“It was just a date, guys. Nothing earth-shattering.” They didn’t seem to agree as they made their displeasure at her absence known, all three begging for her attention in their own way.
Going out with Mike hadn’t been awful. He was a nice guy, and she’d enjoyed having dinner and seeing a movie with him, but he didn’t make her stomach twitchy. Not like the man who sat on his dark porch and let her know with one sharp note on his guitar that he didn’t want another man to kiss her. She’d briefly debated letting Mike kiss her goodnight anyway, but couldn’t bring herself to do it knowing Cody was watching. She told Mike that it was late and she had to be at the clinic early when he’d suggested a nightcap.
“Some other time then?” he’d said.
She’d stolen another glance at the dark porch where she knew Cody sat with his dogs. “I think I might be involved with someone, so maybe not.”
Mike raised a brow in the way men were born knowing how to do. “You think?”
She nodded. “Yeah, pretty sure.” Okay, a small lie. She wasn’t sure at all, but the moody man watching them was on her mind twenty-four seven, and she didn’t see that changing anytime soon. It wouldn’t be fair to Mike to pretend she was interested in him even though she would be if she were smart.
After sending Mike on his way, she changed into a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. Although she should just go to bed and put Cody out of her mind—like forever—she was drawn to him, alone there on his porch. Why she knew that he needed her was anyone’s guess, but she thought he did. His heartbreakingly sad music floated over, as if he played just for her. She had to go to him, whether it was a wise thing to do or not.
As soon as she started down her driveway, he stopped playing. If his silence was intended to keep her away, she had news for him. “Ready or not, here I come,” she murmured. At the steps to his porch, she paused. The moon was only a sliver in the midnight sky, and all she could see of Cody was the outline of his body. She waited for him to greet her, but he said not a word. At least the dogs seemed happy to see her, both bounding over to her.
“Hey,” she said. “Don’t stop playing on my account.”
Nothing.
Because of the dark, she couldn’t see his eyes, couldn’t read him. If she asked him to turn on a light, she thought he would refuse. “I forgot my beer. Be right back.” She paused. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Nothing.
Fine, don’t talk, but you have no idea how stubborn I can be. She ran back to her house, grabbed a beer from the fridge and added a lime, then went into her bedroom to get a candle and lighter. Although she’d feared Cody would be locked inside his house when she got back, he was right where she’d left him.
“So, where were we?” She took the seat on the other side of the table from him, set down her beer, and lit the candle. “There, that’s better. Not too much light, not too little.” He eyed the candle, then glanced up at her, and the word that skittered through her mind was haunted. She was a doctor, and although she worked to heal pets, she wanted to heal him. If he’d lost his way, she wanted to help him find it again, and if she thought he’d let her crawl onto his lap and hold him, she would.
“I’m sorry I missed seeing you yesterday when you came for your dogs.” When she picked up her beer, she noticed the almost-empty scotch bottle. Had he been drinking from it all night?
“Didn’t want to bother you.”
Ooh-kay. At least he was talking, but she heard the slight slur in his words. “I was hoping you would bother me.”
No response to that. She tried a different tack. “Would you play for me? I love listening to you.”
“How was your date?”
Not expecting that question, she glanced at him. “It was all right. Had dinner and went to the movies.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Um, no. First date.” He grunted, but she wasn’t sure whether it was one of approval or what.
Without another word, he began to play. She could listen to him all night. As his music flowed through her, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. What was his deal? She had a hundred questions she wanted to ask, but sensed she’d lose him if she asked even one of them. Instead, she settled for being allowed to share this time with him.
Sally and Pretty Girl slept with their chins on his feet, and she’d noticed that for the hour or so that he’d played, he hadn’t moved his legs. She smiled, thinking how she would do the same with her cats, no matter how uncomfortable she was.
“Why are you smiling?”