Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
M ia didn’t know what to do with the emotions swirling through her. Cody’s kiss had awakened something in her, something she had been denying for the past several weeks. She was falling for him.
If it was true what Lily said about Cody being in love with her, maybe it was time to jump in with both feet. She could trust Cody. He’d never let her down.
Dani was meeting with some of the prospective businesspeople who had stayed over after last night’s meeting, leaving her free to follow through on that favor for Jemma, the glassblower. She bundled the kids against the cool wind and walked to Jemma’s store. She paused at the door. The teal building boasted a mural along the side, featuring a lighthouse and the island shore. Inset along the bottom of the walls ran a double row of seashells. The fun and eclectic location would be perfect for Jemma and her glassblowing business. Mia imagined wind chimes hanging out front and colorful vases and other blown art in the window. Shaking her head at the whimsy, she unlocked the door. Finn and Maggie pushed past her and into the echoing space.
Outside, the sky hung gunmetal gray. She could smell rain in the air. Hopefully the delivery would come before the skies opened up.
This space was everything Jemma said she’d needed. The full wall of windowpanes let in plenty of light. Or they would when it wasn’t overcast. The floors were poured concrete, speckled with a glittery epoxy. About two thirds of the way back, a low wall partitioned off the back of the room. It would make a perfect workspace; customers could watch her at work while staying out of her way.
Mia decided to put the delivery boxes back there.
“Finn, Maggie, some boxes are being delivered. I need you to stay out of the way.” She rummaged around in the backpack she’d brought, then handed Finn an iPad. “Here, I’ve loaded a couple of Bluey episodes on there.”
She led them to a spot that would be out of the way. Soon, the cartoon sounds of the Australian dog family filled the room. She checked her phone. No messages. Not that she expected Cody to text her or anything. She looked around for a doorstop and spotted a small, wooden triangle near the entrance. That would come in handy for the delivery.
The low moan of the ferry’s horn groaned through the building. The delivery would be here soon. Where was Cody? He was late. That wasn’t the Cody she knew. Moving to the front window, she looked down the street. No familiar set of strong arms and quick smile. A few drops of rain hit the pavement.
She walked back and forth in front of the window.
A rumble preceded the arrival of an ATV pulling a trailer, boxes stacked high.
Two men jumped down. She recognized them as the freight delivery guys from the ferry service. The dark haired, tall one was Luke, and the shorter blond was Martin, maybe? They moved to the back of the cart and began unloading boxes. One of the boxes towered almost as tall and wide as an apartment-sized refrigerator, about her height and twice as wide. Perhaps that was the furnace Jemma had talked about.
“Hi, guys.” She held the door open for them, then kicked the stop into place. “You can bring them straight in.”
“Sorry, Mia. We can’t do that,” Luke said.
“What do you mean, can’t?” Mia propped a fist on her hip.
“It’s company policy to drop them off. We need to make all our deliveries before the ferry leaves again.” The man gestured at the full cart behind him. All those boxes would take hours to deliver, even on this small island.
Where was Cody?
“Leave it here then, I guess. I’ll drag it in.”
The boxes hit the sidewalk with a thump. In less time than she’d thought possible, Luke and Martin moved off, leaving Mia alone on the sidewalk, surrounded by a dozen boxes of various sizes. Overhead, a crack of thunder warned of the coming storm.
She craned her neck into the building, checking on Finn and Maggie. They sat hunched over the iPad, its blue light reflecting on their faces, shading them in tones of cartoon. Her heart pinched, but she supposed another few minutes of children’s programming wouldn’t rot their brains too much. She just needed to get these boxes under shelter before the storm. A drop of rain hit her cheek.
Right. Double time.
Lifting a stack of the smallest boxes, she shouldered her way through the door and set them inside, out of the way.
She paused a moment to palm her cell phone, typed out a message to Cody.
Mia
Where are you? I could use some muscles.
She blushed, backspaced the sentence and wrote:
Mia
I thought we said 10 a.m?
