13. Cody
Cody
Pulling up in front of Sophia’s house, I blow out a long breath.
I know questions will be asked and I don’t want to deal with them right now.
Jax is going to pounce immediately because he’s nosy and doesn’t understand boundaries.
Sophia will do the same because she might as well be Jax’s twin.
Charlie will be more respectful, but she’s got the nosy gene too. We all do.
“You can sit in your car as long as you want, we’re still going to question you when you man up and come in here,” Jax calls from the front porch.
I roll my eyes and push my car door open. I might as well get this over with. The faster we get through the interrogation, the faster I can spend time with my family.
As I step onto the front porch, Jax opens the front door and motions for me to go in first. I spot Carter sitting on Charlie’s lap right away and make a beeline towards her as soon as I’ve washed my hands.
If I have to deal with the questions, I can at least get my cuddles in with Carter at the same time.
“Hey, is Uncle Cody stealing you?” Charlie coos as I take the baby from her lap.
“She’s getting too big, Char. I think you need to have another one soon. Who am I going to cuddle when this one starts running around?”
I take the empty recliner and settle Carter on my lap. I let her grab my hands and play with my fingers before chewing on them.
“Um… Hello! I'm right here and this baby is twenty weeks away from coming out.” Sophia motions to her growing stomach.
“Which means if you alternate getting pregnant every like year or so, I’ll have never-ending cuddles. Right, Carter?” I tickle her little legs, making her giggle.
Man, I wish I had a family of my own. I’d love nothing more than to crawl into bed at the end of a long day and have my wife curl up at my side and my baby sleeping soundly next to us.
“It sounds like you need to find a wife and knock her up,” Peck singsongs.
“I’d love to. I’m having a little bit of trouble finding a wife though.” I roll my eyes.
“It’s really hard to find a wife when you don’t date anyone.” Wyatt arches a brow.
“Oh, that’s rich coming from you!” Jax laughs from his place on the couch. He’s laying with his feet along the back of the couch and his head dangling off the edge of the seat. He looks like a child who’s bored and wants something to do.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Wyatt frowns at him.
“Well, how many people did you date after you and Charlie split?” Jax arches a brow. He does some sort of crazy move and jumps off the couch, landing on his feet in one smooth motion. I'm not sure how he even did that, but it’s Jax, that’s to be expected.
“None.” Wyatt rolls his eyes.
“Exactly, because you knew she was the one for you and you didn’t want anyone else. It’s the same reason Charlie didn’t date. The same reason Cody won't date. Jeez, why is this so hard for you to understand?”
“Do you really think Sloan is the only one for you?” Peck arches a brow as he stares at me.
“When you met Sophia, how long did it take you to realize you didn’t want to let her go?” Jax points a finger in Peck’s face.
Peck isn’t bothered one bit. He settles back into the couch and takes Sophia with him. They’re happy together. Absolutely perfect for each other. I don’t think I could’ve picked a better man for her.
“Before Mason called,” Peck answers without even thinking.
“You mean the night we met?” Sophia sits up slightly so she can stare at her husband.
“I’m fairly certain I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you, Soph. Why do you think I was tripping all over myself?”
“Oh, please! You knew nothing about her yet! You just liked that she was hot.” Jax stares at Peck, daring him to argue.
“Fine.” Peck rolls his eyes, but Jax isn’t wrong. “I fell in love with her the night we went on our first date. When I saw how passionate she was about owning a bakery and how much she loved her family, I knew she was the woman for me then.”
“Ha! He loved you after he knew you were related to famous people!” Jax bursts out laughing.
“That is true.” I nod my head. “He even had my jersey.” I smirk.
Jax’s laughter dies as he narrows his eyes on me.
“That’s not even funny.”
“Actually, I find it incredibly funny.” Wyatt lifts his drink to his lips, but he can’t hide his smirk.
“Yeah, well, he had Cord’s jersey and not yours.” Jax keeps his head held high.
“Somehow that isn’t as bad as him choosing one twin over the other.”
“Oh my gosh! I have both jerseys now. Does it really matter which one I had before I even met you?” Peck huffs out a breath of frustration.
“Yes,” Jax mumbles under his breath, making all of us laugh.
“So, what are you going to do about Sloan?” Sophia asks softly.
I know no matter what I say, my siblings will be here for me. They’ll support whatever decision I make and help me if I need it.
I’d love to come up with some elaborate plan to steal Sloan away from Jude, but if she doesn’t want me, why should I bother putting any time or effort into her?
“I'm not going to do anything,” I whisper as Carter moves in my arms. She positions herself so she’s laying her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arms around my neck.
I love when she does this and falls asleep in my arms. She’s turning one in three months and I'm going to miss this little baby version of her.
“Excuse me! Did you just say you’re not doing anything?” Sophia hisses, trying to keep her voice quiet for Carter, but she’s livid.
“There’s nothing to do, Soph. She’s with Jude because that’s who she wants to be with. It’s stupid of me to think I have any sort of chance to change her mind.”
“But you could! You’re so much better than Jude and you know it. Jeez, she knows it!”
“Ok, but would you really want to date Peck if you thought you had to convince him to be with you? I distinctly remember you hesitating because you thought Colt forced him to take you out for dinner. It doesn’t feel good to spend time with someone who doesn’t want to be with you. I'm not doing it.”
“Yeah, but-”
“When I took Sloan home tonight, I told her I'm not chasing her. I said as long as she was with Jude, I’d consider that a sign that she doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“What are you going to do if she shows up single on Sunday?” Charlie arches a brow.
“I don’t think she will,” I admit, hating the thought of Jude even stepping foot on Mulberry Lane.
“Maybe she won't show up single, but how amazing would it be if she left single?” Jax smirks like he’s coming up with some sort of diabolical plan. One I want no part in.
If Sloan Weathers doesn’t want me, I'll gracefully stay out of her life the best I can.