Page 4 of Fern’s Date with Destiny (Heart Falls Vignette and Novella Collection #4)

He made his way to her side. “You’re going to break your pretty neck if you tip that thing.”

She stuck out her tongue before turning on the charm. “It needs to be moved for tomorrow’s soft opening. I thought I could muscle it around. But now that you’re here, you can do it for me.”

He sighed dramatically. “Step aside, bossypants.”

They got the cabinet rolling easy enough until it snagged on a loose loop of extension cord near the VR corner. Fern bent to shove while Cody braced the far end. She gave one good push, lost her footing, and toppled against him.

Vanilla and lavender danced off her skin, filling his head with really bad ideas. If he followed up on his instincts, he’d do something truly unwise right this second.

He looked down. She looked up. Her lips parted.

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 a great boyfriend.” 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.”

“But you’d look dashing. There is that.”

Cody rolled his eyes, the easy banter pulling him halfway back to calm. “Take better care of yourself.”

“I intend to. And of Rose.”

Cody followed Chance’s line of sight, and there she was, Rose Fields, the reason Chance had painted like a man possessed. Beside her, her sister Tansy. The tight-knit love of family clear in their body language.

Cody’s chest tightened before his mind caught up. Family, his brain repeated helpfully, even as another name— Fern —threaded through every thought and sent a low hum under his ribs.

His brother caught him drifting, so Cody raised his head sharply. He tilted it to indicate Rose. “You two are well suited. Don’t fuck this up.”

“You can’t mess up destiny,” Chance said.

The drop of the word destiny hit hard.

“That’s what I said.”

Fern. He hadn’t even seen her slip around the corner. Now she stood there, bright as a star, so effortlessly herself that the floor shifted under his polished shoes.

“Right, Cody?”

He nearly tripped over empty air, scrambling to plant his boots before he made a complete fool of himself. Steady, cowboy. You agreed. Friends. She asked for space. She deserves your word to mean something.

“Fern.” He offered a quick chin dip.

She cocked her head, mischief dancing in her eyes as she examined his suit. “That’s a good look on you. But so’s your cowboy gear.”

Heat crawled up the back of his neck. He opened his mouth. Shut it. Opened it again. Say something normal. Something smart. Or just—go. Before you step over there and kiss her silly.

He coughed, focused on Chance instead. “I’m going downstairs to take another peek at the show. Great job. Catch up with you tomorrow. Fern, we’ll see you ’round.”

It was the best he could do. Run before he forgot how.

He pivoted fast enough to dodge Rose and Tansy’s curious eyes, boots hitting the polished floor with more force than grace.

Don’t turn back, he ordered himself. Let her laugh. Let her tease you about fate. You’ll keep your word. Friends. Nothing more, yet. But someday…

Behind him, Fern’s voice chased him down the stairs, smug and sweet and sure of things he wasn’t ready to claim. “Cody? Running from fate. Skipping out on destiny. Something like that.”

Cody nearly laughed out loud, totally amused at their inside joke. Yeah, sweetheart. Something like that.

For now, he let himself hope destiny wouldn’t wait too long.