Chapter 3

CODY’S STORY

It was early Wednesday morning and I was already in my rented truck.  I hadn’t even eaten breakfast.  I was so nervous the thought of it just made me nauseous and yet I wasn’t quite sure why – I did not even know this woman and yet I could not get her out of my head.  Me not hungry…yeah, my friends would get a kick out of that.  But I couldn’t help it. It felt like my entire life hinged on what was about to happen.  If it doesn’t go well I’m not sure what I’ll do. 

But Julie said not to give up and not to take no for an answer.  I thought about the advice she had given me without even knowing the real story.  But I knew the real story.  I still couldn’t believe or understand why Julie had trusted me with this, but I was so thankful she had.

Mary Elizabeth still haunted my dreams.  Every night she appeared to me.  I just knew this was where I was supposed to be.  I hoped she would see things the same way. 

Over two hours had gone by since I left Midland and I had passed the last town about 30 minutes ago when I realized I had reached the turn off for Mary Elizabeth’s ranch.  Braking hard until the truck screeched to a complete stop, I looked down at my shaky hands and then back up at the road.  Taking a deep breath I eased the truck forward and turned right down the long road towards her home. 

There were several miles yet to drive off the road before I would find her house.  All around me were pastures.  I could see both cattle and horses grazing in the pastures.  Everything was flat with not a tree in sight…until the house came into sight.  There were trees all surrounding it.  It was like an oasis on the prairie.  It was a beautiful Victorian style farmhouse.  Set just off to the side was a large barn and corral.  Just past that I could see a bunkhouse and a smaller home.  I had made it. 

I parked my car and took another deep breath, trying to compose myself.  This was make or break, do or die, go big or go home.  I was going to dig deep and lay it all out there, total honesty.  Dang it, I’d beg if it came to that. 

As I opened my car door and stepped out, I shut the door quietly, not wanting to give any more notice to my arrival than necessary.  One more deep breath and I climbed the porch steps and knocked on the front door. 

MARY ELIZABETH’S STORY

A loud knock came from the front door.  I had been in the back of house in the utility room and hadn’t heard anyone pull up.  Glancing at the clock, I saw it said 10:30a.m.  Surely this must be the delivery Julie had told me about. 

Glancing down at my clothes, I smoothed them quickly as I walked through the house. I had just pulled on a sundress this morning after my shower.  I knew I wasn’t going riding today, so my jeans and boots weren’t necessary.  I ran my hands through my hair and went to answer the door.  I had no idea what to expect.  I never did with Julie.  But nothing could have prepared me for what I found on the other side of the door.

As I swung the door open, I raised my eyes to see who was there, expecting to find a delivery man.  Immediately my hand flew to my face in shock at what I saw as I felt myself stumble backwards.  Surely I was dreaming again.  After all he’d certainly haunted my dreams for months now.

“Mary Elizabeth?” he asked in that same rich, honey filled Southern accent I’d heard so many times in my mind. 

“Cody! It can’t be!” I gasped as I felt my knees give way underneath me.

Before I even reached the floor he flew inside the door and caught me.  He sank down to the floor and held me in his lap as he waited for me to relax.

“Mary Beth?” I heard him say.  “Are you ok? Talk to me, please.  I’m so sorry! I knew she should have told you I was coming.”

Mary Beth.  He called me Mary Beth.  Just like in my dream.  I knew it! This had to be a dream.  He couldn’t really be here, could he? Either that or I really was just losing my mind.

Tentatively I reached my hand out and placed it against his cheek.  He closed his eyes and leaned gently into my touch.  When he opened his ocean blue eyes he looked down at me with concern.  He reached out his hand and gently threaded it through my hair, running his thumb across my jaw line.

“Mary Beth, love, are you ok?” he asked again.

“Cody?” I asked softly, finally finding my voice, but afraid asking the question would only go to show that I was just hallucinating.  “How can it be?  Has to still be a dream,” I rambled, my thumb brushing over the scruff of his beard.

“No, Mary Beth, it’s really me,” he chuckled as he smiled down at me. 

