brooke met Adam’s gaze. “Thanks for the suggestion. I’m going to look into the bookstore idea.”
Adam smirked. “Okay. Good. I think you’d be really good at it.”
Brooke looked from Adam to Simon. “You guys are really cool. I’m glad I got to know you better today.”
“Maybe we can meet up at school for coffee or something,” Simon suggested.
“I’d love to. With both of you.”
Adam’s anxious gaze dipped away with shyness but he nodded.
