Finding Home (Being Home Book 2)

by Lissanne Jones

  It had only been a matter of hours since her lips had touched his, but she was desperate to kiss him again.

  Cody appeared in the doorway, standing in front of her mother. “Good morning, Ruth.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek, and when she stepped aside to let him through, Autumn could see her mother was blushing.

  “I’m going to drop these off to the diner and pick up our breakfast. Cody, will you be joining us this morning for something to eat?”

  He glanced at his watch. “I’d love to, but my shift starts at seven so I can’t stay long.”

  Ruth picked up the trays Autumn had filled with pies. “Next time, then.”

  “Here, let me get these for you.” Cody stacked the rest of the trays and effortlessly carried them behind Ruth to the truck, Autumn scooting ahead to open the door for them. Once they’d waved Ruth off, Cody turned around, and the predatory look on his face made her shiver.

  He stalked toward her, stepping back into the store, and pulling her to him. “Good morning, darlin’.”

  She couldn’t have stopped the smile that spread across her face even if she’d wanted to. “Good morning, handsome.”

  His lips were on hers as the door closed behind them. He walked her backward, kissing her over and over, until they were back in the kitchen. “I didn’t like waking up to an empty bed.” He rested his forehead on hers as they both breathed heavily.

  “I didn’t want to leave it.” That was the truth. She would have been happy to have stayed in Cody’s bed for the rest of her life.

  He ran his finger along the edge of her top, tracing her skin softly. “Any chance I’ll be waking up with your gorgeous body wrapped in my arms tomorrow morning?”

  Her face fell. “I wish I could say yes, but…”

  “It’s okay, I understand.” He kissed her forehead. “You can’t risk being away from the house two nights in a row.”

  She slid her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I’ll take you however I can get you.” His hand curled around her chin and tipped her face up toward him. When his lips met hers, her heart melted. How had she gotten so lucky?

  It was quite some time before he let her go, and as soon as he stepped away from her, she felt the loss. “I made you breakfast.” She handed him a brown paper bag with two pastries she’d made especially for him.

  He took the bag and sniffed it, his face lighting up. “I smell bacon.” Opening the bag, he peeked inside. “What are these?”

  “They’re called bacon and egg galettes. I’m experimenting with different pastries and you’re my nominated taste tester.”

  “Well, if they taste as good as they smell, I’m a lucky man.” He pulled one out and took a large bite, moaning as he chewed. Autumn grabbed a piece of paper towel for him to catch the flakes of pastry as they fell off. “Damn. These are delicious. You going to be selling these?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ve made a couple of samples for Susan to try. If she likes them, she might order them for the diner.” Stella’s Diner had been passed to the eponymous owner’s daughter, Susan, upon her death some years ago.

  He wolfed down the rest of the pastry in hand, then licked his fingers. “She’d be crazy not to want these. They’re so good.”

  She felt the blush creep across her cheeks. “I hope you’re not just saying that because you and I…because we’re…”

  Cody raised an eyebrow. “Fucking?”

  “Cody!” She was sure her face was now bright red. “Don’t be so crass. We’re not just—” she swallowed before continuing. “Fucking.”

  “Of course it’s not just that.” He placed the bag down on the counter and pulled her close. “I can call you my girlfriend, can’t I?” He nuzzled her neck, and she melted against him.

  “Yes. I’d like that very much.” She pursed her lips and he kissed them, before blazing a path down her neck, covering her warm skin with soft kisses.

  “As much as I’d love to stay here all day and do this, I need to get to work.” He picked up the bag with the remaining galette and tucked it into his pocket.

  “Have a good day. I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Maybe we can do a video chat.”

  She gave him a small smile. “Maybe. But we’ll talk, at the very least.” Walking him to the door, she leaned into him as he kissed her goodbye.

  Autumn stood in the doorway long after Cody had departed. She let out a long sigh.

  How were they going to navigate any sort of serious relationship with the specter of her father hanging over their heads? Pushing off the frame, she decided to banish any such thoughts from her mind. That would be a bridge they could cross when the time came.

  For now, she just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being desired by an incredibly attractive man for whom she cared deeply. A man who’d brought her great pleasure.

  The man she was already madly in love with.

  9

  April

  Autumn could scarcely believe her luck. She practically skipped into the store that morning, floating on a cloud. For the first time since she’d started dating Cody four months ago, her father was going out of town on a business trip to Texas.

  And he’d be gone for a whole week.

  That meant she didn’t have to sneak out of the house after he’d gone to bed or come up with excuses for anything. She was free to come and go as she pleased, because her mother was nothing but supportive of her relationship with the son of her father’s rival.

  She texted Cody when she got to the kitchen, asking him to swing by on his way to the station. She knew he was on early shifts that week, which meant he started at seven.

  Turning on the ovens, Autumn went over to the massive walk-in pantry and began taking out ingredients and equipment she’d need to make that morning’s goods.

  Lining everything up on the counter, she ran a trained eye over it and tied on her apron, declaring herself ready to bake.

  First was the pastry. Each pie she made had a small A carved into the dough somewhere, a hallmark she’d started one morning when she’d been feeling a little sassy and had kept doing ever since.

