Chapter 17
Daybreak streamed into the bedroom, rousing Cody before the screech of his alarm woke him. He reached over to fiddle with the clock, ensuring Katherine could get more sleep. He stared down at her, and longing constricted his throat.
Strands of messy hair were tossed over his pillow. The relaxed lines of her face made her look so peaceful. A light blush stained her cheeks, and her mouth was open just enough to let little breaths tickle the side of his neck.
He had to get up, because if he spent one more second in bed, he’d kiss her senseless.
Just the thought flared the desire deep in his gut.
Gritting his teeth, he kept himself in check and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
He stood and found his joggers on the floor.
He yanked them on then padded out to the living room.
A low growl sounded from the guest room. He hurried down the hall and popped his head in the room. Bailey stood at the end of the bed, her tail wagging like crazy. If Ollie woke without the dog in his room he wouldn’t like it, but Bailey always had to pee first thing in the morning.
“Come on, girl. Be quick.”
Bailey leapt onto the floor then dashed toward the back door.
Cody followed, letting her outside before she had an accident on the floor. He stood at the back door while she did her business, the cold, crisp air doing more to wake him than a cup of coffee. He breathed it in. The scent of the dew clinging to the grass better than any flowers.
“Mommy?” Ollie’s voice floated down the hall and outside to Bailey’s ears.
Bailey ran in and led the way back to the guest room.
“Morning, bud,” Cody said, crossing the threshold. The curtain was pulled over the window and kept out the morning sun. “Your mom’s still sleeping. Can I help you with anything?”
Ollie yawned and scooted up in the bed to a sitting position. “I’m hungry.”
“I can fix that. Want to hop in the wheelchair or try the crutches?”
Ollie scrunched up his nose. “I’m too tired for crutches, but maybe after breakfast.”
“Good idea.” Cody secured the handles of the chair and wheeled it to the side of the bed then helped Ollie get situated. “Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, please.” He popped the chair back for a second then barreled out of the room.
“It’s like a rocket ship,” Ollie giggled.
Bailey stayed right in step with the chair.
Cody situated Ollie in the kitchen. “All right, little man. What sounds good this morning? We can do eggs again, or maybe bacon and pancakes? Cereal? Your pick.”
Ollie swished his lips to the side. “What kind of cereal do you have?”
“I’m not sure. Let’s check.” Cody dipped into the pantry and found the limited options. He pulled out two boxes. “One with shredded wheat, one with little graham crackers.”
“I love graham crackers.”
“Easy enough.” Cody bustled from the cabinet to the fridge then set a filled bowl on the table.
Ollie wheeled the chair over and grabbed the spoon Cody had set out. “Aren’t you going to eat with me?”
“Coffee first.” He ruffled the little boy’s mop of hair before preparing his morning drink. Once the machine stopped hissing out steam, he filled a mug and sat across from Ollie.
Ollie propped an elbow on the table and rested his head in his palm. He dipped his spoon into the bowl then lifted it again, letting the milk drip off the end.
“Everything all right? Your leg hurt?” Cody wasn’t used to seeing the boy so melancholy but couldn’t blame him if he needed a few minutes to wake up.
“When do I have to go home?” Ollie kept his gaze fixed on the little brown squares in his bowl as he spoke.
“I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”
“I like it here. I don’t want to leave you and Bailey.”
Hearing Ollie’s comment was pure bliss. When he’d offered his home to Katherine and her son, he’d figured it’d be something fun but also have its difficult moments. Times when he’d want his space or privacy, when the kid would be loud or off-putting.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
He dreaded the day he’d wake to find a quiet house with only him and Bailey. Hell, the dog would probably jump ship and find his way to Katherine’s place so she could stay close to Ollie.
“Bailey and I like having you here,” Cody said, not sure what else to say.
“Do you think I could stay forever?” Ollie finally looked up and tears rimmed his lashes.
The bottom dropped out of Cody’s world. He wanted to say yes, to tell Ollie he could stay as long as he wanted, but he couldn’t make those kinds of promises to the kid. At least not yet. “You can stay for now, and after you go back to your house, you can visit whenever you and your mom want.”
One big tear slid down his cheek. “My house is sad. My mom’s happy here. I’m happy here.”
