41. Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-One
Cody
Cody woke up early the next day and saw that he already had a text message from Doug, asking him to come down to his cottage for a little fishing meet and greet.
As much as he didn’t want to, he knew he had to.
This was his future brother-in-law, and he wanted the guy to like him.
He also wanted Doug to reach his final Friendship Level.
Morgan walked with Cody as he made his way down the road to Doug’s cottage. The plan was that she’d pick up Gracie and take her back to Cody’s cottage. Gracie could play in Grandpa Sam’s workshop, while Doug grilled Cody about, well, everything.
“So, are we telling him we’re engaged?” Cody asked.
It was adorable watching Morgan trying to fight back her grin. “Maybe not yet? Maybe we wait until all this game stuff is over with and the dust settles. And I personally don’t care about a ring, but Doug might have some thoughts about that.”
“Oh, right. A ring.” Cody felt like an idiot for not thinking of it sooner. The whole proposal was a spur of the moment thing, because it had felt like the perfect time to ask. “I should probably get you one of those. I can definitely afford one. Anything you want, it's yours.”
Morgan smiled at him again. “We don’t have to worry about that right now. Focus on finishing the game and getting rid of Temica, and then we can actually settle down, get married, fold Nyrah and Yana into our relationship, and start having babies.”
“We’re going to have a more in-depth conversation about all of that,” Cody said, and gave her hand a squeeze.
They arrived at Doug’s cottage and walked down the drive. Doug was already sitting in a lawn chair on the beach, fishing rod and live bait bucket next to him, while Gracie built a sandcastle. She grinned when she saw Morgan and Cody and rushed at Morgan for a hug.
“Daddy says I get to play in Grandpa Sam’s workshop today,” Gracie said. “So, I’m not actually grounded until I’m eighteen.”
“Yes, you are,” Doug said sternly. “Anywhere you go from now on, me or your aunty Morgan go with you, until you turn eighteen.”
Gracie pouted. “That’s not fair!”
“Oh, it is,” Doug said. “Now go on, I need to have a little chat with Cody.”
“Mr. Pinecone Man,” Gracie corrected.
“Cody,” Doug repeated.
Gracie gave her dad one more bratty scowl before turning away.
Morgan mouthed, “Good luck,” to Cody and caught up with Gracie, who was already halfway to the dirt road.
“We’re going out on the boat,” Doug said.
He picked up his fishing gear and walked over to the dock, where his weathered steel runabout lay waiting. Doug climbed in the back next to the motor, so Cody was obliged to sit on the mid-bench. Cody had brought his fishing rod with him and set it down in the bottom of the boat.
Doug was wordless as he got the motor going and then steered them out into the placid lake.
They moved off from the main cluster of cottages, where the lake opened up more, before Doug cut the motor.
It was just them, the sound of the gentle waves on the steel hull, and birdsong.
Doug popped the lid off the bait container and fixed a wiggling worm to his hook, so Cody did the same.
Once that was taken care of, he cast out the opposite side of the boat from Doug.
Another ten minutes passed before Doug finally spoke. “Are you serious about staying with Morgan this time around? I heard it from her, but I’d like to hear it from you.”
Cody turned to face the older guy, but Doug’s focus was out on the water, not Cody, so Cody turned back to his own fishing line. “I’m here to stay.”
“Because you also got Gracie warming up to you. She’s been through enough. So, if you’re not prepared to be her uncle and actually stick around, then I’m going to need to ask you to not talk to her anymore. You understand?”
“I understand completely. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for Morgan, and I’d be more than happy to be Gracie’s uncle. She’s a good kid.”
Cody glanced over at Doug just in time to see him nod.
Cody supposed marrying Morgan would officially make him Gracie’s uncle.
As an only child, that was a role he had yet to play.
And Gracie really did seem like a good kid.
A little weird. A little stubborn and adventurous, but he was also pretty sure there was more going on there.
He frowned, realizing that poor kid had already been through a lot in the past few years.
He really hoped she wasn’t tied into any type of game system that Temica was involved in.
“So, what exactly are you doing for work out in Cornerstone?” Doug asked. “You got a job, Cody?”
