“Agreed.” Luke seemed to be on the same wavelength. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Autumn loves you.”
Cody sighed. “Not enough to want to stay in a relationship with me, apparently. I mean, she didn’t even talk to me about it.” That burned deep inside, and anger flared through his blood again.
Evie squeezed his hand. “I’m sure she’s hurting just as much as you are.” She suddenly frowned, an expression he couldn’t quite pinpoint crossing her face. “Maybe something happened we don’t know about.”
He suddenly felt like shit. He’d been so wrapped up in grief over Autumn ending their relationship without so much as a word that it hadn’t occurred to him she may not have chosen to do so. “Like what? Something with her father, you mean?”
“Hold on a minute.” Luke placed his hand on his twin’s arm. “We can’t go jumping to conclusions here. Let me talk to Mom and see what she thinks. Maybe she can have a word with Gus Collins, get him to go over to the farm and check on Ruth and Autumn.”
He disappeared into the living room, presumably in search of his phone, and Evie guided Cody into a chair. “Here, let me get you a coffee.”
As soon as she’d placed the mug down on the table, a loud cry sounded. “Somebody’s awake, Uncle Cody.” It was immediately joined by a second, identical wail. “Two somebodies are awake. Shall we go get them?”
He nodded and followed her into the master bedroom, where a bassinet sat on either side of the bed. Evie crossed the room to the far side and picked up the baby lying in it, so he went to the one nearest the door and scooped the little bundle up. “Hi, Colton.” He gave his nephew a kiss. “Did you have a nice sleep?”
The baby stopped crying the second he was picked up, and he was happy to be cradled by his uncle. His eyes were wide open, and when Cody brushed a finger down his cheek Colton smiled at him.
That smile repaired a few of the cracks in Cody’s heart, as did the identical one he got from Travis when Evie brought him round for Cody to kiss him. These little boys had grown to be so precious in the small amount of time they’d been in the world, and he adored them both so much already.
“Let’s get them changed, shall we?” She led the little troop into the nursery and over to the large changing table, where she swiftly and expertly changed Travis’s diaper while Cody changed Colton’s.
He quite enjoyed being hands-on with the twins and didn’t mind performing any task given to him. He’d fed them, changed them, babysat them, played with them.
By the time they returned to the living room, Luke was off the phone. “I spoke to Mom.” He lifted Travis out of Evie’s arms and kissed his cheek. “Good morning, buddy.” He came over to kiss Colton, who remained in his uncle’s arms. “Good morning, little man.”
Luke then looked back up at his twin. “She’s going to call Gus Collins and get him to check on the women. Ask him to go to the store, just to make sure they’re okay, and let Mom know when he’s spoken to them.”
The look in his eyes softened. “She said she’s so sorry to hear what’s happened, bud. She loves you and wants you to go there for dinner tonight.” He swung his gaze over to his wife. “Us, too.”
“That’s a great idea,” Evie enthused before Cody could counter it. “A family meal would be wonderful. Just what we all need.”
As though the mention of food was understood, Travis started to wriggle in his father’s arms and make bleating noises. “Someone wants breakfast, Mommy.”
Evie promptly sat down on the sofa and placed a pillow alongside her. She exposed her chest and took the baby off Luke, lying him down on the pillow and guiding her nipple into his mouth. He latched on with gusto, making slurping sounds that Cody couldn’t help but smile at.
Luke wandered into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a bottle in hand. “You want to feed him?”
Colton was staring up at him. “Sure do.” He took the bottle and guided it into the baby’s mouth, who began to suck heartily on the nipple. Luke and Evie had decided to give their sons both breast milk and formula so they could be fed by anyone, something that made life with two hungry babies a little easier.
Luke threw a cloth over his shoulder, and once Travis was ready, burped him. Handing him back to Evie for round two, he then came over to Cody and did the same with Colton. The baby then finished off his bottle and Cody burped him this time.
Once both babies had been fed and placed into their bouncers, Luke glanced over at his twin. “We should probably get a move on and head to the cabin.”
The two men got up and kissed the twins goodbye, before Luke did the same to Evie. They didn’t rush to end their kiss, and when they did Evie smiled at her husband. “Be safe. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” He pressed a kiss to her nose and let her go. “We’ll be back for lunch.”
Evie gave Cody a hug before he left. “Hang in there, handsome. I’ll talk to Autumn when I can. You’ll work this out, promise.”
He mustered the energy to give her a small smile but didn’t share in her confidence. Instead, he threw himself into the work on hand, and the two men spent all morning outfitting the new cabin.
It wasn’t anywhere near as large as their own, but it was cozy and comfortable for a couple to spend some time alone together.
Cody tried not to think about Autumn or the letter that was burning a hole in his pocket. He eventually tossed it into the seat of Luke’s truck so he wasn’t tempted to read it over and over. He focused on the work, and by the time they were on their way back to Luke’s cabin for lunch, he was exhausted.
Evie made them sandwiches. “Diana called. Gus went to the Grant store to check on Ruth and Autumn. They’re okay. He…” She hesitated as though trying to decide whether to tell him something or not.
