Page 12 of Mountain Dreams

Wyatt had also grown up there, but he was into cars, motorcycles, and basically anything on wheels.

She and Cody swayed to the music while she tried not to stare at him too hard. There was a respectable distance between them, but occasionally their bodies brushed against each other because of the crowd. She felt his heat and the warmth of his hands on her hips and wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked.

She nodded, unable to trust her voice.

“Me too.”

Then somebody bumped into her from behind, and she, in turn, bumped into Cody hard. Hard, as in…

“Sorry about that,” he said.

“I’m the one who bumped into you,” she said lightly.

He chuckled. “I meant…well, you know.”

She did know, but she was too discombobulated to acknowledge it. Cody Sawyer is aroused because of me. Am I dreaming?

Her eyes flicked open, and she quickly shut them again, wanting to return to the dream. Then she heard the garage door close and a car driving away. She opened her eyes again and glanced at the clock on her nightstand.

It was just after seven on Sunday morning, yet Wyatt had already left the house. She hadn’t heard him come in last night, but the covers were rumpled on his side of the bed, so she knew he’d been there.

Where was he off to so early? She would have thought he’d want to see her this morning after being out late last night. On the other hand, she’d been so entranced by her dream about Cody that she hadn’t stirred.

Cody. She’d been thinking about him a lot lately, but she hadn’t dreamed about him in a long time, not since she was a teenager. It must have been that stupid movie, she thought as she threw off the covers. What she’d dreamed about had actually happened, though, give or take a few details.

Seeing him again must have stirred up memories from when they’d been closer, of which there were quite a few. Still, she shouldn’t be thinking about him like that now, not when she was engaged to be married.

For years she’d successfully pushed those memories to the back of her mind, writing them off as a silly teenage crush that didn’t mean anything. She’d been no different than any other girl with a crush, and her fantasies had been just that—fantasies.

She’d never shared them with anyone else, especially not him. She’d often wondered if he’d fantasized about her too, but she dismissed the idea as foolish. Never mind that she’d caught him staring at her sometimes or that he’d been aroused when they’d danced together. If he’d wanted her, he wouldn’t have set her up with his best friend. He’d seemed content to be her friend, so she’d resigned herself to the role. Over time, she’d become so good at it that she’d convinced herself she didn’t have feelings for him outside of that. In the meantime, she’d continued dating Wyatt, and Cody had dated a variety of women, never settling on one.

If she hadn’t gone to see him and watched 17 Again, she wouldn’t be thinking of him at all. She took a deep breath, satisfied that her secret was still safe—for now.

Five

Cody waited a few days for his temper to cool before he confronted Wyatt. Finally, he pulled up to Wyatt’s auto body shop and shut off his truck. He hadn’t told Wyatt he was coming since he didn’t want to be brushed off again. Like it or not, his friend was going to hear what he had to say.

Cody rang the bell outside the front door to announce his arrival. He’d purposely waited until just after closing time so he and Wyatt would have some privacy. Like Cody and Jax, Wyatt worked beyond normal business hours, and Cody figured he’d still be there.

He waited a moment and rang the bell again. Soon Wyatt came into view, wiping his hands on a shop rag. He looked surprised to see Cody, but he smiled as he opened the door.

“Hey, buddy. Come on in.”

Cody stepped inside, and Wyatt locked the door behind him. “I was going to call you about that beer, but I’ve been really busy.”

Busy with Sadie? Cody gave Wyatt a tight smile. “I won’t stay long.”

“Come on back to my office. I don’t have any beer, but I have soda if you want one.”

Cody followed Wyatt through the lobby and into the shop, passing several cars in various states of repair. “Business good?” he asked, attempting to make polite conversation.

“Really good. I have more work than I can handle. How’s the resort business?”

“Same. We’re building more cabins in the spring.”

They entered Wyatt’s office, which consisted of a dented metal desk, two chairs, and a small refrigerator. The desk was littered with papers, and Cody wondered how Wyatt kept track of things. Wyatt excelled at working on cars, but he’d never been known for his organizational skills. Of course, he had Maddie for that.