Page 16 of Cody

Sometimes she’d kick her shoes off behind the counter, and since it was too high for people to see over, her secret was safe. She picked up her sneakers, got to her feet, and set the shoes inside the laundry room.

She re-entered the kitchen, then headed for her bedroom. She was just too tired to eat. After entering her room, she stripped and walked into the bathroom.

After starting the water in the tub, she piled her hair on top of her head and then stepped into the water. She sank down into the water with a deep sigh. Lolli came into the room and lay on the rug by the tub. Addison couldn’t wait to see Cody tomorrow.

At ten the following morning, she walked out to her vehicle and drove to the diner. After parking, she entered, waved at everyone, and sat at the counter. She was glad the diner didn’t have set hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

“Hi, Addison. What can I get you?” Connie asked her.

She smiled, gave Connie the to-go order, and waited.

Several people entered the diner, smiled at her, and moved to a seat. She loved this town. The people were the best. If they took you in as one of their own, you were considered family.

Addison stood when she saw Connie bringing her order in a white bag with Clifton Diner scrolled in red. She handed her the money, waved away the change, picked up the bag, and walked outside into the sunshine.

Quickly going to her vehicle, she climbed inside, started it, and sighed as the cool air flowed from the vents. It was entirely too warm for this time of the year. She shook her head. It would probably snow in a couple of weeks.

After entering Cody’s address into her GPS, she followed the directions. When she pulled into the driveway and saw the house, she gasped at the beauty of it. She drove to the porch and parked.

Looking around, she saw the door open, and Cody stepped onto the porch. She looked at him and sighed. What a good-looking man. She hoped he was as nice as he’d seemed.

Opening the door, she saw him walk down the steps.

“Hi. You found it okay, I see.”

“It’s beautiful, Cody.” She glanced around, then opened the back door to get the bag out. She held it up. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving. I haven’t eaten since dinner last night.”

“We can’t have that, can we?”

“No, ma’am. I’m a growing boy.”

Addison laughed. “I hope you’re not still growing.” She tilted her head. “How tall are you?”

“Six-four. You?”

“Five-six. You’re almost a foot taller.”

He took the bag from her and nodded. “Let’s eat. It smells fantastic.”

“Just wait until you taste it. I got you a side order of fries. I wasn’t sure if you’d want those or onion rings.”

“They have onion rings?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know if you liked them.”

“I love them. Next time.” He grinned.

“Sounds good.” She entered the kitchen and fell in love. It was beautiful, even with all the boxes sitting around.

“I have a lot of unpacking, as you can see.”

“I’ll start on those after we eat. You just have to tell me where you want everything.”

“Put them wherever you would if it was your place.”

“Okay. I can do that. You hung the pots and pans, though.” She smiled as she looked at the copper pots and pans above the center island.