Keys To Her Heart (Brookfield)

by Lacey Wolfe

  *

  Cody climbed the steps to his home the next morning after his short run. He kept finding ice patches on the track. He certainly didn’t want to pull a Lily and fall. It was time to start using the treadmill in his back bedroom.

  In the kitchen, he grabbed two hard-boiled eggs then went toward his bedroom to strip and shower. The two eggs were gone by the time his clothes were off and he stepped into the shower. The hot water washed away the chill in his bones. It wasn’t even above freezing outside. The cold temps were good for his run, but once the sweat dried, the goose bumps arrived.

  Lily had texted him last night, thanking him for his support. It seemed they were finally on the right track. She hadn’t pushed him away, and had leaned on him when she needed it. She was opening up and trying. And she loved him. It was hard to forget that little detail.

  He set a hand against the wall and closed his eyes as her face entered his mind. He clenched his fist at his side as his mind let the clothes she wore fall off her body, leaving her naked in his mind. She ran her hands through her curls then slid them down her body and right to her center.

  “Fuck,” he whispered as he grabbed hold of his cock.

  He could watch her touch herself all day. She quickened her pace as she spread her legs wider. Her fingers went in and out, in and out. She moaned and called out his name.

  Cody jerked his hand quicker. His release right there for the taking.

  Lily squeezed her breast as she fell over the edge in his fantasy. Panting and wiggling her hips, giving him a view made for the big screen.

  He clenched his teeth as his seed spilled out onto the tiled floor, running down the drain with the water that sprayed his body. He took deep breaths then stood straight. He turned in the water stream as he grabbed the shampoo bottle. This shower was like no other one since Lily had come into his life. One day, his all time favorite fantasy of Lily, wet and in the water with him, would come true.

  * * * *

  “Some ladies just joined that fellow you’re seeing.” Kathy squeezed Lily’s shoulder on the frontline of the diner.

  “Order up.” Mike pushed a plate in the window and Bo pulled the ticket down and set it next to the plate.

  “How’s it going?” she asked Bo. Today was his first day training with Mike. Once he had it down, he’d take over the evening shift. So far, he was a quick learner.

  “Good. Lots to learn, but it’s nice to be busy.” Bo smiled.

  “Cody’s dining with us if you want to take a break and say hi.”

  “I’ll see if I can.”

  Lily grabbed the plate of food and then sauntered over to the table where Cody was. Ah, his sisters had joined him. She hadn’t seen them again since the day she’d first laid eyes on Cody.

  “Here you go.” She set the plate down in front of Cody, being careful not to spill it in his lap. She then smiled at his sisters. “Hey. Can I get you two anything?”

  Cody cleared his throat. “I guess it’s time for a proper introduction.” He grabbed hold of Lily’s hand, bringing her to his side. “Lily, these are my sisters, Diane and Alyssa. And this is Lily.”

  “It’s good to meet you—officially.” Alyssa rubbed her belly. “I want the loaded nachos.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.” She glanced at Diane. “Where’s your son?”

  “He’s with my friend Tom. And I’ll have a small salad.”

  “Jeez, I get a plate of nachos and you get a salad. Way to make me feel like a fatso.” Alyssa playfully smacked her sister.

  They were close. Though Cody had told her not long ago they couldn’t even be in the same room, and about being involved with the same guy. Looking at them now, she’d never have thought that.

  “I’ll get your orders in.” She started to turn, but stopped when Alyssa spoke.

  “Can you sit with us?” Alyssa asked. “I’d like to get to know you better.”

  Things were slow, so Kathy probably wouldn’t mind if she took a break. She only had one other table. “Uh, yeah. Let me put this in, and I’ll be right back.”

  She called the order in to Mike and Bo. Kathy came into the frontline and set her tray down. “Some days I just want to quit. That guy at booth eight, who just left, gave me such a hard time then left me a dollar.”

