Finding Home (Being Home Book 2)

by Lissanne Jones

  Once the show was over, everyone packed up their stalls. Enough men volunteered to stay behind and help the Whittakers dismantle the displays, so they were able to get everything down relatively quickly.

  The equipment was stored back in the storeroom of the large barn on the property that served as the main venue for the various events held on Luco Ranch, such as weddings, birthday parties, and anniversary celebrations.

  The Whittakers said goodbye to each other with hugs and kisses, and after she’d said goodnight to her mom and let her know she’d be staying at Cody’s place that night, Autumn took his hand as they walked back to his place.

  They talked about how much they’d enjoyed the day, their run-in with Gisele Dunne notwithstanding, and she asked him what the other woman might have meant by her threat. He confessed he didn’t know, but assured her Gisele was all talk.

  Autumn sincerely hoped so, but a gnawing feeling deep in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise.

  However, she refused to give the woman any more of her time or energy, so she helped Cody prepare the light dinner of salad they were having, followed by two individual-sized pies she’d secretly put aside for them to enjoy. They watched a little television, but it had been a long day so they were ready for bed before long.

  They detoured by way of the shower, where they indulged in some frisky foreplay, and by the time they were dried and made it to the bedroom Autumn was more than ready for Cody to slide inside her. He wasn’t in the mood to wait either, and after they’d made love it didn’t take long before he nodded off.

  She watched him for a while, the moon shining through the skylight. His face was soft with sleep, and she couldn’t help but trail a finger softly down his cheek and over his jaw.

  Oh, how she loved him. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of having in a partner. Cody Whittaker was intelligent, compassionate, and kind. He was a good man, not to mention incredibly sexy to boot. He worked hard, he loved his family fiercely, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for anyone in Aurora Springs.

  She knew she would have to tell her father sooner rather than later, but she dreaded it. Jed Grant would never understand.

  He would never accept his only child being in love with the son of the perceived enemy. She was afraid of what he might do when he learned the truth, but she was tired of having to hide her feelings for Cody around him.

  She was tired of living a lie.

  17

  Several weeks later, Cody walked as fast as he dared down the long corridor of the hospital. He could hear the faint sounds of machines beeping at regular intervals.

  Could smell the antiseptic used to clean the rooms. Could hear the murmur of nurses as they spoke quietly about their patients behind the station sitting smack bang in the middle of the floor.

  He came to a stop near the counter. “I’m looking for Evelyn Whittaker.”

  “Cody.”

  The sound of his brother’s voice had his head swiveling to the left, and when he saw Luke standing in the doorway of the last room, a big grin plastered on his face and a baby tucked in his arms, Cody matched it with a grin of his own.

  He jogged down the corridor and followed Luke into Evie’s room. His sister-in-law was propped up in the large bed, a white waffle blanket pulled up to her waist.

  She looked exhausted, as was to be expected, but she was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. She was also cradling a baby, and when Luke carefully placed the twin he was holding in the crook of her free arm, she beamed.

  Cody embraced his brother tightly, blinking rapidly. “Congratulations, Daddy.”

  Luke held him close before clapping his back a few times and letting him go. “Take a seat so we can introduce you to your nephews, Uncle Cody.”

  Before he sat, Cody shoved Luke gently out of the way and went over to Evie. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Good job, Blondie. I love you.”

  She gave him a tired smile. “I love you, too, Uncle Cody. Now go sit so you can hold our beautiful boys.”

  He did as he was told. Luke took the twin he’d just handed off to his wife and placed him in the crook of Cody’s right arm. “This little guy was born first, and we’ve named him Colton Luke.”

  Cody took a moment to breathe him in. He smelled exactly the way he’d imagined a baby would, and he was perfect. With wispy dark hair and the cutest button nose, every single inch of him was divine.

  “Hi, Colton.” He placed a gentle kiss on his nephew’s forehead. “Welcome to the world.”

