by Dahlia Rose
“And you will.”
She opened her eyes. “What?”
“I managed to get the information on the funeral. It will be held tomorrow afternoon. Today, you and I are going into Huntsford so you can buy a dress and if you don’t have them, shoes. I’m driving you to the funeral tomorrow and staying with you. Afterward, we’ll come back here.”
“Why are you doing all this for me?”
“You asked me that before.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I can’t believe it’s just because there’s no one else or because my uncle asked you to.”
He grinned, but for the first time, she noted the sadness in his green eyes. “Well he does work for the FBI. I mean I don’t want to suddenly be on American’s Most Wanted list ‘accidentally.’”
“Uncle Cornell would never do that!”
“I was kidding.” He stood up. “Anyway, I’d like to leave at ten, but I want you to eat breakfast first. Twenty minutes should do it?”
She had the feeling he would be back if she didn’t give in. “Fine.”
Twenty-five minutes later, she’d showered and dressed. Cody’s boots sounded in the hall, and she sighed at her bland countenance in the mirror. Some of her things had been ruined in the accident, and her makeup bag happened to be one of them. Not that she felt up to fixing her face. At least she’d pulled a comb through her hair. The last couple of days she didn’t care that she looked a hot mess.
They sat across from each other at the kitchen table. She kept her head down, not wanting to talk as she forced herself to eat the bacon if not the eggs. This was the only meal the man knew how to make aside from peanut butter and jelly. He must think it was a healthier choice than microwave meals.
“You can’t cook.” She peered up at him between her lashes, and he flushed. His brows lowered, making him appear more angry than embarrassed.
“Sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
They left for town when she made it clear she would not eat the eggs. He grumbled something under his breath and dumped her plate. In the passenger seat of his truck, Kaleena grabbed the door handle until her fingers hurt. She panted and tried to calm down.
“It’s too soon,” he said. “You can stay here and tell me your size. I’ll buy your dress.”
“I don’t need to be babied. I’m a strong woman.”
“I know you are.”
Tempted to shout at him for no reason, she bit her tongue and shut her eyes. The emotions would not win. If she cried now, he would pull her onto his lap, and coddle her. She had to learn to stand by herself. The bacon lay like a stone in her stomach.
“He…” Saying Jeff’s name would undo everything she vowed. “He deserves more than just a hastily picked dress by a stranger.”
“I understand.”
Cody turned over the engine and pulled down the drive, which was plowed clean. When they reached the road, snow and ice crunched beneath the tires, and her stomach somersaulted. Jeff had lived in Wyoming all his life, but she was from Baltimore. She didn’t know the area around Huntsford at all, but an inability to forget the nightmare that ruined her life, told her when Cody drove along the stretch of road where the accident happened. She began to shake, and no amount of holding on to the armrest eased her panic.
“Hey, I’m not familiar with the town where they’re having the funeral.” Cody reached in front of her to the glove compartment. “Mind checking this map over for the route there?”
Kaleena stared at the map. She had no idea where Huntsford was. The place was not a major city like Cheyenne. “Don’t you have GPS?”
“It’s broken.” She looked at him and saw the lie in his eyes. He tapped the map. “Please. Thanks.”
She knew what he was doing. He tried to distract her from taking in her surroundings and knowing just when they passed the spot. The map gave her a point to focus on, and she took the out, studying it as if it held the mystery of life. When she had at last located Huntsford, she was about to confirm the town where the funeral would take place as that of her almost in-laws, but he pulled the map from her fingers.
“Just remembered I bought a new GPS. Thanks anyway.”
Kaleena glared at him and turned to the road. They were just passing a sign that read Welcome to Hunstford.
Above the main street driving in, wreaths hung on the wires at every intersection. Lights decorated the poles, but weren’t turned on yet. Even in the square across from a building that must be City Hall, each tree had been decorated in celebration of Christmas. Kaleena averted her eyes, and Cody swore. He turned off from that street to another called Pine Alley. Shops lined the narrow road from beginning to end. The one at the start appeared bigger than the rest, and the sign on it read Joey’s Cowboy Bar. Atop the roof was a neon contraption of a cowboy riding a bull.
Cody caught her looking at it. “I sometimes go there, among other bars, for a drink. We can go together whenever you like.”
“I’ll pass. Thanks. You can go without me.”
He parked the car, and they got out to head to the second largest building she’d spotted—the clothing outlet. They walked inside together, and Kaleena stopped to examine the signs hanging from the ceiling for the women’s section.
“Cody Everett, what are you doing in here?”
Kaleena turned to see a blonde wearing a long fur coat that hung open, revealing her low cut sweater and skin tight blue jeans. She strode up to Cody and pressed close. Her upturned face was a clear invite for a kiss, but Cody frowned. “Mandy.”
“Haven’t seen you at Joey’s lately. We miss you.” She pouted prettily at him. Kaleena spun away and started walking toward the middle of the store. Maybe she would find the section easier.
“This way.” Cody grabbed her arm and tugged her to the right. She didn’t know he had followed but fell into step with him.
