20. Hailey

TWENTY

Tinkling laughter nudged me from sleep. Confused, I pushed up on my elbows where I'd been sleeping face down, and I squinted at my pillow as I turned my ear to the sound that echoed in the distance.

Maddie.

I'd be able to identify her sweet laugh in a crowd of a thousand people, though this morning it was muddled, coming from somewhere outside the house.

Alarm raced through my veins when I came to the swift realization she wasn't inside, and I tossed off my covers, flew out of bed, and fumbled through the latch on my bedroom door. My feet smacked against the hard floor as I raced to the back door, my heart in my throat and fear churning through my senses.

She knew she wasn't supposed to go outside alone.

Especially after Pruitt had shown up last night.

Only I skidded to a stop, my hands shooting out for support and my nose touching the glass panes as I stared out at the scene.

Cody was facing away and kneeling on one knee, sifting through the disorder of plastic pieces of Maddie's playhouse that were dumped out on the lawn. Maddie was dancing around him, on her toes, clapping her hands and talking nonstop, though I couldn't make out her words from inside.

Only I was sure they were a form of her sweet manipulation that she'd used on him.

Inhaling a steeling breath, I opened the door and stepped out onto the back porch.

It was still cool enough, though the sun climbed its way from the horizon into the sky, the vast stretch above pinked with the first light of morning.

A slight breeze wisped through the trees, birds flitting and chirping and rustling through the leaves.

I eased toward the end of the porch and somehow managed to find my voice. "What's going on out here?"

From over his shoulder, Cody swiveled to look at me, grin tweaking wide. "Good morning, Shortcake," he said, rather than answering.

"Hi," I barely managed.

Though Maddie clapped and jumped, all too happy to fill me in on the details. "Guess what, Mommy? Mr. Cody said he bet he could put my playhouse together since you already said it was so many pieces and there was no way on this godforsaken earth you were going to be able to put the damned thing back together."

I cringed.

Maddie'd overheard me mumbling it yesterday afternoon when I'd been out there in that exact same spot as Cody was now, rifling through the pieces and having no clue where to even begin. I'd made the mistake of taking it apart when we moved, and I didn't have the instructions to put it back together.

"Mommy didn't mean for you to hear that. I was going to figure it out," I explained.

"I think Mr. Cody is probably way better at it than you."

Yeah, I thought he probably was, too, but still, I was reprimanding, "Cody isn't here for you to swindle him into doing jobs for you, Maddie."

"Sure I am. Why would you want to go and waste all of this?" He actually flexed his arm, his biceps bulging out.

Maddie laughed like she thought the man was hysterical. "See, Mommy, Mr. Cody is really strong and has really big muscles and he's going to put this sucker together, lickity split."

It was Cody's turn to cringe, likely only then realizing my daughter would proudly repeat every vulgar word that might drop from his mouth. I could only be thankful the word that had come off her tongue didn't start with an f.

A wry chuckle rumbled from the side. I shifted to find Lolly was out there, too, quiet as a mouse while she watched the exchange.

Okay, more like sly as a cat since she hiked a shoulder, smiling at me in her lacy nightgown with red lipstick smeared on her lips.

"Now why would you want to go and waste all of that when he can take care of it, lickity split?" she parroted, though her tone was painted in suggestion.

I sent her my best glare.

She shimmied her shoulders.

Good lord, what was I supposed to do with these people?

I returned my attention to my daughter and Cody.

Cody stared at me from over his shoulder, frozen to the spot, the intensity of him billowing on the morning air.

It wasn't until then I realized I hadn't taken the time to dress. I'd flown out here wearing my favorite pajamas—super short satiny sleep shorts and the matching tank in that teal color I loved, my legs bare and my boobs spilling out the top. Hair wild and untamed.

I shifted on my feet. It was one thing having him take me in on Saturday night. It'd been dark, and well…I'd felt sexy and beautiful in that dress.

It was an entirely different story when I was standing lit in the spotlight of the sun, and I was sure I looked a disaster right then.

I tried to clear the discomfort from my voice. "Cody has work this morning, Maddie, and I'm sure he needs to get ready, the same as I do."

Cody pushed to his feet, and he dusted off his hands before he ruffled one through my daughter's hair.

Affectionate.

Tender.

Slow.

"Yeah, your mother's right. I should probably finish getting ready and get to the job site before my partner thinks I'm slacking, but I think I can knock this out this evening if you help me out while I'm gone and put all the big pieces in one pile and all the small ones in another. How's that sound?" he asked.

"I can definitely help you so much, Mr. Cody. Look it, I got muscles, too." Maddie flexed both arms.

Amusement rippling from him, he tapped the tiny lump. "Those suckers look like they could bust right through a brick wall."

"I bet so. Wanna arm wrestle?" she challenged.

Cody laughed, this low, rolling sound that tumbled through me. "Maybe after we get this thing built."

"You'd better be ready," she told him. "You won't even know what hit you."

His attention slid back to me, and he slowly started back across the yard, his boots taking the lawn before he climbed the steps to come to stand in front of me.

Towering and tall.

Overwhelming and right.

So gorgeous with the backdrop of the sun lighting behind him.

The man sanctuary and warmth.

But I couldn't allow myself to settle in it. Couldn't allow myself to get too cozy before that blanket was ripped away. Most of all, I couldn't let Madison get attached. I could already see her slipping, enamored with the man, which I was realizing was an easy place to be.

Enamored.

"You don't need to do that, Cody," I mustered, tipping my head back to meet the magnitude of his gaze.

"I want to."

"It's not your responsibility."

He glanced back at Maddie. "I'm not doing it out of obligation, Hailey. I'm doing it because your daughter is amazing." Then he leaned in close and murmured so only I could hear, "Just like her mother."

He straightened like he didn't feel the roll of the ground vibrate beneath us, and those big boots thudded across the porch before he swung open the back door. "Now hurry up and get that cute butt ready. We need to leave in fifteen."

It took me a second to process what he'd said, and still, I wasn't fully gathering his meaning. "What?"

"You heard me. You're riding with me."

Then he stepped inside and let the door slam shut behind him.