Page 76 of Spurred On

And a weight lifted from her chest. A weight she hadn’t really been aware she’d been carrying. For years.

She forced a smile and thrust out her hand. “Hello there,” she said. “My name is Sidney. Nice to meet you.”

He stared at her for a minute, and then slipped his hand into hers and smiled. A real smile. “I’m Cody. Damn glad to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

And somehow, as corny as it all had been, it really felt new.

Like a fresh chance to get to know each other without the past haunting them.

Until, of course, they walked into the hospital together to find Tibby Pucey, wearing her candy striper uniform, waiting for them in the lobby.

***

Cody grimaced.

Tibby had the worst timing. Just when he and Sidney had finally found some kind of peace together, just as they’d agreed to put the past waaaaay behind them, she popped up like a bad penny. A heinous reminder of the worst decision he’d ever made.

“Oh Cody,” she cooed, and then she enveloped him in an embrace . . . and a cloud of her perfume. Cody had never been much of a perfume guy. He preferred something lighter, more natural. Like the smell of Sidney’s shampoo or the scent of her skin. Cloying aromas, to his way of thinking, were an attempt to cover something up.

Aside from that, he knew he’d be smelling Tibby until he changed his shirt. But maybe that was her plan.

He took her by the arms and gently detangled her from his person. “Hello, Tibby.”

She turned to Sidney and fixed a sympathetic expression on her face. “I am so sorry about your father, Sidney.”

Sidney stiffened, but said, “Thank you, Tibby.” It was clear she was anxious to see her dad, but Tibby seemed oblivious. She chattered on about the coming Founder’s Day celebration, of which she was the chair. Not that this was any great honor. Since the Puceys had founded the town, way back when, one of them always served as the chair.

In past years, her brother Zack had been the chair of the event, but after his breakup with Hanna, Zack had gone a little crazy and tried to set Logan’s restaurant on fire. The security cameras caught everything, so Zack was now doing a couple of years for arson.

As disastrous as that was to the family reputation in town, Tibby seemed to be lapping it up. She’d lived her whole life in Zack’s shadow.

“So,” she said after a way-too-long monologue, “can I count on you both to volunteer?”

Cody gaped at her, then he glanced at Sidney to find her gaping as well. She shook her head—not in a no kind of way, but in an are you serious? kind of way. “I don’t live in town,” she reminded Tibby.

“Oh,” Tibby gushed. “Of course you don’t.” She offered a simpering smile. “I guess it’s just you and me, Cody.” And yeah, she batted her lashes.

“We’ll see,” he said, not willing to promise anything. “Right now, Sidney and I need to go. See you later.” And before Tibby could say anything more—though it was clear she intended to—he whisked Sidney to the elevators, praying the woman didn’t follow.

When the doors closed on them, Sidney sighed. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she said, shooting him a wry glance.

“What?”

“You were far too vague. We’ll see? She could take that as a marriage proposal.”

“I wanted to end the conversation.”

“Coward.”

He had to laugh. He was a coward, at least where Tibby was concerned. “She scares me to death.”

“Excellent.” She winked. “That means you’re paying attention.”

The conversation was all tongue in cheek, but there was an element of truth in there. Tibby was like a predator on the Serengeti, stalking any eligible male. She’d made no bones about the fact she wanted him.

And he didn’t want her.