“Cody! Fancy running into you here.” Another beautiful woman with boobs ready to spill out of her blouse. Kaleena glanced at Cody. This time he didn’t do more than nod and stepped around the woman, hauling Kaleena along with him.
“Old friends,” he grunted.
“Not my concern.” She stopped in front of a rack of dresses and began pushing them aside as she searched for a decent black one. Were they ex-lovers? Of course they were—or current ones. Maybe he moved so fast because one didn’t know about the other. She had dated men like that, and they were always caught out eventually. Peering at Cody from the corner of her eye, she would have thought he wasn’t that type of man, not with the way he treated her. Although she suspected his motives at first, he hadn’t tried anything with her once. Then again, he might not find black women attractive, so he felt safe. That was good because she would not ever be in the market for another man and definitely not days after the loss of her fiancé.
Another woman strode up, an older one, and Kaleena cringed.
“Not her,” Cody almost shouted. Kaleena came close to smiling.
“Hello, folks,” the woman said with too much cheer. She wore a green turtleneck and a red vest over black jeans. The green boots were too much, but with the Santa hat on her head, Kaleena got what she attempted with the getup. “Just wanted to invite you to the festivities we have going on tonight. We’ll have hot cocoa and eggnog, some Christmas cookies, and plenty of caroling. Our local kiddies will perform a play of the First Christmas. So come on out and have fun with us. We guarantee you’ll have a good time.”
She held out a flyer to Kaleena, but Kaleena couldn’t raise her hand. She couldn’t move at all. Cody passed in front of her, blocking the woman from view. His arm brushed her shoulder, filling her nostrils with his now familiar scent. While he spoke to the woman, blood rushed in Kaleena’s ears so she couldn’t hear the words. She managed to grab onto Cody’s coat sleeve and just held on with both hands.
After some time, the scrape of metal on metal penetrated her haze. Cody turned and held up a dress to her. “This one is nice.”
<
br /> She focused. “If I was ninety-five.”
Again, she recognized what he’d done for her. He knew the beast of a dress was ugly, but he’d chosen it to pull her out of the pit she’d fallen into. She moved in front of him to begin searching herself with sluggish movements.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He nodded in silence.
* * * *
Kaleena walked into the church with Cody at her side and stopped. The casket was positioned dead center at the front. Over the heads of the other people there to pay their respects, she spotted Jeff’s parents. They sat on the front row, his mother’s head bowed, a tissue to her nose. Kaleena clenched her hands together. She should have brought some tissue even though she’d told herself no more tears.
“I can stand out in the lobby if you prefer and wait for you,” Cody offered.
Her eyes widened, and she snagged his hand. “No! I mean, um, if you don’t mind coming in…”
“Of course.”
Why was he so good to her when she was a stranger? She leaned on him, and she didn’t mean to, but the little strength left in her at that moment was reserved for existing.
They walked down the aisle. She felt Cody pause at the fifth or sixth row at a spot with two openings, but she kept moving. At the front, she started toward a spot a few people down from Jeff’s parents. A man appeared in front of her, blocking her advance with a hand up.
“I’m sorry, folks,” he whispered. “This row and the second one is reserved for family only. If you like I can show you to—”
“I am his fiancé,” Kaleena interrupted. “I think I deserve to say good-bye to him on the front row. Would you like to argue about it, or should I find my seat?”
The reproving glance from Jeff’s father hurt, just like it did all the times he and his wife accused her of being a gold digger. Her uncle had raised her to be honest and hard-working, but that meant nothing in these people’s eyes. Either way, she would not kowtow to them or anyone else here.
The man seemed about to say something else when Cody dropped a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, that’s all.” Even she shivered because the smile wasn’t the least bit friendly. The man paled, nodded, and scurried off. Kaleena sat down with Cody beside her. Whispers erupted from every direction, but she held her head up high. In her lap, her hands shook, and Cody laid one of his over hers. She welcomed his strength, which brought her through the ordeal until the last prayer was offered up on Jeff’s and his family’s behalf.
Chapter Four
Christmas day came and went, a day like any other if it weren’t for the pain in Kaleena’s heart. She sat with Cody in his living room playing cards while snow fell outside the window and a fire crackled in the hearth. Forgetting what game they played, she discarded and plucked a new card at random times, even in the middle of Cody’s turn. He never complained.
“Would you like to talk?” he asked. “You know…about him?”
“No.”
“It might help.”
“You have something that has hurt you, too, and you won’t tell me what it is.”
He frowned and paused in the act of rearranging his hand. “That’s because I think knowing my issue will hurt you more.”
“You’re obviously a player, but you come off to me as different. I bet everyone in this area is wondering what’s gotten into you. Why hasn’t your brother come over all this time? Didn’t you say he lives on this ranch in his own home?”
He shrugged.
“Cody.”
She thought she saw a flash of pleasure in his features, but it dissipated as swiftly as it appeared. Who knew what could have made him happy at that second, but she found for the first time she could look past her own pain and be glad he’d experienced that small glimmer. For all he’d done on her behalf, it was the least he deserved.
“Thank you so much for helping me through this difficult time.” She hated how stiff she sounded, like a boring greeting card. “I wouldn’t have made it without you.”
