Cody had discovered a way to tell which lady had made which pie months ago. He’d noticed that Autumn carved the letter A into the pastry of each pie she made.
It was so small that most people probably never even saw it, but he’d spotted it one day and had been on the lookout ever since.
After accepting another container of leftovers for dinner, he bid farewell to his parents and headed back to his cabin after promising to be at theirs for breakfast the following morning.
When he got home, he shed his clothes and took a quick shower. Dressing in a pair of flannel pajama pants, he grabbed a beer and turned on the television.
He switched on the multicolored blinking lights that adorned the Christmas tree Evie had insisted he put up, and he had to admit they did brighten the cabin up considerably.
All but one of the presents underneath the tree were for his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. The recipient of the other gift would be having dinner with him on Friday night.
This was turning out to be quite the merry Christmas after all.
2
Cody came around the other side of his truck and grabbed the bag of Christmas presents sitting on the seat before heading into his parents’ cabin. The door was unlocked, so he went straight in.
“Merry Christmas!”
“We’re in the kitchen, honey!”
He stopped at the Christmas tree in the living room and added the presents he’d brought with him to the pile already stacked neatly underneath, then followed his nose through to the kitchen.
Greeting both parents, he sat down at his mother’s urging and dived into the hot breakfast she plated up and placed before him. The strong coffee woke him up a little more, and it didn’t take him long to polish off the substantial meal.
“What time are Luke and Evie going to be here?”
Diana glanced over at the kitchen clock. “Oh, they won’t be here for another couple of hours, I don’t think.”
He pouted. “I want to open my presents now.”
His dad laughed, and his mother rolled her eyes. “It’s like you’re still five years old some days.” She got up, patted his head, and went to clear the table, but he rose up and stopped her.
“Sit down, Mom. I’ll do it. You cooked.”
He stacked the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and cleared the countertops before grabbing another cup of coffee.
The three of them moved into the living room, where they chatted with the television on in the background. Diana excused herself on various occasions to get the turkey she was doing for lunch started and declined her son’s offer of assistance.
Several hours later, the front door opened. “Merry Christmas!”
Luke and Evie crossed the threshold, holding hands. They both carried Christmas presents and once they’d set them down under the tree, hugs and kisses were exchanged.
“Can we open the presents now?” Cody almost bounced in his seat, making everyone smile.
“Yes, baby boy. We can open the presents now.” Diana waved her hand over the tree. “Why don’t you pass them out?”
He went over to the tree and distributed all the gifts. Once everyone had a small pile in front of them, they dug in.
When everything had been unwrapped and gratitude had been given, Diana stood to go back into the kitchen.
“Hold on a sec, Mom.” Luke took Evie’s hand. “We have one more present for you guys.”
Cody glanced over at the tree in confusion. “There’s nothing else under the tree.”
“This one’s not under the tree.” The twinkle in his brother’s eye was hard to miss, and immediately Cody knew what it was.
“No way!”
The grin on Luke’s face was so big it could have been seen from outer space.
“What are we missing?” The Whittaker patriarch scratched his head.
Evie rested her head on Luke’s shoulder as he spoke. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait about eight months for this present.”
It took a few moments for their parents to realize what he was talking about, and then Diana let out a loud gasp. “Are you serious right now?”
“Yes, Mom. Evie and I are having a baby. She’s due in August.”
Cody whooped happily and went over to his new sister-in-law, picking her up and whirling her around. Evie laughed and clung to him.
“Be careful, bud.” Luke placed a gentle hand on his brother’s arm. “Don’t go throwing my wife around. She’s carrying precious cargo.”
Cody rolled his eyes, making Evie laugh even harder. She was soon engulfed with warm hugs from her in-laws, while he embraced his twin.
“You’re going to be a wonderful dad.”
Luke couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “And you’re going to be an amazing uncle. Think of the mischief you and your nephew can get up to.”
That made Cody grin as well. “You know what’s a great name for a baby boy? Cody. Cody Luke Whittaker.”
“We are not naming the baby Cody.” This came from Evie, who was now standing back by his side. “I love you, but that’s just tempting fate.”
Everybody laughed, and then Diana declared she needed to get back into the kitchen to check on lunch. Evie went along with her, returning with drinks for the men before disappearing again.
“I’m so happy for you, son.” Bill clapped Luke on the shoulder. “I’m a little young to be a grandfather, though.”
Cody laughed. “You’re going to be sixty-five this year, old man.”
“You hush your mouth, Cody Travis.” Bill wagged a finger in front of his face, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Lunch was a jovial affair and everyone was in good spirits as they feasted over the delicious roast turkey and numerous side dishes Diana had prepared.
She’d had the foresight to buy a few pies from Ruth and Autumn for dessert, so all she had to do was heat them and serve them up with freshly whipped cream.
Luke kept a close eye on his new wife, encouraging her to eat a few more bites of everything.