  Luke then placed Colton’s twin in the crook of Cody’s left arm. “And this little guy, who decided to make his grand entrance more than half an hour after his brother, is Travis Cody.”

  Cody looked up at his twin and blinked back tears. “You named them after us.” Luke’s middle name was Colton, and his was Travis. He shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that, but somehow he was.

  “It was Evie’s idea, actually.” Luke went back over to the bed and parked his butt on it, reaching for his wife’s hand. Cody smiled as his brother and sister-in-law kissed softly.

  “Good choice, Evie.” He bestowed a kiss on Travis’s head, and then looked from one baby to the other. They appeared identical to him, although he knew they were fraternal twins, as he and Luke were.

  “We couldn’t have named them anything else.” Evie smiled. “I’m sure Travis is going to grow up to be just like his Uncle Cody.”

  The uncle in question laughed. “If you’re lucky.” He placed another kiss on each baby, this time on their cheeks. “They’re beautiful, you guys. Seriously. Can’t wait to babysit.”

  “We’ll definitely be taking you up on that.” Luke slid up off the bed and reached for his phone, which was sitting on the portable tray table at the end of the bed. “Let’s take our first picture of Uncle Cody with his nephews.”

  Cody grinned up at his twin, a baby in each arm, as Luke took a few pictures. Once he was done, Luke turned the phone around to show his brother. “Mom’s going to want a copy of this for her album.”

  “Speaking of, where’s Mom and Dad?”

  “They’re on their way. They were in Colorado Springs when I called them, so they’ll probably be another hour or so.”

  “They went to Colorado Springs this morning?” Luke had called his parents and brother on the way to the hospital, in the early hours of that morning, to let them know his wife had gone into labor.

  “Mom said labor for first pregnancies always goes on for hours and hours, so they decided to head there first thing to get what they needed and be back in time for the boys to be born. We didn’t think they’d arrive as quickly as they did.”

  The three of them talked for a little while, Cody happily cradling the twins and in no rush to hand them back to their parents. When Travis started wiggling and snuffling, though, it was clearly time to give him to his mother.

  Luke helped her sit up properly and positioned a pillow to prop the baby up on. Evie then pulled down the front of her nightgown, and Cody couldn’t help but stare at her full, round breast for a few moments before he realized what he was doing and averted his gaze.

  A feminine laugh echoed through the room. “What are you doing, Cody?”

  He very deliberately didn’t look at his sister-in-law. “What do you mean?”

  “You don’t have to look away. You’ve seen a breast before, haven’t you?”

  He chuckled. “Of course I have.”

  “Then please don’t feel like you need to avert your eyes. I’ll be feeding the boys every couple of hours, so my boobs are going to be on display every time you look.”

  Luke laughed as he scooped Travis up out of Cody’s arms and kissed his cheek. “Come on, hungry boy. Let’s get you fed.”

  He handed their son to his mother, and Evie kissed him before laying him down in her arms on top of the pillow. Travis needed no guidance to find her nipple, and he latched on, suckling hard. She winced a little and stroked her bab
y’s cheek. “This one’s certainly got your appetite by the looks of it,” she told Cody.

  “Can’t say I blame him.” He winked at her, and she smiled as she settled back against the pillows propping her up.

  Cody stayed until his parents arrived, and then he left the delighted new grandparents to bond with their grandsons. After kissing both babies and Evie goodbye, with a promise to come see them again later that night after his shift, he walked out into the corridor with Luke.

  “I’m so happy for you, bud. They’re gorgeous boys.” The two men embraced. “Does Autumn know yet?”

  “She does. Evie insisted I text her when I contacted you guys. She said she’ll pop by after the store closes to say hello.”

  “I’ll pick her up on my way, then.”

  “We’ll see you both later.” With a final, quick hug, Cody left the new family in hospital and headed straight to a certain family store to see the woman he loved.

  He was grateful to find Autumn alone so he could sweep her into his arms and kiss her soundly. Once he let her up for breath, she raised a hand to his cheek and stroked it lightly with her thumb.

