Breakfast at ten thirty the next morning consisted of biscuits and gravy and plenty of laughter. Cody ate like he’d been starved for months and nobody mentioned the ordeal he’d been through.
Rather, the talk was about school and his friends and how he couldn’t wait to get together with Josh and play. It was the normal chattering of a nine-year-old boy and Allison relished every word that fell out of his mouth.
It had taken her forever to go to sleep the night before. Where before it had been fear that had kept her tossing and turning, last night it had been gratitude. Thankfully, when she did finally fall asleep, it had been a rest with no nightmares.
“Now I’m full,” Cody announced.
“I would think so,” Knox said in a teasing voice. “You ate like a horse.”
“I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you go upstairs and make your bed while I clean up the kitchen? When you come back down here, Knox and I want to have a little talk with you,” she said.
“Am I in trouble?” Cody asked.
“Heavens, no,” Allison replied hurriedly. “It’s going to be a good talk.”
“Is it about a horse?” Cody asked eagerly.
“No, but it’s about something as good as a horse. Now scoot. The faster you get your bed made, the faster you’ll know what we’re going to talk about.”
“Come on, Cody. I’ll go with you and between the two of us we can get that bed made in no time,” Knox said.
As the two of them thundered up the stairs, Allison got busy clearing the table. It was time...past time for them to tell Cody the truth.
There was no question now in her mind that Knox would be the man Cody needed in his life, the father who would always be with him to guide and love him. She trusted Knox in a way she never had before.
There was also no doubt in her mind that Cody loved Knox, too. It showed in Cody’s eyes when he looked at Knox, in the easy way he talked and laughed with him.
Yes, it was time for this talk to happen, for her son’s sake and for Knox.
It didn’t take long for the three of them to meet in the living room. Allison sat on the sofa next to Cody and Knox sat on the chair opposite them, positively vibrating with anticipation.
“Cody, do you remember when you asked me about your father and I told you he was off somewhere fighting crime?” she began.
“Yeah, I remember.” Cody’s blue eyes, so like Knox’s, gazed at her curiously. “Have you talked to him? Does he know I got kidnapped?”
“Yes, he knew, and he did everything in his power to find you. He walked the streets and hunted all over the entire town to find you and bring you home,” she said.
Cody leaned forward. “Is he here now? Can I see him?”
Allison smiled. “All you have to do is look across the room.”
Cody stared at her for a long moment and then looked at Knox. “Is it you? Are you my dad, Knox?”
Never in a million years would Allison forget the expression on Knox’s face as he answered. It was a mixture of love, of hope and a touch of soft vulnerability. “It’s me, Cody. I’m your dad and I hope you aren’t disappointed.”
“Disappointed?” Cody jumped off the sofa and ran to Knox’s open arms. “This is the most awesome day of my life and you are the most awesome dad.”
Tears blurred her vision as Knox pulled Cody up on his lap and the two hugged. The world was finally right. Her son had the kind of father she wanted for him, the man he’d yearned for all his short life.
“I’m never going to leave you,” Knox said as Cody clung to his neck. “I promise you, Cody, I’m always going to be here for you.”
“This is way better than a horse,” Cody said, and then they were all laughing and crying with tears of joy.
Surprisingly Cody had no questions. He just reveled in his newfound father. Unfortunately, the celebration was cut short by a call from the sheriff, telling them he was on his way over to talk to Cody.
“Are you okay to tell the sheriff everything that happened?” Knox asked Cody.
“Yeah, but I don’t know much. I just got kidnapped and chained to a wall and then I ate bologna sandwiches. I only saw his face once and that was when he came down without his mask on. Then the next time he came down, he had on the mask and that other person killed him.” Cody’s eyes darkened. “That was kind of scary. I didn’t know if I was going to get killed or not.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but I’m so proud of how brave you are,” Knox replied.
Cody puffed up his chest. “I guess I take after my parents,” he said proudly.
“Oh, yeah? You know what I think the first official thing we should do as father and son is?” Knox asked.
“What?” Cody’s eyes shone bright.
“Tickle Mom.”
“Oh, no,” Allison protested. She tried to get up from the sofa, but the two males were on her, Cody tickling her tummy and Knox holding on to one of her ankles and tickling her bare foot. She screamed and laughed and delighted them when she got the hiccups.
She was still hiccupping when Sheriff Jeffries arrived. She and Knox sat on the sofa with Cody between them. He held both of their hands as the sheriff eased down in the chair opposite them.
A united front, that’s what the three of them represented as they faced Bud. Thankfully, the man had the good sense to be kind as he asked Cody question after question.
It took about an hour for the interrogation to be over and then Knox walked the sheriff out and Allison hugged her son close to her side. “I’m so very proud of you, Cody.”
