Cody kissed her.
It was a reckless kiss.Not practiced, not gentle.It was a hard, sudden press of mouths that cracked something inside him wide open.
She made a startled noise then curled her fingers in his shirt and kissed him right back, fierce and soft all at once.
It could have gone further.Should have, maybe.But beside them, the cabinet shifted again, pushing tighter into Cody’s hip.
She broke the kiss on a half laugh-half gasp.“It’s alive!”
He laughed too, breathless and hoarse.“Hold still?—”
They wrangled the beast back onto level flooring.Fern brushed a loose ringlet back from her right cheek, still grinning as if they hadn’t just exploded the friends agreement.
But then she stepped back.
Not far.Just enough.
“Cody…” she began.
He knew that tone.He hated that he knew it so well.“Yeah?”
She hummed softly for a second, her eyes clear and bright despite the flush on her cheeks.“I like you.A lot.”
“Good.”His voice came out rough.He wanted to pull her back in, kiss her until all the common sense drained from both their heads.
She didn’t move.“But I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”
His brow furrowed.“Oh?”
“I bet you’d make agreatboyfriend.”Her mouth curved up, but her eyes stayed serious.“But not for me, not right now.Not while I’m still sorting stuff out.”She shrugged, the motion light as air yet heavy as stone.“If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.Just…not now.”
He swallowed hard.Part of him wanted to argue.To promise he’d make it feel right.Hell, he wanted to seduce her until she couldn’t remember why waiting seemed so smart.
Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers in a quiet surrender.“Friends until the time’s right?”
“Friends until the time’s right,” Fern agreed.
Just over a week later,Cody stepped into the upper level of the gallery, half-wishing he’d skipped the tie.He tugged at it now, the silk a noose that didn’t belong around a man’s throat, especially not when his heart was already climbing up there to fight for air.
He’d come to support Chance, no question about that.His brother deserved every ounce of respect tonight for pulling off this mad, brilliant show.Cody might have carried sandwiches and coffee and a hundred complaints up these stairs for weeks, but Chance had bled his heart for Rose Fields out onto canvas, and the result was glorious.
So he’d stand there, in his monkey suit, and pretend everything felt normal.
Except it didn’t.
Because behind all the laughter and polite applause, somewhere in this maze of paint and pixels, Fern Fields was making him forget how to breathe.
Chance spotted him first.“Alright, brother?This way.”
Cody forced a grin, lifted his hand in a lazy wave.“Sorry I’m late, but it looks as if it’s been a success so far.”
“It’s gone well.”Chance gave him a once-over.“You’re in a suit.”
Cody adjusted the knot under his throat, trying not to scratch at it like a farm dog with fleas.“Figured it was the least I could do.”
“You fed me while I painted so that I wouldn’t starve.That was above and beyond the line of duty as far as I’m concerned.”Chance’s voice carried more than gratitude.Pride too.Cody would bottle that if he could.
He huffed.“Thanks.But next time, feed yourself.I don’t want to have to wear this to your funeral.”
