Page 55

Maybe.

He was still pacing the floor, back and forth, when a twinge from the knee he’d bruised up on that slope reminded him that he’d promised to be there when the Roths had to leave for a friend’s twenty-fifth anniversary party. A glance at the time told him he had about two minutes to get his ass over there. It would take him ten to drive out and around, so it looked like Trey was going to get another run.

He was late enough that he didn’t saddle up but leapt astride bareback. Trey perked up at that, probably because he knew by now that meant they were in a hurry and he was always up for a good run. And it was a good run, highlighted by a leap over the border fence that Cody nearly regretted tackling bareback, but Trey was a rock and landed perfectly, giving him the chance to save it.

He turned the horse loose in the corral next to the house, which Mr. Roth had told him he was free to use. The big bay hadn’t really worked up a sweat; for him that had been short burst. He made it to their door just over a minute late, which for him wasn’t bad at all.

They were already on their way out to their car, Mrs. Roth blithely saying they knew he’d keep his word. They confirmed the times for the cast appointment tomorrow. She thanked him prettily for “looking out for our girl” before they drove off.

Britt acted almost glad to see him. The smile she gave him when he stepped into the living room startled him, and he was smiling back before he realized. And he was surprised again when the movie she picked was a classic action flick he’d always liked because they got the tech involved right. She even asked him about that, between handfuls of popcorn, and he managed to answer without going off into the weeds like he too often did on the subject.

“This popcorn is really good,” he said after his next mouthful. “What’s on it?”

“Mom’s secret seasoning formula,” she said with a wide smile. “She won’t tell me what all’s in it, she just keeps a little jar in the cupboard. I think she wants to be sure I come over now and then to get it, now that she finally surrendered her meat loaf recipe.”

“Moms,” he said with a grin.

“They do have their ways,” she said, grinning back. And that grin, coming from her, made his stomach do a strange little flip. Or something.

Then her expression changed, and she sighed. “She says I can have the recipe when I give her a grandkid.”

He blinked. “What?”

“She wants them.”

“Oh.” He grimaced. “So does mine.”

“Lucky you, you’ve got three brothers ahead of you to produce them, and Keller pretty much already has with Lucas.”

“Does take some pressure off,” he admitted.

She hesitated visibly, then asked, “Have you ever been close? With anybody?”

He didn’t know what to say. Was she asking out of some genuine interest, or was it just brought on by the pressure she’d mentioned? Probably the latter. Which somehow made it easier to answer.

“Could have been. Once. But we didn’t have…enough time.” She just looked at him, waiting. Quietly, not prodding, not poking. Who was this Roth, anyway? And finally, he wasn’t sure why, it came pouring out. “It was a girl I met at a convention in Dallas, a few years ago. We…really connected.” He smiled sadly. “I was head over heels, and she said she was too. Only one problem.”

“What?”

He took in a deep breath and said it. “She was dying.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“She was totally honest about it, that we would only have that long weekend.”

Her brow furrowed. “Cody…are you sure that was true?” He’d have been angry at the implication if she hadn’t sounded genuinely concerned. Instead, he reached for his phone as she went on. “I’ve known women who…use things like that as an excuse, like if they’re married or—”

She stopped when he held out his phone with the image called up. She looked at it, and he saw color hit her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s all right. I know people play games. She wasn’t one of them.”

He took back the phone, still showing the image of the obituary dated less than six months after that con.

“Why do you…keep that, like that?”

“To remind me to not waste time. Dad’s is there, too.”

She looked at him as if she were experiencing a tangle of emotions. “Did you love her?”