  “Congratulations, Uncle Cody. Evie and Luke sent me a photo of the twins and they look absolutely beautiful. Do they have names yet?”

  Cody brushed a kiss against her lips. “Thank you, Aunty Autumn. They do. The baby born first is Colton Luke, and his brother is Travis Cody.”

  Autumn beamed at him. “Those names are perfect. I can’t wait to see them in person.”

  “My shift ends at five, so if you want to meet at my place we can go together and then I’ll cook us dinner.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” She nuzzled his neck. “Shall I bring my pajamas?”

  Cody grinned. “You won’t be wearing a stitch in my bed, but sure. Bring your pajamas so I can strip them off you and eat your sweet pussy before I make you scream with my cock.”

  He heard the loud gasp she let out, and it amused him. Even after four months of sleeping together, she still reacted in such a way to him talking dirty and he loved it.

  He kissed her hard, his tongue sweeping into her mouth as one hand slid up her body to cup her breast and squeeze. She moaned, and he grabbed her ass, pulling her against him so she could feel exactly what her proximity was doing to him.

  He wanted nothing more than to lift up her dress, pull down her panties, and slide his hard cock into her tight, wet pussy. But this was neither the time nor the place. He had to get back to the station, so as much as he’d have liked to feast on her, it was going to have to wait until that night.

  “Can’t wait to celebrate tonight.” She smiled and kissed him. “I’ll be at your place about quarter past five to head to the hospital. I’ve wrapped the presents.”

  They’d gone shopping together to select gifts for the boys, and Autumn had also thoughtfully put together a basket of items for Evie to use both at the hospital and once she got home. “I’m going to make a few mini pies for Evie and Luke now to take to the hospital with us.”

  “They’ll love that. How about me?”

  Autumn tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. Do you deserve a pie?”

  He moved his mouth so it was next to her ear. “Do you want to come on my tongue tonight?”

  Her answer was swift and sure. “One pie for Cody, coming right up.”

  His laugh elicited one of her own. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He brushed his lips against hers. “See you this afternoon.”

  Autumn nodded. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” After one final kiss, he left the store and drove to the station.

  All he could think about were babies and Autumn. Autumn having a baby. His baby. Her belly, round and full with his son. He could picture it in his mind’s eye, and the desire to be a father, to have a child with the woman he loved, almost overwhelmed him.

  Maybe it was time to stop looking at rings and buy one.

  The rest of the day moved as slow as molasses, and by the time his shift ended Cody was itching to get home, pick up Autumn, and get back to the hospital to see his gorgeous nephews again.

  When he pulled onto the dirt road that led to Luco Ranch, he saw Autumn’s car parked outside his cabin. As he drove his silver truck close, his heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing her again.

  Damn. He was deeply in love with this woman, in a way he’d never expected, and he never wanted to feel any other way about her.

  She was waiting inside the cabin for him, her feet curled up underneath her as she sat on the sofa watching television. When he closed the door behind him, she got up and came over to him. “Hello, handsome.”

  He kissed her hello, his mouth lingering on hers. “Hi, beautiful. Just let me get changed and we’ll go see the boys.”

  It only took him a few minutes to change into jeans, a tee, and a light flannel shirt. Once he was ready, he picked up the small basket Autumn had made up for Evie and took his girlfriend’s hand as she carried two bags of gifts for their nephews in the other.

  When they arrived at the hospital, they found Luke and Evie alone with the babies. The two women hugged, Autumn being gentle with her friend, and then she kissed Luke’s cheek. Cody watched his brother embrace Autumn before she cooed over the twins.

  After being urged to sit by Luke, Cody took out his phone and snapped some photos as Luke placed one baby in her arms, followed by the other. When she looked up at him, he could see the tears in her eyes as she beamed at her friends. “They’re absolutely beautiful.” Her declaration made everyone in the room smile.