“Oh, buddy.” Cody jumped from his seat and crouched in front of Ollie’s chair. He gathered Ollie’s hands in his. “My house is a much better place to be with you in it. Trust me.”
“But you don’t want me to live here?”
He squeezed Ollie’s hands and said a quick prayer that he could find the right thing to say. “I want to hang out with you every chance I get.”
Ollie chewed on his bottom lip. “But Bailey’s going to miss me when I’m gone. Maybe she should come home with me.”
Cody couldn’t help but laugh. “She’ll have to stay here. Then I know you’ll want to visit.”
Leaning forward, Ollie threw his arms around Cody’s neck. “I’ll always visit. Me and my mom.”
Cody gave him a quick squeeze then returned to his chair and took a sip from his mug.
Ollie finally shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. “Do you love my mom?”
Cody coughed, choking on his coffee. “Excuse me?”
“She seems to like you and smiles a lot when you’re around. I saw her kiss your cheek yesterday. She used to do that to my dad. So does that mean she loves you like she loved him?”
A lump lodged in his throat. “It means we like each other and want to spend more time together. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure,” Ollie said between bites.
The simple word loosened the stiffness in his neck that had tightened at the start of this conversation. He’d won over the most important person in Katherine’s life. Now he didn’t have one but two hearts to worry about.
And he’d do everything in his power to make sure both mother and son would never experience another heartbreak.
The ring of Katherine’s phone opened her eyes. A stab of disappointment pierced through her to find the bed next to her empty, but it was better for Ollie not to find Cody in here with her. She’d go out and find them in a second. First, she had to see who was calling so early.
Grabbing her phone, she spied Elsie’s information before answering. “Hey.”
“Good morning,” Elsie said. “Just checking in. How are you doing?”
She smiled at the question. If Elsie only knew how well she felt this morning, it’d make them both blush. “Well, at the moment I’m great.”
“You sound sleepy. Did I wake you? I didn’t think you’d still be in bed at 9:30 in the morning.”
“9:30!” She bolted upright and caught sight of the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Holy crap. Cody and Ollie have to be awake. I don’t think Ollie’s let me sleep past 8 am since he was born.”
“Sounds like Cody’s taking good care of you,” Elsie said.
“Lady, you don’t know the half of it.” The words were out of Katherine’s mouth before she could stop them.
“Oh really? I thought I’d call and find you scared and distraught. But sounds like you’ve been a little preoccupied.”
She plopped back down on the mattress, the soft pillow cushioning her head. Memories from the night before flashed in her mind. She wouldn’t share all the details with Elsie, but there was nothing wrong with a little girl talk with her good friend.
Besides, it’d be good to get Elsie’s perspective on everything.
“Preoccupied doesn’t even begin to describe the last few days. I’m really falling for this guy.” She launched into a brief overview of the time she’d spent with Cody. “I’m still a little shocked with how quickly things have progressed, but I’m happy and really excited about where this could lead.”
A beat of silence pulsed on the line.
“Elsie?”
“I think it’s wonderful you’re so happy, I just want you to be careful.”
Katherine rolled her eyes. “Why is everyone so worried about this?”
“Maybe because four days ago you hadn’t said more than five words to Cody Hogan since high school.”
The stark reminder was like a punch in the gut. “True, but that doesn’t lessen the way I feel about him. He’s been wonderful with Ollie and gone out of his way to help me. To take care of me. He’s kept my mind off all the horrible stuff that’s happened.”
“Could that be one of the reasons you’ve thrown yourself into this relationship? I mean, it’s not really like you to jump in with both feet before carefully weighing every single aspect. Especially when it involves Ollie. I mean, have you even made a pro/con list?”
“Hey, don’t make fun of my lists. They help me make a lot of important decisions.”
“And have you made one for Cody?”
“I don’t have to. I know what my heart is telling me.”
“And it has nothing to do with being distracted from reality? You’ve taken a lot of heavy hits. First with Theo and now this. Is there a part of you that wants to pretend like everything is rainbows and butterflies for a little while?”
Katherine hated the hard slap of truth from her friend. Her dad had said something similar—about letting the roller coaster of emotions take over instead of thinking things through. She sighed, hating that the perfect little bubble she and Cody had created the last few days might be popped.
