Chapter 9
Twisting the fidget spinner between her fingers, Katherine searched for Ollie at the shelter.
Cody agreed to wait on the porch. Not only did she want an opportunity to discuss the situation with her son before she introduced him to Cody, but she also didn’t want his presence to alarm Beth or any other woman who could show up in distress.
The sound of giggling drew her into the library on the main floor.
She always loved this room. The dark green walls were like a comforting hug, and the row of books lining the built-in shelves made her wish she had hours to pour over the pages.
And when a fire was lit, it took all her effort not to pour herself a glass of wine and curl onto the oversized sofa.
The boys weren’t interested in the books or the fireplace. Instead, Ollie and Jimmy sat in the corner looking through trading cards from one of the cartoons they both loved.
“Hey, you two,” she said, the sing-song quality of her voice ringing false. “Sorry I took so long, but something came up. Here’s the fidget spinner you wanted to see.”
The boys jumped to their feet and ran across the room, their cards forgotten on the floor behind them.
Ollie threw his arms around her waist before grabbing the toy from her outstretched hand. “Thanks, Mom!”
“Yeah, Ms. Katherine,” Jimmy said. “You’re the best!”
She spent a minute watching the boys light up and play with the toy before interrupting their fun. “Jimmy, can you find Elsie for a second? I need to speak with Ollie.”
“You can show her my toy.” Ollie handed over the spinner.
“She’ll love it.” Jimmy took the toy and ran from the room.
“That was nice of you,” she said, pride swelling her chest at his generosity. He’d always been such a sweet kid. She was glad to see that the blows of life hadn’t changed him. “Come sit with me.” Taking his hand, she led him to the sofa.
He hopped up and settled in close to her.
She’d spoken with Cody on the way to the shelter about the best way to approach Ollie. But now that the moment was here, dread slowed her thoughts. She didn’t want to spook him but also didn’t want to lie.
“The reason it took me so long to get back with your toy is because there was an issue.”
He frowned, fear inching into his big brown eyes. “What happened?”
“Someone is mad at Mommy. Grandpa, Uncle Owen, and Uncle Tommy are looking for him so they can make sure he can’t hurt me.
But until then, we can’t stay at our house.
” She took a moment to gauge his reaction.
When he seemed okay, she continued. “We’re going to spend a few days with a friend. Like a little vacation.”
He perked up. “With Jimmy and Elsie?”
She smiled down at him. “No, honey. A friend who works with Uncle Owen and Uncle Tommy.”
Frowning, he clutched his little hands in his lap. “Do I know him?”
“He was friends with your daddy.” Okay, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but her gut told her that would put Ollie a little more at ease.
“Does he have a pool?”
The seriousness of the question lifted her lips. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”
“You said it’s like vacation,” he said, shrugging. “We always swim when we go on vacation.”
Chuckling, she squeezed him in a side hug. “That’s true. Swimming might not be an option, especially since it’s really not that warm, but he does have a dog.”
Excitement vibrated through him, and he shot to his feet. “Really? A big one or a little one? What’s its name? Can we play fetch?”
She held up her hands. “I don’t have any answers for you, silly. But if you’re ready to meet my friend, we can head outside and you can ask him all the questions you want.”
He nibbled on his thumbnail. “Is your friend nice?”
“He’s very nice.”
“Okay, let’s go.” He sprinted toward the door.
“Wait for me.” She hurried after him, not wanting him out of her sight in case something—or someone—waited outside. “We need to tell Elsie and Jimmy goodbye.”
Ollie switched directions and headed toward the store at the back of the shelter.
Katherine reached him at the doorway and circled her arms around his neck to pull him close.
He must have sensed her need to be near him because he didn’t struggle against her hug like he’d started to do lately.
She gave Elsie a quick, watered down version of what was happening and promised to call her later before steering Ollie back toward the front door.
“Wait!” Jimmy yelled and ran out to the hallway. “Here’s your fidget spinner. It’s super cool.”
Ollie grinned. “Thanks.” He took back his toy and gave a little wave before stepping outside.
