Cody was staring at Braden.“You mean it about Friday?Honest?”
From the corner of his eye, he watched Maggie pull into herself.The light went out of her eyes and her smile turned strained and sharp.
But it was the way that Cody was watching him that put a jagged lump in his throat and coldness settling into the pit of his stomach.He wasn’t sure who’d let this boy down, but he’d like to find them and give them a piece of his mind.Kids should be able to count on the adults in their world.They should know, without a shadow of a doubt, that their adults would honor their word and fulfill their responsibilities.He was doing his damnedest to make sure his daughter would grow up with that sort of confidence and certainty.
“In my family, a man’s word is his promise.”Braden held out his hand to Cody.“I give you my word.”
Cody’s gaze never faltered, but for a split second, his chin crumpled like he was fighting back tears, and it took everything Braden had not to hug and comfort Cody.
Finally, Cody nodded, took Braden’s hand and shook it with force.“Yessir.”His smile was slow to build.“I can teach Delilah all the cheers, too.”He faced Delilah.“You have to yell them real loud.”
“I’m good at yewwing!”Delilah shouted this to make a point.
Maggie seemed to have recovered.“That’s perfect.We’ll have to see about finding you some pom-poms, too.They help you cheer even louder.”
“Reawwy?”Delilah blinked, then clapped her hands.“Thank you.”
Cody and Delilah chatted the entire way back to the cars—some football and cheer stuff, but mostly about dinosaurs.Braden listened in, too.Better to focus on what the kids were saying than the woman walking, silently, at his side.
Friends only.He and Maggie had made sure the kids understood what their relationship would be.As friends, he could ask if she was all right.Friends did that.He could even ask about Cody and what had happened to him in the past to shake his trust in adults.But he didn’t.
The flare of protectiveness he’d felt for Cody had caught him off guard.That, and the mix of emotions for Maggie that he was still fighting, made him stay quiet.He had to be honest with himself, and, like it or not, his feelings weren’t as cut-and-dried as he’d made them out to be.Until he truly accepted the “just friends” thing with Maggie, he needed to be careful.He couldn’t get too invested in Maggie or Cody.No, he couldn’t let hisheartget too invested in Maggie and Cody.He had to remember it wouldn’t just be his heart at risk, it would be Delilah’s, too.
Chapter Seven
“What happened, Cody?”Maggie kept her voice low as she pulled the classroom door closed behind her.“I thought you finished it last night?”She’d asked him the status of his project after school every day this week, before dinner last night and again before bed.Each and every time, Cody said it was under control.
In all of those times, he’d never mentioned needing more supplies—even though that was what he’d told Ms.Jalen.
Cody shrugged.“I thought I was done.”As far as explanations went, it was less than acceptable.
“I’ll help you—”
“I can do it.”There was no hint of remorse.In fact, he sounded irritated.
Hewas irritated?She’d been blindsided by Ms.Jalen’s phone call.Cody had lied to her.Lied.And while shewasirritated, she was more hurt than anything.“We can stop by the store on the way home.”
“Nah…” He cleared his throat.“I found what I needed this morning.”
Had he?Or was this another lie?She ignored the knot in her stomach and kept walking toward the school doors.Even though her parent-teacher conference had taken place after school let out, she was not going to discipline him inthe middle of the hallway.She was going to keep her cool and wait until they were home.At least, she was going to try.
This was about more than his project.He’d been fine until she’d shared the news from her doctor’s appointment that Tuesday.The doctor told her she was almost ready to be cleared to return to work.She thought this was great news but quickly realized Cody didn’t see it that way.No, in fact, he was mad at her and he wanted to make sure she knew it.The last few days, he’d argued with her about pretty much everything.She didn’t know the name of his favorite dinosaur.She’dforgottenhe didn’t like his spaghetti sauce on top of his noodles—but he’d always eaten it mixed together before.According to Cody, she’d been doing everything all wrong.From the toothpaste she’d bought, leaving his bedroom door open at bedtime, cutting his sandwiches on the diagonal versus straight across, even the way he liked his hair styled.It felt like he had an argument for everything she said—like he had to have the last word.
He’s testing me.She took a deep breath, then opened and held the school door wide.“If you’re sure we’ve got everything, we can head on home.”
Cody grunted and ran through the door and out—into the parking lot.
“Watch out, Cody!”She hurried after him.“There are cars.”
He didn’t pause but headed straight for her car.The last thing her son expected was for the passenger door to swing open and his uncle to step out.
“Cody Cooper.”Mike was angry and he wasn’t bothering to hide it.
Cody froze, his eyes widening as his uncle came around the rear of the SUV to stare down at him.
“What are you doing?”Mike looked angry, too.“I knowyou heard your mother calling you.I heard her and I was sitting inside that car.”He pointed at the car.
“I… I…” Cody swallowed, glancing back and forth between the two of them.“Sorry, Ma,” he mumbled.
