37. Cody

TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD

THIRTY-SEVEN

Cody leaned back against the trunk of the giant tree hidden in the recesses of Wagner Ranch, his eyes closed where he sat beneath the shade that did nothing to keep him from feeling as if he were getting burned at the stake.

Distraught.

Throttled by grief and the loss that he knew his mother was going to feel if she lost the house.

He'd put out feelers from one end of Colorado to the other, basically begging for extra jobs, even though he was already stretched thin. When that hadn't panned out, he'd gone to the bank, praying on the few good acts that he'd committed in his life that he might be able to get his own loan, which he knew was foolish as shit, getting a loan to pay for a loan, but drastic times called for drastic measures.

The woman there had looked at him with regret when she'd told him he didn't have the assets to back it up.

So there he sat, helpless, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes and trying to blot out the distress that consumed him. Hoping beyond hope that some sort of magic might befall him.

He froze when he felt the shift in the air, that stunning energy that always stopped him in his tracks beating into him from afar, making his heart hemorrhage and his pulse run rampant.

He slowly dropped his hands away and peeled his lids open to find her standing there.

Just off in the distance holding some kind of plastic container.

Crystalline eyes taking him in with this sort of worry that made him want to weep.

Or maybe he already was, the way he had to hurry to brush off the wetness that had slipped down his cheeks.

He'd thought he was secluded enough that no one would find him where he'd sneaked off to eat his lunch, but there she was.

A dream manifested.

He'd been having them the last month.

Dreams.

Forbidden ones.

Thoughts of her.

He knew it was fucked up that he had a thing for the rancher's daughter.

Especially since she was shy and timid and so clearly innocent, not to mention he had to be at least six years older than her.

It sure as hell didn't stop the way his guts twisted whenever he saw her, though.

Hesitantly, she edged forward, like if she did it quiet enough, she wouldn't disturb the tormented bubble he was in.

Or maybe her sole intention was to pop it.

One thing he did know was she was a disturbance, all right.

Honey-streaked hair was twined in two of those braids at the side of her head, the girl tall and thin, though there was something about the insinuation of her curves that promised she was getting ready to bloom.

But it was that sweetness that emanated from her that bowled him over each time. This vulnerability she seemed eager to shuck.

She wore a pair of light blue corduroys and a matching country tank with fringe along the neckline.

Her steps were slow as she approached, coming closer and closer.

He sat there tacked to the tree, unable to move.

"Hey," she finally whispered as she eased closer.

"Hey." It was a coarse rasp, the emotion clotting his throat making it difficult to speak.

"Am I bothering you?"

He couldn't stop the tugging at the edges of his lips. "Nah, darlin', pretty sure there isn't a chance your presence could bother anyone."

Redness pinked her cheeks, and she kept peeking at him as she came to settle on the ground off to the side of him, facing the same direction.

For a bit, the two of them just sat staring off into the thick woods that held them like a shroud.

"I saw you earlier…and you…looked upset." She chanced it, each word hesitant and filled with question.

He choked out a laugh that wasn't the least surprised. "You always notice, don't you?"

Uncertainty wound in her posture. "I shouldn't, but I do."

He knew what she was referring to.

Brooke.

Brooke who he'd made that mistake with two more times in the last month. Being a fucking idiot and allowing lust to grip him. Or maybe he was just doing everything to drive a wedge between him and Hailey since he knew there was no chance in hell he could ever have her.

Now that? That would make him a monster.

He knew it.

But he felt like a piece of crap, leading Brooke on the way he had, but she kept promising she was only looking to have as much fun as she could before she left in September for college.

This thing was no strings.

A fun fling.

But it wasn't feeling fun to Cody, anymore, and he'd promised himself that he wasn't ever going to touch her again.

It felt…wrong.

They sat in the silence for a little while before Hailey shifted to peer at him, her knees drawn to her chest. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Air huffed from Cody's nose, and he picked at a blade of grass below him. "Not sure it's something you would understand."

"Try me."

He exhaled heavily, peeking at this sweet girl he should definitely tell to go on her way.

But he liked her there.

Liked her presence.

Liked the way she soothed a little bit of the ache lighting a path through his body.

"Just someone I care about is having a bit of trouble and, as hard as I tried, there doesn't seem to be a damned thing I can do about it."

Her expression dimmed, and she looked out at the peace of the scenery that whispered around them. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Me, too."

She chewed at her plump lip, so damned shy and timid all while being this bright shining light that beamed, no chance of the radiance she emitted being contained by her reticent shell.

Yeah, this girl was getting ready to bloom.

He was sure of it.

"I brought you something." She passed him the plastic container that she'd set on the ground beside her.

He couldn't help but grin. "You brought me somethin'?"

Eager as all fuck, he peeled off the lid.

Inside sat a big heaping pile of strawberry shortcake.

His stomach rumbled right as his chest tightened.

"Did you make this?" He couldn't stop the wonder from filling his voice.

More heat splashed her cheeks, and she shrugged a shy shoulder. "It wasn't a big deal. I just…saw you eating fresh strawberries with your lunch a couple weeks ago, and I thought you might like it. That maybe…"

She was looking at him then, her eyebrows puckered together in hope. "I thought it might make you feel better."

Cody took the plastic fork that was tucked inside the container and dug it into the concoction. Through the whipped cream and sugared strawberries and down to the shortcake at the bottom.

He groaned when he put it in his mouth, the sweetness hitting his tongue and his heart doing that stupid thing it liked to do whenever she came around.

"You like it?"

His chuckle was rough. "Do I like it? Best thing I've ever tasted."

And that was saying a lot because his sister was shaping up to be a damned good baker. Dakota loved to bake things to make people feel better, though, and he wondered if it wasn't the same for Hailey.

Pride flamed on Hailey's face, and she rubbed her palms up the fronts of her thighs.

He took another bite, licking at the fork. "See. I already feel better."

Modesty had her looking away. "I'm glad," she whispered.

She seemed reluctant to push to her feet, but she did, the girl standing over him.

Appearing an angel who'd been sent to assuage his failure.

Awkwardly, she gestured in the distance. "I should go. Brooke will be wondering where I am."

Disappointment pulsed in his spirit. "Okay."

She started to walk, though she hesitated then shifted to look back at him. "Brooke is wonderful. You're lucky you have her."

Without saying anything else, she turned and hurried back up the path she'd come from, Cody watching her go, regret thick in his throat.

"Fuck," he muttered, shaking his head, though he sat there and ate every bit of that strawberry shortcake.

This was for the best.

Hailey chalking his and Brooke's non-relationship up as something that counted.

Once he was finished, he packed up his things and wandered to his truck to put his lunch pail inside so he could get back to work.

He startled when a presence came up to him from behind, then he let go of an easy smile when he saw the ranch manager standing behind him, acting cool and casual though he was praying to God he hadn't caught him sitting next to Douglas Wagner's daughter.

Brent was tall and fairly muscled, though not close to Cody's size. He was maybe in his mid-forties and had been pretty chill since Cody had started working on the fencing project.

"Hey, Brent. What's up?" Cody asked.

A question lifted Brent's brow. "Heard you need to make some quick cash."

Hope jumped into Cody's system. "Now that I am, brother. You know of something?"

"Sure do."

"Good because I need a lot of it."