15. Cody
Cody
“Go take this to the pavilion.” Mom hands me another platter of food and shoos me towards the door. I chuckle and do as I'm told.
We’ve been holding Sunday dinners here since Mulberry Lane was created.
Mom knew we were quickly outgrowing the kitchen of the old house and we’d need somewhere bigger.
I was around two years old when we moved to the house on Mulberry Lane.
She insisted on Dad and Uncle Blake building the pavilion so everyone could still get together every week for dinner.
The cool fall air is nice today. It’s just cold enough to need a sweatshirt, but not cold enough for a jacket.
I smile when I find the walls rolled up on the pavilion.
Dad and Uncle Blake thought of everything.
They said the pavilion needed walls that were able to be rolled up, kind of like a garage.
They didn’t want to be inside when the weather was nice, but they wanted the ability to still use this place in the middle of winter.
I approach one of the three long tables and place the dish in one of the few empty spots left.
For as long as I can remember, we’ve always had two tables for the meal and one for desserts.
Growing up, all of the women contributed to each table.
Now, I think Mulberry Lane Bakery supplies all of the desserts.
Between Sophia owning the bakery and Emma and Bella working there, they handle it all.
We’re spoiled because they’re amazing at baking.
Today there’s a massive cake sitting in the center of the table. In true Sophia fashion, it’s not just a simple sheet cake. She made a four-tiered cake. She said each tier is a different flavor cake and icing. Like I said, it can’t be simple.
I'm sure at least one layer will be cookies and cream because Creed, Wyatt’s little brother, loves cookies and cream. He gets so excited when Sophia makes it for him, so she does it all the time.
I spy a dirt cake, lemon cookies, smores cookies, peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip cookies, and more. Sophia’s really going above and beyond today. Everything is either pink or blue, making me chuckle. Even the chocolate kisses on the peanut butter blossoms are pink and blue.
“It’s really subtle, right? No one would guess this is a gender reveal party,” Peck murmurs from behind me.
I snort with laughter and shake my head. I love his personality and how he fits in so well with our family. It feels like he’s always been a part of Mulberry Lane.
“Cody!” Bree, Peck’s niece, shrieks my name as she runs towards me and leaps into the air. I catch her easily and she wraps her arms around my neck tightly.
Since we met Bree, she’s had a crush on Jax and me.
I love it. She’s seven years old and always looks forward to seeing us.
She’ll hang around us for her entire stay on Mulberry Lane.
Most of the time, we stay at Mom and Dad’s house when her family is in town, just so we can spend more time with her.
“I swear, I'm never going to get used to her running into a boy’s arms.” Maverick frowns at me as he approaches us.
“On the bright side, he’s too old to marry your daughter.” Peck smirks.
“Thank goodness for that. I'm not ready to think about my little girl getting married. I have at least another decade before that will happen.” Maverick shakes his head.
“Eh, you’ll lose her well before that,” Dad grumbles under his breath as he comes up next to me. “Charlie was only a little bit older than Bree when I knew I wasn’t the one she loved anymore.”
“Yeah… Nikita and Peyton were around twelve when they broke my heart,” Uncle Blake adds as they join our little group.
“Wow, you guys sure know how to make a man depressed.” Maverick frowns.
“It’s ok, we’ll create an emotional support group.” Uncle Blake smirks, patting Maverick on the back.
Maverick married Peck’s sister and adopted her kids soon after. They’re so good together and Maverick is a great dad to Bree and Danny.
“Where’s my girl?” Jax bellows over the noise of everyone starting to gather in the pavilion.
Everyone laughs as Bree scrambles out of my arms and races over to Jax. He squats down just in time to catch her and spins her in a circle.
“I missed you, Jaxy!”
“I missed you too, baby girl.”
He hugs her tightly against his chest and squeezes his eyes shut.
He loves our pseudo little niece. We keep telling Sydney since both of our brother-in-laws are her brothers, we might as well be her kids’ uncles too.
She laughed at us and said why not. Since she visited Mulberry Lane, she knows family is so much more than blood.
“How is he so cute with kids?” I glance over my shoulder to find Bella speaking in hushed tones to Emma.
Emma chuckles and shakes her head. She says something too quietly for me to hear her and Bella’s cheeks flame red.
I'm just about to go over and tease Bella, when someone catches my eye.
“Is that Sloan Weathers?” Dad asks as I take in the woman I haven’t been able to get off my mind.
I glance in his direction, finding his gaze already locked on me. I know what’s running through his head. He’s wondering how I'm feeling seeing her again. He’s wondering what she’s even doing here. More than anything, he’s probably wondering why there’s a strange man standing at her side.
A man who isn’t me.
Because she wants nothing to do with me anymore.