“He did say that Autumn looked exhausted. Her eyes were all red, as though she’d been crying all night and hadn’t slept.” Evie pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I texted her, but she hasn’t responded yet. I’ll keep you posted.”
He nodded and finished off the sandwiches she’d made him. When she placed another plate down in front of him, he realized it was a piece of peach cobbler his mom had made. He wolfed that down, too.
By dinner time, the cabin was finally complete and all Cody wanted to do was head home, drown himself in a shower, and curl up in bed. But he knew his mother wouldn’t leave him alone until she could see with her own eyes that he was okay, so he followed Luke and family to their parents’ place.
Diana had cooked what smelled like a pot roast, and Cody’s stomach growled at the aroma. The elder Whittakers cooed over their grandsons, bestowing kisses, before Diana wrapped him in an embrace. “I’m sorry, baby boy.”
Her voice was low enough that only he could hear. “I know you’re hurting right now, but you won’t always be. We’re here for you, however we can be.”
He hugged his mother tightly, so grateful to still have both his parents in his life. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, son.”
“That goddamn Jed Grant is lucky I’m a lover and not a fighter, or I’d be over there kicking his ass right about now.” This outburst from Bill startled the room’s occupants, and they all stopped to stare at him.
The notion of the placid, peace-loving Whittaker patriarch attempting to kick anyone’s ass was so amusing that one by one, they all started to laugh. But Cody loved his father that much more for the gesture alone.
He reached for the twin nearest him, scooping the baby up and kissing his tiny face. “Did you hear your grandpa, Travis? He’s so silly sometimes.” Travis smiled and cooed at his uncle.
They kept the babies entertained until dinner was ready, and the pot roast was served with fresh, crusty, homemade bread. The entire meal was delicious, and he was full by the time he’d finished eating.
Diana and Bill walked them outside when they were ready to leave. Cody was clutching a bag full of leftovers, enough to feed him for the next couple of nights. He
placed the bag on the front seat of his truck and went over to Luke’s truck to kiss the twins goodbye.
He was dreading going home alone to an empty bed. He pondered the idea of making a run downtown to get a case of beer so he could get drunk enough to forget the day’s events. He had no plans for the following day, so he could nurse a hangover.
“Come home with us.”
Evie’s statement stilled him in place. “What?”
“Stay at our place tonight, Cody. You don’t want to be alone. Since you’re probably not going to sleep, you can take the night shift with the boys.”
“Ah, I see. You just want to use me to get some extra sleep.”
She smacked him on the rump teasingly. “You bet I do!”
He knew that wasn’t her agenda at all. Evie understood his sadness and confusion, and she genuinely loved him as a sister would. Maybe it was a bad idea to get so drunk he wouldn’t be able to walk properly. “Fine. I’ll come be your night nurse.”
23
Cody wasn’t taking the break-up from Autumn well. He was cranky from the moment he woke up to the moment he closed his eyes again. He constantly craved her touch. She was all he thought about, even when he was with his nephews.
He found solace in their presence. They were now big enough to laugh at him and wave their arms in his direction when he rocked up to the cabin.
He’d practically been living at Luke and Evie’s place. To their credit, they hadn’t once expressed any sort of annoyance with his constant hovering.
In fact, Evie seemed pleased to have him around, and had put him to good use helping her and Luke with the twins. She’d made up the guest bedroom for him and Cody had settled in, bringing over changes of clothes and his essentials. Being at his own place felt as empty as his heart, and all he did there was brood.
So he let his parents feed him. Let his mother fuss over him. Let his sister-in-law hug him. Let his brother hover around him.
Loved all over his nephews. The little boys melted his heart every time they looked at him with their big eyes and gummy smiles.
His family was his saving grace in the days after he’d discovered the letter underneath his door. So many times he’d held his cell in his hand, wanting to text Autumn to ask her—beg her—to at least talk to him about her decision, but he didn’t. If she’d wanted to talk to him, she would have. And she had his number.
He hadn’t heard a word from her.
He ached to touch her so badly. To hold her in his arms. To kiss her lips and other places. To make love to her, pin her down on his bed and have his dirty, wicked way with her.
It was eating him up inside, not being able to go and just talk with Autumn, but if they were correct about the reason for her ending their relationship, he couldn’t risk Jed seeing them anywhere near each other. Not yet. Not until he’d formulated a plan.
Cody was grateful he wasn’t on duty that weekend, so he happily spent Saturday morning playing with the boys. Once they went down for a nap, Luke grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“I’m taking you out for lunch.”
Cody didn’t argue, instead reaching for his own jacket. The two men headed out to Luke’s truck after he kissed his wife goodbye. Their destination was a small bar a couple of towns over, where the beer was cheap and the burgers were so big you could barely fit them in your mouth.
Luke ordered them two burgers with fries and two beers, and they slid into a booth tucked away in a corner, where they could talk without being overheard.
“Have you heard from Autumn?” Luke pulled no punches and dived straight in. Cody was both glad and annoyed. He didn’t want to talk about it, but knew he needed to, and there was no other person on the planet he trusted more than his twin.
“No.”
