Cody's Come Home. Mary Sullivan

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СКАЧАТЬ took a map out of his back pocket.

      “Well, we’re pretty close now. The shooter wouldn’t dare fire at us here. Everyone would hear and come running.”

      A gigantic balloon of relief swelled inside her, and a heartfelt “Thank God” burst out of her. “And thank you, Cody. I can’t thank you enough.” Her voice broke.

      He grasped her arm. “Buck up. We’re almost there.”

      “I just want to get home so badly.”

      “I hope this hasn’t ruined the park for you. Your dad says you come here all the time.”

      “I do. I love it.” She glanced around while a poignant sadness filled her. “But I’ll have to take a break.”

      Could she ever come back? She didn’t know.

      Cody watched her, concern written like braille on his brow. He turned his back, picked her up and carried her along the trail. They heard someone coming ahead and tensed. Cody leaned against the upper hill, shielding as much of her as he could with his body.

      A moment later, a park ranger rounded the curve.

      Aiyana let out the breath she’d been holding. They were truly safe!

      The ranger’s frowned eased. “You found her!”

      “Yeah, but she’s injured. She can’t walk.”

      “I can see that.” He stared hard at Cody. “You look like you’re about to drop. I can take her from here. The parking lot’s only a few hundred yards ahead.”

      “No. I’m fine.” His grip tightened around her thighs. “I can carry her out.”

      When Cody stepped around the park ranger, Aiyana gave the man a delicate shrug. She had no idea why Cody wouldn’t hand her off.

      He frowned at Cody then raised his eyebrows at Aiyana and smiled. “Interesting,” he said, for her ears only.

      Interesting, indeed. Aiyana knew she couldn’t handle romance right now and Cody couldn’t possibly want to start a relationship, and yet...

      She rested her forehead against his back and smiled, enjoying these last few moments with him.

      They rounded a corner and there was the parking lot ahead.

      In the distance, Aiyana saw her dad, his back to her.

      Before the hubbub started, Aiyana whispered, “Cody—” She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. The day had been momentous, strange and unlike any she’d ever experienced.

      She had prayed someone would find her—a friend, family member, stranger. But it hadn’t been a friend or a family member or a stranger.

      It had been Cody.

      He stopped walking. “Aiyana—” He sounded serious.

      But he didn’t finish his thought; instead he cursed abruptly.

      “What is it?” she asked.

      “Not what. Who.” He sounded miserable.

      As best she could, she peeked around Cody.

      Across the long parking lot, a woman dressed in knee-high black leather boots, a long tan leather coat and a thick white turtleneck above a black pencil skirt started toward them. She was gorgeous. Black hair framed flawless pale skin, high cheekbones and red lips.

      “Cody!” she called.

      Hearing his name, everyone else in the parking lot noticed Cody with Aiyana on his back. Pandemonium broke out.

      Before everyone reached them, Aiyana said, “Cody, what’s wrong? Who is she?”

      “She’s my wife.”

      Ah, yes. His wife.

      “My ex. We divorced six months ago.”

      Aiyana stared at the beautiful woman whose hungry gaze devoured Cody.

      “Cody, I don’t think she got the memo.”

      His sigh rumbled through her.

      Yep, Aiyana thought, best not to let her pesky infatuation get out of hand. Good thing she wasn’t anywhere close to the right headspace to start anything right now.

      For a brief moment, she tightened her grip on the beautiful man in her arms, but eased up when her father ran over.

      * * *

      CODY CURSED HIMSELF, his wife and his life from here to eternity. How much more was he supposed to bear?

      The big question looming—What is she doing here?—was lost in the confusion of the searchers converging on them. Salem reached them first, grasping Aiyana’s face and kissing her cheeks, her forehead, over and over. He couldn’t seem to stop.

      “We were afraid to hope that you were okay,” Salem said, voice raw, face ravaged. “It was taking so long... Then Cody disappeared, too. We wanted to believe he was with you.”

      He smiled at Cody, the effort wobbly. “Thank you. I’ll never forget this.”

      Emily ran up. “Bro, you’re my hero. Aiyana, why was Cody carrying you?”

      “I hurt my ankle. I can’t walk on it.”

      Emily motioned to the paramedics, who were already wheeling a stretcher over.

      Careful with their actions, they took her from Cody’s back. For some strange reason, he had trouble letting her go.

      She’d been a burden, physically, but he missed her warmth against his back, the solid real weight of her that took his mind off his many other amorphous burdens. If only he could rid himself of them as easily as handing Aiyana off to her family.

      Salem held her hand as though she were a fine china doll. She didn’t mention the gunshots.

      The paramedics wheeled her toward the ambulance.

      Cody made to follow. His wife appeared in front of him, blocking his path, enveloping him in a perfume-scented hug. He extricated himself from her arms. She knew it was over. The divorce proceedings had been final for six months.

      “Why are you here, Stacey?” Hands on her upper arms, he put distance between them.

      Her hesitant smile surprised him. Stacey wasn’t a hesitant person. “I’d like to talk.”

      “Why? What’s left to discuss?”

      She bit her lower lip. Tears formed in her luminous eyes. “Please. I need to talk to you.”

      Cody held back a sigh, drawing on the last vestige of patience he had.

      “Fine. СКАЧАТЬ