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A lump rose in my throat. Why did I keep putting my heart through this pain? I wished I could shut off my feelings for Beau. No matter how attracted I was to him, I knew it wouldn’t work out between us.
I couldn’t do flings. I wanted forever.
Beau didn’t.
It was as simple as that.
With the croissants neatly restocked, I rose to my feet and straightened my aching back. The bell over the door jingled to signal a customer. When I looked up, I saw Cody standing just inside the bakery, rolling the brim of his Stetson in his hands.
“Oh, hell,” I muttered under my breath.
I knew this conversation had to happen. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. With a squeeze to Daisy’s shoulder, I slid past her.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “Then you can take a break.”
Making my way through the bakery, I headed for Cody, doing my best to quell the bubble of nerves in my stomach. With his tousled blond curls matted to his forehead, and the small, hopeful smile on his face, I felt like a monster for what I was about to do.
“Hey, Miss Rory, you’re looking real nice this morning,” he said.
I spread my hands and glanced down at myself. My overalls were dusted with flour, powdered sugar, and smears of chocolate. I was pretty sure my hair was a mess. I hadn’t slept and I hadn’t changed since yesterday. But I appreciated that Cody chose to be polite about it.
“That’s very kind of you to say, Cody,” I said. “Are you here to pick up some breakfast for the boys at the ranch?”
He cleared his throat and shifted in place.
“Actually, no. I came to talk to you. About…yesterday. At the rodeo.”
The back of my neck prickled with dread.
“Yeah,” I hedged, glancing around the busy bakery. “Let’s go into the kitchen. It’s quieter there.”
Cody nodded and followed me as I weaved a path to the kitchen. Two dozen donuts were cooling on the counter. Normally, their mouth-watering, yeasty-sweet scent would be comforting, but today it was cloying.
When I took a breath to speak, Cody held up his hand.
“I know why you did it,” he said. “You don’t have to explain.”
I blinked, surprised and a little confused.
He sighed and scrubbed the back of his neck.
“At first, I thought I hit the jackpot. I felt like I had wings on my feet. Rory Copeland kissed me—hot damn. Maybe miracles really do happen.”
Oh no. This was going to hurt even more than I thought it would. Cody dropped his gaze, studying the twisted brim of his hat clutched in his fingers.
“Then it started to sink in. Something didn’t feel quite right.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Cody,” I whispered.
He nodded but he kept his gaze on his hat. Twisting and twisting.
“You didn’t kiss me because you liked me. You kissed me because of Beau. To make him jealous.”
The air punched out of my lungs.
“What? No, that’s not—”