  Cody moved around to the other side of Evie’s bed and hopped up on to it next to her, stretching out. He kissed the top of her head and she cuddled into him as he placed his arm around her. “Tired?”

  “Exhausted.” She suppressed a yawn, and he rubbed her arm.

  “We won’t stay long.”

  “Stay as long as you like, Uncle Cody. The boys have been waiting for you to come back all day.”

  Evie exchanged a glance with her husband, and when she nodded at him Cody followed her gaze to his brother. “While you’re both here,” Luke began, taking a seat on the free side of Evie’s bed. “We wanted to ask you if you’d be the boys’ godparents.”

  Autumn looked up, her mouth falling open a little. “Really?”

  “Of course, really,” Evie tutted. “Who else would we ask?”

  Cody looked at his woman, and the expression on her face, her arms full of babies, was one of pure joy. “We’d love to be.” He answered for both of them and watched as Autumn kissed one downy head, and then the other. Holding Evie close, the four of them talked for a little while.

  Luke eventually rose up off the bed and scooped up one of the twins. “Hi, Colton.” He kissed his son repeatedly and cradled him close, allowing Autumn to transfer Travis up to rest his head on her shoulder. She rubbed his back gently, talking softly to him and kissing his cheek every now and then.

  “They’re so little,” she marveled.

  “They won’t always be.” Evie gave her a smile. “They certainly haven’t had any trouble feeding so far.”

  “Have you fed them both at the same time?”

  “Once, but it’s tricky. I needed Luke’s help to get them both settled.”

  Autumn let out a sympathetic noise. “You’ve certainly got your hands full now.”

  “I know, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

  Cody looked at his sister-in-law, her bliss unmissable. Evie and Luke’s path to marriage and babies had been a rocky one, but they’d managed to overcome all the obstacles and create the family they’d always wanted, and he couldn’t have been happier for them. They were soul mates in the truest sense, their lives better with each other in it.

  Luke came around to Cody’s side of the bed and placed the baby he was holding into the crook of his brother’s free arm. Once Colton was settled, his father snapped a few pictures of Cody, Evie, and Colton together, and then some of Autumn h
olding Travis.

  When it became apparent that Evie needed to rest, Cody and Autumn left the hospital after one last round of hugs and kisses for all four Whittakers remaining behind.

  Autumn’s excitement at the new arrivals spilled into conversation for not only the entire ride back to Cody’s place, but throughout dinner as well.

  She talked nonstop about the babies. How adorable and snuggly they were. How she couldn’t wait to watch them grow up. How wonderful Evie and Luke would be as parents.

  “You’ll make a great mom someday, you know.”

  Cody’s statement stopped Autumn in her tracks, and the cake server in her hand hovered over the slices of strawberry rhubarb pie she was transferring on to two plates. When she looked up at him, he could see the tears in her eyes, and his heart dropped.

  18

  Closing the distance between them, he took the server from her and put it down on the kitchen counter. He then placed his hand on her cheek, running his thumb over her soft skin. “What’s wrong?”

  Blinking back tears, she gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m just being silly.” She went to step away from him, but Cody pulled her closer and slid his arms around her waist, ensuring she couldn’t get away.

  He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Talk to me, darlin’.”

  She gazed up at him, a few tears spilling down her cheeks. “I want to have a baby someday.” Her hesitation had him rubbing her back softly. “But my father…”

  Cody had to tamp down the anger he automatically felt these days whenever Jed Grant was mentioned. “What did he say?”

  She shook her head, blinking rapidly. “It doesn’t matter what he said.” But if the bitterness in her tone was anything to go buy, it clearly did.

  “It matters to me.”

  She rested her forehead against his, her gaze on the floor. “He told me I’d make a lousy mother and I should have been sterilized from birth.”

  He closed his eyes as rage flooded his veins. How could anyone be cruel enough to tell his Autumn, who was beautiful, intelligent, kind, compassionate, and caring that she would be anything but a wonderful parent, let alone her own father?