  “Sorry. At least the rush is over. Speaking of that, Cody wants me to sit down with him for a few. Do you mind?”

  “No, go sit. The boss isn’t here today, so my lips are zipped.”

  Lily grinned. “You’re married to the boss.”

  “And what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.” Kathy winked.

  “Let me know when my order is up.”

  “I’ll bring it to you.”

  Lily grabbed the check to the other table she had. The woman sat at the table reading, but her food was gone. Lily set the check down. “Can I get you anything else?”

  The woman was young, maybe around Bo’s age. Ooh, could Lily play matchmaker? “I’m fine. I’m just going to finish this chapter then get out of here. Thanks.”

  “Take your time.” Lily smiled and then went over to Cody’s table.

  He scooted over, allowing her to slide in next to him. “You look gorgeous today.”

  She shook her head. “I’m a mess. I have ketchup all down my shirt because I tripped, which shouldn’t surprise you.” At least it happened when he wasn’t around this time.

  “Be happy he compliments you. I can’t remember the last time I heard one.” Diane rolled her eyes. “Romance dies fast.”

  “Shut-up.” Alyssa rubbed her cheek. “Just last week you said Matt surprised you by making chocolate covered strawberries. Then you proceeded to tell me about the nasty things you two did with them.”

  “That’s sex. Not romance.”

  “Well, I think it’s romantic.”

  “And I don’t care what the hell you were doing with strawberries.” Cody groaned. “We’re in public. Let’s keep this rated PG. I don’t want you to scare Lily off.”

  “It’s fine, really.” She placed her hand on his thigh.

  “So, Lily, Cody tells us you live with your mom and you help take care of her,” Alyssa said.

  She was caught off guard. Talking about her mom was usually something she didn’t do. “Yes. I moved to town to care for her. She’s got Alzheimer's. Thankfully, Cody is a patient man and knows how busy I am. My brother just moved to town, so I am hoping I have some more time, as long as he doesn’t mind Gunther tagging along.”

  “Anytime.” He smiled. “Too bad Patrick wasn’t older, they could play together.”

  “Cody is great with kids. Patrick loves going to Uncle Cody’s.” Diane smirked.

  Kathy stood at the end of the table. “I’ve got a salad and a plate of nachos.”

  “Nachos right here.” Alyssa pointed at the table. “Don’t touch my food, Diane.”

  “Whatever.” She stuck her tongue out.

  Kathy set the food down. “Do you ladies need anything else?”

  “We’re good, I think.”

  “Do you need me?” Lily asked Kathy.

  “Nope. You sit and visit.”

  Lily sat back and listened as Diane and Alyssa dominated the conversation. She liked them, though she couldn’t handle them all the time. She’d be curious to get to know them one on one. Cody told her several times that was usually how he spent time with them—separate. Together, they were overwhelming.

  Her cell phone vibrated in her apron. She pulled it out. It was the school. She hated to see that number.

  “Excuse me. I need to take this.” She stood and turned her back to the table. “Hello.”

  “Ms. Jenkins.”

  “Yes, this is.”

  “It’s Ivery Smith, the school’s principal, again. I wanted to call you about Gunther.”

  Her gut dropped. Please tell me he hasn’t been in another fight. I can’t take much more of this. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m calling you with good news.�
�

  “You are?”

  “Yes. The boy your son has been having issues with, well, it does seem to have gotten a hundred times better. I caught them at recess talking, and apparently, they’ve bonded over a video game. Now they are planning visits to each other’s house to play the Xbox.”

  “Really?” She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. Gunther had said they were getting along, but she wasn’t sure he was telling the truth until now. “This is great news.”

  “It is, and that’s why I had to call and tell you.”

  “Thank you for that. You’ve made my day.” She ended the call and sat back down. “You know that problem Gunther was having with a bully?”

  Cody nodded. “Yeah, what, did he move?”

  “No. Apparently, they are best friends now.”

  “Really? That’s great.”

