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Cody nodded. “Okay. How’s he doing?”
“That man knows more about ranching than I ever will. He’s great.”
Cody couldn’t help but smile at the praise for his new employee. “I’m glad to hear it. And what about the other men? Are they okay with him?”
“Yes, sir. We all like him. He’s tough but fair.”
“Good,” Cody said with satisfaction. “That’s exactly how it should be. Well, I was going to ask Levi to have you get the bulls closer, but it looks like I don’t need to. I’ll be in the house if anyone needs me.”
“Yes, sir,” Jude replied with a salute as Cody headed back toward the warm and inviting house to wait for Addison.
Sipping his coffee at the bar, he thought about Gwyn and how she had finally left thanks to Addison’s intervention. He never wanted to hear from her again; she was a part of his past that he wanted to leave behind. Addison, on the other hand, was his future. He wanted to marry her and have a family together. He could see himself passing down this ranch to their children with her by his side.
Suddenly, he heard a vehicle outside and went to the kitchen to investigate. His jaw dropped when he saw the amount of snow that had accumulated. Opening the door, he braved the cold and called for Addison to hurry inside.
“I love snow,” she said with a smile.
“Yeah, I knew there was something wrong with you.”
“But you love me anyway.”
Cody chuckled. “That I do, darlin’. That I do. Where’s Lolli?”
“In her car seat in the back.”
“Wait, did you say... car seat?”
“Yes. They make dog car seats now. And don’t you dare say anything about it.”
He snorted in amusement. “Yes ma’am.”
She laughed and opened the back door to retrieve her suitcase while Cody jogged down the steps to help her carry it in.
“You grab Lolli and I’ll take this,” he said through chattering teeth. “Damn, it’s cold out here.”
“It sure is,” Addison agreed as she lifted Lolli out of the car seat, and they made their way up to the porch. The little dog started wiggling her body excitedly when she saw Cody.
“Hey, girl,” he said warmly as he gently stroked her head, causing her to let out a bark. They walked into the house together and Addison carefully placed the dog on the floor before following her as she excitedly bounded around the rooms. Cody couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile, knowing she needed to explore and get comfortable before settling down for the night.
As the storm raged outside, they sat cuddled on the couch together. Lolli rested on the rug in front of the crackling fireplace. Cody gently kissed Addison’s head.
“I love how romantic you are.”
“I have to show my woman how much I love her, right?”
Addison sat up and gazed into his eyes.
“I hope you never stop.”
“What? Showing you or loving you?”
“Both.”
“No need to worry about that, baby. I’ll love you until my dying breath, and I’ll show you every day.”
“Same here. I’m so grateful you walked into the pharmacy with Vivian.”
“Me too. She said it was fate when we got back into the truck.”
