Chapter 12
“Mommy?”
Katherine blinked her eyes open at the sound of Ollie’s confused little voice. Ollie’s face filled her vision, his nose all but pressed to hers. His eyebrows dipped low. Fatigue and confusion muddled her mind. She tried to form words but came up blank.
She stirred against rock hard muscle, warm hands smoothed against the heated skin of her back. A steady thump, thump, thump beat against her ear. Sunlight streaked in through a window and nearly blinded her sleep-sensitive retinas.
Oh God.
“Did you and Cody have a party? You had chocolate!”
Bailey jumped up and down, her loud bark sounding as annoyed as Ollie.
Her heart shot up her throat, and she jolted upright.
Cody lay beneath her, slowly waking. He stretched his arms above his head and a sliver of abdomen showed, making her mouth water.
Down girl. Focus on the main issue.
“Mom.” Ollie drew out the word into three whiny syllables. “I want candy.”
“No candy for you, buddy. Give me a few minutes to get some coffee and I’ll make you some breakfast.”
Cody slid out from under her and stood, scratching the stubble along his jawline that was scruffier than usual first thing in the morning. “I got it. What do you usually eat? A T-bone steak? Beef burrito? Maybe lasagna?”
Ollie giggled. “No, silly. Eggs and toast.”
“Oh, that’s easy.” Cody stretched his arms one more time, and when he dropped them to his sides, he looped one arm casually around Ollie’s neck and steered him toward the kitchen. “How about you feed Bailey while I let her outside? Then your mom can take her time getting ready for the day.”
“Mom doesn’t need time. She’s always pretty.”
“Yeah, she is.” Cody glanced over his shoulder and shot her a wink before opening the back door to let out a very excited Bailey. “You can scoop her food from that big container by her dish. Then she’ll be ready to eat as soon as she comes inside.”
“You sure you two are okay without me?” she asked.
Cody peered into the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs. “We’re fine. Go on and do what you need to do.”
Katherine waited a beat to make sure Ollie didn’t make a mess then made a beeline for Cody’s bedroom. She closed the door and drew in a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm her frantically beating heart.
She’d spent the night with Cody. Wrapped in his arms. And Ollie had found them. She rubbed the heel of her hand over her tightening chest as she tried to come to terms with the sharp turn her life had taken.
But it wasn’t a bad turn. She’d hoped Ollie would get along with Cody, and he’d been more upset he hadn’t gotten chocolate than by seeing her with another man. Of course, at only seven, maybe he didn’t understand exactly what he’d walked in on.
Which was what?
The most amazing night’s sleep she’d had since Theo died.
She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. So much for taking things slow, but she hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Hell, the way his touch made her feel as he’d rubbed her neck, it was a miracle nothing more had happened.
Oh boy, she’d wanted it to.
But after a long couple of days and the comfort Cody provided, she hadn’t stayed awake much after the movie started.
A grin spread on her mouth. She’d spent the night with Cody Hogan. Teenage Katherine would have been shocked as hell, but the young girl she used to be was an idiot to overlook such an amazing person.
She wouldn’t make that mistake twice.
She still wanted to take things slow, but with Ollie seeming so happy to be around Cody and things progressing in such a natural way, maybe she could move along quicker than a snail’s pace. She knew more than most that time was a luxury and she didn’t want to waste any of it.
Huffing out a sigh, she crossed over the plush carpet to the bathroom. Decisions didn’t have to be made today, or even tomorrow. Once things calmed down and she was no longer afraid for her life, she could really dissect her feelings—figure out what was best for her and Ollie.
The large showerhead in the middle of the shower caught her attention.
The mom part of her brain told her to rush along, grab what was closest and get out to help in the kitchen.
The other part told her Ollie was taken care of and enjoying the attention from Cody and Bailey.
She could take a few extra minutes to take a hot shower and put herself together.
Decision made, she tested the water, ensuring it was warm enough to boil her skin before shedding her clothes and stepping inside.