  She smiled and squeezed his thigh. She couldn’t agree more. Life was finally falling into place. Maybe she was finally going to get her happily ever after.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Life was falling into place. Every day Lily became more and more his. If he had a choice, he’d move her in with him tomorrow, but he knew that couldn’t happen. At least not for a while.

  Lily offered herself to Cody, on her knees with her ass wide in the air. He groaned at the gorgeous sight as he took hold of his cock and slid it into her willing entrance. Holding her hips, he began to thrust, hard and deep.

  “Deeper,” she whispered as she moaned at the same time.

  Cody dug his nails deeper into her hips, picking up his speed. She pushed back with such an urge, bringing him even deeper into her, he almost came right then. Hold it together. He needed to make sure she got her release first, but damn, the way she gripped his cock, it was hard to hold onto his control.

  Cody wrapped his fingers through her red locks and tugged her head back and pumped.

  “Oh God!” Her breathing picked up.

  He closed his eyes. His balls tightened and his release taunted him. Baseball, football…hot, sexy, and wet Lily.

  Fuck. He couldn’t hold back any longer.

  “Come with me,” he ground out between his teeth.

  Lily pushed her hips back hard and cried out. Her walls tightened even more around his shaft. That was it, he couldn’t hold back anymore. Picking up his pace, he thrust hard as his seed filled the condom.

  Once her body relaxed, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her with him as he fell to his side on the bed.

  “That was a good quickie.” She rolled to face him and ran her hand down his chest.

  She was beautiful with her flushed cheeks, and she was all his. “I love you.”

  Her eyes widened, and he hoped she didn’t freak again, but then her features softened. “I love you, too.”

  “I can’t wait until we can start our life together.”

  She sighed slightly. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, and I have this weird idea. You might not like it, though.”

  He kissed her cheek and whispered, “Try me.”

  “Well, my brother is dealing with the separation from his wife. Living at home again really isn’t something he wants to do, but with Mom’s trip to the neighbors, he feels like he has to. So he moved back from the Honeycreek cabin, into the house. He doesn’t mind helping, but I can tell he really wants to be on his own.”

  “I can see that.” He enjoyed his alone and quiet time, but something in his gut told him he was getting a roommate.

  “So, I was thinking, when we’re ready, maybe you can rent Brent your place.”

  “You mean a room?”

  She propped up on her elbow, her hair falling over her shoulder. “No, silly, as in you come move in with me.”

  He couldn’t believe his ears. She wanted to live with him.

  She licked her lips and continued, “I can’t leave my mom, and if you’re living with me, we’ll have all the time together in the evenings.”

  He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love the idea, but before we move forward, your son needs to be okay with it. He’s just now adjusting. I don’t think it’s the right time for me to move in.”

  She placed a light peck on his lips. “Well, duh. I didn’t mean tomorrow. When we’re ready.”

  “What if I’m ready now?”

  She fell onto her back and laughed. “You make no sense.”

  He climbed on top of her, bringing one of her nipples into his mouth. “I know, we need to wait, but your idea is a good one.” He swirled his tongue around the hard nub. “I can’t wait to wake up each morning with you.”

  “Wake me each morning like that, and I’ll buy Gunther the new Xbox just to make sure he’s ready.”

  He liked the sound of that, and his cock liked the idea of having access to her at the start of each day. In time, he had to remind himself. And with the way they’d moved along so far, he’d give it a month, maybe two.

  * * * *

  Lily opened the door to Luigi’s for Gunther. Tonight was a special occasion. Going out to eat didn’t happen too often, but with the way life was lining up, it was time to have a sit down with her son and discuss the future.

  They slid into opposites sides of the booth.

  “Can I get a coke?” Gunther asked.

  She nodded. “Whatever you want.” Typically when they went out to eat, they only drank water. She’d admit she was sucking up.

  They quietly studied the menu and when the waitress came over, they were ready to order their food and drinks.

