His gaze glued to her full lips, he inched forward as if invisible ropes pulled him closer. Her mouth enticed him. He couldn’t resist. The space between them gone, he held her face and kissed her, a soft brush of his lips against hers that evolved into an assault of the senses. Her scent flooded him. The feel of her skin against his palms heightened his awareness of her. The rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing matched his increasingly fast tempo.
In the distance he heard a noise—something he should acknowledge—but he couldn’t. All he wanted to do was continue the kiss.
Until the sound of a throat clearing sent Maggie flying back, her cheeks flushed with a deep red. She stared behind him. He spun around.
Poised in the doorway to the kitchen, Hannah took a step away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
Maggie grabbed her purse from the counter. “You didn’t. I was just leaving.”
He reached out to stop her, and his hand caught air. “Great timing,” he murmured as he passed his sister and went after Maggie.
“I thought so,” Hannah called after him.
Halfway to Maggie’s car, he caught up with her. “Don’t leave.”
She slowed her pace, whirling around and pedaling backward. “I have to be at church early tomorrow. The favor didn’t say anything about the dishes, so I figured you could handle it.”
“Sure.” He shouldn’t have kissed her.
“Talk with your sister about her plans,” Maggie said, putting a damper on the past few minutes. She turned around and practically ran to her car.
Cody stood still, watching her. By avoiding involvement with people over the years, somehow, he’d lost his ability to relate to a woman on a level other than as counselor to a client. He definitely didn’t want that with Maggie.
When she pulled away in her car, he trudged back into the apartment, preparing to face another woman in his life. He hoped he was more successful. He needed to make Hannah understand she would need his support. They were family, and she didn’t have to go through giving birth to twins alone.
Inside his apartment he found Hannah in the kitchen. “How was your evening?”
“I enjoyed dinner together with people from work. Zane’s secretary is funny and will be nice to work with when I have to report to the office. Getting to know her makes me feel better about that.”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you that I heard from headquarters. I’m third in the rotation. We might have to leave as soon as a month or so.” His breath caught in his throat as he waited for her to respond.
“So soon?”
“That’s the nature of my job.”
“How do you do it?”
“I remember all the people I help who need it.” Cody leaned against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest.
“You can help people anywhere you want. There will always be others who need counseling. You’re gifted in that, but you don’t have to travel around to do it.”
“The people I help are facing desperate times. Often they have lost everything.”
“That can happen anywhere without a disaster occurring.”
“What are you getting at?”
Hannah opened the refrigerator and removed a carton of milk. “I might not come with you. In L.A. I got a taste of what it’s like to be in a place for over three years. I like making friends and knowing I’ll be around six months later. I like being me and not holding myself back. I’ve seen you. That’s what you do.”
“You can’t stay here. You’ll need help with the twins. You need family. Having two babies is a big responsibility.”
“Believe me, I’m finding that out.” She poured a tall glass of milk. “I’m not fond of milk, but I drink at least two glasses a day.” When she took a swallow, a grimace pursed her face.
“I want to be part of your children’s lives.”
“And I want that, too. But I have to decide what’s best for me and my kids. I don’t want to put them through what you and I went through. Look what it has done to you. You won’t let others see the real Cody. You keep yourself locked away.”
“It sounds like you’ve already decided.” Gritting his teeth, he straightened from the doorjamb.
“I’m leaning toward staying in Hope. I like it here. Maggie is becoming a friend. I have a nice job with an employer who appreciates a female electrician. I’ve not always had that in the time I’ve been working in the field.”
“I want you to feel you can depend on family. We moved around a lot, but we had each other while growing up. Our parents usually were there for us.”
Hannah placed her glass on the counter, closed the space between them and hugged Cody. “I know I can depend on you if I need it. I’m learning to stand on my own two feet, but remember my children and I will always have room for you in our lives. I want them to know you and love you. So, stop in Hope between assignments if you can.”
“Sure,” he murmured, not really sure if he could keep returning to Hope for a brief visit then moving on again. “I’ll keep you informed as I move up the rotation list. Please let me know when you make up your mind.”
“I will. Who knows? I’m so emotional right now I could change my mind by morning. I could decide to go back to California and look up the father of these babies and demand he do something. Not that it will help.”
“You need to let him know where you are and that you’re having twins.”
“I know. I just haven’t figured out how or when. There’s a part of me that doesn’t think I owe him any explanation. He walked out on me and my babies.” She patted her rounded stomach. “That’s how I feel. These babies are mine, not ours or his.” She walked back to pick up her milk. “I’m gonna finish this and go to bed. It’s been a long day, and I told Maggie I would go to church tomorrow. She’s gonna teach me how to knit and wants to introduce me to her group of ladies who make prayer shawls. She says when she knits she forgets her worries and concentrates on the stitches. I might need something like that in the future.”
“Great. I’m glad you’re going to church.”
“I want to see what the attraction is for you and Maggie.”
