he can’t be my hero right now. No one can save me from this.
Cody Ridge, the love of my life is alive, and I’m sitting in our coffee shop falling to fragments because of it.
CHAPTER THREE
Cody
Present Day
“I’M SURE. NO dates.” I laugh. Molly, my administrative assistant, tries to set me up any chance she can get. She’s this spunky woman with a penchant for organization and controlling things. She is amazing at her job.
Molly sighs on the other end of the phone. “It’s Friday, Cody. Just a coffee date?” She’s a good employee. I let her schedule a lot of things for me. Dates aren’t one of those things. It doesn’t mean she’ll give up. First it was dinner and a movie with her friend Laura. Then it was just dinner and now we’re at a lowly coffee date. “Aren’t you the least bit interested?”
I have to think about her question. Am I interested in other women? How can I be? In my fucked up mind, I’m still with Lainey. It’s as if my life here in the real world was merely paused while I rotted in hell for all those years. Obviously I understand that time passed and everything changed, but it’s hard to grasp. It’s hard to think about moving on.
I chuckle. “No thanks, Molly. You have a good weekend, though. Tell that boyfriend of yours to behave. He has important shit to do on Monday.” He’s also one of my employees. A big lumbering man with dark eyes and a shot so lethal even I wouldn’t take my chances in a draw. Horse is a man no one fucks with. It amuses me to think of Molly razzing him. Does he own a laugh? Something to ponder over another time.
“I know, boss. I’m the brains behind this operation,” Molly drawls. Everyone works from wherever they want. This has to be the best job in the world with regards to freedom. “I’ll make sure he’s well rested…and uh, well, everything’d before his flight on Monday.” He better be. He’s hunting down someone important—someone I’d give anything to hunt myself, but I can’t chase them all. It’s physically impossible. The guys know how important each job is. Whether it’s just to gather intel, teach others how to defend themselves, or to do more, we are methodical. I need Horse to glean as much information as possible next week. The man he’s after has ties with the men I’m after.
My blood boils. Molly clears her throat. “Did you hear me?”
“Repeat, please.” It’s common for me to get lost in thought. She knows this. She is, in fact, the brains behind my operation after all.
She sighs. “I said Dances like the Wind called while you were on a phone call. You should really tell Lainey I can recognize her voice.” She called me? My heart stutters. The blood that was boiling starts pumping. I haven’t heard from her since the first time I saw her after my rescue. That was when I just returned to life. Before I had my business or anything except old dreams and a big case of what-ifs. I can’t help it. A cheesy smile breaks across my face. It feels out of place, big time.
“Dances like the Wind called? Really? When were you planning on telling me this tidbit, Silent Secret Harboring Hobbit?” After the joke leaves my mouth I clamp it shut. What did I say?
Molly laughs. It’s a snorting, guffawing noise that helps ease the embarrassment. I play with an external hard drive that sits on my desk, tossing it up and catching it on the opposing end while I wait for her to catch her breath. “You made a funny. Cody Ridge made a funny. I’m writing this down so I can tell Horse later.”
“Don’t tell Horse anything. I’ll fire you.”
There’s a long pause on the phone line. I know what it means. “I shouldn’t have told you. Not that you should take advice from me, but it will be a mistake if you call her back. Mark my words.” Of course it will. She’s engaged to be married to another man. Another SEAL. A brother. Someone I respect. She waited years to move on. Despite all of these things, I already know curiosity will get the best of me. Why is she calling after all this time?
“Where will you be working from next week?” She glosses right on to the next subject. I think about it. Then I think about it some