my skin.”
He waited while she unlocked the front door. She reached to turn on a light. Nothing happened. “That’s strange,” she murmured. “Maybe it’s burned out.” Gingerly, she moved into the hall, stepping into the kitchen to feel along the wall. She flicked the switch, but the ceiling light didn’t come on. “I wonder what’s wrong?”
A hot flash of panic enveloped her. She didn’t need this right now, didn’t know if she could handle one more problem, trivial as this probably was.
“Hang on. I’ll check the box.”
She heard the sound of a lighter flaring, and a tiny flame illuminated Cody’s features. Annie drew in her breath. She’d forgotten how very much Cody resembled his brother. Without being able to see the shoulder-length raven hair and the feather earring Cody sported, he looked disturbingly like Carlos. Although Cody was like a brother to her, it hurt to see the resemblance. She turned away, unable to look at the face of the past. “The box is in the kitchen closet, and there’s a flashlight on the wall.”
He edged past her into the kitchen. A moment passed before he came back out of the closet. “I don’t see any problems.”
Annie frowned. “I don’t get it.”
“Me either.” In the flashlight beam, she could see concern in Cody’s eyes. “I feel dumb for asking, but did you pay your electric bill?”
She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling inadequate. “It’s still sitting on my dresser where I put it to be mailed.”
He chuckled. “Stress’ll do that to you. Still, it seems like they shut you down awfully fast.”
Annie turned away, not wanting her embarrassment witnessed. “We’re not what you would call a good credit risk, I guess.”
Cody pulled her gently around. “What are you saying?”
It was almost more than she could bear. Confessing her treacherous financial position would make it real, would make it impossible to ignore. She’d been holding on for so long, fighting, praying, desperate for anything to keep the monetary wolves at bay. But the pitiful wall she had erected against the odds was crumbling. “Things were bad when Carlos was alive, despite everything he did to save the farm. He almost had us solvent when he…had the accident. But since then—” Annie choked to a stop, fearing tears would spill from her eyes any second. A sense of nervous anxiety rose inside her, and she felt weak, defeated. “I’ve done everything I can, but it’s not enough. It’s never enough,” she whispered.
Cody gathered her into his arms. “You’re doing a great job, Annie. It’s tough for a lot of people right now. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Sobs racked her body. “You don’t know.”
He patted her back soothingly. “The banks are full of people desperate for assistance. You’ve done the best you can with almost nothing.” Cody leaned back, touching the flashlight beam to her face.
Annie was ashamed of the tears streaking down her cheeks, ashamed that she was falling apart. She looked a mess and felt worse, like an incompetent fool. Ducking her head, she tried to escape the searching glare of the light. “I’ve made so many mistakes.”
“Everybody makes mistakes.” He put the flashlight on the kitchen table, so the beam pointed to the ceiling. “I make mistakes, too,” he said, sliding into a chair. “So what? This one’s easy, anyway. I’ll go down to the electric company tomorrow and pay the bill.”
“I can’t let you do that, Cody.”
He pointed her into a chair. She complied, feeling too defenseless to stand up. Despite her reluctance to bare her disastrous economic situation, it felt wonderful to be able to unburden herself to someone she could trust.
Not like Zach. He would never understand how someone could get into such a bind. What did he know about sacrifice, about hard times? He’d pity her for being such a fool. And maybe his pity would be deserved.
“You can let me do it, Annie. I insist. You can pay
He waited while she unlocked the front door. She reached to turn on a light. Nothing happened. “That’s strange,” she murmured. “Maybe it’s burned out.” Gingerly, she moved into the hall, stepping into the kitchen to feel along the wall. She flicked the switch, but the ceiling light didn’t come on. “I wonder what’s wrong?”
A hot flash of panic enveloped her. She didn’t need this right now, didn’t know if she could handle one more problem, trivial as this probably was.
“Hang on. I’ll check the box.”
She heard the sound of a lighter flaring, and a tiny flame illuminated Cody’s features. Annie drew in her breath. She’d forgotten how very much Cody resembled his brother. Without being able to see the shoulder-length raven hair and the feather earring Cody sported, he looked disturbingly like Carlos. Although Cody was like a brother to her, it hurt to see the resemblance. She turned away, unable to look at the face of the past. “The box is in the kitchen closet, and there’s a flashlight on the wall.”
He edged past her into the kitchen. A moment passed before he came back out of the closet. “I don’t see any problems.”
Annie frowned. “I don’t get it.”
“Me either.” In the flashlight beam, she could see concern in Cody’s eyes. “I feel dumb for asking, but did you pay your electric bill?”
She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling inadequate. “It’s still sitting on my dresser where I put it to be mailed.”
He chuckled. “Stress’ll do that to you. Still, it seems like they shut you down awfully fast.”
Annie turned away, not wanting her embarrassment witnessed. “We’re not what you would call a good credit risk, I guess.”
Cody pulled her gently around. “What are you saying?”
It was almost more than she could bear. Confessing her treacherous financial position would make it real, would make it impossible to ignore. She’d been holding on for so long, fighting, praying, desperate for anything to keep the monetary wolves at bay. But the pitiful wall she had erected against the odds was crumbling. “Things were bad when Carlos was alive, despite everything he did to save the farm. He almost had us solvent when he…had the accident. But since then—” Annie choked to a stop, fearing tears would spill from her eyes any second. A sense of nervous anxiety rose inside her, and she felt weak, defeated. “I’ve done everything I can, but it’s not enough. It’s never enough,” she whispered.
Cody gathered her into his arms. “You’re doing a great job, Annie. It’s tough for a lot of people right now. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
Sobs racked her body. “You don’t know.”
He patted her back soothingly. “The banks are full of people desperate for assistance. You’ve done the best you can with almost nothing.” Cody leaned back, touching the flashlight beam to her face.
Annie was ashamed of the tears streaking down her cheeks, ashamed that she was falling apart. She looked a mess and felt worse, like an incompetent fool. Ducking her head, she tried to escape the searching glare of the light. “I’ve made so many mistakes.”
“Everybody makes mistakes.” He put the flashlight on the kitchen table, so the beam pointed to the ceiling. “I make mistakes, too,” he said, sliding into a chair. “So what? This one’s easy, anyway. I’ll go down to the electric company tomorrow and pay the bill.”
“I can’t let you do that, Cody.”
He pointed her into a chair. She complied, feeling too defenseless to stand up. Despite her reluctance to bare her disastrous economic situation, it felt wonderful to be able to unburden herself to someone she could trust.
Not like Zach. He would never understand how someone could get into such a bind. What did he know about sacrifice, about hard times? He’d pity her for being such a fool. And maybe his pity would be deserved.
“You can let me do it, Annie. I insist. You can pay
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