“Morgan didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? Spit it out, Hampshire.”
“Grandpa Sam had a lot of money so…” Cody realized that saying he was retired at twenty-eight wasn’t the best thing to say to his hardworking future brother-in-law.
It didn’t sound very responsible. He couldn’t exactly explain to Doug how much he deserved to kick back and relax, after the years he spent in Velasarin.
He grasped for something else, one of those hobbies he was thinking of taking up.
One that could potentially make money. “And I might…try writing a book. Gonna be working on that. Yeah.”
Doug slowly turned around to face Cody, the boat slowly rocking as he shifted his weight.
His dark, emotionless eyes lingered on Cody’s face.
It felt like he was silently judging Cody, and Cody was pretty sure Doug hated that answer just as much as he did.
That was the lamest possible answer he could have given.
Clearly, someone like Doug did not consider ‘working on a book’ to be a wise career choice.
Doug sighed and turned around, focusing on his fishing line once more. “That’s not a real job.”
“I technically don’t need a real job. I have more than enough money to take care of Morgan and myself, and our future family.”
Doug snorted. “You’re going to laze about all day, for the rest of your days?”
“I am going to work on writing a book,” Cody said, giving it another try.
Doug silently reeled in his line and cast out again. “We need a part-time stock boy at the Food Mart. It’d only be two days a week, when we get big deliveries.”
“Well, I…” Cody wanted to finish that sentence with I really don’t want to take that job, but he also knew that if he wanted a drama-free future with Morgan and her family, he kind of had to.
“You don’t need my permission to marry my sister, but we live in the same town. Do you really want to be on my bad side for the rest of your life? I was just starting to like you.”
He had just started to like him? Other than the Friendship Levels, that was news to Cody. Although, he had found Gracie when she was missing. Doug was apparently still grateful for that.
“Fine,” Cody said. “When do I start?”
“Tomorrow. Eight o’clock. Don’t be late.”
Cody nodded, even though his back was to Doug.
He stared at his fishing line, willing a fish to come and bite so it would break the awkward silence that followed.
Or another motherfucking fishing montage.
One of those would be more than welcome right about now.
That is, as long as it didn’t end with sexy thigh rides and blow jobs.
After a few more moments passed, Doug finally asked: “How did you know exactly where to find Gracie?”
“Lucky guess.” There was no other way to explain it to this guy.
Before Doug could ask anything else, he got a bite on his line, and he started reeling it in. The rod tip jerked hard, bowing under the weight of the fish. Doug planted his feet against the floor of the boat and leaned his weight into it as he kept reeling it in.
“Feels like a good one.” Doug’s eyes were focused on the line slicing through the water.
Cody kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t about to be a backseat fisherman and try to give advice on reeling in the catch. Besides, Doug was clearly the seasoned fisherman, not him.
There was a flash of green as the fish broke the surface. It looked like Doug had hooked a largemouth bass.
“C’mon…almost there…” With a final tug, the largemouth bass broke the surface, and Doug finished reeling it in.
He eased the big green fish onto the bottom of the boat, one hand firm behind its jaw to keep it from thrashing.
It looked like it was about twelve inches long, give or take.
The fish flicked its tail, spraying cold lake water on Doug’s face, but he didn’t even flinch.
He’d clearly done this a thousand times.
“Easy now.” Doug worked the hook free with a practiced twist. The bass opened and closed its mouth, its gills flaring. “And back you go.” Doug lifted the fish and lowered it into the water, setting it free, and then wiped his hands on his jeans.
“Good catch.”
“Yeah.” Doug turned in his seat and set his rod down in the boat. “You waiting to catch one of your own? Or are you good if we head back? I covered everything I needed to say to you.”
“Uh, yeah. We can head back.” The less awkward quiet time in the boat, the better, and Cody was pretty sure that Doug felt the same.
Doug steered the boat back to the dock and they climbed out. Doug held his hand out to Cody, so Cody shook it. A notification screen popped up:
[Congratulations! You have completed your third Friendship Level with Resident Doug Callahan! Only two more to go until Full Friendship Achieved!]