The warm spring sun hit Katherine in the face. She drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs with crisp, mountain air. She kept one hand on Ollie’s slim shoulder and walked beside him down the porch steps to the driveway.
Cody stood on the sidewalk. He lifted his hand in greeting.
She wiggled her fingers in a come-here motion.
Nerves bunched in her core, vibrating her insides.
She wanted Ollie to like Cody. Wanted the two of them to like each other.
She wasn’t exactly sure what that meant but understood that how these two got along would impact the way she navigated any attachment to Cody.
Because even if she might be ready to take a step toward her new future, it didn’t mean Ollie was. And Ollie would always be her number one priority.
Reading her signal, Cody shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers. With his shirtsleeves pushed up to his elbows, his muscular forearms stood out against his khaki uniform.
Saliva pooled in her mouth, and she cleared her throat to clear any lingering desire from her system. Dang, how was it possible for these feelings to sneak up so suddenly for someone she’d known her entire life?
“Hi, Ollie. I’m Cody. It’s so nice to meet you.” He slid one hand out from his pocket and extended it toward Ollie.
Ollie scrunched his nose. “Why’s your hand dirty?”
Cody twisted his wrist to look at his palm and shrugged. “I was changing the oil on your Pappy’s truck. I must have gotten some on me and haven’t had a chance to wash it off.”
“Wow,” Ollie said, eyes widening. “You like cars? Do you like Hot Wheels?”
“I like all kinds of stuff.” Cody grinned and kept his attention squarely on Ollie.
Katherine’s toes curled in her sneakers. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was one of those things he could like.
“And you have a dog?”
“Yep. Her name is Bailey. She’s going to love you.”
Ollie finally fit his little hand in Cody’s and gave one big shake. “Can’t wait to meet her. She can play cars with us. Mom, did you pack my toys? I want to play with Cody and Bailey.”
He scampered ahead and climbed into the back of Cody’s cruiser.
Cody’s gaze latched onto hers and the side of his mouth slid up.
A shiver raced down her spine. Her son wasn’t the only one who wanted to play with Cody, but she’d keep that thought to herself. At least for a little while longer.
Cody hoped Katherine and Ollie couldn’t see the anxiousness creeping over him as he led them up his porch and fished his keys out of his pocket. So far, Ollie seemed to like him. At least the boy’s constant chatter on the drive to his house smothered any tension he or Katherine experienced.
A big, loud bark boomed from inside.
“Be prepared. Bailey’s a sweet girl, but she doesn’t understand how big she is. She can get a little excited. Make sure she knows you’re the boss, okay?”
Ollie puffed up his chest. “I’m the boss,” he repeated.
“I’ll introduce you both to her then come out to grab your bags.”
“I can help with that,” Katherine said. “No need to fuss over us.”
He wanted to argue, to admit he wanted nothing more than to fuss over them. Give them whatever they needed to make their lives a little more comfortable. But he didn’t want her to feel smothered or as if he was swooping in and taking control.
Frantic barking told him he better open the door before Bailey burst through the front window. He unlocked the door and swung it open, stepping over the threshold to stop his dog from barging outside and knocking poor Ollie on his backside.
“Hey, girl. Calm down. I brought some new friends for you, but you have to sit.” He crouched and looped an arm over the dog’s neck to pin her in place.
Excitement vibrated Bailey’s entire body, her tail thumping against the wooden planks of the porch.
Katherine covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my gosh, she’s so cute!”
“Can I pet her?” Ollie asked, taking one step forward.
“Go for it,” Cody said. “But remember. You’re in charge.”
Ollie lifted a hand for the dog to smell, and when Bailey’s giant tongue shot out to lick him, he giggled. He erased the distance between them and threw his arms around the dog.
Bailey sat still, her mouth open in a dopey smile.
Katherine patted the top of Bailey’s head. “She’s so fluffy. And big. I swear she looks more like a curly-haired wolf than a dog. How long have you had her?”