She let the forceful drops hit the back of her neck and beat away the stiffness Cody had worked so hard to diminish the night before.
Steam engulfed her, opening her pores and filling her lungs.
If time was a luxury, then a hot, uninterrupted shower was a downright miracle.
Being a single parent the last year had taken so much of her—had changed the entire structure of her life.
Since the day Ollie was born, she’d had a partner.
A strong, wonderful man who doted on their son.
Who made sure she had enough rest and was taking care of herself and not just Ollie.
But now it was all about Ollie. Her wants and needs simmered on the backburner, nearly turning cold with neglect. Even if her family had stepped up, it wasn’t the same. Everyone focused their attention on Ollie—as they should—but she’d let parts of herself slip further and further away.
She’d have to fix that once the craziness of being hunted like prey ended.
Life could go back to normal, and she could see how Cody would fit in her world.
If it was as effortless and easy as the past few days—even with the chaos surrounding her—it wouldn’t take much to open that door and let him in.
If that’s what he wanted.
A little weight lifted from her shoulders, and she shut off the water.
She stepped onto the cozy rug and dried off with the cotton towel hanging by the shower.
She wiped the steam off the mirror with her hand and stared at her reflection.
There wasn’t enough time to dry and style her hair, but she could apply a touch of makeup and put on something that made her feel more like an attractive woman than a homeless lady.
When she was done, she tossed her towel into the hamper in the bathroom then padded out barefoot to the kitchen.
She’d woven her long hair into a braid that hung over one shoulder and picked a long-sleeved blue t-shirt that hugged her just right.
Not to mention leggings that tucked and lifted in a way that made her forget her pregnancy stretch marks.
She walked in on Cody and Ollie sitting at the table, flicking a folded-up piece of paper at each other.
“Touchdown!” Ollie scored and lifted his arms in the air. “Best breakfast ever.”
Bailey barked in agreement.
Grinning, Cody glanced her way. “Yeah, buddy. Best breakfast ever.”
Lifting his second cup of coffee to his lips, Cody leaned back on the two-person glider on the deck and watched Ollie run around with Bailey.
He pushed his feet against the wooden planks to move back and forth.
A slight breeze rustled the air, and the sun shone bright in the vibrant blue sky.
“Those two are going to wear each other out pretty quickly.”
Katherine sat beside him with her legs tucked under her, cradling her own mug. “I doubt it. Ollie has boundless energy and doesn’t stop until his head hits the pillow.”
“Good thing Bailey’s enough to keep him entertained,” Cody said.
“Great,” Katherine mumbled. “Now you’ve done it.”
He frowned. “Done what?”
Ollie ran past the deck then doubled back around, squinting against the sun as he stared up at them. “So what are we doing today? I’m bored throwing the ball.”
“You jinxed it,” Katherine whispered under her breath.
“Oops. Guess I didn’t know that unspoken rule.” He wrinkled his nose and tried to think about something he could do to make both mother and son happy. “How about a walk? I own the land outside the fence. There are some pretty easy trails. A nice waterfall not too far away. Would Ollie like that?”
She grinned. “He’d love that. I planned to take him on a hike yesterday but with everything going on, it didn’t seem like a good idea so we went to the shelter instead.”
“Are you comfortable going now?” He didn’t want her to feel unsafe about leaving his home. Even if they didn’t venture far, she might feel better with doors to lock out any unwanted visitors.
“Seriously? As long as you’re with us, I won’t have a worry in the world.” She stood then kissed his cheek. “I just need to put on my sneakers.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
An ache pulsed in his chest as she disappeared inside the house. Damn, he had it bad.
Standing, he leaned against the rail to look down at Ollie. “Want to take a hike?”
Ollie jumped onto his tiptoes. “Really? Can Bailey come?”
“Oh, she’ll insist on it. Do you want to grab her leash? She does okay without one, but if she sees a squirrel or chipmunk she might dart off. We don’t want that.”
“Where’s her stuff?” Ollie asked as he stormed up the deck steps, Bailey on his heels.
