Page 154 of Hold Me Until Morning

Hailey let go of a self-deprecating laugh. It was throaty and sounding of something that hit him entirely in the wrong way.

Like a low lash of seduction.

“I think you could say it’s required of me,” she said. “Formed somewhere in my DNA.”

“I can see that,” he told her.

“And I hate horses.” Brooke wound her arm through Hailey’s and tugged her close, trying to win back Cody’s attention.

“You don’t hate them…you’re just scared of them.” Hailey’s voice was encouragement.

“Whatever you want to call it, just know I don’t want to be anywhere near them, so you know I must love you if I’m willing to go out there with you.” Brooke feigned a shudder, though Cody saw there was real affection for her friend. “Which means she has to go with me to the party at the river tonight. Are you going to be there, Cody?”

He’d avoided them since the night he’d hooked up with Brooke there, though he found himself nodding right then. “Yeah, think I’m going to be.”

“Good.” Brooke tucked Hailey’s arm a little closer. “That means we’ll be seeing you there.”

Cody couldn’t help but look at Hailey then. Take her in. The way she blushed and seemed to want to disappear into her friend’s side.

Not a chance.

Because with that energy radiating off her?

She was the only thing Cody could see.

“Ma?” Cody knocked at the screen door just as he was pushing through and stepped into his childhood home.

It was late afternoon, and Dakota was home for the summer from college and would be at work downtown at the bakery, and his youngest sister, Kayla, would be at dance class.

But his mother’s car was parked out front, and he’d wanted to pop by to check on her.

Silence held fast, though there was a disorder to it, the kind he always felt like a kick to the gut whenever he came in and his mother was distraught.

He had a sixth sense about it.

In tune.

He just knew when she was struggling since it’d been his job to look out for her. To take care of her. To help her the best that he could.

For so long of it, he’d been a kid, not really able to contribute all that much.

But that was about to change.

“Ma,” he called again, and his chest clutched when he heard the telltale sounds of her crying.

The muffled sobs that she always tried to keep buried.

He followed them down the hall and to the bedroom at the end. His heart that felt like it was being crushed got obliterated when he pushed open the door to find her on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

“Ma.” He was on the floor in front of her in a second flat, scooping her up and into his arms.

He sat down with her on the side of the bed. “What’s wrong?”

She tried to hide the evidence. To swat away the blotchy mess that scuffed her cheeks raw, like she’d been at this for hours.

“It’s okay, Cody. Just give me a minute.” Her voice was hoarse from the sorrow.

“Not leaving you.”

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