“A couple of years.” He didn’t want to go into how Bailey had ended up in his care. Especially in front of Ollie. “Let’s head inside.”
Bailey bounded in the house as if wanting to lead the tour. She ran in a giant circle in the living room and jumped in the air like a kid on a damn trampoline.
Ollie’s laughter made the dog’s antics welcome for once. “She’s funny. Does she fetch?”
Cody flicked a wrist toward a basket in the corner of the room.
“All her toys are in there. She’ll take any kind of attention you can give her.
” He glanced at Katherine and her wide smile as she watched her son play with the dog turned him into a puddle of mush.
“I’ll grab the bags now while he’s having fun.
You can help if you want or stay and join in the excitement. ”
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay. Keep an eye on him just in case.”
Although he knew without a shadow of a doubt Bailey wouldn’t do anything on purpose to hurt the boy, he understood her wanting to keep an eye on her son with a new to her dog.
“I’ll be right back.”
He hurried outside to secure their bags and brought them back inside.
“Do you want to see your room?” he asked Ollie. “I’m sure Bailey will follow you. Heck, she’ll probably want to sleep with you tonight if your mom’s okay with it, but just know she’s a bed hog.”
“She’s like a giant pillow,” Ollie said. “Can she sleep with me, Mom? Please!”
“Unless you’re planning on going to bed before dinner, we can discuss this later. Here, let me help you with those.” She grabbed her duffle from Cody, her fingers brushing against his.
He gritted his teeth at his body’s reaction to her simple touch. No way he’d survive having her stay in his home if he couldn’t keep a tighter leash on his emotions.
Needing some space, he led the way down the hall. “I have two rooms. Ollie, you can sleep in this one.” He flipped on the light to the guest room and set the child’s bag on the floor, leaning the superhero suitcase against the wall. “Looks like your mom packed you enough stuff to stay for a month.”
“That’d be so much fun.” Ollie ran past him and jumped onto the bed. He laid on his back and settled his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. “Can we stay that long, Mom?”
Katherine’s smile tightened. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be here, buddy. Let’s just enjoy the time we have.”
Bailey barked as if in agreement and leapt into the bed, curling against Ollie and using his belly as a pillow.
“Well, they look comfortable enough,” he said, loving the way the little boy fit right in. “I’ll take you across the hall to where you’ll be staying.”
She frowned and turned her head away from Ollie so he couldn’t hear their conversation. “I thought you said you have two bedrooms,” she whispered.
“I do.”
“You want me to sleep with you in your room?” Her mouth fell open and her cheeks turned bright red.
A hundred images flashed in his mind, probably making his face as red as hers, and he cleared his throat. “Yes, I want you to sleep in my room but no, not with me.”
“Wait, I don’t understand. Where do you plan to sleep then?”
“The couch pulls out to a bed. I’ll sleep in the living room.”
“No way,” she said, shaking her head. “I can stay in here with Ollie. We’ve put you out enough already. There’s no need for me to steal your room, too.”
“You aren’t stealing anything, and you’re not putting me out. I want you here, and I want you in my bed.”
Desire flashed in her eyes and her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip.
His stomach muscles clenched and a part of his anatomy he couldn’t control strained against his pants. Shit. Even if what he said was true in every possible way, he had to figure out how to get his giant foot out of his mouth.
Swallowing hard, he averted her gaze and squeezed the back of his neck.
“What I meant to say is you’ve had a hard couple of days.
You need a comfortable place to rest. One without a little boy and probably a dog keeping you awake.
Besides, being in the living room keeps me more alert, and I want to make sure I hear anything just in case. ”
A small smile played on her lips. “Well, if you’re sure, the space would be nice. But if the sofa is too uncomfortable, just say the word and I’ll join Ollie and give you back your room.”
Decision made, he carried her things across the hall and set them down. “Make yourself at home. I need to make a call.”
Before she could respond, he hurried to the back deck and inhaled a deep breath. Nope. He definitely wouldn’t survive Katherine in his home. He was nothing more than a dead man walking.