She would call him, but texting was faster. And speed was definitely needed. As she stepped outside for a second load, raindrops began pattering on the boxes. A smell of petrichor filled the air—that particular scent of ozone, and dust, and water, and wet cement in the first moments of rain. She closed her eyes briefly and inhaled deeply. Then opened them to see the boxes getting wetter by the second.
No time for whimsy. If she didn’t focus on this work, some very expensive equipment might be ruined.
Another load of boxes later, there was still no text from Cody. Had something happened to him?
Her stomach clenched. She was alone. Always alone. Maybe she should call Dani to come and help.
Nah. If Dani wasn’t at work, it would take longer for her to get here than for her to do it herself.
Above her, the skies opened up. Cold rain sliced into her, soaking through her jacket.
She stared at the last three boxes, hands on her hips. She would have to drag them into the store. She didn’t have a two-wheeled dolly cart, and she sure couldn’t lift them. Putting her arms around the shortest one, she grasped the handles cut into the cardboard. She pulled back and felt it move an inch.
Now the wet dog scent of damp cardboard was all she could smell. The box scraped against the sidewalk as she scooted it toward the store.
She looked to the side. The top of the other box darkened with rainwater.
Her progress was halted by the lip of the doorjamb. Bending at the knees, she tried to lift the box the two inches to clear the jamb. No joy.
“Looks like you could use a hand.”
Her heart leaped, but the low rumbling voice did not belong to Cody. She peered around the box and found Matt standing on the other side. A sharp pain bit into her somewhere near her heart. Matt’s square jaw, covered with the slightest amount of stubble, his piercing blue eyes and dark wavy hair should have made her heart pitter-patter. But all the rugged appeal in the world still didn’t make him Cody.
Which wasn’t quite fair to Matt, who’d never done anything wrong but be the wrong man. First, not Troy, and now, not Cody.
“Thanks. Cody said he’d be here, but…” She shrugged and gestured at the sidewalk, empty of anything except ginormous boxes and the growing puddles. “If you grab that handle, I’ll take this one.”
Moving slowly so the compromised cardboard wouldn’t tear and drop the expensive cargo on the unrelenting concrete, they moved the box into the shop and to the left of the front door.
“We can leave that here for now,” Mia said.
Another crack of lightning strobed the store, and the lights blinked out. In the corner, Maggie whimpered.
I know how you feel, little one .
But she couldn’t show her fear to the kids. “One more box, kiddos, and then we can go home.”
Moving faster now, she and Matt pulled the second and third boxes into the building.
“Should we take them to the back?” Matt reached out to the first box they’d dragged in.
“This is fine.” Mia pushed at a stray hair. “These boxes are so wet, I’m afraid to move them any farther.” A draft from the door whispered over her, and she shivered. She hugged her arms to herself.
“Let me.” Matt came over and reached for her. A moment later, his strong hands moved over her upper arms, heating them.
She should tell him how she felt about him. She looked up into his warm eyes. There had been a time when they held such promise for her. But now? Nothing. He leaned toward her, angling his head.
Um, was he coming in for a kiss? No, this was all wrong. His face inches from hers, she put a hand on his chest to push him away. He tightened his hold on her arms. She started to speak. “Matt?—”
The door closed with a bang. Cody stood in front of it. His face stormy and his hair damp from the rain.
“Oh. Hi. Um, sorry to interrupt.” His words scraped out like they’d been run over a piece of sandpaper.
“Cody. Hi.” She sprang away from Matt but stumbled. His hand shot out to steady her. Cody’s gaze bore into where he grasped her elbow.
“Thank you,” she said to Matt then pulled her arm from his grasp. “Thanks for the help too. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I was happy to help. More than happy.”
She still needed to let him down gently, but with Cody staring daggers into the man, now was hardly the time. Still, Mia didn’t want to be rude. She smiled. “It’s good to have a reliable friend like you around.”
Cody coughed, but Mia stayed focused on Matt. She’d deal with Cody—and ask why he was late—once they were alone.
Matt’s smile widened. “I’m here anytime, Mia. Anytime.”
Looking between the two men, one thing became clear. Of the two of them, she’d rather have Cody.