“But how?” I asked, starting to sit up.

I noticed, even as I was now sitting, Cody kept me firmly in his lap and his arms tightly wrapped around me.  He frowned a bit as if he were hesitant to explain why or how he was here, but then as if something clicked into place he started to talk.

“Julie,” he said simply.

“Julie sent you?” I asked in confusion.

Oh yes, the delivery.  What in the world was she thinking?

“Well, Julie told me where and how to find you.  I found her as I was looking for you.  I think she realized I wouldn’t take no for an answer.” He smiled.

“But why in the world would you be looking for me?” I asked.

“Mary Beth, I’ll happily explain everything to you, but it’s kind of a long story so we might want to find somewhere more comfortable to sit than the floor.” He laughed.

“Oh!  Right.” I laughed as he stood, scooping me up and walking us to the couch.

He first set me on the couch and then set down next to me, at an angle so he was facing me.  I noticed once he was seated he again reached over and took my hands in his own.  I shook my head as this was all just so surreal. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, a small frown forming on his perfect lips as he started to pull his hands away.

“No, no,” I smiled reassuringly, gripping them tightly with my own.   “Keep them there.  I was just shaking my head, trying to clear my thoughts.  It’s just that I…” I began.

“…had this happen so many times in your dreams,” he finished.

I nodded.  “How did you know?”

“Because it’s happened in mine too.” He smiled.

I looked at him in confusion.

“Let me start at the beginning, ok?  I think once I tell you the whole story it will make sense,” he said, waiting for my ok.

Again I nodded and then waited for him to begin.

“A couple of weeks ago I was in Vancouver filming my new movie.  I was in my trailer one afternoon and Jennifer came by and brought me this book.  She told me I had to read it.  She told me it was my big break.  She told me the character was perfect for me.  Well, honestly I’m not a big reader, but I knew I’d never get her off my back until I read it. Before I knew it I was hooked from the cover alone.  It felt eerie, almost as if I was looking in a mirror.  And then I started reading.  I literally read all night until I finished it.  I was obsessed with finding out how to make it into a movie.  I had lunch with Jennifer the day after I finished and she helped me figure out that I should start by contacting your agent.  Then the dreams started.  Every night I had them.  Every night there was this mystery woman with wavy auburn hair and golden brown eyes.  I didn’t know who she was but I knew I had to find her,” he said, smiling softly at me and squeezing my hands. 

“I did enough research to find out that M.E. Welch’s agent was a Julie Patten.  I found out where her office was and Monday morning I went there.  I put on my professional best and turned on all the charm I could to get the receptionist to let me see Julie.  Funny thing though, Julie didn’t seem that shocked to see me, until I mentioned that I thought Travis had been written for me.  She turned ghost white when I said that.  And then I noticed this picture on the shelf behind her desk, and I’m sure at that point I was the one paler than a ghost.  It was a picture of Julie and my dream woman.  I knew at that point that this all really was meant to be.  Somehow I guess Julie sensed all this. Maybe she knew it all along.  Anyway, she grilled me and decided I suppose that I was worthy to know you.  She called you and told you that you’d be getting a delivery today and then she told me how to get here.  And, well, now here I am.” He shrugged, waiting to see how I would respond.

“So you’re just here to make my book into a movie?” I said hesitantly, my voice and my smile faltering.

“No! Not at all! I admit that was what started this all, but no, that isn’t the only reason I’m here. I don’t even think it’s the real reason I’m here anymore at all,” he said softly and hopefully.

“Why then?” I asked cautiously.

“For you, Mary Beth.  I’m here for you,” he said simply, laying his heart out there for me.

In one quick blink of the eye, I let out the breath I’d been holding since we’d sat down.  Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.  I’d dreamed it, but I never dreamed it could ever really happen.  I sat there stunned, until I realized he was taking my silence as a rejection and he began to pull his hands away.  Again I closed my hands tighter around them and pulled them into my lap.  He lifted his head and looked at me, searching for some sign of hope. I smiled back at him and waited for him to continue.