Cody rolled his eyes as he helped himself to another slice of Palisade peach pie, one of his favorites. “Christ, he’s not going to be like this for the whole pregnancy, is he?”
His twin merely glared at him. “She’s eating for two now. Just wait until you knock your wife up.”
He snorted. “That’s putting the cart before the horse, isn’t it?”
Luke merely raised an eyebrow. “Is it?”
“Definitely.” Cody shut down the conversation before their mother could be drawn into it again, and he didn’t want to mention his date with Autumn.
For a reason he couldn’t define, he felt fiercely protective of her. He wanted to wait and see if anything flourished before he opened up that part of his life to anyone, even his twin.
The family stayed together for several more hours, Diana dragging out a few board games. They settled around the kitchen table and played, sharing many laughs.
Cody cheated every chance he got, because losing to Luke was never an option.
The twins had been ferociously competitive since they were children, always trying to one-up each other, and just because it was Christmas didn’t mean he would let his brother get the better of him.
The newlyweds decided to head back to the cabin near the hot springs on the property, where they were honeymooning, and Diana sent them off with a basket full of food to cover the next couple of days.
Once they were gone, Cody finished loading up the dishwasher and turned it on before deciding to head home himself.
The last couple of days had been incredibly busy and he was surprisingly tired when he got back to his cabin. Once he’d changed into something more comfortable, he grabbed his phone and sent Autumn a text.
Merry Christmas, beautiful. Hope you’re having a good Christmas. Let me know if you’re free to talk.
Her response came through about five minutes later.
Merry Christmas, handsome. Give me a
bout half an hour and I’ll call you.
He responded and then slumped on the sofa, stretching out on the end.
True to her word, his phone rang about half an hour later. Cody snatched it up and swiped the screen.
“Merry Christmas, Autumn.”
“Merry Christmas, Cody. How was your day?”
“Good. Mom cooked enough food to feed the whole town, so I’m full.” Autumn’s laugh warmed him all over. “How was yours?”
The line went quiet, and she hesitated before answering. “It was okay. Momma spoiled me rotten, as she does every year.”
He noticed she only referred to her mother and not her father. He filed that away for future reference. “You deserve it. Want to hear some good news?”
“Always.”
“Luke and Evie are having a baby.”
A loud gasp came down the line, followed by an excited squeal. “Oh my God, that’s wonderful! Congratulations, Uncle Cody. You must be thrilled.”
Her enthusiasm trickled down to him and he grinned madly, even though she couldn’t see it. “I am. Can’t wait to have a nephew to spoil.”
“It might be a girl.”
“Nah. You know the Whittaker family curse as well as I do. We haven’t had any girls for six generations.”
“Maybe it’s time to break the curse.”
Cody laughed. “Maybe, but I can’t see it happening any time soon. I’m getting a nephew.”
“Luke and Evie are going to have to keep a close eye on you, Deputy.”
He shifted in his seat. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because you’re going to be the uncle who causes as much mischief as possible.” Her tone was teasing, and he itched for her to be within reach.
“You’re lucky you’re not standing in front of me right now.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because if you were, I’d be smacking that gorgeous ass of yours for sassing me.”
Her breathy moan made his dick hard, and it was on the tip of his tongue to invite her over right that moment. But he didn’t want to cause any trouble for her with her tyrannical father, so he suppressed the urge.
“I wish I was there.” Her voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.
“I wish you were, too.”
The silence that followed wasn’t as uncomfortable as Cody might have imagined.
“Only two more days until our date.”
“I can’t wait, beautiful. Speaking of which, how do you feel about grilled steak in a mushroom sauce and jacket potatoes for dinner?”
“Sounds delicious! I’m still deciding what type of pie to make for dessert. How do you feel about being a guinea pig? I have some new recipes I’d like to try before I sell them in the store.”
“I’m in. Feel free to bring as many as you like.”
She laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. Listen, I should let you go. Speak to you soon?”
“Absolutely. Good night, Autumn. Sleep well.”
“Sweet dreams, handsome.”
She ended the call, and he threw the phone onto the sofa next to him before slouching in his seat. Once he was ready for bed, he climbed under the covers and wished a certain brown-eyed brunette was lying next to him.
She was the perfect Christmas gift.
Their date was only two days away, but Cody knew it was just dinner. He wasn’t expecting her to fall into bed with him on the first date.
He wouldn’t say no if she was game, of course, but he wasn’t going to rush her. Cody was completely fine with letting Autumn call the shots, because he knew she would be worth the wait.
3
Autumn texted Cody on Friday morning to check what time she should arrive at his place, and they agreed five o’clock worked for them both.
She spent a good chunk of the day going through her wardrobe and putting various outfits together. She didn’t want to overdress, but she didn’t want to look too casual, either.
Given it was almost the middle of winter, she opted to go for a nice mix in the end. Black jeans, a red silk blouse, and black boots. She knew his cabin was heated, so she’d only need a coat to wear to and from home.