  “How was school?” she asked.

  “Good. Caleb wants to have a sleepover this weekend. He wants me to come to his house. Think I can?”

  Caleb was the bully and now her son’s new best friend. “I’ll need to talk to his parents first. I don’t know them yet. So maybe a few hours at his house until I know them better.”

  “But—”

  She raised an eyebrow to stop his objection. “Argue, and none of it will happen.”

  He slumped in his seat, but perked up when the waitress delivered their drinks.

  She tore open the paper and placed the plastic straw in her drink. “I wanted to talk to you about Cody.”

  He slurped his drink and stared at her.

  She smiled at how grown up he was beginning to look. “It’s gotten serious. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to start having him over more in the evenings, so he can get to know you, and Nana, as well.”

  He shrugged. “I like him.”

  “You’re such an easy kid. When is it going to get hard?” She spoke it more for herself than for Gunther to answer. But it was true. Her son was easy. He had been since he was born. She could only imagine the hell his teenage years were going to be.

  “Are you two going to get married?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.” Though, she hoped they had the whole married life ahead them. That hot cop had handcuffed her heart to his.

  “Did you bring me out to eat just to tell me about Cody?”

  “Guilty.”

  The waitress set a tray of breadsticks down. Gunther grabbed one right away and dipped it into the garlic sauce. As he busied himself stuffing his mouth, she picked up her cell phone and sent a text to Cody.

  I love you. Dinner at my place tomorrow with my family? She set the phone on her lap, and then took her own breadstick.

  A moment later, her phone buzzed. Of course, I’d love to get to know my future family.

  Her heart did a little flip, and her face hurt from the grin that had spread across it. Her phone vibrated once more.

  Oops, almost forgot. I love you.

  She tossed her phone back in her purse. As much as she wanted to keep chatting with him, she needed to give her attention to her son.

  “Can I play a game on your phone?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Nope, it’s just you and I. You’re stuck talking to me. So tell me a little more about your new best friend, Caleb.”

 
; Epilogue

  Six Months Later

  “Nice place, bro.” Diane carried a box up the front steps to Cody’s new home. “Alyssa owes me if I break a nail. Just because she has a new baby, she thinks she got out of this easy.”

  The front door opened and Lily came out. Her face lit up when she saw him. She came down the stairs and right into his arms. “I missed you. I can’t believe today is here.”

  Cody kissed her forehead. “I’m glad. With your brother moving in last week with me, I’m ready to get out of there and here with you.”

  “If you thought living with him was bad, don’t forget you’re about to be here with me, Gunther, and my mom.”

  Staring into her eyes, he said, “Sounds perfect to me. It’s where I want to be. Besides, I’m here almost every night for dinner anyway. At least after dinner, I get to climb into bed with you.”

  Her arms squeezed his waist. “Yes, right after getting Gunther and Mom into bed, too.”

  “You can’t say anything to make me change my mind.”

  “Good.” She pulled away and swatted his side. “Bo’s already here. I’ve got him moving a few things around in my bedroom to make it more roomy for us.”

  Cody took the box from his sister and went into the house, leaving Lily alone with his sister. Over the past few months, his sisters had really taken to Lily. They’d all grown close, which Cody wasn’t sure would be a good thing at first, but it seemed like his sisters bugged him a whole lot less, now that they had Lily.

  As he walked through the house toward the room he’d share with Lily, he couldn’t help noticing the quiet. He found Bo moving a dresser.

  “What’s up?” Cody set the box on the bed.

  “Oh, hey.”

  “It’s quiet here. Where’s Gunther?”

  “His dad took him for the weekend, and I think Brent took his mother to the park.”

  “Cool. Need help?”

  Bo grinned. “Yeah. Your woman thinks I’m macho man.”

  He patted Bo on the back. “I heard you’re starting at the police academy in a few weeks.”

  “Yup.”

  “Good. I’m excited for you.”