“This is just so unlike me. I joke around. I keep things light. I don’t get too serious about girls. For me to be sitting here, not only feeling all this, but putting it all out there, sharing it all with you, it’s so out of character for me. It’s a huge thing for me. I’ve never done this before and most of the time I’m far from being this serious. I’m not trying to push anything on you, but I just feel like it’s important for you to know. I kind of get the feeling I might get one chance with you and if I blow it I’m going to regret it forever. This isn’t something I want to be casual about and it’s definitely not a joke,” he said strongly.

My cheeks heated under his gaze as I nodded my understanding and squeezed his hands.

“Now I think it’s time for me to tell you my part of the story, Cody.” I smiled, offering him some encouragement of the outcome. 

He gently returned my smile as he waited for me to continue.

“After writing my first two novels I was deep into writer’s block.  Julie was calling me every other day asking if I had started work on my next book.  The answer was always no.  Until one night a dream woke me.  A dream of a man with soft brown hair, an endearing, playful smile and eyes as blue as the Texas sky.  Immediately the entire story of ‘Where the Trail Ends’ came to me.  I sat down at the computer and printed a picture of the image that I had dreamed of…a picture of you.  I tacked it up next to my computer screen and I started to write.  I wrote for days almost without stopping.  There would be times when I was so tired but I could almost hear your voice calling to me, encouraging me to keep writing, to finish.  I finished the book and sent it to Julie.  Not only had I written a book in a few days, record time, once she received it she said the book needed almost no editing.  That’s unheard of.  She asked what I wanted on the cover and immediately I knew it had to be eyes like yours.  They were what drove me, spoke to me, called to me.  She knew I wrote Travis for you.  She knew that from the beginning.  And every night since then YOU have haunted MY dreams, Cody,” I sighed, smiling shyly over at him.

“I’d never let myself dream that you would be here for me. Not in that way.  I’m still hesitant to believe it,” I said, stopping him when he began to speak to dispute this.  “We can get into that more later.  I’m not dismissing you, Cody, ok?  I’m just telling you how I feel.  I’m scared.  That doesn’t mean I don’t feel or don’t want it.  Please know that,” I said, reaching up with one hand to caress his cheek. 

I felt his mouth curve into a smile.  I reached over with my thumb and ran it softly over his cheekbones.  Could he really be here for me?  The real me?  I wondered and I hoped as I returned to my story.

“I did write Travis for you and only you.  I have complete control of my books and whether they are ever made into movies.  I would never agree for ‘Where the Trail Ends’ to be made into a movie if you were not the one to play Travis.  You are the only person I would ever allow to play that role.  I have no idea how we would go about making this happen, but if you are up for the challenge then so am I.  If that means setting up my own production company and funding the production myself, that’s what we’ll do.  We’ll make it happen, ok?” I said, encouraging him to believe.

“What about your privacy and your identity?  I won’t pretend to know why it’s so important, but Mary Beth, I don’t want to compromise what you’ve worked so hard to protect,” he said with his brows furrowed into a worried look. 

“We’ll have to figure that out, but I’m sure we can find a way to make it work.  I’m sure Julie told you I have my reasons for using a pen name,” I said as he nodded.  “I want to share them with you.  I want you to know why it matters, but that’s a conversation for another time.  I’m feeling more than a bit overwhelmed already today.  I’d venture a guess you probably are as well, and I think that might be more than we want to tackle today,” I said, laughing as Cody’s stomach started rumbling.

He looked down at it, then up at me, laughing with me and blushing all at the same time. 

“I was too nervous to eat breakfast.” He grinned. 

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was already 12:30pm.  Definitely time for lunch.  I stood up and took Cody’s hand, leading him into the kitchen.  I pulled out a chair at the bar for him while I busied myself making a lunch for us.  Within ten minutes I sat a plate in front of him.  He took in the Italian grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade tomato basil soup and looked up at me and grinned. As I sat down next to him at the bar with my lunch, I was shocked when Cody leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before digging into his lunch.

