Cody didn’t bring up Autumn and the troubling issue with their secret relationship again, and he was grateful that Luke didn’t, either. They made small talk while each holding a baby until Evie returned from the store, a recyclable shopping bag in one hand and a small, white box in the other.
Luke gave his wife a questioning look. “What’s in the box?”
“Fudge.” She went into the kitchen to unpack her bag and returned a few minutes later. “How have they been?”
“This one’s been stinking up the place.”
Luke held Travis up toward her, and Evie scooped him into her arms, brushing a kiss on his forehead. “Have you been a smelly boy like Uncle Cody, my angel?”
Luke laughed his ass off while Cody glared stonily at the two of them. “You’re both so amusing.” He gave them the finger, which made his brother laugh even harder.
The commotion woke Colton up, and he opened his eyes sleepily, his mouth opening wide in a yawn. “Ignore them,” Cody told him. “They lie.”
The baby smiled, and Cody kissed Colton’s forehead. His fingers were so tiny, and when Cody placed his pinky in the baby’s palm, Colton wrapped his fingers around it, holding on tightly.
His nephews were so precious, and Cody felt a sudden yearning for a baby of his own.
20
Several weeks later, Autumn was visibly agitated as she was marched into the Aurora Springs Sheriff’s Office. The whole situation was ridiculous. She had done nothing wrong, yet Deputy David Hill—her former lover—was treating her like a common criminal.
“David, be reasonable.” She tried to ensure it didn’t sound like she was pleading, although she wasn’t sure how successful she’d been.
“I can’t break the law, even for you, Autumn.” David took a hold of her arm and escorted her up the stairs.
Autumn prayed her man was there, because Cody would not stand by and allow this to happen, but her heart fell when they arrived and the station was empty.
David pushed her into the seat next to his desk and she placed her bag on it. He made a big show of entering her details into the computer. “So the charge is trespassing on private property—”
She took a deep breath “I was not trespassing! The door was open and Mrs. West has asked me previously to leave her order on the kitchen counter if she wasn’t home.”
“So you say.”
“This is ridiculous. You’re making accusations that simply aren’t true, and Mrs. West will verify that.”
“Well, she’s not here and I can’t seem to contact her.”
“Nobody locks their doors in Aurora Springs, David, and you know that. Everyone has an open-door policy!”
“An anonymous report came in regarding a break-in and I can’t ignore it.” Hill settled back in his chair. Autumn’s gaze was square upon him, and she found it hard to remember that she’d once found him attractive. The idea that he’d seen her naked—that he’d been inside her–now made her want to heave.
“The fact is, I found you inside a residence not your own. You should be grateful I’m downgrading it to trespassing instead of breaking and entering.”
“I had permission to be in the house.”
“I can’t verify that.”
She let out an exasperated sigh. Hill was deliberately being obtuse. “Why would you have to verify it? You know that Mrs. West wouldn’t have an issue with me being inside her house.” She shifted in her seat. “Come on, David. You’re being completely unreasonable.”
The hard glint in his eyes told her that was absolutely the wrong thing to say. His square jaw stiffened along with his spine. “I have a duty to uphold the law, Miss Grant, and I’m going to do my job.”
Since she clearly couldn’t appeal to him as a decent human being—something she had come to realize toward the end of their relationship that he wasn’t—Autumn decided it was best to just let this situation run its course.
Sheriff Collins would dismiss any charges Hill raised in the system, and Cody would certainly have something to say about it, too.
Cody. The very thought of the man she was in love with made her heart beat faster. She desperately wished he was there.
She wondered why David was doing this. It wasn’t because of any sense of duty he felt. This had to be some sort of malice on his part.
He’d ended their relationship years ago when the real reason he’d begun it in the first place had come to light—his family had wanted to purchase the large orchard on the Grant property.
Apparently, David’s father had thought if David got cozy with Autumn, Jed Grant might have been amenable to making a deal.
She mentally scoffed at the thought. Clearly Mr. Hill hadn’t known the first thing about her father. He’d only allowed his daughter to date the deputy because he in turn had wanted to acquire some of the land that belonged to the Hill family.
Both men had been disappointed, and Autumn had been left feeling heartbroken and used by all three of them.
She’d vowed to never let that happen again. No man would ever break her heart like that for a second time. She’d rather be alone than be in a relationship without real love.
But she knew that was what she’d found with Cody. She was in love with him, and knew he felt the same way about her. He was the light in her darkness. When things got tough at home, he always made her feel better. Just being around him made her heart swell, and when he touched her, nothing else mattered.
Autumn realized she was going to have to finally tell Cody the identity of her former lover, and that made her heart sink like a lead balloon.
She was starting to get impatient with this farce. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared at the dark-haired man sitting across from her. “Is this going to take much longer?”
He stopped pecking at the keyboard with two fingers. “It’ll take as long as it takes.”