But by the look on his face, he might not have her.
* * *
It’s good to have a reliable friend around.
Cody was too late. To help with the boxes—and maybe to win Mia’s heart too.
Again.
He turned away from Mia and Matt—the memory of the man’s arms around her burned into his brain—and put his hand on the doorknob.
He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Mia’s happiness. And if that meant she wanted Matt, well, he’d stepped aside once before, he could do it again.
Except. Fight for the girl . Lily’s words slipped into his mind, stilling his hand on the doorknob. What if…
He shifted back around again. Mia wasn’t looking at Matt. She was looking at him. She’d stepped a generous step away from Matt too.
Maybe he’d stay.
Fight.
He and Mia had a conversation to finish.
He took in the surroundings, clocked the huge boxes scattered across the floor. No wonder she’d asked him to come. He checked the window. Yep, it was still raining harder than earlier.
Okay. He was convinced. He’d stick around a while longer. If he found out that Mia cared for Matt, he’d back off. Even if it killed him. Which, judging by the stabbing sensation going on in his ribcage, it just might.
“Cody!” Two small bundles bumped into his legs. The smile that crossed his face was immediate and involuntary. One of the worst parts of losing Mia, again, would be losing these two too. Swooping down, he scooped Finn into his right arm and Maggie into his left. No matter what happened with him and Mia, he vowed right then to be the best “uncle” these two could ever have. He owed that much to Troy.
“Hiya, guys,” he said. He spun them in a circle, their giggles dulling the pain near his heart.
“You all wet.” Maggie’s giggles almost masked her words, but he had gotten good at toddler speak in the past few weeks.
“I was out in the rain.” He set the kids down, his words for them, but he kept his eyes on Mia, an apology in them. “Out on my boat.”
“Cool!” Finn propped his hands on his hips in a gesture Cody recognized as pure Mia. “My dad used to go on a boat.”
“Then he died.” Maggie punctuated her matter-of-fact tone with a nod.
Mia flinched and his gut tightened. “Kids?—”
“No,” she said. “It’s okay. It’s true. Troy used to go out on a boat, and he died.” She hugged her arms to her chest. He saw Matt reach a hand to her, but she went to the kids and knelt between them. “But that doesn’t mean we are scared of boats, right?”
“We are brave,” Finn said. “Like Dad.”
Mia hugged both kids.
Outside, thunder ripped through the air. Mia flinched and pulled the kids closer.
“Hey guys, you know what my dad used to tell me about thunder?” Three pale faces turned up to him. He reached for Maggie again, tucking her onto his hip. Then rested his hand on Finn’s head. “He told me that the thunder was a mother sheep running around in the sky, protecting her lambs. Just like your mom always does for you.” He met Mia’s eyes. “So, the next time the thunder booms really loudly, you can just remember how much your mom loves you, even if sometimes she’s really noisy about it.” He winked at Mia. Maggie giggled.
Matt cleared his throat. “Okay. Well, I’ll be taking off now. Unless you still need me, Mia?”
“No, I think I’m good. Thanks. I’ve got everything I need right here.” Her gaze found Cody’s, and his throat went dry. Mia stood and faced Matt again. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait out the storm?”
“Nah.” Matt checked his watch. “I have a call in a few minutes. I’ll just make a dash for it. Cody.” Matt stuck his hand out and Cody shook it. The other man tightened his grip, but Cody wasn’t going to be intimidated. Matt let go first then turned to Mia. He gave her a brief hug and an air kiss. “See you later, Mia.”
She waved him off with an indifference that almost had Cody doing a fist pump. “See ya, Matt.”
A cold breeze washed over them as he walked out of the building, but the heat inside soon wiped it away. Finn and Maggie went back to playing on an iPad near the wall.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.” Cody motioned at the boxes. “This couldn’t have been easy.”
“I was grateful Matt showed up when he did.” Mia put her hands on her hips before stretching out her back. “But I understand. Sounds like you had an eventful morning. And you showed up right on time. Matt was…being pushy.”
