silent again.
Ryan didn’t know how long they sat, not saying a word. That was a lot of information to digest and she couldn’t begin to imagine what Cody was feeling. She wanted to ask questions. How long ago did this happen? How long was he with Laura? But she remained quiet. It wasn’t until she heard a shout from behind them that the moment had been broken.
“Hey! There you are!” Ryan turned her head to see Mac standing in the doorway, yelling.
When Cody didn’t respond, Ryan tugged on his arm lightly. “Cody? Mac is here.”
He turned slowly to Ryan and then turned to look at Mac. It was as if a spell had been broken. He lightly shook his head, wiped his eyes with the back of his hands, stood up and walked toward the deck.
“Hey sis,” he said as he reached Mac. “How’s it going?”
Ryan was surprised by the quick change in his demeanor but let it go. He had just told a heart wrenching story, and however he needed to deal with that was up to him. She stood and went to join them.
Mac was thrilled to see Ryan there with Cody, but could tell something major just happened.
When she reached them, Ryan gave Mac a hug. “Hey stranger!”
“Hey there yourself!” Mac grinned. “You two having fun out there?”
“Yep. Just playing with the dogs,” Cody answered. Ryan chose to remain quiet.
“Ahh,” Mac said, not really buying Cody’s response. “I just stopped by to pick up that cooler. Is that okay?”
“Oh yeh, of course. Come with me. It’s in the garage,” he said to Mac. “We’ll be right back, Ryan.”
Ryan smiled and watched them walk into the house.
“Okay, Cody, what’s going on?” Mac asked as soon as they were out of earshot of Ryan.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t ‘What do you mean?’ me, Cody. I know I interrupted something, and it didn’t look good.”
Cody sighed. He never had been able to keep anything from Mac. “I just told her about Laura, okay?” He saw her face soften and her eyes begin to tear.
Mac was quiet for a moment as she took in what he said. “Wow. You must really like her.”
Cody wasn’t exactly sure how to answer. He certainly lusted after Ryan, that much was obvious. But he felt like he was developing some serious feelings for her, and that hadn’t happened in a long time. Not since Laura.
“Yeh, I guess I do.”
Mac laid her hand on Cody’s arm. “That’s a good thing, Cody. Ryan is really nice. And… and Laura wouldn’t want you to be alone.”
Agitated, Cody sighed. “I’m not asking her to marry me, Mac. We’re just seeing each other. I don’t even know if she’s got someone back home. My gut tells me she doesn’t, but someone hurt her pretty bad, and she wants to take things slow. Hell, she doesn’t even live here.”
“That’s okay, ya know. It’s been four years…”
Cody started to get pissed and Mac could see his entire body tense.
He was tired of people telling him how long it had been since Laura had been taken from him – and that it was time to get back on the horse. Fuck the horse. He’d do it when he was goddamned ready to.
“I’m just saying I’ve seen a lot of changes in you lately, Cody. You’re more like yourself. I know you miss Laura, and you always will. I will, too.” Mac stretched up on her tippy-toes and hugged Cody. “I’m glad you told her. I think that was really brave.”
Cody began to relax and smiled softly at her. “Thanks.” Mac may have never had kids, but she was one of the most motherly people he knew. She was easy to talk to and often gave the best advice.
They looked at each other for a second then Cody said, “Let’s go get that cooler.”
By the time Cody and Mac returned, Ryan had wrangled the dogs onto the deck and locked the gate. She sat on the swing, slowly swinging back and forth, watching Berkley and Wrigley get a drink of water.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Mac said.
“Oh, no, it was really good to see you again,” Ryan answered. “Abby said
Ryan didn’t know how long they sat, not saying a word. That was a lot of information to digest and she couldn’t begin to imagine what Cody was feeling. She wanted to ask questions. How long ago did this happen? How long was he with Laura? But she remained quiet. It wasn’t until she heard a shout from behind them that the moment had been broken.
“Hey! There you are!” Ryan turned her head to see Mac standing in the doorway, yelling.
When Cody didn’t respond, Ryan tugged on his arm lightly. “Cody? Mac is here.”
He turned slowly to Ryan and then turned to look at Mac. It was as if a spell had been broken. He lightly shook his head, wiped his eyes with the back of his hands, stood up and walked toward the deck.
“Hey sis,” he said as he reached Mac. “How’s it going?”
Ryan was surprised by the quick change in his demeanor but let it go. He had just told a heart wrenching story, and however he needed to deal with that was up to him. She stood and went to join them.
Mac was thrilled to see Ryan there with Cody, but could tell something major just happened.
When she reached them, Ryan gave Mac a hug. “Hey stranger!”
“Hey there yourself!” Mac grinned. “You two having fun out there?”
“Yep. Just playing with the dogs,” Cody answered. Ryan chose to remain quiet.
“Ahh,” Mac said, not really buying Cody’s response. “I just stopped by to pick up that cooler. Is that okay?”
“Oh yeh, of course. Come with me. It’s in the garage,” he said to Mac. “We’ll be right back, Ryan.”
Ryan smiled and watched them walk into the house.
“Okay, Cody, what’s going on?” Mac asked as soon as they were out of earshot of Ryan.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t ‘What do you mean?’ me, Cody. I know I interrupted something, and it didn’t look good.”
Cody sighed. He never had been able to keep anything from Mac. “I just told her about Laura, okay?” He saw her face soften and her eyes begin to tear.
Mac was quiet for a moment as she took in what he said. “Wow. You must really like her.”
Cody wasn’t exactly sure how to answer. He certainly lusted after Ryan, that much was obvious. But he felt like he was developing some serious feelings for her, and that hadn’t happened in a long time. Not since Laura.
“Yeh, I guess I do.”
Mac laid her hand on Cody’s arm. “That’s a good thing, Cody. Ryan is really nice. And… and Laura wouldn’t want you to be alone.”
Agitated, Cody sighed. “I’m not asking her to marry me, Mac. We’re just seeing each other. I don’t even know if she’s got someone back home. My gut tells me she doesn’t, but someone hurt her pretty bad, and she wants to take things slow. Hell, she doesn’t even live here.”
“That’s okay, ya know. It’s been four years…”
Cody started to get pissed and Mac could see his entire body tense.
He was tired of people telling him how long it had been since Laura had been taken from him – and that it was time to get back on the horse. Fuck the horse. He’d do it when he was goddamned ready to.
“I’m just saying I’ve seen a lot of changes in you lately, Cody. You’re more like yourself. I know you miss Laura, and you always will. I will, too.” Mac stretched up on her tippy-toes and hugged Cody. “I’m glad you told her. I think that was really brave.”
Cody began to relax and smiled softly at her. “Thanks.” Mac may have never had kids, but she was one of the most motherly people he knew. She was easy to talk to and often gave the best advice.
They looked at each other for a second then Cody said, “Let’s go get that cooler.”
By the time Cody and Mac returned, Ryan had wrangled the dogs onto the deck and locked the gate. She sat on the swing, slowly swinging back and forth, watching Berkley and Wrigley get a drink of water.
“Sorry for the interruption,” Mac said.
“Oh, no, it was really good to see you again,” Ryan answered. “Abby said
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