Page 17 of Cop-Off

Heavy footsteps brought him out of his contemplative stupor and forced his head up just in time to see an angry looking Zach storm his office and slam the door shut.

“What the fuck, man?” Cody was having major déjà vu. “I’ve been calling you all goddamn day. You seriously thought I wouldn’t track your ass down?”

Oh, he knew he would, he just thought he had a couple more days before his friend resorted to that. Apparently not.

“I’m really not in the mood, man. Can we rain check this shit for another day?” Cody was now scrubbing his face. He was tired as hell. He needed a shower, a shave, and some sleep. Order debatable.

Zach’s burly arms crossed over his chest. “No, we can’t rain check this. How long has it been going on for? Was the fighting just for show, to throw us off the scent?”

Was he being serious right now? “Jesus, Zach. Do you hear yourself? This isn’t some weird-ass psychological thriller. Cat and I aren’t fighting to lure you into a false sense of security while secretly planning your demise.”

He watched his friend’s lip twitch, finally dispelling some of the tension thickening the air.

“Okay, fine. Can you at least explain to me how you went from needing to be physically separated in case you killed each other one minute...to making out in front of the whole town the next?”

No. Not really.

It didn’t make sense to him either. The woman drove him crazy. That wasn’t going to disappear magically just because they’d had sex. But he had seen a new side to her. One that she’d been hiding. From him at least. One he liked a lot.

Yeah, as if you don’t like all her other sides, too.

“I wish I had an answer for you. All I know is that the woman does something to me. She makes me feel alive. And I haven’t felt that way in God knows how long.”

Reflection was a bitch. After that, he stopped paying attention to his friend and started talking to himself, vocalising out loud all the messed-up things living rent free in his head.

“Maybe it’s ‘cause she doesn’t take any shit and gives as good as she gets. And is as funny as hell while doing it. Maybe I’m a sick bastard and get off on fighting with her. Or maybe...it’s just ‘cause she’s the sexiest fucking woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, and I can’t leave her alone. I don’t fucking know.”

“Shit,” was his friends reply. He looked back up to see Zach slumped against the door, a contemplative expression on his face. “You really fucking like her, don’t you?”

That was just a tiny snippet of what was going on in his brain right now. His friend hadn’t even heard the half of it. He didn’t even know that they’d slept together. Had no clue it was the best sex of his life. And hadn’t the slightest inkling of just how deep his feelings already ran for her, and how much he liked her. All of her—sweet and sour. And that was fucking him up.

Today was not the day he was going to admit that, though. Today was the day he was going to brush his friend off, be there to tuck his son in tonight, eventually shower, maybe shave and finally...go to bed and hopefully actually sleep.

“I’m really gonna need to take that rain check on this conversation, man. I’m tired, my head hurts and I really got nothing else to give you right now.”

Zach’s astute blue eyes took him in. Finally, coming to some sort of a decision, he pushed off the door. “Fine. You have until tomorrow. I spoke to Libby and turns out I am free to fish with you and Dylan. So, I’ll see you then.”

Great. Just great.

***

Turns out having a nine-year-old by your side at all times comes in pretty handy. Zach hadn’t had any chance whatsoever to deliver a lecture or ask more questions. Thank God for small miracles. Fishing had also managed to silence Cody’s thoughts. At least for a little while.

“Alright, time to eat,” he announced as he pushed up from his chair.

Zach took the hint and rose too, while Dylan decided it would be a good time to sit back on the ground. Cody worked with his friend to pack up and gather the folding chairs. It wasn’t until they started moving that Dylan finally got up, a squeaky groan following behind them as they made their way back to the truck.

“You coming to get lunch? Or you want me to drop you off?” Cody asked Zach.

“I could eat. But do you mind if Libby joins us?”

Two against onewas his first thought, but he quickly shook it off. Dylan was his secret weapon. No one was going to bring up anything while his kid was there. If anything, this morning had proved that.

“Of course, man, that’s fine.”

After loading up, they all climbed into the vehicle and Cody began their drive over to Burger Factory. Zach was keeping Dylan entertained with a game of eye spy while Cody once again found himself lost in thought. Thoughts of Cat. He still hadn’t called. Or messaged. And he was beginning to feel like a Grade A asshole.

It’s not that he didn’t want to talk to her. He did. That was all he wanted to do. But he didn’t know what to say. What to do. This was all new to him. He’d been with one woman in thirty-four years, and he’d married her. So, unless he was ready toget down on one knee, he was shit out of luck when it came to conversation topics.

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