Finding Home (Being Home Book 2) Read online

  Finding Home

  Lissanne Jones

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Also By Lissanne Jones

  Where to find me

  About the Author

  Finding Home

  Copyright © 2021 by Lissanne Jones

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  www.lissannejones.com

  The right of Lissanne Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

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  E-book ISBN-13: 978-1-922333-11-7

  Print ISBN: 978-1-922333-12-4

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  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed, or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google or similar organizations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical, or mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Cover designed by Sly Fox Cover Designs

  Edited by Karen Hrdlicka at Barren Acres Editing

  Dedication

  For Jo West. Thank you for loving Cody so much from the moment you knew of his existence. He will forever and always be yours (and Autumn’s!)

  1

  December

  She was the daughter of the enemy.

  Cody Whittaker wasn’t supposed to desire Autumn Grant in any way, shape, or form.

  Wasn’t supposed to wonder whether she’d moan if he kissed her.

  Wasn’t supposed to think about whether her skin was as soft as he imagined it to be.

  Wasn’t supposed to spend more than one night envisioning how good it would feel to be sliding deep inside her, watching her come beneath him.

  But for over a year, something about her had called to him, like a siren’s song. Every time he heard her name or saw her, his heart started to beat faster. So many questions with no answers.

  He’d been unable to take his eyes off her all day. It was Christmas Eve, and they were in the large barn on Luco Ranch, owned by the Whittaker family. His twin brother, Luke, had just exchanged vows and rings with his high school sweetheart, Evelyn Young, in front of the entire town of Aurora Springs, Colorado.

  Nestled deep in the heart of the mountains, it was the type of town where all the residents knew each other. Nobody locked their doors, and if anybody needed something, all they had to do was pick up the phone.

  Cody and his twin had been born and raised there, and would die there, too. Neither man had a single shred of desire to ever live somewhere else.

  They would raise their families on the ranch, and Luke had a head start on his brother. He’d dated Evie in high school, but when she was twenty she’d lost her parents in a tragic car accident, and unable to cope with her grief had fled town, leaving Luke behind. They’d tried to make their relationship work long distance, but the flame had eventually fizzled out and they’d parted ways.

  When Evie’s beloved grandfather, Charlie Steele, had died in January of that year, she’d finally returned to Aurora Springs. Intending only to stay long enough to bury the last relative she’d had and settle his estate, she and Luke had instead quickly fallen back in love with each other.

  After a few bumps in the road, they’d agreed they wanted to carve out the life they’d dreamed of having together. It might have taken longer than they’d originally planned, but now they were finally Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker.

  The celebrations were in full swing. A mix of Christmas and country music had been cued up by the twins and the dance floor was packed. Cody hadn’t been surprised to learn Evie had asked Autumn to be her maid of honor; the two women had been close friends in high school and beyond.

  He knew they’d kept in touch after Evie’s departure, and when she’d returned their friendship had picked up where it had left off with a minimum of fuss. Since there was no question he would be his brother’s best man, he’d been aware that meant he and Autumn would be in close contact all day.

  And they had. They’d walked back down the aisle together, trailing the newlyweds. The quartet had posed for dozens of photographs, including some with just Cody and Autumn. They’d danced together alongside Luke and Evie.

  When he’d given his short but sweet best man speech, she’d surprised him by coming over to stand next to him and adding a few words of her own.

  He’d also been able to spend time with her in the lead up to the wedding, as they’d helped the happy couple with the planning.

  Now, he was desperate for a few minutes alone with her. To do what, he wasn’t entirely sure, but if warming her up with his lips factored into the equation he wouldn’t complain.

  She’d readily agreed to his request, and now he was holding the hand of the one woman he knew he could never have.

  The deputy sheriff of Aurora Springs led Autumn outside the barn. Once they were far enough away from the entrance to not be overheard, he dropped her hand and spun around to face her.

  “I know it’s cold, so I won’t keep you out here long. It’s just kind of hard to hear inside.”

  She gave him a smile as she pulled on the collar of the warm winter coat she’d donned, covering her throat with it. “The entire town is celebrating in there.” The smile on her face slipped a little. “Well, almost.”

  Her father, Jedidiah Grant, had flat-out refused the invitation personally extended to him by Bill Whittaker to bury the hatchet once and for all between the two families.

  The feud between the Whittakers and the Grants had waged for six generations after James Whittaker had taken a rifle and gunned down his teenage daughter, Aurora, when he’d discovered she planned to elope with Jacob Grant.

  Cody knew Jed’s refusal to end the feud once and for all bothered Autumn. She and her mother, Ruth, were good women who were well-liked in the town ironically named after the girl whose murder had started the feud all those years ago.

  The ghost of Aurora Whittaker was said to haunt the small mountain town, and the Whittaker family led very successful and highly lucrative ghost tours around their property to supernatural fans, amateur ghost hunters, and the curious alike.

  He gave her hand a squeeze and was pleased when she wrapped her fingers around his. He cleared his throat and leaned a little closer. “I was wondering if you’d go out on a date with me.”

  Her almond-shaped, dark brown eyes widened, and her luscious mouth, lips currently painted the same color as the beautiful dress she wore, fell open a little.

  “A date?” She blinked rapidly. “Y
ou want to go out on a date with me?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I want to go out on a date with you. Why do you sound so surprised?”

  She didn’t answer for a few moments. “Because I’m just…me.”

  Cody raised his free hand to cup her cheek and ran his thumb over her warm, smooth skin softly. “I happen to think you’re pretty awesome. Have I mentioned how beautiful you look today?”

  As Evie’s maid of honor, Autumn was wearing an ankle-length dark red velvet gown, and her long, black hair was pinned back off her face with tiny flowers woven into it.