As Hannah left him in the kitchen, Maggie’s name rang through his mind. He’d kissed her this evening. He shouldn’t have. It had sent a message to her that he cared. Although he did, she deserved more than that. When his mother had died in a disaster, he’d made a promise to God he would make a difference in the lives of people who suffered. Maggie deserved someone who would be around.
* * *
Sitting in the game room too keyed up to go to bed, Maggie worked on a shawl. She only had a little left to do. She’d finish it and take it to church with her tomorrow. She knew a woman who needed it and would be there.
But after taking out another row of stitches, she wasn’t so sure knitting was a good idea. She couldn’t stop thinking about Cody kissing her tonight. Shaking from the memory, she put her needles and shawl in her lap and clasped her hands together to still the trembling.
She’d wanted the kiss to go on and on. The second their lips had touched she’d experienced a sense of coming home. But that wasn’t really the case. Cody didn’t even know what it meant to have a home. He had wanderlust in his blood.
But still, the kiss...
She laid her head on the back cushion of the couch and stared at the ceiling.
“I thought you would be in bed by now.”
With a gasp, Maggie shot up straight.
Ruth came into the room. “I was heading downstairs when I saw the light on in here. I thought it might be Brady.”
“No, he went to bed hours ago. Get this, with Sadie staying in his room for the first time. She was one happy dog when he carried her upstairs.”
“Oh, good.” Ruth took the chair across from Maggie. “I’m glad he’s warming to Sadie. She needs him, and he needs her.”
“I think so, too, but I was beginning to have doubts about my plan.”
“Someti
mes you can’t plan those kinds of things.”
“Tell me about it. He may still change his mind. Brady hasn’t been doing what he normally does. It’s hard to tell what he’s going to do.”
“When I came in, you looked like you had lost your best friend. What’s going on?”
“My son not doing well isn’t enough for me to be worried?”
“You had dinner with Cody tonight. How did it go?”
Hands still clasped, Maggie tightened her hold until her knuckles whitened.
“Ahh, I’ve hit a sore spot. You like Cody Weston.”
“Of course, I do. He helped Uncle Keith, and he’s now trying to help Brady even though my son doesn’t want any help. Doesn’t think anything is wrong.”
“Sounds like another stubborn man in this family.”
“Yeah, Brady certainly learned the wrong thing from Uncle Keith.”
“Over the past months working closely with you at City Hall, I’ve learned to read you. As much as I know you’re concerned about Brady, I think that frown has to do with something—or someone—else.”
“Cody kissed me tonight.”
Both of Ruth’s eyebrows hiked up. “And you didn’t want him to?”
“Let’s say I was surprised—pleasantly.” That was putting it mildly. She still blushed when she thought about the kiss and that had been hours ago.
“So, what’s the problem? He’s not married. You aren’t either. Maybe something will come of it. Take it from this newly wedded lady, being married is wonderful.” A glow spread over Ruth’s face.
Maggie eased the grip her hands had on each other and shook one loose. “I’m glad you believe that since I think Uncle Keith is extra special.”
“More than that. He gives me a reason to wake up each morning. For the longest time I’d forgotten what it meant to be married. Cody would be a wonderful father for Brady.”
Maggie’s mouth dropped open. “It was just a kiss. He didn’t propose marriage, and he isn’t likely to. He told me tonight he’s slated to leave Hope soon.”
Ruth straightened in her chair. “When? That’s the first I heard.” She fluttered her hand in the air. “Oh, I know he was sent to us by the Christian Assistance Coalition, but I was getting used to seeing him at City Hall every day. I thought maybe he would stay. We don’t have anyone like him in Hope. He fills a need.”
“People will be sad to see him leave.” Definitely she would be. When she thought about it, sadness enveloped her, making it nearly impossible to work as the still unfinished shawl in her lap attested.
“It sounds like you feel that way, so say something to him about staying. We could use a counselor of his caliber.”
“No, I would never ask someone to stay who doesn’t want to.” It hadn’t worked with Robbie. She’d tried to get him not to re-up in the army, but he had wanted the training they were providing.
Ruth leaned forward, her elbows on her thighs, her eyes fastened on to Maggie’s face. “What are you not telling me? When you care about a person, you need to let them know that.”
“Cody’s a friend. That’s all.”
“I think he’s more. When you mentioned the kiss, a look came into your eyes that said he could be more than a friend.”
Maggie shoved to her feet, the shawl and needles falling to the floor. “I won’t ever ask a man to stay again.”
“Again? When did you do that?”
“Robbie. I didn’t want him to sign up again for the army. He did anyway and look what happened. I was left alone to raise Brady. My son will never know his father. He didn’t care how I felt.”
“It sounds like you’re still angry with Robbie.”
Tears unexpectedly welled up into her eyes. “If he hadn’t gone, he would still be alive today, and we would be married. I wasn’t important enough to him.” Feelings she’d held inside rose to the surface. She’d never shared that insight with anyone because she hadn’t realized the depth of her anger at Robbie for leaving and then dying.
