Heat rose to my cheeks. “It’s nothing. And I’m glad to help.”
Kennedy was about to say something else when the bell over the door sounded. I bit my lip to fight the scowl that wanted to surface at the new arrival. Cody. And his arms were laden with presents. Had he not heard a word I’d said the last time he was here? Presents would not erase nine years of Noah without a father.
Cody wore a bright smile. “Hey, J. It’s good to see you.”
I said nothing. What could I say? It wasn’t good to see him.
His smile faltered a little, but he pressed on. “I brought some presents for you and Noah.”
I turned to Kennedy. “Can you man the register for a bit?”
Her gaze jumped from me to Cody and back again, trying to put the pieces together. “Of course.”
I motioned for Cody to follow me to a back table. “We need to talk.”
Cody eased himself into a chair. “I’m glad you think so, too.”
I wasn’t so sure he’d like what I had to say. “I filed to have your parental rights revoked.” Cody’s face reddened, but I held up a hand before he could speak. “Just hear me out. I need to protect Noah. I haven’t seen you in a decade. I have no idea who you are now, and the man I knew all those years ago, I didn’t end up respecting.”
I grasped my knees and squeezed, hoping I was doing the right thing. “I’m willing to give you a shot. Supervised visitation.Ifyou prove that you’re in this for the long haul. I’m sure you think I’m being a bitch, but the truth is, I don’t give a damn. All I care about is protecting my son. And that means making sure you truly have his best interests at heart.”
I was taking that step out in faith and trusting my gut. My intuition that said Cody had no real plans to stick around. I’d just have to wait him out. And if he proved me wrong, I’d gladly eat those words. But for now, I was doing all I could to protect Noah.
Cody’s jaw worked. He didn’t speak for a long moment. “I have his best interests at heart.” His gaze met mine. “I want my family back.”
I fought the urge to throw something at him. “You never had that family to begin with. You threw us away before we even had a chance to get started. But if you’re serious, you can have a relationship with your son.”
Cody held my stare. “I’m here for the long haul. And I’m not afraid of a fight.” He rose from his chair. “You’ll see.”
I let my head tip back and bang into the wall. The man needed to catch a clue. I pulled out my phone, not wanting Tuck to somehow hear about this before I had the chance to tell him. I just hoped my sharing Cody’s little visit didn’t end with Tuck in lock-up for Christmas.
25
Tuck
My muscles were strung so tightly,any one of them felt like they might snap at any moment. Each hour that passed seemed to string them tighter. Cody’s stopping by the Kettle yet again had not put me in a good headspace, and then I’d had to face Christmas with my family. Each moment seemed to ratchet up the tension in the room another degree. I pushed back from the table.
“Are you sure you can’t stay for lunch?” My mom asked the question with so much hope in her eyes, it almost killed me. But after a Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my parents, I’d had about all I could take.
“I told the Coles I’d come by their place, so I need to get going. Thank you for an amazing breakfast.” I rose from my chair and kissed her cheek.
My dad let out a snort of derision and took another sip of his bloody Mary. “Of course, he’s heading over to the Coles. Can you say ‘desperate,’ son? Don’t you know another family doesn’t want you around on Christmas?”
“Craig,” my mom pleaded.
I continued ignoring my dad. “Mom, you’re welcome to come with me. I know Sarah would love to see you.”
“She’s staying here with me.”
My gut twisted. “Why? So you can leave her alone when you go to the bar later? Nothing says Christmas like sleeping alone while your husband ties one on.”
The sarcastic bite of my words had my dad charging to his feet, tipping over his chair and sending his bloody Mary spilling across the white tablecloth. “Goddammit! Now look what you’ve done. You always were more trouble than you were worth.”
My mom started mopping up the spilled drink with her napkin. “Both of you, stop it right now!”
I did what I thought was best for everyone. I left.
Starting up my truck, I took off for the Cole Ranch. I was there in a matter of minutes but was in no state to go inside. So, I just sat there, clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to slow my breathing.How had we gotten here?My dad had always had some asshole in him, but today was a whole new level.