Heat flared through him. If Matt had hurt Mia…
“I see that look in your eye.” Mia reached out a hand and grabbed his wrist. A heat of a different sort ran up his arm. “It wasn’t like that. He just wants more than I can give him. I was feeling a little cornered, and then you came and made me feel safe. You always make me feel safe, Cody.” She started to say something more, but then her eyes hooded. She pulled her hand away and turned from him. “Tell me about your morning.”
What? No. He wasn’t going to let her off that easy. There had been something more, he was sure of it. If he was going to fight for her, it started now. “What aren’t you saying?”
“Nothing.”
“Stop. I know you. I’ve known you almost your whole life. I know when you’re not telling me something.”
“It’s just that, I’m worried about how you make me feel.” She kept her gaze on the ground.
“Um. Okay?”
“Being with you feels good, safe.” A blush crept up her cheeks. “I like being with you. But I think I’m afraid to depend on anyone else because I’ve found out the hard way that life can be short. I relied too much on Troy, and now I’m struggling to provide for my kids. But with you…I want to depend on you. I just don’t know how.” She swept her hand toward the kids. “I need to be able to take care of us on my own. I realized that while I waited for you to show today.” She glanced his way quickly then back to the ground.
“Look, Mia. I know you’re not sure if you want more than friendship with me—and I’ll accept whatever you decide—but I need you to know something.” He plowed right through her quick intake of breath. “First, I’m not going anywhere. And second, it’s not good for you to try to do everything on your own. God made us to be dependent on each other.”
“It just makes me feel so weak.”
“Stop. It’s not a weakness. In fact, it can be our greatest strength.” Cody put a hand on her shoulder and waited until she met his eyes. “I know I didn’t do a good job of showing up for you today, but I will always be here for you. You can trust me.”
“My heart knows I can trust you. I’m just having a hard time convincing my head.” She looked away for a second then back again. “I guess it’s not just about trust. It’s also about needing to prove that I can make good choices for myself. To prove to this island that I’m not just that pregnant teen. I’m not just a widow. I’m a survivor.”
“You have nothing to prove.” He ached to hold her closer, but that right wasn’t his. Not yet. “You have two great kids, you’re making a life for them. You’re doing a great job. No one judges you for your past except you.”
She sighed. “I guess. Maybe it’s just that when I visit my parents, I feel the weight of Dad’s judgment and project that onto the whole place.”
“Hey, I may be way out of line here, and I shouldn’t tell you what to believe, but I don’t think your parents are judging you. Every time I talk to them, they are super proud of you and how you’ve handled yourself.”
A spark lit her eyes. Anger? No, he didn’t think so. But it wasn’t joy either.
“You’ve been talking to my parents about me?” She raised one eyebrow.
“No. I mean, yes. I mean, when I’m talking to them and the subject of you comes up.” Was she really going to make him flop around like a fish on the end of a line? At least she looked less ashamed.
“Relax, Code. I’m only teasing.” Her face softened. “I guess I still don’t know how to act when it comes to my parents. Especially my dad.” She gave a little shrug. “Problem for another day.”
From the front door, a beam of light crept across the floor. The clouds must have moved on, allowing the sun to shine through the pane of glass.
“You were wrong before,” Mia said.
He put a hand to his chest in mock horror. “Who, me? What could I possibly have been wrong about?”
“I am sure about our friendship…and I don’t want to be friends anymore.”
The stabbing in his heart resumed as though it had never left. He took a step back. “Okay. I understand.”
“No. Wait. You misunderstood me.” Mia closed the gap. “I think I want to try being…more than friends.” She tipped her face up to him. “But I’ll need to take it slow. For myself, and for the kids.”
He couldn’t stop the grin creeping across his face, but he pulled himself back from swooping her into his arms and swinging her around and around.
Slow. He could do slow. He’d show her she could rely on him, even if it took a hundred years. “We can take all the time you want. Will you go out with me tomorrow?”
She laughed. “I don’t know if that is slow, but, yes, Cody. I will go out with you.”
And right then, right there, were the words he’d been waiting his entire life to hear.