Page 4 of Cody

“That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about Coldwater,” I said, giving Cody a smile when our gazes briefly met. “Small-town living and family-owned businesses that are handed down from generation to generation.”

Cody added with a humorous chuckle, “And everybody knows everyone.”

“And their business,” I followed up.

It was true. Coldwater was a small town with small-town troubles—or benefits, depending on how you looked at them.

Cody finished changing the tire and put the tools back where they belonged. Then we loaded the trunk back up with my boxes, which held all of my worldly belongings. We worked quietly side-by-side until we’d finished, and then he shut the trunk and turned toward me.

“Guess that’s it.” He ran his hand across the bottom of his whiskered jaw, and I got the impression that he was considering something.

A quick glance at his ring finger revealed that it was bare, and for a second, I got my hopes up that he was going to ask me out. “Guess so.”

“Guess this is goodbye then.”

I nodded. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I didn’t know why but I felt there was more we should be saying to each other, like exchanging last names and phone numbers. But if Cody was interested in me, wouldn’t he make the first move? He didn’t strike me as the kind of man who doubted his actions or his effect on women.

I hadn’t been out of a relationship long enough to have gained the confidence to make the first move. I’d been with Eddie for ten years, most of which had been good years, but we’d still managed to grow apart. I was afraid of making a fool of myself or of getting rejected. Besides, I didn’t even know if Cody was married or had a girlfriend. Not wearing a ring didn’t mean anything.

Two people being attracted to each other didn’t always lead anywhere either.

Realizing that for whatever reason this was goodbye, I said in a lighthearted tone, “Thank you for your help, Cody.” I moved toward my driver’s side door. “It was nice meeting you.” I opened the door and turned back to him. “You never know, maybe we’ll run into each other again.”

“Maybe we will.”

I closed my door and started the ignition with mild disappointment. I could have sworn he was attracted to me. Maybe I’d imagined it.

Maybe I was just horny. Ithadbeen a while.

Chapter 3

Cody

Damn. I watched for a moment as Alina drove away. I regretted not getting her phone number. I hadn’t been afraid to ask. I’d just questioned my intentions. I wasn’t into hurting women, wasn’t into serious relationships, and I got the impression that it would hurt her when she realized that all I wanted women for was to scratch an itch.

I had been involved in a committed relationship once, and it hadn’t ended well. Love was a hard emotion to move on from, and I’d loved Maggie with everything I had in me.

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