She blinked to rid her eyes of her tears but more flowed, rolling down her cheeks. “Excuse me.” After snatching up the shawl and needles on the floor, she hurried away.
“Maggie.”
She halted in the doorway and glanced back.
“Robbie didn’t purposefully abandon you. He wasn’t your parents. And Cody isn’t Robbie or your parents.”
“From where I stand, the end result is the same. They left. I’m alone.” Maggie fled into the hallway. What had she been holding inside for all these years?
* * *
Cody looked up the stairs between the second and third floor of City Hall to see Maggie descend. In the past three days since he’d kissed her, she had avoided him, and he hadn’t gone to see her because he wasn’t sure what to say or do. He’d made sure not to place himself in a situation like Saturday night, confused and questioning himself.
Her gaze riveted to him. Her expression neutral, she nodded as she passed him on the steps.
He couldn’t let it go. “Maggie, how are you?”
She stopped and swiveled toward him. “Fine. You?”
“Fine.” If that includes thinking about you way more than I should. Picturing your flushed face after the kiss at the oddest times during the day.
“Good. I’ve got to go. The city council’s meeting is starting, and I have to be there from the beginning to take notes.” She held up the laptop she carried.
“Maybe we can grab lunch this week.” Why did he ask her that? He still didn’t know what to say to her or what he should do next. In the past, it had been so much easier to walk away. Why was this so different? Probably he’d been working too hard and needed a break. He hadn’t had a vacation in eighteen months.
“That would be nice,” she finally said then continued her trek down the stairs to the second floor where the city council met once a month, her steps light and quick.
He walked up to the third floor, strode to his office, pulled out a stale sandwich from yesterday to eat for lunch and flipped open a file of a man he was concerned about. He’d lost his home and business in the hurricane and was still going through the angry stage of grief for those losses. There were many people in Hope struggling. The economy hadn’t been great even before the hurricane hit. Now it was barely limping along since the primary moneymaking industry, tourism, was suffering.
Fifteen minutes later with his sandwich finished and his notes on the client’s case jotted down on a pad, Cody closed the file and put it on a stack. He had a few more to go through before his next appointment.
A noise from the entrance of his small office attracted his attention to the open door, left that way when he wasn’t with a client, so people knew he was available. Brady stood just inside the room, his eyes red, his face pale.
Cody bolted to his feet and skirted his desk. “What’s wrong?”
Chapter Eight
“Sadie is gone. I’ve looked for her and can’t find her.” Brady opened and closed his hands at his sides. “It’s my fault she’s missing. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Come in.” Cody waved at a chair not far from the boy. “Tell me what happened. How’d you get here?”
“Ran.” Brady remained still, sweat glistening his face, his shirt damp from it.
But what drew Cody to the boy was the lower lip quivering, the sheen in his eyes. Brady was barely holding himself together.
“I need help finding Sadie. Mom isn’t in her office. Where is she? I tried calling her cell. She isn’t answering.” Panic laced each word. Brady’s hands now fisted so tightly his knuckles were white.
“She’s in a city council meeting.” Schooling his voice into a calm cadence, Cody half sat, half leaned against the front of his desk.
The teen pivoted. “On the second floor?”
“Yes, but I’ll help you. We can find Sadie.”
“I need to get back to the house and look.”
Cody plucked his car keys from his desktop and headed out into t
he hall. “I’ll drive.”
“But what about Mom?”
“By the time her meeting is over, hopefully we’ll have Sadie back.”
Ten minutes later, Cody pulled into the Bienville driveway. “Where’s Keith?”
Brady wrung his hands over and over. “I don’t know. Maybe his men’s group at church. I shouldn’t have gone to the Quick and Go. I left her on the back porch. She has never gone down the stairs without me carrying her. I looked all around the second-floor gallery. She isn’t anywhere up there. I don’t know how she made it down the stairs.” The boy chattered almost nonstop, his words coming out in a steady stream.
Cody parked behind the antebellum house. “She went down those stairs?” He pointed to the steep ones from the second story.
“Yeah, that’s the only way she could have used. She could have hurt herself. I told her I was gonna be right back.” Brady shoved open the door and leaped from the vehicle. “I know she can get around the house, but out here? What if she tried to cross a street? She can’t run to get out of the way of a car coming.”
The frantic ring to the boy’s words prompted Cody to reassure him. He said in a soothing voice, “We’ll find her. Maybe she tried to follow you.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t see her coming back. What if someone took her?”
“I’ll call your uncle Keith. He can help us. Did you leave a message on your mom’s cell?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’ll leave one and let her know what’s happening.”
While Cody dug into his pocket for his cell, Brady murmured, “I should have taken her with me. She’s always trying to follow me. She’s probably lost and doesn’t know how to get back here. She hasn’t been here long. Or, what if she is hurt somewhere? She’s been through so much. Nathan said she should have died after the hurricane. But she didn’t. Now she might because of me.”
“Brady.” He waited until he had the boy’s attention before continuing. “You did all you could. You left her where you thought she would be safe. She hasn’t been gone long so that means she’s probably nearby.”
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