The waitress came back to the table with their drinks, so they waited until she was gone again before Luke spoke. “Have you tried to talk to her?”
Cody picked up his bottle and took a long pull from it before answering. “Luke, she doesn’t want to talk to me about it. If she had, she wouldn’t have shoved a fucking note underneath my front door in the middle of the night. What good would it do to try and contact her?”
He let out a shaky breath, his words punching another hole in his heart. “What if you’re right, and Jed did find out somehow?”
Luke had a sympathetic expression on his face. “It would explain why she slipped a note under your door, that’s for sure.” He took a mouthful of beer before he spoke again. “But you need to talk to her at some stage, bud. You can’t just let it end like this.”
Cody frowned. “Doesn’t feel like I have much choice.”
They were interrupted once again by the waitress, who eased two plates loaded with burgers and fries onto the table in front of them. Luke thanked her and ordered two more beers before he answered. “You need to at least find out why, and then you can work out what to do next.”
Cody sighed loudly, running his hand through his hair. “Fuck. It’s such a mess.”
His twin gazed at him intently. “You’ll get it sorted, bud. Everyone in Aurora Springs knows you and Autumn belong together.”
He let Luke’s words seep in, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that was true. He loved Autumn, and he knew she loved him. Knew being in a relationship with him had made her as happy as she made him. “I don’t know what to do, Luke.”
His brother gave him a sympathetic smile. “Just take it one day at a time, Cody. The priority for now is to make sure Autumn and Ruth are safe. Evie’s been messaging Autumn regularly, so we know she’s okay, and I’m sure Gus is keeping an eye on them.”
Cody nodded. “He is.” His boss knew what had happened and was keeping him informed. Cody knew the woman he loved was physically okay, and the Grant women were still running their general store.
But not being able to lay eyes on her, to touch or kiss her, was driving him crazy.
He focused on his brother and his lunch, enjoying the pleasure of the former’s company and the tastiness of the latter immensely. The twins talked about Luco Ranch and upcoming projects that were on their plate.
The family had been studying maps of their property and deciding where to build more cabins. It was long, hard work, but would be worth it as their bed and breakfast business continued to grow, as did their events and ghost tours. They now had more out-of-towners making bookings, which meant they needed places to stay.
They’d decided to build a cluster of cabins close to each other, for wedding parties and larger groups who were interested in bringing their families along.
The website and marketing Evie had put together for them had placed Luco Ranch on lists of top places to visit, and the property had been featured in quite a few travel and lifestyle magazines, which had boosted their profile significantly.
While Cody worked as a deputy, he still had enough time to help out on the ranch. Family was important to him, to all of them, and he’d do anything for them.
Thinking of his family led his thoughts to the one woman he’d wanted to make part of his, and his heart immediately felt heavy in his chest again.
“Want to talk about it?”
Luke’s question pulled Cody out of his reverie. “Huh?”
“It’s okay to be feeling emotional about your relationship with Autumn ending. You love her. She didn’t even give you a chance to discuss anything. I’m sure it’s equally as hard for her right now, especially if we’re right about why she ended it, but…”
He trailed off, finishing his beer before continuing. “You’re my brother. My loyalty is always to you. If you’re hurting, so am I. Tell me what I can do to make this easier for you, bud.”
A lump formed in Cody’s throat and he had to blink rapidly. Looking across the table at the man who was so like him in so many ways, he was grateful to have his twin. His brother. His best friend. His confidante. He’d be truly lost without Luke. “You always make everything
better.”
That was the truth. He could always rely on the other man to make him laugh or pull him out of the doldrums.
“Listen, Evie and I want you to know you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you want.”
The corners of Cody’s mouth curled up. “Even if it’s forever?”
Luke’s grin matched his. “Sure. But I can’t be held responsible for what you might see from time to time.”
Cody’s brain immediately leaped back to the day he walked in on his brother and sister-in-law having sex, and he shuddered. “I’m good, but thanks for the offer.”
The other man tipped his head back and laughed his ass off. “Thought that might be your answer.” Once they’d quieted down, Luke’s expression turned grave again. “Seriously. I know that being at your place alone must be hard right now, so you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”
Cody took a few moments to gather his composure before answering. “Thanks, Luke. It means a lot. But you have enough on your hands right now with the babies.”
“They love having you around, and you know they’re adorable as hell.”
“They are pretty cute.”
Luke gave him the wide grin of a proud father. “Of course they are. Look at their mother.”
“Yeah, she’s hot.” The corners of Cody’s mouth turned up, and the two men smiled at each other.
“She is. I’m a lucky man.”
“You are.”
“You’ll have a family of your own one day. Don’t give up. I’m sure you and Autumn can find a way to make things work. Ask yourself this. Is she the one? The woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? Do you want her to be the mother of your children?”
There was no hesitation on Cody’s part. “Yes, to all three questions.”
“Then you’ll have to fight for her. But Jed…” Luke trailed off, his expression thoughtful.
“Jed is a huge pain in the ass.”
“I’ve never known a man as stubborn as him. I don’t get why he has to make life so difficult for everyone.”
Finding Home (Being Home Book 2) Page 18