She was barely able to refrain from rolling her eyes. He went back to typing, and the minutes ticked by in silence. Where were Cody and Sheriff Collins? Surely one of them had to be back soon.
“Right.” Hill sat back in his chair. “I’m afraid I may have to give you a citation for trespassing on private property. The fine is listed on the ticket.”
“I see.” She affixed him with the frostiest glare she could manage. “And how much is that?”
“Eight hundred dollars.”
Her jaw fell open. “Eight hundred dollars? Did you just pull that out of your ass?”
His features were suddenly clouded with anger. “I see dating Whittaker has made you mouthy. It doesn’t become you.”
A sudden, unexplainable urge to punch the man overwhelmed her, but she knew that wouldn’t make the situation any better. “Bite me.”
Hill opened his mouth, no doubt to offer a retort, but she was saved by the phone ringing. He spoke to whoever was on the other end of the line, then hung up. “Mrs. West has just returned home, so I’ll go take her statement from her now.”
Autumn blinked. “Why didn’t you just ask her over the phone?”
“Because I need to hear it from her in person.”
That was a bald-faced lie, and she knew it. Hill was just being an asshole because he could be. “Fine. Let’s go.”
“Not so fast. You can’t come with me; you’ll have to remain here.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I can’t have you influencing the witness, that’s why.”
She stared at him. “You can’t be serious right now.”
“I’m definitely serious. You’ll have to remain in the holding cell until I get back, since nobody else is here.”
Autumn looked over to her right. A holding cell took up one corner of the large room. It had one cot and a toilet where everyone could see it. “I’m not going in there.”
“Yes, you are. Get up.”
“David, come on.” Panic began to rise within her, and bile burned her throat. She did not want to be stuck in the grimy, miserable looking space.
; “Don’t make this any harder for yourself than it needs to be.” He went over to the door of the cell and unlocked it, swinging it open. “In you go.”
The part of Autumn that always aimed to please everybody and do what she was told wanted to beg him not to lock her inside the cell, but the other part of her, the woman who’d become strong and confident with Cody’s love and support refused to degrade herself by begging.
She slowly, reluctantly stood and walked over to the door. Looking at Hill, she blinked. “Get in there, Autumn. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get Mrs. West’s statement.”
She stepped inside and closed her eyes as the door shut with a loud clang behind her. The cell was only used by the occasional citizen who had a little too much to drink and needed to sleep it off.
Hill went over to the fridge and came back with a bottle of water. “Here.”
She took it off him but, in a sudden fit of rage, threw it at him as he walked away. It hit his back, and he turned and glared at her. “You want to add assaulting a police officer to the charges?”
“Go to hell.”
He picked up the bottle, walked back over to the cell, and threw it through the bars onto the bed. When he got to the front door, he looked over his shoulder at her, gave her a smirk, and flicked the light switch, plunging the entire room into darkness.
“David, turn the lights back on right now.”
There was no answer. She heard the door close and then the sound of a key locking it. He’d actually left her alone in the sheriff’s office in the dark. The only source of illumination was the faint green that came from the exit sign affixed to the ceiling above the door, but it wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to allow her to see.
Autumn was afraid of the dark. Not many people knew that, but Hill did, which made him an even bigger asshole because he knew that turning the lights off and leaving her locked in a cell would frighten her.
“Just breathe.” She talked to herself, taking slow, deep breaths and filling her lungs. She tried not to think about being alone in the dark, tried not to think back to the incident as a child when she’d accidentally been locked in one of the small buildings on her ranch.
It had been cold and dark, and it had taken several hours for her mother to realize she was missing and locate her, as she’d believed Autumn to be with her father.
She tried not to panic, but it clawed at her throat, and she struggled to take a breath. Tears flooded her vision, making it even harder to see. Grasping the bars in front of her, she futilely shook them, as though they might just come loose and allow her to escape.
Taking deep breaths, she carefully inched over to the cot and sat down, the springs making a loud noise under her weight. She picked up the bottle of water and sipped it. She was going to be okay.
Hill knew where she was, and nothing could hurt her. Not even he would be stupid enough to leave her locked up for an extended period of time, especially when he knew his charges were bullshit.
She jumped a little when her phone began to ring, but her heart sank when she realized her bag was still sitting on Hill’s desk.
Autumn had been so caught up in everything she hadn’t even thought to grab it or make a phone call, and now her phone wasn’t within reach. It eventually stopped ringing, and ten seconds later she heard the ding of a message, probably alerting her to a voicemail.
She had no idea how long she sat on the cot, but it felt like a very long time before she heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs. Thank God. Hill must have returned.
“What the hell?” Autumn recognized the voice immediately as the lights were turned back on.
“Cody!” She almost sobbed with relief at the sight of her boyfriend.
“Autumn, what the fuck are you doing in the cell?”
“Please let me out.” She heard the waver in her voice, and apparently so did he, because it only took about two seconds for him to cross the room and unlock the door.
He pulled her into his arms, and she went willingly, clinging to him as tightly as she could. He stroked her hair soothingly. “What happened, darlin’?”