He looked up at her and a little line creased his forehead. “Mom, are you still gonna let me walk home from the bus stop? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
There was a part of her that wanted to scream no. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t want him to go to school at all, that she never wanted him to leave her side again. But that was something she couldn’t show him because she didn’t want him to live in that fear.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong and, yes, of course you can still walk home from the bus stop,” she agreed slowly. “A bad thing happened to you, but it’s over and we shouldn’t be afraid anymore.”
“I’m not scared,” Cody replied. “I’ve got a new dad and you promised me hot ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch and I don’t want to be afraid of living my life.”
Sometimes, Cody’s wisdom and grown-up attitude amazed her and this was one of those times. She kissed him on the cheek and then stood. “Come on, it’s about time for those sandwiches. and you can help me set the table.”
They were in the kitchen when Knox joined them. “Anything new?” she asked.
“Nothing that can’t wait,” he replied, letting her know that he didn’t want to speak in front of Cody about any information he’d gotten from the sheriff.
They finished lunch and the afternoon was filled with people coming and going. Dalton and Brett stopped by to gather up their equipment and say goodbye, and after they left Wendall and Jim stopped in to get their things.
“All’s well that ends well,” Wendall said as they walked the deputies to the front door.
“If you or Jim ever decide to run for sheriff, you’d have our support,” Knox said.
“No way,” Wendall laughed, and Jim echoed the sentiment. “Maybe you should run,” Wendall added.
“Right now all I want to be is a father to my son,” Knox replied.
At three thirty Cody asked if Josh could come over to play, and after a talk with the child’s mother, Josh showed up and the two boys went up to Cody’s room.
It was only then that she and Knox finally got an opportunity to talk alone. “There were no fingerprints on the handkerchief,” he said as they sat at the kitchen table.
“So, even if it was your mother, there’s no proof it was her.”
“It was my mother,” he replied flatly. “They found a burner cell phone on Earl and it basically told the whole story. Earl drove the van in my mother’s escape from prison. He took her to the border, where she was supposed to pay him a large sum of money. She didn’t pay him. Instead she shot him and left him for dead.”
He paused and took a sip from his coffee cup and then continued. “Apparently, Earl kidnapped Cody in hopes of drawing my mother out. He thought she would care.”
“But she killed Earl and saved Cody,” Allison said.
Knox frowned. “No, she killed a loose end. Mother doesn’t like loose ends. She tried to get rid of him once and it didn’t work, so she came after him again. The coroner said his gunshot wound probably would have killed him anyway. Apparently, he’d gotten no medical help for it and it was badly infected. But the stab in the back did the trick. There’s no doubt in my mind she killed Earl for herself, not for any love of Cody.”
Allison didn’t attempt to say anything in an effort to make him feel better. “Do you think she’s still here in town?”
“Who knows? She’s not my problem anymore.” He got up from the chair and carried his cup to the sink. “And now it’s time for me to get my things and get out of here. I guess we’re back on for our usual visitation times?”
She nodded, not wanting him to go, but he’d said nothing to indicate that he wanted to stay. She got up from the table and walked with him to the bottom of the stairs.
“I’ll grab my clothes and say goodbye to Cody. I’ll be right back.”
She watched him climb the stairs and her chest ached. He was still the protective teenager who had captured her heart, and he was still the man she wanted in her life forever.
When he came back down the stairs, he had the duffel of clothes that Thorne had brought to him. “I told Cody I’d pick him up after school on Thursday. I figured you’d want him here for the rest of tonight.”
He walked to the front door, as if he suddenly couldn’t wait to get away from her. “So, I’ll see you Thursday afternoon.”
And then he was gone, leaving only the faint scent of his cologne and an all-too-familiar heartache.
* * *
“Mom, we’re home,” Cody yelled as he opened the front door. Knox followed just behind him into the house.
Allison came down the stairs and greeted them with a wide smile. “I’ve been waiting for you. Come into the kitchen for cookies and milk before you take your bath and you can tell me all about your adventures.”
“Can Dad have cookies, too?” Cody asked.
She nodded and smiled once again. “I already made the coffee.” It was so nice to see her face with only happiness radiating outward and without the stress and fear that had marked her features for too long.
As always, she looked lovely in a casual, mint-green dress that kissed her curves as it fell to her ankles. And as always, Knox wanted her.
They all gathered around the kitchen table where Cody entertained his mother with stories about his time with Knox. “We ate at the café and everyone acted like I was a superstar or something,” Cody said between bites of cookie. “People who I didn’t even know stopped by our table to tell me they were glad I was okay.”
“I told him not to let it all go to his head, that his superstar status would only last a minute,” Knox said.
“That’s okay, I just want to be a kid,” Cody replied. “After we ate, we went to Jade’s and rode. It was fun and Miss Jade said I could officially call her Aunt Jade now. Isn’t that cool? I not only got a dad, but I also got an aunt.”
“Don’t forget Thorne. He’s now Uncle Thorne,” Knox said. “And there will be more aunts and uncles for you to meet and get to know.”
