Tears rimmed the corners of Ollie’s brown eyes. “I tried to bring Bailey water. I’m so sorry.”
Bailey stood beside Ollie, her ears perked and tail still.
Cody rushed forward and pulled the trembling boy in for a hug. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s just water. Trust me. Me and Bailey make much bigger messes than this. Do you want to help me clean it up?”
“You’re not mad at me?”
The quiver in his words tore at Cody’s heart. “Never. Now let’s get some towels.”
On his way to the bathroom, he caught sight of Katherine. Her own eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and she covered her mouth with her hands.
He stopped. “You all right?”
She nodded then shooed him away with a flick of a wrist.
Ollie ran past him. “I’ll grab them.”
He followed Ollie into the guest bath and plucked several large towels from the closet. He handed one to Ollie. “Use this one to start mopping up the water. I’ll carry the rest.”
They went to work cleaning up the mess and refilling Bailey’s dish. When they were finished, Cody held the sopping wet towels. “See. No big deal. We all make mistakes, have accidents. It’s all about how we clean them up that matters. Does that make sense?”
Ollive gave one big nod. “Yes!”
“And when we work together, we can clean things up even quicker. Now who’s ready for that hike?” He held up his hand for a high five.
Ollie didn’t disappoint. He slapped his palm against Cody’s. “I am!” He sprinted outside with Bailey following close behind.
Katherine laid a hand on Cody’s arm. “That was really well done.”
Her compliment brought a rush of heat up the back of his neck. He didn’t really have a ton of experience with kids, but it was easy with Ollie.
“I didn’t overstep?” he asked.
“Not even a little bit. You handled it exactly how I would have—exactly how Theo would have. With understanding and a nice message wrapped up in a neat bow. Thank you.”
“Anytime. We better get outside before they take off without us.” He snatched the leash from where Ollie had dropped it on the floor and waited for Katherine to step onto the deck before closing and locking up behind him.
He wouldn’t venture far from home, but he made sure to set the alarm before climbing down the stairs. “Here, Bailey.”
The dog bounded to his side, and he attached the leash to her collar before handing the lead to Ollie. “You and the dog take the lead. Your mom and I will be right behind you. Just not too fast. We need to be careful on the trails.”
“Sweet! This will be so much fun.”
Katherine slipped her hand in his. “Ready?”
“One hundred percent,” Cody said.
He didn’t mean just for the hike. He was ready for her. He was ready for her son. He was ready to be whatever they needed him to be as they figured out the future.
13
Katherine couldn’t be sure if Ollie didn’t mind her holding Cody’s hand because he was okay with having the other man around or if he was too distracted to notice. Either way, she would enjoy every second of this time together.
The canopy of leaves overhead blocked out the sun, but her long-sleeved shirt was enough to keep her warm. Especially at the brisk pace they kept as they traversed the uneven patch that snaked through a sea of trees.
“Slow down a little, bud,” she called.
Ollie stopped for a second, glancing over his shoulder before taking off again, the leash he held tight from Bailey straining against it.