Aside from sorting out her clothing options, she’d made one of the pies she hoped to sell in the family store in the near future for dessert, and also spent some time writing in her journal.
Autumn had been keeping journals since she was a teenager. Her father was a difficult man to live with. He ruled the Grant household with an iron fist, and the only way she was able to get things off her chest was to write them down.
She wished sometimes she had the courage to stand up to her father, but the one thing that stopped her was her fear he would retaliate for her defiance by taking his anger out on her mother.
While Jed Grant had never physically struck either woman, he had no qualms in dishing out emotional and mental abuse when it suited him.
Autumn and her mother lived for the days when he’d go out of town on business, because then he’d leave them alone. As much as she wanted to flee the house permanently, she couldn’t bear the idea of leaving her beloved mother behind.
Ruth was the complete opposite of her husband. Kind, gentle, caring. She nurtured her daughter and had taught her how to sew and bake.
Together, they ran the family store located at the entrance to their ranch, where they sold fruit from their large orchard, along with jams, jellies, preserves, pies, tarts, and other baked goods.
The store had a large kitchen with several industrial-sized ovens, and every weekday morning Autumn and her mom got up early and headed there to begin baking.
Everyone in town bought their baked goods, and they had a standing order at Stella’s Diner to deliver pies six days a week.
At four forty, Autumn took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom before grabbing her bag and heading into the kitchen.
There, she took out the pie she’d made that morning and placed it carefully in a container with a handle for easy transportation.
She hadn’t told either parent whom she was having dinner with, other than to tell her mother it was with a friend when Ruth had inquired.
Her father had merely grunted, completely disinterested in anything to do with Autumn’s life, unless he was in one of his moods and demanded to know everything.
She knew to keep her answers as short and vague as possible, so she wouldn’t be caught out in a lie later on. If something did develop between her and Cody, she would confide in her mom.
But for now, she just wanted to enjoy exploring the spark that had ever so slowly been burning between them for well over a year now, and still wanted to pinch herself that Deputy Sheriff Cody Whittaker, one of the most eligible bachelors in Aurora Springs, had asked her out on a date.
Her.
She parked her car, which had seen better days, to the left of Cody’s cabin as he’d told her to. Climbing out, she carefully came around to the other side of the car and removed the container with the pie from the front seat.
When she got to the porch, Cody was waiting for her, and her heart skipped a beat. He was surely the most handsome man in town.
His hair was a lighter shade of brown than Luke’s, but they both had the same color eyes: hazel, with flecks of green and gold. He’d obviously recently shaved, because his jaw was smooth.
God, she wanted to kiss the hell out of him, and such a realization startled her so much she paused midway up the front steps.
“You okay?”
The deep yet familiar timbre to his voice shook her out of her reverie, and she nodded. “Yes, sorry. Got lost in thought.”
“I hope it was about me.”
That made her grin, and she scooted up the rest of the stairs to stand right in front of him. “Hi.”
“Hi, darlin’.”
The term of affection warmed her insides and made her heart melt. Nobody had ever called her that before, and she really liked it. “I brought dessert.”
&
nbsp; She held up the container and he smiled at her. “What sort of pie did you make?”
“It’s a surprise, you’ll see.”
He led the way into the cabin and took the container from her, placing it in the fridge at her request. Once that was done, he helped her remove her coat and hung it up near the door.
“Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Beer?”
“Do you have any soda?”
Autumn didn’t imbibe in alcohol often because she preferred to be in control of her faculties at all times. Necessary, given her home life.
“I’ve got Coke.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
He grabbed a can of soda for her and a beer for himself, and they sat down in the living room. A toasty warm fire blazed brightly in the fireplace, and she felt right at home.
“I’ll get our dinner on soon. The grill’s ready to go.”
“Can I help with anything?”
“Sure. Let’s finish our drinks first. Are you hungry?”
“I’m ready to eat whenever you are.”
They talked about their respective Christmases. Autumn told him Evie had called her late on Christmas night with the wonderful news about the baby, and she had pretended to be surprised. They chatted about Cody’s nephew on the way, and once they’d finished their drinks they got started on dinner.
Cody had fired up the grill and the jacket potatoes were placed on it first, since they took a whole lot longer than the steaks to cook.
Once it was time, he placed the sirloin steaks he’d marinated on as well, while Autumn prepared a creamy mushroom sauce in the kitchen. She also set the dining table and lit a small candle she found tucked away in one of the cupboards.
When he came back inside from the back porch carrying a tray with the steaks and potatoes on it, he stopped at the sight of the table.
“I hope it’s okay that I put the candle there.” Autumn was nervous, even though she had no reason to be. Cody would never get angry with her over something so trivial.
“Of course it is.” His voice was soft. “It looks amazing.” Coming over to her, he carefully shifted the tray to one side and leaned over, gently brushing his lips against hers. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Finding Home (Being Home Book 2) Page 2