  It was her way of marking the items she made, a point of pride. She made them small enough that nobody had ever noticed them, but that didn’t matter.

  Nobody had to know they were there. All that mattered was she did.

  She knew her boyfriend would arrive about six thirty, so once the pies were in the ovens she began cooking the filling for his breakfast pastry.

  Autumn had been experimenting with different fillings, and Cody had declared that he loved the bacon and egg galettes she’d made, so she rustled up a couple for him and popped them in one of the ovens. They’d be ready to come out upon his arrival.

  Once her mother turned up at the store, she left everything baking and went out front to help her stock the shelves for the day. Jars of jellies had been flying off the shelves as of late, so they needed to restock all the flavors they carried. Honey made from a farm in a neighboring county was also popular, so they placed more jars out for sale.

  When the ding of the timer went off, Autumn scurried back into the kitchen and removed the small baking tray with Cody’s breakfast on it. Just as she shut the oven door again, she heard a loud knock on the glass of the front door.

  It opened, as evidenced by the loud clang of the bell above it, and then hushed voices spoke for a few moments before he appeared in the doorway.

  Her heart started to thud loudly in her chest at the sight of him. He was so handsome, with his clean-shaven square jaw, his multicolored eyes, and his neatly combed dark brown hair.

  “Good morning, darlin’.”

  The deep tone of his voice made her shiver. “Good morning, handsome. Sleep well?”

  “Not in the slightest.” He pushed off the doorway and crossed the room to where she stood.

  Her brows furrowed as she reached up and brushed back some hair that had fallen acros
s his forehead. “You didn’t? Are you okay?”

  Strong arms wrapped around her waist. “How can I sleep properly when you’re not naked in my bed?”

  “Cody!” She swiped his arm and glanced around him to make sure her mother wasn’t in hearing distance. Fortunately, Ruth was still out the front, sweeping the aisles.

  “What? It’s true.” He suddenly sniffed. “What’s that I smell?” Cody gazed over at the stove, where Autumn had placed the trays. “Did you make me breakfast?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Thank you.” He dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers, before deepening the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. By the time he released her, she was a little dizzy.

  He helped himself to a napkin and slid one of the bacon and egg concoctions onto it. When he started examining it, turning it this way and that, Autumn frowned. “What on earth are you looking for?”

  “I’m trying to find where you’ve hidden your initial.”

  She could hardly believe her ears. Her mouth fell open and she stared at him, her eyes wide. “You know about that?”

  “Of course I do.” Cody gave her the grin that melted her heart every time. “I noticed one on a pie a few months back. It’s like your signature or something, right?”

  “Right.” She nodded, blinking back the tears that started to form. “Nobody’s ever noticed them before. Except Momma, of course.”

  He took her hand, pulled her close, and kissed her again. A slow, sweet kiss that she felt from the root of her hair to the tips of her toes. “I notice a lot of things about you.”

  He nuzzled her neck and she melted. It had been so easy to fall completely in love with this man, and his interest in everything she did was one of the many reasons why.

  “I know you have to get to the station, so I’ll wrap your breakfast up for you.”

  “Thanks, darlin’. What did you want to tell me?”

  “Oh! Dad told us last night over dinner that he’s leaving on Friday morning for Texas to look at some cattle and horses.” She leaned in close, her teeth grazing over the lobe of his ear. “He’ll be gone for a week.”

  She heard Cody’s sharp intake of breath. “Does that mean you’re mine for the entire weekend?”

  “I can be. If you want me to be.”

  He pulled back just far enough to look at her. “Hmm, do I want to get you naked and keep you that way for an entire weekend?” The twinkle in his eye gave Autumn the answer, and she grinned back at him. “Yep, I definitely do.”

  “Definitely do what?” Ruth breezed into the kitchen, startling Autumn, who instinctively attempted to put a little distance between her and Cody. The deputy sheriff, however, was having none of it, his arm staying wrapped firmly around her waist.

  “Autumn just told me Jed’s heading out of town on Friday. You don’t mind if I borrow your daughter for the whole weekend, do you, Ruth?”

  She gave them both a warm smile. “Not at all. I’m going to take advantage of the peace and quiet to catch up on some crafting projects and read some good books.”

  Cody glanced at his watch. “Shit, I’ve got to run or I’ll be late.”

  Autumn packaged up the two breakfast pastries she’d made him into a small, white box, and handed them over with a kiss. “Have a good day. I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Guess this means I won’t see you until Friday night now?”

  “Probably not.” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He pressed a kiss to her nose and lowered his voice. “Gives me three days to think about all the things I’m going to do to you this weekend.” With one final kiss and a wave to Ruth he was gone, leaving her standing in his wake, aroused and needy.

  Damn him.

  Once the pies had cooled, the two women packaged them up and loaded them into Autumn’s car. She didn’t mind doing the morning deliveries, because it gave her a chance to say hello to her neighbors and check in on the elderly and frail.