She pulled back just far enough to look at him and placed her hands on his chest, needing to touch him. After she finished explaining everything, the look on his face was murderous. She kissed his lips. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m going to fucking kill him.”
When Cody pulled her close once more, their bodies pressed up against each other, she felt nothing but safe. “I’m okay now.”
“Can you stay at my place tonight?”
She finally released him and took his hand, leading him over to Hill’s desk so she could retrieve her bag. “Yes. Just let me call Momma so I can tell her I won’t be home for dinner.”
Since Jed was out of town on one of his regular business trips, Autumn felt free enough to stay with Cody whenever she liked. She had spent a few nights at home with Ruth, not wanting to leave her on her own in the old house every night, but she didn’t want to stray from his side this night.
“Come on, let’s get out of here. You can call her from the truck.”
Cody paused by the door to lock up and turn the lights off again, then took her hand. Once they reached his truck and he started to drive, she called her mom and let her know she wouldn’t be home.
When they got to his cabin and went inside, he kissed her over and over. “I’m so sorry, darlin’.” She could see real regret in his eyes, and she stroked his cheek. “I’m going to make sure he’s held accountable for what he’s done.”
She pressed her mouth to his, and everything else just fell away. Once they finally parted, he tucked her into his side and pulled out his cell. Autumn listened as he spoke to Sheriff Collins and told him what had happened. She could hear the older man’s voice through the phone but couldn’t make out the words.
Once Cody hung up, he brushed his mouth against hers. “Gus will deal with him, promise. You okay?”
“I’m fine, handsome. You rescued me.”
“I’ll always come for you. I hope you know that.”
“I do know that.” She hugged him close, then let him go. “What have you got in the fridge that I can cook with?”
“Uh.” An all-too-familiar sheepish look crossed his face. “Let me call Mom and see what she’s making tonight.”
“Or we could go grab some pizza.”
“She won’t mind. She always makes enough to feed everyone, and she’s been cooking for Evie and Luke as of late anyway.”
That didn’t surprise Autumn, since her friends had their hands full with two healthy babies who took up all of their time and attention.
Diana happily offered them dinner, so they walked hand in hand over to Cody’s parents’ place and sat with them to eat. Autumn had asked Cody not to bring up what had happened with Hill, but she was certainly more quiet than normal. If Diana and Bill noticed, they were good enough not to say anything.
Once they got back to Cody’s place, Autumn pushed him up against the door and got down on her knees. She pulled down his shorts and briefs, and his cock bounced free. He let out a groan when she licked the tip and wrapped her hand around it.
She sucked his cock deep into her mouth without preamble, and his eyes glazed over as he gently grasped her hair. “Fuck.” She smiled up at him around her mouthful, tongue swirling and teasing him until he was hard and panting.
When he could take no more, he pulled her to her feet, bent her over the sofa, and bunched her dress up around her waist. Her panties ended up around her thighs, and his tongue circled her clit. She moaned, and when she was nice and wet, he straightened up and fucked her.
It was fast and hard, and she orgasmed quickly, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her toes curling as she screamed. Cody continued to pump deep inside her until he followed her over the edge with a shout of his own.
They eventually righted their clothes, and she didn’t protest when he led her into the bathroom and turned
on the shower. After they were done, they fell into bed together.
Autumn was mentally and emotionally exhausted after the day’s events, but she knew the sooner she got the difficult conversation she needed to have with Cody out of the way, the better.
She turned onto her side and gazed at him. “Cody, I need to tell you something, but I want you to promise you won’t get mad at me.”
He reached over and brushed some hair off her face. “I promise. You can tell me anything, darlin’.”
She took a deep breath. “I know you’ve been curious about the man I dated years ago.”
The corners of his mouth curled up. “Are you finally going to tell me who it is?”
“Yes.” She nodded and laced her fingers through his. “It’s David.”
He looked at her. “David? David who?”
“David Hill.”
It took a few moments, but then Cody sat up suddenly, a scowl on his face. “Hill? Are you fucking kidding me?” He threw back the sheet and got out of bed, pacing back and forth next to it.
Bile rose in her throat as she moved across the bed until she was up on her knees next to him. “If it makes you feel any better, he was just using me. He didn’t really care about me.”
He stopped pacing and stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“His parents wanted to buy the orchard, so they thought they’d have a better shot of convincing Dad to say yes if David was dating me. He was only using me to seal the deal. What they didn’t know was that Dad had much the same idea. He wanted to acquire some of their property as well.”
Cody’s face darkened, his anger evident. “Are you seriously fucking telling me that asshole was using you to buy property?”
She nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Shit. She didn’t want to shed another tear over a man who wasn’t worth a damn, but she couldn’t help it.
He stopped pacing, his expression softening. “I’m so sorry, darlin’. That must have hurt so much.”
“It did, on both sides.”
Finding Home (Being Home Book 2) Page 16