“Thank you, Mary Beth.  It feels nice to have someone fix me such a home-cooked meal.” He smiled as he devoured his meal.

“You’re welcome, Cody.  Can I ask you something though?” I said softly, waiting for his ok.

“Sure, Mary Beth, you can ask me anything.  I’m an open book,” he bellowed as he laughed.

I couldn’t help but laugh along with him.  Yes, he was an open book.  He didn’t hide anything, and I had to admit I loved that about him.  It was certainly refreshing.

“Why do you call me Mary Beth?  There has only ever been one other person in my life call me Mary Beth.  I’m fairly certain not even Julie knows about that,” I said, waiting for his answer.

He took another bite as he appeared to be thinking over his answer.  I saw him settle as though what he needed to say had come to him.

“Ok, I don’t want you to freak out when I tell you this, but I really am an open book, and I really do want you to feel like you can ask me anything and know I will tell you the truth, so here goes,” he said nervously.  “I call you Mary Beth because in my dreams that is always what I heard myself call you.  I didn’t know it was you at the time, but once I did to me you became Mary Beth.  And now, sitting here next to you, it just seems right,” he said, shrugging his shoulders and waiting for my response.

“Wow,” I breathed, unable to say more.

“I shouldn’t have said all that should I?” Cody rambled nervously.  “I’m sorry.” He started to apologize.

“No,” I said, stopping him by closing my hand over his.  “It’s not that.  It’s just, well, in my dreams of you, and when you were encouraging me in my writing, that’s what you called me, ‘Mary Beth’.  It freaked me out then, and honestly to know that you called me that in your dreams as well, it’s freaking me out a bit now too.”

“This whole thing is freaky, if we’re going to be honest about it.  But that just tells me that it’s meant to be.  I know that in my heart,” he said, picking up my hand that was covering his and placing it over his heart.  “Who else called you Mary Beth?” he asked curiously, his voice almost a whisper.

“What?” I asked, refocusing my attention to his bright blue eyes from his muscled chest.

“You said only one other person ever called you Mary Beth.  Who was it?” He smiled as if he knew exactly what I had been thinking about.

“My Daddy,” I said sadly.

“Where is your dad, Mary Beth?” Cody whispered.

“He died.  He died five years ago,” I said, unable to stop the tear that developed in the corner of my eye from falling. 

“I’m sorry,” Cody said softly, reaching up to wipe the tear away. 

“It’s ok,” I said, trying to offer him a smile. 

Cody stood up and then pulled me down from my bar stool. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him.  I reached my arms around his neck and nestled myself as close to him as I could, absorbing the warmth and caring he was offering me. 

It had been so long since I had been held and comforted. And I don’t think I’d ever been held like this. If he only knew. I may be the older of the two of us by a number of years, but he was definitely the one with experience. I pushed those thoughts out of my head and let myself just focus on the moment. I felt him rubbing my back and heard him whispering to me.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here then, but I’m here now, ok?” he said.

I leaned back and smiled at him.  “Thank you Cody.”

“Anytime, love,” he chuckled.

“Cody, how long might anytime be?” I smiled as I pulled away from him.

“What do you mean?” he asked in confusion.

“How long are you staying?  Do you have to go back to LA tomorrow?” I asked, unable to hide the sadness in my voice.

“Mary Beth, I don’t have anywhere that I have to be for at least a month.” He smiled at me. “I came out here with a mission…well, two missions actually…and I wasn’t planning on going home until I accomplished them!” he laughed, hugging me close once more.

“Good,” I said as I smiled. 

“Can you help me find somewhere to stay though?  I wasn’t thinking that far ahead because I didn’t know if you’d even let me in the door when I got here, much less want to talk to me. I certainly never dreamed of this,” he laughed.

“You can stay here,” I volunteered.

“What?” he choked.

“In the guest room, Cody. Its two hours to anywhere that has a decent hotel.  I don’t want you that far away now that you’re here.  I’d rather you stay here with us,” I said, not realizing what I was revealing.

“Us?” he said softly.

Oh no! What had I done?