“Okay, that’s fair,” she said. “You can keep thinking about it though. And one thing you won’t have a choice on—I’m going to be here the whole time.”
“That’s fine,” Cody said. “And I want to meet him. I don’t have to think about it.”
“Okay,” Bella said, her heart already breaking for him even as she felt good that he had made the decision so easily.
Maybe if I’m hurting I can somehow take the pain away from him.
“Hey,” Cody said.
“Yeah?” she asked.
“Do we have any more of those pretzels?” he asked.
“Yes, I think we do,” she told him, smiling. “Let me check the freezer.”
However much she might rightfully worry about him, at the end of the day, Cody was a normal teenage boy, with an enormous appetite. If heating up a tray of frozen soft pretzels helped him feel better in any way, then she was on the job.
She slipped into the kitchen and got the pretzels into the oven before grabbing her cell phone from her pocket and tappingoff a message.
Cody says yes. He would like to meet you
You can come by anytime.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Cash
be right there
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then another one, trying to get a grip on herself as she thought about having Cash here in her home. But this was for Cody, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him.
There was a knock at the front door before she even made it the two steps it took to get back into the living room. Cash’s family home was in the farmland outside of town, so it would be a bit before he got here. She wondered who it could be.
“Should I get it?” Cody asked her, looking nervous.
“It’s too soon to be him,” she warned him as she approached the door.
But when she pulled it open, there was Cash Lawrence. He looked larger than life somehow, just standing in her doorway, and every bit as carelessly handsome as he had on the cover ofRolling Stone, except for the nervous look in his eyes.
“That was fast,” she said, wishing she didn’t have to look at him.
“I was kind of hoping you’d text,” he said, his voice gruff. “I’ve been down at the diner for about an hour, just in case.”
He was carrying a wooden milk crate in his handsthat was full of what appeared to be random stuff. But he was alone—no publicist or camera crew. That was promising.
“Well, come on in,” she said, stepping backward.
Cash moved inside, dark eyes scanning the small room and landing on Cody.
“Hey,” Cash said, his deep voice softer. The naked hope in his eyes went right to her heart.
“Hey,” Cody replied, nodding his head like a cool teenager, even though Bella could see the flicker of fear in his eyes.
You’re good enough for him, for anyone,she screamed inwardly.
The two of them studied each other for another breathless moment. Then Cash seemed to remember himself, and he slightly lifted the crate he was carrying.
“I brought you some stuff,” Cash said. “Can I sit?”