He nodded.
Kaleena’s cell phone rang, and she started since it had stayed silent for the most of the time she’d been there. She checked the display, happy to see her uncle’s name flash on the screen.
“Uncle Cornell.”
“Hey, kitten, how are you doing? You sound better than the last time I spoke to you.”
“I’m all right.”
“Is he treating you well? I don’t want to have to shoot him.”
She managed a half smile but let it fall when she realized her uncle couldn’t see it. “He’s been good to me. I’m thankful it was Cody who found me.”
“Good. Well, I’m flying in tomorrow to get you. Will you be ready to go?”
She looked at Cody. His dark head was bowed as he shuffled all the cards together. She hadn’t thought their game ended. For some reason, a new sense of loss washed over her at the prospect of leaving him. Putting it down to the kindness he’d shown and the peace she found in his home, she answered her uncle. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Cody’s head popped up, his eyebrows raised in question. Kaleena got all the details of her uncle’s flight and the time, and then she ended the call. She bit her lip, fiddling with the phone. “He’s coming for me tomorrow morning. Um, I know I’ve been in your way here, so if you don’t mind taking me to the airport, we can just get a flight out right away.”
“You do not have to fly out right away. I have room here for both of you.”
“No, I think it’s best.” She sighed and rose to her feet. “The sooner I put Wyoming out of sight the better. I want to get back to my life and try to heal. I will never forget what you did for me, and I hope somehow if I can’t repay you for your kindness that someone else will.”
“Enough with the thanks.” He seemed grumpy all of a sudden, but she didn’t know why. He stood up and touched her cheek. “Taking care of a beautiful woman is no hassle for me and wouldn’t be for any man.”
She swayed toward him and then checked herself in embarrassment. Spinning on heel, she rushed from the room to go get packed. What little she had wouldn’t take so long, but she needed to be alone. More loneliness would await her back home, and she would have to begin job hunting, since she’d left her last position to live here with Jeff.
The day dragged on, but she and Cody figured out how to keep each other busy to get through it. They played endless games, and she even joined him outside in the cold to shovel snow off the front and along the walkways that led to various buildings. She watched him feed his cattle in the afternoon and let him persuade her to fork a few piles of hay herself. Being a city girl, the scent of the animals was strong, but she endured it without complaint.
By the next morning, she rose and took a shower, then dressed. Lugging her bag down the hall, she ran into Cody, and he grabbed it from her, lifting it with ease. She followed behind him.
“Do you want to grab some breakfast?” he offered.
“You mean out?”
He stopped and turned, running his free hand through his hair. “Sorry for forcing you to eat my cooking all week.”
She stepped closer to him, and his brows rose toward his hairline. From the time she laid down in bed last night, she’d planned to thank him in the best way she knew how. With her hands on his chest, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his. While she knew what she intended, surprise shot through her anyway—and something else—when their mouths touched.
She would have ended the kiss there, but Cody dropped her bag and wrapped his arms around her. He drew her into a tighter embrace and tilted his head to the side. He parted her lips, and for a moment she panicked thinking he would stick his tongue into her mouth, but he didn’t. Their lips locked together for too long. She struggled in his arms and pushed at him. At last, he got the message and let go.
“I apologize.”
Kaleena touched her lips and turned away. The same guilt that plagued her from day one hit, because she liked the kiss
. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have started that. I just wanted to show you how grateful I am. Thank you.”
The leather of her bag crackled as he squeezed it. “Let’s get going.”
“Okay.”
At the airport, their wait lasted only half an hour before her uncle arrived. He pulled her into his arms for a comforting hug, and she sighed laying her head on his shoulder. Uncle Cornell had raised her from a newborn when her mother died from the complications of childbirth. She’d never known her father.
“How are you, kitten?” Uncle Cornell asked.
She shrugged.
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry. If I could take this all back, I would.”
“I know.”
He kept her close and turned to Cody, holding out his hand. “And thank you for taking care of my niece. I’m glad to meet the man who took on my responsibility so readily. I greatly appreciate it.” Cody shook his hand. Kaleena watched him, noticing the color in his face, but Cody stood tall and confident. He met Uncle Cornell’s gaze without wavering. She’d seen many men cower in front of him, especially knowing of his high-powered job. Uncle Cornell pulled his wallet from his pocket. “Let me compensate you for whatever expenses Kaleena incurred.”
Cody frowned. “That won’t be necessary.” He looked at her. “I hope she finds happiness again because she more than deserves it. Kaleena, it was great meeting you. Good luck.”
Before she could respond, he nodded to her uncle again and then turned to walk away. Kaleena stared after him until the crowd in the busy airport swallowed him up. When she focused on her uncle, she found him watching her with a curious expression.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s get going.”
* * * *
One year later…
“Uncle Cornell, I’ve made a decision,” Kaleena told her uncle.
He didn’t raise his head from the plate of eggs, pancakes, and sausage she’d made him. He wolfed most of it down in a few bites and sipped hot coffee around studying the newspaper. Who read the newspaper anymore?