“Her leash is hanging on the hook by the front door. Why don’t you make sure she has some water before we go? Her dish should be filled, but if not let me know and I’ll fill it.”
“Okay.” He zipped past Cody and ran inside, Bailey following. “Mom, I’m getting the leash.”
His excited voice drifted out the open door and curved up Cody’s lips. Having the little boy there brought so much energy into his house. He already dreaded the thought of Ollie not being around, but he wouldn’t dwell on that now.
Katherine stepped outside and shook her head. “He’s filling the water dish. I swear, at our house getting that kid to do anything resembling a chore is harder than pulling teeth. Here, he’s hopping along, doing whatever he can to be helpful. Must be more of those tricks you were talking about.”
He chuckled and set his coffee on the table then met her in the middle of the deck. He cupped her biceps in his palms, resisting the urge to wrap her tightly in his arms and kiss the hell out of her. “Boys love taking care of dogs. Maybe you should get him one.”
“Ha! That’s the last thing we need, and if you say anything like that to him there will be repercussions.”
“So, what? You’ll punish me?” A thrill shot through him as a dozen of dirty ideas of how that could play out sprang to mind.
She wiggled her eyebrows, her thoughts clearly matching his. “Maybe, but I have a feeling you might like that too much.”
“No!” Ollie’s yell from inside pulled them apart.
Katherine’s eyes flew wide, and she spun around to dart in the house. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Cody was fast on her heels, crushing into her back as he spied the puddle of water under the upturned silver bowl.
Tears rimmed the corners of Ollie’s brown eyes. “I tried to bring Bailey water. I’m so sorry.”
Bailey stood beside Ollie, her ears perked and tail still.
Cody rushed forward and pulled the trembling boy in for a hug. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s just water. Trust me. Me and Bailey make much bigger messes than this. Do you want to help me clean it up?”
“You’re not mad at me?”
The quiver in his words tore at Cody’s heart. “Never. Now let’s get some towels.”
On his way to the bathroom, he caught sight of Katherine. Her own eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and she covered her mouth with her hands.
He stopped. “You all right?”
She nodded then shooed him away with a flick of a wrist.
Ollie ran past him. “I’ll grab them.”
He followed Ollie into the guest bath and plucked several large towels from the closet. He handed one to Ollie. “Use this one to start mopping up the water. I’ll carry the rest.”
They went to work cleaning up the mess and refilling Bailey’s dish. When they were finished, Cody held the sopping wet towels. “See. No big deal. We all make mistakes, have accidents. It’s all about how we clean them up that matters. Does that make sense?”
Ollive gave one big nod. “Yes!”
“And when we work together, we can clean things up even quicker. Now who’s ready for that hike?” He held up his hand for a high five.
Ollie didn’t disappoint. He slapped his palm against Cody’s. “I am!” He sprinted outside with Bailey following close behind.
Katherine laid a hand on Cody’s arm. “That was really well done.”
Her compliment brought a rush of heat up the back of his neck. He didn’t really have a ton of experience with kids, but it was easy with Ollie.
“I didn’t overstep?” he asked.
“Not even a little bit. You handled it exactly how I would have—exactly how Theo would have. With understanding and a nice message wrapped up in a neat bow. Thank you.”
“Anytime. We better get outside before they take off without us.” He snatched the leash from where Ollie had dropped it on the floor and waited for Katherine to step onto the deck before closing and locking up behind him.
He wouldn’t venture far from home, but he made sure to set the alarm before climbing down the stairs. “Here, Bailey.”
The dog bounded to his side, and he attached the leash to her collar before handing the lead to Ollie. “You and the dog take the lead. Your mom and I will be right behind you. Just not too fast. We need to be careful on the trails.”
“Sweet! This will be so much fun.”
Katherine slipped her hand in his. “Ready?”
“One hundred percent,” Cody said.
He didn’t mean just for the hike. He was ready for her. He was ready for her son. He was ready to be whatever they needed him to be as they figured out the future.