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18

RILEY

Dinner? Just the two of us? He probably wasn’t talking about a burger at the drive-up place on Main Street.

“Yeah, I’d like–oh wait.” I closed my eyes, wishing I didn’t have to turn him down. “Sorry, I can’t. Again. I’m having dinner with my nana at the retirement home.”

His eyes widened, then he grinned. “Your nana? Then I’ll go with you.”

My eyebrows popped. “What?”

“Riley Abbott, bowling with your girlfriends is one thing. But you’re the most important person to me in the world, and I want to meet your family. Things didn’t go well with your dad, but maybe I can get your grandma on my side.”

I laughed, thinking of my impulsive, slightly reckless Nana. “You probably can,” I admitted. “Lord knows, you have a way with women.”

Cody’s smile dimmed. “Just one woman, now,” he promised. “Only you, sugar.”

My heart pitter-patted against my breastbone. I wanted to believe him. God, did I want to believe him. But was that smart? Was I setting myself up to get crushed by this gorgeous player? Lord knew I would’ve thought Cody McIntire was completely unattainable a week ago. Maybe I was deluding myself about what this was. If I was just the next woman in a long string of fun times for Cody, it was going to really hurt. And, I’d have to tell my dad he was right, which would really suck.

Gah! Why did Dad have to put doubts in my head?

Cody looped an arm around my waist and led me to my car in the nearby parking lot, opening my door for me, like a gentleman. When I settled in the seat, he fastened my seatbelt and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be right behind you, sugar. White Elm Retirement, right?”

It was the only place in town, so it was an easy guess. And correct. “Yes. ”

He winked and shut my door. I sat there for a moment, glowing. My brain still kept trying to poke holes in my euphoria, but it was no use. Being around Cody McIntire, being the object of his attention, made me delirious. It was definitely too good to believe.

Right?

I continued to stew on it all as I drove to White Elm. After I parked, I remained in my car for a few minutes waiting for Cody’s truck to appear. What was taking him so long?

The voice in my head told me to brace myself. He wasn’t coming. He found some woman on the way, picked her up, and left town like Mom had with that nature photographer.

“He’s coming,” I muttered fiercely, getting out of the car recognizing how stupid my thoughts were.

“Hi, Riley!” Sarah, the front desk receptionist, welcomed me when I walked inside. “Your grandma is in the game room, socializing as usual.”

Of course, she was.

I found Nana cackling, gathering a pile of chips in front of her, clearly having won a card game. Her friends threw their cards down in front of them in frustration while she grinned at me. “Oh, Riley! Perfect timing. I just cleaned up the table.”

“I hope you’re not playing for money, Nan.” I leaned over and gave her cheek a kiss and said hello to the others around the table. I knew them all, and they definitely knew all about me. Nana loved to share stories about her sole grandchild.

“Why, would you rather we played for clothes?” she asked then winked.

I laughed. Her friends pretended to be shocked, but I knew they loved her free spirit. Her friend Miss Ruby had told me once that things had been boring until Nana moved in.

“No, we’re just playing for street cred, and I have it all,” Nana declared, getting up from her chair. “Now, let’s eat. You sore losers can stay where you are because I have a date with my lovely granddaughter.” She took my arm and leaned on me as we walked slowly to the dining room.

“Have you talked to the doctor about your hip replacement?” I asked. She’d had it replaced fifteen years ago, but the last few years it had caused her a lot of pain. She pretended otherwise, but the main reason she moved into White Elm was because there were too many steps in her house. “Pshh,” Nana scoffed. “There’s nothing to talk about. He’s going to say I need to get a new hip put in, and I don’t want to go through that again.”

“There are my lovely dates for the evening. ”

I felt the reverberation of Cody’s voice right between my legs. Yep. It happened every time he spoke. Nana stopped walking and looked up, and her eyes widened behind her glasses. “What is this?” She looked behind us to make sure of who he was addressing.

Before us was Cody, who held two giant bouquets of flowers. They were what took him the extra time. Flowers.

I’d never been given flowers before, and the look on Nana’s face told me that they were a treat at any age.

Damn, he was trying hard. He really must be serious about this.

About me.

I mentally gave my dad the middle finger at putting doubts in my head.

“These are for you, sugar.” Cody presented me with a fragrant bouquet of big white Casablanca lilies and white roses as he bent to give me a peck on the lips in front of Nana and Sarah, who’d followed behind him, probably to lead him to the game room. Both gaped in shock. “And these are for you, Mrs. Abbott.” He handed Nana a smaller, but not any less gorgeous, bouquet of purple flowers.

“Cody McIntire, what is going on here?” Nana asked, as if he was a toddler instead of a grown man. “You’re seeing my granddaughter?” She took the flowers and craned her neck to look up at him.

Now that his hands were free, Cody took off his hat, then nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Nana turned her surprised gaze my way. I was sure my face was as pink as the roses interspersed in her bouquet. “How long has this been going on?”

I hesitated, and Cody spoke for me. Us. “Long enough for me to be sure that she’s the woman for me.”

Nana thrust her flowers at me, let go of my arm, and took Cody’s instead. “Well, it’s about time.” She looked at Sarah, as if for validation. “I have the prettiest granddaughter in town, and she hasn’t had a single boyfriend until now.”

Sarah grinned, looking as pleased as my grandmother.

“Nana,” I groaned, rolling my eyes.

Cody began walking her slowly toward the dining room. “That’s because she was waiting for a real man.” He winked at me over his shoulder.

I smiled into the flowers. Damn him and his cowboy charm. I was going to fall head over heels whether I could help it or not. “I’m going to put these in your room, Nana. ”

“Nonsense.” She waved her hand through the air. “Bring those to the dining hall, so everyone can see what a thoughtful young man you have.”