  Jo West had a standing weekly order for one pie, the filling a surprise, and Autumn loved dropping it off every Tuesday so she could see how the older lady was doing. A long-time widow, the entire town of Aurora Springs was well aware of her soft spot for a certain deputy sheriff, who happened to be a twin.

  Autumn had made Mrs. West an apricot pie, and she carefully carried it to the front door. Once she was ushered inside, she only stayed long enough to accept the discounted payment for the pie and chat for a few minutes to make sure Mrs. West was okay.

  “Rumor has it you and that handsome deputy are dating, Miss Autumn.”

  The younger woman schooled her face into a neutral expression that gave nothing away. “Oh?”

  “Don’t be coy with me, young lady.” Mrs. West reached out and placed her hand on Autumn’s arm. “If I was forty years younger, you’d have some serious competition for young Deputy Whittaker’s heart.”

  Autumn couldn’t stop the smile from bursting across her face. “I’ve seen photos of you when you were younger, Mrs. West. You were quite the looker in your day! I probably wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

  “Nonsense.” The older lady waved her hand. “You two are the perfect couple. I’m sure you’ll have very pretty babies.”

  “Oh, gosh.” A blush stole over Autumn’s face. “We’re nowhere near that stage yet.”

  “Just the practicing part, right?” Mrs. West cackled loudly. “I miss being young sometimes. Staying in bed for days on end with your lover. I bet Cody’s great in the sack.”

  Autumn choked on air. It was clearly time for her to depart. “As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I have more pies to deliver, so I’ll see you next week, okay? You call me if you need anything.”

  She gave the woman she’d known all her life a hug and scooted out of there. She was still blushing when she climbed behind the wheel, and after downing a large mouthful of water from her metal water bottle, she drove away.

  The next three days seemed to pass so slowly that Autumn felt as though the week was never going to end.

  Her father left for Texas early Friday morning, after he’d fed the animals and done the daily chores, and the mood in the large, airy kitchen of the Grant family store was merry and bright. She was busy preparing the pastry for the pies while her mom organized the filling.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay on your own all weekend? I really don’t mind coming over in the mornings to help with the animals.”

  Ruth waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll be just fine, honey. I want you to enjoy this weekend alone with your man. You work so hard in the store, on top of everything you do on the farm. You’ve more than earned this break.”

  “So have you.”

  Her mother bustled over and kissed the top of her head. “I’m looking forward to the peace and quiet without your father.”

  Autumn stopped what she was doing and turned to gaze at her mother. She reached out for her hand, even though her own was covered in flour. “Why do you stay with him, Momma?”

  Ruth’s face softened as she reached up to brush a stray lock of hair from her daughter’s face. “It’s complicated, Autumn. If I left, I’d have nothing. No place to stay. No job. Only the money we’ve been saving. You know how petty your father can get. He’d leave me with nothing.”

  Her heart sank. She knew her mother was absolutely correct. Jed Grant would fight tooth and nail to make his wife suffer for her defiance.

  “I’m sure you could find somewhere to stay while you found your feet. I bet Diana and Bill Whittaker would give you a room in the main house on their ranch, and I know Evie still owns Charlie’s old house. There are options.”

  Ruth kissed her cheek. “You’re right, there are. I won’t lie, I have been thinking about the future. But your happiness is, and always has been, my number one priority.”

  Autumn blinked rapidly, tears welling up in her eyes. “You don’t have to stay just for me. You deserve to be happy, too.”

  Her mother gav
e her a reassuring smile. “I am happy, honey. I love this store and all the things we make together. I raised a beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, and caring young woman who’s a joy to be around.”

  “May I ask you a personal question?”

  “Of course you can.”

  “Do you…” Autumn trailed off, wondering if she dared voice a long-held thought. “Do you want to date Sheriff Collins?”

  Ruth stiffened in place, her spine straightening. “I’m not cheating on your father.”

  “No, of course not. I didn’t mean to imply you were, Momma. But I know the sheriff is sweet on you, and I think you might feel the same way, too.”

  The older woman relaxed just a little. “Gus is a good man, in every sense of the word.” Her voice was quiet and just a little wistful. “I don’t know what the future holds, but let’s just say I wouldn’t be unhappy if he were part of it.”

  Autumn didn’t even realize she’d broken out into a huge grin until Ruth did the same. “He’s a good man.”

  Ruth leaned in and rested her forehead against Autumn’s. “So is Cody.” Just the very thought of the man who’d captured her heart made Autumn blush, and her mother released her with one final kiss to her head. “What are you two up to this weekend, anyway?”

  “I have no idea. He told me to pack a bag to last the weekend. I think we might be going somewhere, I’m not sure. I don’t really mind either way. I’m just excited about spending some time with him.”

  “I know you are, my girl.” Ruth looked around the countertops. “Well, these pies aren’t going to bake themselves. Let’s get them done.”

  The two women got busy with their work, and once they were ready Ruth left with the deliveries. Autumn checked, restocked, and cleaned all the shelves while she was gone and swept the floors. She made notes of which items they were running low on.

  By the time five o’clock rolled around, she was practically dancing with excitement. After a long hug from her mother, she grabbed her overnight bag, carefully packed for the weekend, and tossed it into her car.