“I suppose my feelings could be a trauma response. Clinging to the dopamine and forgetting the chaos. Maybe I’ve gotten caught in a fantasy that’s too good to be true and I’m using Cody to avoid reality.”
The door swung open, and Cody stood in the hallway. He rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze fixed at the floor. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to disturb you. Ollie needs to use the restroom, and I figured it’d be better for you to help him.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.”
Cody kept his head down and walked away.
“Shit,” she whispered.
“What is it?” Elsie asked.
“I think Cody overheard that last part. He came into his room to let me know Ollie needs me and when he left, he looked like a broken-hearted little puppy dog.”
“You’re in his bed?” Elsie screeched. “You conveniently left that part out of the conversation.”
Katherine cringed. “I’ve got to go. Thanks for checking in. I’m fine, Ollie’s fine, and now I need to smooth over whatever mess I might have made.” She disconnected before Elsie could get in another word.
Jumping from the bed, she found her robe and wrapped herself in the soft terrycloth. She dashed out to the hallway.
Ollie sat in his wheelchair, his body jostling up and down. “I really got to go.”
She looked for Cody, but he was nowhere in sight. She’d deal with him later, first she had to see to Ollie.
Once her son was taken care of, she hurried to the living room with Ollie. “Where’s Cody?”
Ollie shrugged. “I don’t know, but can I watch cartoons with Bailey?”
“Sure, honey.” She fiddled with the remote until she found something she approved of then went in search of Cody.
He sat at his desk in the office, the computer open and his focus fixed squarely on the screen. He didn’t so much as glance up when she stepped inside.
“Good morning. Thanks for letting me sleep in. I haven’t done that in years.”
A tight smile stretched across his mouth. “No problem.”
She clasped her hands in front of her. Dang it. Last night had been so special and now she’d gone and accidently put her foot in her mouth. “Was Ollie a handful?”
“Not at all.”
Awkward silence lingered between them and she’d do anything erase it. “Are you working?”
“Yeah.”
“Same stuff you were researching with my dad?” She scraped her thumbnail against her skin, hating the tension covering the room like a wool blanket.
Sighing, Cody finally glanced up. “I pulled more data. We focused our search on Cooper County and got nowhere. I’m expanding the radius.
We know someone is angry with law enforcement and for some reason thinks of you or someone close to you as a snitch.
My gut says I’m on the right track. I just need to focus and stay on task. ”
“Oh, okay. I won’t disturb you then.” She turned to walk out of the room.
“Katherine, wait.”
She stilled, agony pressing down on her lungs. She faced the door, not wanting him to see the hurt she knew would be so clearly written on her face.
“If you aren’t sure about what you feel for me, I’d appreciate if you tell me first. Honesty is the most important thing.”
She spun around. “It’s not that I’m not sure, it’s just that so much has happened in so little time. I’m afraid that when the danger is over, this thing between us will die with it.”
His stone-faced stare didn’t bely a single emotion. “Then maybe we should take a step back before someone gets even more hurt. Once you’re safe, you can figure out what exactly it is you want.”
She swallowed past the sadness lodged at the base of her throat. “I know that right now I want you. Isn’t that enough?”
The lines on his face softened. “It would be if your son hadn’t asked me this morning if he could live here—if he hadn’t wondered if we love each other.”
She closed her eyes. Ollie was so invested. But what did she expect? She’d tossed her son into this whirlwind situation without a second thought as to what it could do to him.
“I don’t need to know if you love me,” he continued. “I don’t need to figure out where I stand in all this. But there’s too much on the line for you to mistake your feelings—for you to leave my home and realize I’m not enough for you.”
“I’d never think that.” She took a step forward, wanting to erase any hurt she’d caused this man who’d been so amazing.
He held up a hand and gave a tiny shake of his head. “Please. Stop. We don’t know how long this will continue, and I can’t stand the idea of falling even harder for you only to discover it was all a lie. A way for you to cope with the evil outside these walls.”
Her heart broke into a million tiny pieces, but she nodded. Before she broke down, she walked away and shut the door to the office behind her. In the blink of an eye, she’d not only compromised her entire future, but crushed the man who’d brought her so much joy.
She didn’t need the nightmare lurking outside to end to know she’d just made a huge mistake. One she may never recover from.