Page 38 of Older Cowboy

“It’ll be a blast, trust me. And I need for you to meet Gabriel. He’s been asking about you.”

“He has?” Had Cody been talking about her to his son?

“All the time,” he chuckled. “The kid is basically dying to meet you.”

“Why?”

Now Cody shrugged. “Curiosity? See the poor woman desperate enough to date his old man, maybe?” She gaped at him, and he laughed out loud. “That was a joke, Erika. I’ve mentioned that you’re important to me. And since I haven’t dated someone since his mom who turned out to be important, I thought it was time you two meet.”

She’d smacked his arm at this, only to embrace him so she could conceal her secret smile at him confiding his feelings to her. Despite being far from a young schoolgirl anymore, Cody had this ability to make her feel as giddy as one.

Even better was the fact that being promoted at the pediatric office had gone more smoothly than she ever could’ve hoped. It shamed her to think this, but she’d anticipated a rough transition. Sure, Tim had claimed that he wanted to step back and share the responsibilities. He’d even sat down with her and an attorney and come up with a contract promising her forty percent of the ownership of the establishment.

But maybe due to his controlling ways when she’d first been a nurse there, deep down, she’d doubted that Tim had meant what he said. She kept thinking he’d renege on the deal or show up on the days he’d sworn to take off out of habit and a need to rule his domain.

Nothing had been further from the truth, though.

Not only had the physician kept to his word by only working four days a week after showing her the ropes of managing a business, he’d recently gone to onlythreedays. His wife Amanda was now nearing the end of her third trimester, so soon, Erika would be taking over entirely for a few weeks as he took a long vacation.

She actually looked forward to it.

Over these months Tim had referred every single diabetic case to her. And since she’d made it known in medical circles throughout the region that type one diabetic care was her focus, she’d been receiving more and more referrals overall.

In a way, seeing to the needs of children with the condition was difficult. She couldn’t help but find echoes of Blake’s face in each of theirs. Kids who had to learn to prick their own fingers to monitor their blood sugars. Kids who had to constantly be aware of what they ate so that it didn’t throw their glucose levels either too high or too low. It made them have to grow up so much sooner than they should’ve had to.

Just like Blake had once had to.

But even those glimmers were overshadowed by the fact that she was doing everything in her power to treat the symptoms more effectively. And she was considering participating in a research fellowship later this year. It would be conducted by medical professionals along every inch of the food chain working to eliminate the disease. She wanted to be a part of that, to be on the cutting edge of whatever breakthroughs the field might be making.

She’d agreed to go with Cody to his brother’s hockey game despite still having a few reservations. They weren’t about Cody but herself. She enjoyed being with him and had begun to trust him. But she didn’t quite trust herself. She’d hurt him more than once, and she couldn’t stand to do it again.

That was part of the reason she’d said yes to traveling—flying—all the way to Denver, Colorado. She wanted to assure Cody that she was giving this relationship a fair shake. Part of it was also because while they’d been dating every weekend, she’d kept it limited to only those Saturdays and Sundays. Sure, her job kept her busy, but it was more than that. She’d been taking things slow with him, slower than she suspected Cody yearned for.

They’d share a kiss on occasion, but she always made certain they were in a relatively public place to avoid things becoming too intense. He had invited her over to his place more than once, and each time Erika declined.

But the time for that had ceased. It felt appropriate to give in to him a little more now. To loosen the reins.

And although Cody never mentioned the trip as being anything other than a good time, she knew it was more than that. That it was a test to see if they could stretch the boundaries of their fledgling relationship and still have it maintain its shape. Cody had been so patient with her, had asked for more but hadn’t pushed for it. Now, she’d demonstrate to him—and herself—that they could truly be a viable long-term couple.

Rarely had Erika flown, and that was why she felt so thankful that their flight out of Billings to Denver took over without incident. There wasn’t even any turbulence along the way, and Cody not only delighted in her having the window seat, he regaled her with stories of flying with a toddler when Gabe had been little.

“So, after spending the whole flight keeping him engaged in every quiet activity I can think of while being relegated to our seats, just as the plane is making its descent, he falls asleep.”

“Of course, he does,” she said, humor rolling through her. She might not be a mother herself but seeing to the health and welfare of kids had been the defining factor of her career.

“I can’t wait for you to meet him. Especially since his terrible twos are long behind him.”

“Me, too. And you’re not the only one who’s been through that. I’ve heard similar stories from my patient’s parents.”

“I bet.” His features became contemplative. “Ever think of having kids of your own?”

The pain that stabbed through her gut didn’t make her double over like it once had, but it was still there.

“Blake and I planned to have kids after having a couple of years to ourselves first.”

She spoke the words quietly, solemnly, but she managed to get them out. Erika felt immensely grateful when Cody dropped the subject.

“Ever been to a hockey game?” he asked.

---