He and his parents had had this discussion more than once in the recent months.
“I’m thinking about it.” Cody still wasn’t ready to commit to such a big step.
“Stacey!”
The chorus of Jean and Lizzy’s voices above the crowd of people jerked his thoughts to where they were. Both girls ran and wrapped their arms around the dark-haired woman who filled his dreams. She wore a pink T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. She’d never looked better.
Lizzy and Jean clung to her. It had taken Jean a while to warm up to Stacey but putting together costumes seemed to have done the trick. Perhaps a little too well.
Stacey hesitated a tad long before she knelt and hugged them in return. As she did she peered over their heads, looking around in alarm. Uncertainty darkened her green eyes as their gazes met. She clearly hadn’t planned to run into them.
That moment of uncertainty went against the grain and left him with a bad taste in his mouth. She was dodging them. Him.
By the time he reached them, Jean and Lizzy had pulled away and were excitedly telling Stacey about their week and how much Fleur had liked their costumes.
“She said we looked the best!” Jean said to Stacey with hero-worship in her eyes.
Stacey smiled down at her. “I’m glad.”
She sounded as if she was.
“Are you ready to dance?” Stacey asked Lizzy.
She nodded. “I know all my steps.”
Her joy at seeing the girls appeared genuine. Stacey looked at him again, having to tilt her head back to do so. This time the cloud of anxiety was missing in her eyes. Had it been replaced by hopefulness? He was more conflicted than ever.
“So this is ‘super’ Stacey,” his mother remarked in a congenial tone, stepping around him and extending a hand. “Hi, I’m Cody’s mother, Jeanette.”
Wearing a stunned expression, Stacey stood and accepted his mother’s hand. “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She glanced at him. “Cody didn’t tell me you were visiting.”
He gave her a pointed look, not caring that his exasperation showed. “You didn’t give me chance to.”
Stacey had been skirting him all week so he had her there. Cody had made it clear what he wanted and she would respect that. She wanted the same thing. Separation. Space.
No, she didn’t. She wanted him.
For the benefit of both of them they needed distance between them. With a great deal of effort she’d accomplished it but loneliness filled her free time. She hadn’t been plagued by that despair in a long time. Since childhood. She’d learned long ago how to be self-sufficient. Depending only on herself for happiness. In a few short weeks she’d backslid into expecting to find happiness with another, but it was a mistake she had been trying to correct and would continue to right. If only she could get her heart to co-operate.
“The girls can talk of little but you,” his mother continued with the captivating smile that Cody had inherited.
Stacey wasn’t sure how to respond.
Cody clearly took pity on her when he said, “Stacey Ryder, this is my father, Roger Brennan.” Cody patted a man on the shoulder who had similar features to him but with silver hair.
She shook Cody’s father’s offered hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And you too. I understand you work with my son.”
“Yes, sir. I’m Dr. Brennan’s clinical nurse, or at least I am for seven more days.” A sadness deeper than she’d ever felt settled over her at that thought.
“You are going to come see us dance, aren’t you?” Jean asked.
Stacey’s plan had been to arrive just before the girls were to go on stage, stand in the back long enough to see them dance and then leave without being seen by them or their father. Now all she could do was answer with conviction, “I wouldn’t miss it.”
Both girls beamed at her.
“It’s time we should be getting your costumes on, girls.” Cody put a hand on each of their backs, heading them in the other direction. “Fleur said you needed to be dressed and ready to go on time.”
His mother put a hand on Cody’s arm. “We’ll get a seat up front and save you one. Stacey, you will join us?”
It wasn’t really a question. Stacey watched Cody and the girls walk away. She was stuck now.
Cody’s mother said, “Let’s go get those front row seats.”
There were no rows of chairs in front of the stage. Instead there were picnic tables. Cody’s mother picked out one off to the right of the front of the stage. Mr. and Mrs. Brennan took one side of the table and she sat on the other bench.
“Why don’t I go get us all a drink while we wait?” Cody’s father asked.