Strawberry Wine (Strawberry Inn Book #2)

Chapter 2

CODY

The view outside my office window was pretty amazing. It looked over one of the parks in downtown Houston. All that greenery almost made me forget that I was in the middle of a bustling city. I never took the time I should to appreciate the view, I wasn’t one to stop and smell the roses and every coffee break was only long enough to fill the actual coffee cup, and then I was back to work. I had been this way my entire life. Every conference in elementary school started off the same way. Cody is a pleasure to have in class, but he is always on the move in one way or another.

My dad thought sports would help me focus that energy in a better way and for the most part, I think he was right. I would still fidget all the time or mindlessly toss a baseball up and down, but I wasn’t near the disaster once I became serious about playing. I declared after my very first t-ball game that I was going to play professional baseball one day. From then on my constant state of movement had a purpose. Strength training, cardio, throwing lessons, batting practice, you name it, I spent all my free time doing something related to baseball so I could hone my skill level and become a professional one day.

I was so close to meeting that dream, but as they say, close only counts in horseshoes. Making it into the minor leagues was no small feat, I’m smart enough to admit that, but it wasn’t the main goal. It wasn’t, “The Show,” so to speak. Before I knew it I was in my thirties and considered an old man. Hanging up my cleats was one of the hardest choices I had to make in my life. Second only to letting Blair walk away from me.

I shouldn’t be thinking about her right now. She is far too pure for my messed-up self, but for some reason, I haven’t been able to get her off my mind. It all started when I traveled back to my hometown of Strawberry for our son’s graduation. I don’t make it home very often, but when I do I usually just spend time with my parents and sister and of course, Hayes. It isn’t that I avoid Blaire because we can’t get along or we don’t like each other, I just don’t see the need to socialize with my ex-wife unless we have to.

Since the reason for the trip was Hayes’s graduation we spent more time than usual together. There were parties and ceremonies and pictures. All things that Hayes wanted both of his parents involved in. The more time I spent with Blair, the more I was fighting these damn feelings I thought I lost a long time ago.

I spent the entire trip telling myself the only reason I felt that way was because I had just split with my long-time girlfriend, Claire, and I didn’t have a proper rebound relationship yet. Any red-blooded man knows the best way to get over a broken relationship is to hop in bed for a few romps with another woman. Call it a palette cleanser of sorts. I was only itching to get closer to Blair because she was familiar and I needed to scratch that itch.

Of course, that wasn’t going to happen with her. She didn’t deserve to be treated like a layover and even if I did try to put the moves on her, I’m sure she’d go as frigid as Antarctica. I was not her favorite person and she only tolerated me for Hayes’s sake. The problem was I think that only made the urge for her stronger. The only way I could counteract it was to turn off my charm and turn up the asshole dial. Driving her away would do the trick, purposefully doing things to piss her off would make sure that she stayed as far away as possible.

It worked for the week I was back in Strawberry, but why was I still playing the asshole act? When Hayes told me that he was interested in becoming a firefighter like Blair’s cousin, Harrison, I was so proud of him. His excitement over his summer plans wouldn’t be contained. So why was I calling Blair in the middle of the day begging to see Hayes for one more summer? Why was I threatening to get lawyers involved since he was still technically a minor?

Because I’m an asshole.

I was startled at the sound of my office phone ringing. I had been too stuck in my own head and daydreaming the day away to remember I was still at work. I spun my chair around to the correct position and picked up the phone call after the second ring, “This is Cody Bishop.”