Cody laughed with delight. “Our family is getting bigger and bigger, right, Mom?”
“That’s right, Cody. Now get upstairs for your bath while I visit a few minutes longer with your dad.”
Twenty minutes later, with Cody bathed and tucked into bed, Knox and Allison sat across from each other at the kitchen table. “He seems to be doing just fine,” Knox said. Cody is doing fine, but I’m not, he thought to himself.
He wanted to be there every night to eat cookies and tuck his son into bed. And then he wanted to go to bed with Allison and make love to her and awaken in the morning with her, warm and sleepy in his arms.
He didn’t just want her nights; he wanted her mornings and her days, too. He wanted to protect her and Cody, now more than ever.
With the definite possibility that his mother was still in the area, he had no idea if either of them could be in danger or not. He had no idea if Livia might figure out an angle where she could use Allison and Cody to her advantage.
He’d spoken with Bud about his concerns and had been grateful when the man had agreed to have his night patrol keep an eye on the house and do regular drive-bys.
He realized Allison was talking and he’d been in his own head and wasn’t sure what she’d said. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
“I was just saying that everything is back to normal and it feels wonderful. Cody appears to be just fine and I’m so grateful to have him home.”
“I still want you to keep a close eye on him. I reminded him tonight that it is important for him to always be aware of his surroundings.”
Her eyes darkened a bit. “Why? Do you think something else is going to happen?”
“No, nothing specific,” he hurriedly replied. “It’s just...she could still be out there, Ally, and nobody can guess what she might do next.”
“I’m glad you had the talk with Cody, but I refuse to think about Livia right now. I’ve got my son back and things are going well at work. In fact, guess who came in to see me this morning?”
“Who?” He leaned back in the chair, loving the way her eyes sparkled with gold and green shards.
“The Billings brothers. They stopped in to tell me they were happy Cody had been saved and, while neither of them admitted anything, they told me they didn’t expect me to have any more trouble on my job sites.”
“How did Brad’s nose look?”
She grinned. “Like you punched it. Anyway, I’m also taking applications for some new help. George told me that there have been several calls for potential new jobs and he thinks I need to hire a couple more men.”
“I’d like to put in an application.” His love for her quivered in his heart and trembled on his lips. Was it possible that finally, after all these years, it was time for them to get things right?
He had no idea what she really felt about him. He had no idea if she blamed him for Cody’s kidnapping. But he knew he had to speak of what was in his heart. They would never get it right if he didn’t take a chance.
“You want to work for the business?” she asked in surprise.
“That, too. But, what I’d really like to do is put in an application to have and to hold you for the rest of my life. We belong together, Allison. I’ll never love another woman like I love you.”
She stared at him. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but he’d hoped she would joyously jump into his arms, tell him that she felt the same way about him.
“Are you saying this because you’re afraid your mother might do something?” she finally asked.
“Absolutely not. You were right, Allison. I’ve allowed my anger and hatred of her to get in the way of my life. I’m not a little boy anymore and I have no need to please her. From here on out the only people I want to please are you, Cody and myself. I know what I want and it’s you...it’s always been you.”
“You’re hired,” she said, her voice filled with joy. “Oh, Knox, you are so hired.”
Happiness roared through him. He stood, grabbed her up into his arms and took her lips in a kiss that spoke of his fiery desire for her, of dreams they would share together with a love that was always meant to be.
When the kiss finally ended, he framed her face with his hands. “I was so afraid you blamed me for the kidnapping. It would have never happened if I hadn’t come back here.”
“I can’t blame you for Earl and your mother, but I will admit your mother scares me—that’s part of the reason why I didn’t tell you about Cody.”
“She’ll never hurt us again, Allison. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure of it. I love you, Ally, and I want to marry you.”
“And I love you and I want to be your wife.” Her eyes shimmered with tears of happiness. “I want to have you here each and every day. I don’t ever want to let you go again.”
“And from this day forward I will always run to you and not away from you,” he promised.
Her hazel eyes glinted with her love for him and he wanted to drown in it, in her. “Tomorrow, you can drive over to Thorne’s and get your things. Tonight I want to start our lives together. I want you in my bed and tomorrow morning we can tell Cody that he can be the ring bearer at our wedding.”
“He’s going to be over the moon,” he replied. “Just like I feel at this very moment.”
Minutes later, as he walked into the room that held the bed with the lavender bedspread and smelled of spicy apples and love, his heart was full.
This was a brand-new beginning for them, one without any more regrets or recriminations. They would raise their son together in love. He’d be Allison’s lover, her protector, her husband, and he’d help her grow her business.
She joined him in the bedroom and he gathered her into his arms. “We’ll get it right this time,” he murmured against her ear. “Nobody is going to stand in our way of living and loving each other for the rest of our lives. And if anyone tries...I’ll punch him or her in the nose.”
She laughed and then they tumbled to the bed to begin their new journey together.