Cody chuckled. “I appreciate you calling me young.”

Nana huffed. “Well, you might be a bit older than Riley, but that’s good. She was always yearning to grow up fast.”

I blinked and stared at Nana.

Wow. Really? My throat constricted at how well she knew me. After Dad’s reaction this morning, I thought everyone would hate this relationship… whatever this was with Cody. It came as a huge relief that my nana was at least keeping an open mind. Sarah didn’t seem all that judgy either. Only thrilled.

Nah, not just open mind , but all in. She was on Team Cody from the very first sentence. Hell, from the flowers.

If Dad could only be so easily swayed.

We arrived in the dining room, and Nana picked a table by the window. The retirement community was set on the south edge of town, so all of the views from the back of the building faced open prairie and mountains.

Cody held out her chair as Nana settled. “Meanwhile, my son tries to keep her sheltered.” She glanced up at him. “That’s why I wouldn’t let him sell my house. Riley needed some independence. You been to my house yet?”

Cody’s lips quirked. “Yes, ma’am. It’s a great place.”

Nana laughed. I blushed and redirected.

“You sit here, and we’ll go through the buffet line,” I told her. They had servers for the people who couldn’t manage their own food trays, but I preferred to wait on Nana when I was there.

“How was Riley ever going to have a little fun with her dad and that badge of his intimidating every boy who came around?” Why did she keep going on and on and on about this? Cody knew I was a virgin, but Nana made me sound like a nun, cloistered away from the world.

I groaned again, trying to tug Cody with me to the buffet line.

“Well, he’s ready to put a bullet in me, that’s for sure,” Cody said with a quick grin. “But I’ll win him over, eventually.”

“That’s my son. He’ll come around,” Nana agreed with a nod. “Eventually. Two protective men wanting what’s best for my girl. This old woman couldn’t be happier.”

“He wants to sell your house because of this,” I told her, trying to get across just how angry Dad was .

Nana laughed, not bothered by the news of her son’s antics. “It’s my house. He may have grown up in it, but I own it. He can’t sell it any more than he can tell you to move home. Let him have his little snit–”

“Snit?” I asked, thinking that was an understatement of the year.

“–while you do your thing.” Nana arched a brow and eyed Cody like he was the thing I should be doing.

“ Nana ,” I scolded, appalled. My face was hot.

Cody chuckled then gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “I want you to know, Riley is more than a little fun to me. She’s everything I ever wanted.” He set his hat on his seat then winked at me. “I’m happy to be her fun, but I want to be so much more.”

I lost my breath. He had to be telling the truth. Who lied to someone’s Nana? Not only would it make him an asshole, but my nana could suss out falsehoods better than a lie detector.

Nana set her hand on top of his and gave it a little pat.

Cody must’ve felt he got his point across because he touched my hip and guided me in that subtle, protective way of his, to the buffet line. I was still flushed and breathless as I took out two trays.

He immediately took over Nana’s tray, pulling a plate from the stack and handed it over along with napkins and silverware.

“Is this…is this really real?” I asked, a tremble in my low voice.

His lips curled in amusement. “This is really real, sugar. I’m your man now. I’m gonna take care of you. Protect you. Provide for you. Make you happy. Can you deal with that?”

He probably could tell I got wet again, and he wasn’t even dirty talking me. No, he was sweet talking, and it was working. God, he was incredible .

Why was I so nervous? This was what I wanted. A man who wanted me and only me. Who wanted to make me happy. Permanently. Sure, if Matt or Ethan–or even Tyler before I found out he was a shifter–said any of what Cody said to me, I’d laugh. I wouldn’t believe them because they couldn’t provide for me. They couldn’t protect me. Tyler probably could, with his wolf, but gah… bad kissing. Tyler didn’t want to take care of me. He’d only wanted a good time.

Why was I okay with it when Cody wanted to give me everything? Why had I been okay with compromising?

I shouldn’t, and Cody wasn’t going to let me.

“Are you just…courting me? Convincing me?” I whispered as we went down the line from the salad ar ea to the main courses, holding the plates out for the food to be scooped onto them. It was spaghetti night, so my plate was piled high with pasta, and an attendant just plopped a big meatball on top. Cody handed over Nana’s plate right after for the same things.

As he waited, he said, “Well, I am trying to do both of those things. Is it working?”

I let out a breathy laugh, grabbing tongs to get a roll from a basket. “Yeah. It is.”

He gave me a slight bump with his body into mine. “You’re asking if this will last, aren’t you?”

My head wobbled as I nodded. It seemed easier to talk to him while busily filling our plates.

His cell rang from his back pocket. He pulled it out, read the display. “Hey, Jimmy, what’s up?” he asked. The soft demeanor he seemed to have for me slipped away. His body tensed, and his jaw clenched so tight I thought he might crack a tooth. “Are you serious?” He set a hand on the back of his neck and tipped his head down. “Fuck. He still there? Okay. Yeah, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He ended the call and shoved his phone away.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, worried.

“Sorry, sugar. I’ve got to go. That was Jimmy at the bar. Says someone from the sheriff’s department showed up because of an anonymous tip that we’re serving underage drinkers. He’s hassling our customers by IDing every person in the place.”

“Oh no,” I groaned. I knew exactly who that was and why. “My dad’s there, isn’t he?”

Cody shook his head. “Was, but Levi, the sheriff, showed up and sent him home.”

I knew Dad was upset about me being with Cody, but to mess with his business? To mess with everyone in the bar who was there just to have a good time… because of this? He was taking this too far.

“You deal with the bar,” I said, lifting my chin in determination. “I’ll deal with my dad.”