Page 54 of Cody

“Thank you. I’ll give back.”

“Go to sleep, Cody. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Addison.” He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

****

The sunlight peeked through the curtains, waking Addison up. She sat up and stretched her arms above her head, taking a deep breath. The smell of bacon made her grin as she got out of bed and put on her robe. After washing her face and brushing her teeth in the bathroom, she made her way to the kitchen. From the doorway, she watched Cody cooking breakfast and talking to Lolli.

“If it were my choice, I’d change that name. What kind of name is Lollipop?” he asked.

“It’s a cute name for a cute dog,” Addison replied, walking over to him.

He set down the spatula and turned to face her. With a smile, he leaned in for a kiss.

“Good morning,” he whispered against her lips.

“Good morning to you too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

“I was hoping the smell of bacon would wake you up.”

“How long have you been up?”

“About half an hour. I never sleep in that late.”

“You were tired.” She ran her fingers through his hair.

He pulled her in for a hug. “Want to go back to bed?”

“Oh no, let me at that bacon.” She playfully scolded him.

He chuckled and turned back to finish cooking.

After breakfast, they cleaned up together before Cody rested his hip against the counter and stared at her. She blushed under his gaze; he had a way of making her feel like she was the only woman in the world.

“What’s wrong?”

A warm blush rose to her cheeks as she looked at his mischievous grin. His eyes sparkled with playful intent and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Why are you blushing?” he asked, his voice teasing.

She tried to deny it but the heat in her face gave her away. “I’m not.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, okay.” He leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. “I have to get going, sweetheart. I have a lot to do today.”

Her heart sank a little at the thought of him leaving so soon. “You’re working? I thought we’d spend the day together.”

“Since Levi hasn’t started yet, I have to oversee things on the ranch,” he explained.

“I see.” Her disappointment was evident in her tone.

“I don’t think you do,” he said gently, cupping her cheek. “I don’t want to go, but I have a ranch to run. It never stops. Once Levi takes over, I’ll have more free time. I hope.”

“Okay,” she replied, trying to hide her hurt.

“Why don’t you come to my place later? We can go horseback riding, or...” his voice trailed off suggestively.

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Or?”