  Her cheeks went red, and he suspected she was blushing, even though the frigid air could have caused the same effect. She smiled shyly at him; her fingers still intertwined with his. “Thanks, Cody. You look pretty good yourself.”

  “Just pretty good, huh?” He let go of her hand and placed both of his on her hips, pulling her closer to him. “Not devastatingly handsome?”

  Her smile grew wider and she gave him a wry look. “You know you’re hot, Deputy Whittaker. You don’t need me to remind you of that.”

  “So, is that a yes to a date?”

  Her smile disappeared altogether. “Cody.” She clutched his jacket. “My father would never approve of me dating you. If we were seen in public…” She trailed off, and he was horrified to see tears well up in her eyes.

  “How about you come to my place for dinner, then? That way, there’s no risk of us being seen in public and your dad will never know.”

  Obviously, Jed Grant was going to be a major thorn in Cody’s side, but he’d cross that bridge when he needed to.

  Autumn raised her eyebrows. “You know how to cook?”

  “How dare you,” he huffed in mock outrage. “I’m an excellent cook.”

  “Oh, yeah? Since when?”

  “You keep insulting me like that and I’ll spank your ass for you.”

  She shivered, and somehow Cody didn’t think it was because of the weather. “Promise?”

  The glint in her eyes awoke a certain part of his anatomy, and given he wasn’t on duty, he didn’t have any room to make a joke about having a gun in his pocket. “So is that a yes to dinner at my place?”

  “Only if I can bring dessert.”

  Even though Cody had stuffed his face at the reception, the thought of biting into a pie freshly made by Autumn made him drool. “If it’s one of your amazing pies, I’m in.”

  She took a deep breath and released her grip, only to slide her hands down his arms and entwine her fingers with his again. “It’s a date.”

  “Great. When would work best for you?”

  “I wish I could say tonight, or tomorrow night. But since it’s Christmas tomorrow, how about Friday night?”

  Friday. That was three days away. Cody wished she could come straight to his place from the reception, too, but understood why she couldn’t. “Friday’s good for me.”

  “Friday it is. What time would you like me to be there?”

  “Whatever time you can get away. I don’t have any plans for Friday, so I’ll be home all day.”

  “Okay. Any preference for what you’d like for dessert?”

  He knew she didn’t mean anything dirty by her question, but sure enough his cock hardened a little more. He was tempted to make a lewd comment, but there was a sense of innocence surrounding Autumn that stopped him.

  “Why don’t you surprise me?”

  The smile she gave him lit up his world, and he pulled her as close as he dared, sliding his arms around her waist. She didn’t protest. Instead, she gazed up at him and tentatively cupped his face between her cold hands.

  “I like a good challenge.” Her expression was mischievous, and his heart began to thump in his chest.

  “Can we pretend we’re standing under mistletoe right now?”

  Cody half expected her to pull away from him, but instead she just closed her eyes and parted her lips ever so slightly.

  He leaned in and skimmed his lips over her jaw before traveling upward across her cheek and to her mouth.

  Once he reached his destination, he pressed a feather-light kiss to the corner, and then closed his eyes and covered her mouth with his.

  She let out a soft moan that stirred something deep inside him. Lust sizzled through his veins and heated his blood, and he could no longer disguise his body’s reaction to her closeness.

  To the way her lips suddenly left his to bestow kisses on his neck, her tongue darting out to lick his skin.

  He should have been freezing, given it was winter in Colorado and they were standing outside, but Cody felt nothing but heated by the soft lips that made him ache to strip Autumn naked and sink his hard cock inside her.

  What was this woman doing to him?

  He let out a low groan and tugged gently on her hair. Once she’d lifted her head again, he kissed her with a desperation she obviously also felt, given the way her tongue met his as he thrust it inside her mouth.

  They only separated to suck in deep breaths, the chill in the air making it almost painful.

  She gazed at him, her soulful dark brown eyes wide and enchanting. “Wow.”

  “Merry Christmas to me.”

  Autumn’s wide smile had him beaming one of his own, and as much as he would have been happy to spend the entire night kissing the gorgeous woman in front of him, Cody knew their absence would soon be noticed.

  “It’s cold out here,” he pointed out. “Let’s go back inside before we freeze to death.”

  He took her hand and led her back to the entrance of the barn, then dropped it just before they stepped over the threshold. “You want a drink?”

  “Sure.”

  Autumn drifted over to where her mother was sitting, and Cody followed a few moments later with a cup of warm cider in each hand. He passed one over and then chatted to Autumn and Ruth for a few minutes, before excusing himself and heading over to his parents.

  It seemed Luke and his bride were saying goodbye to everyone, and when they made it to Cody and his parents, Evie leaned over with a grin.

  “I take it she said yes.”

  “She did.” Cody brushed his lips over her cheek. “Now, why don’t the two of you get out of here?”

  “That’s why we’re here, to say goodbye.” Luke was gazing at his family and Cody noticed he’d started to tear up a little. “Thank you so much, you guys. For everything.”

  “This has been the best day of our lives, and that’s because of all the hard work you did,” Evie chimed in. “Thank you.”

  The newlyweds exchanged hugs and kisses with the Whittakers, and then Cody watched as they headed out of the barn.

  Evie stopped on the way to give Autumn one last hug, and then they turned at the doorway and waved to everyone before disappearing into the night.

  Although it was still very early on in the evening, all the attendees began to leave. Given it was Christmas Eve, it was understandable people wanted to head home before it got even darker and the temperature dropped further.

  Cody stayed behind to help his parents clean up and take down the decorations that could be reached without a ladder, as did Autumn and Ruth Grant and Sheriff Gus Collins.

  The large, twelve-foot Christmas tree was left standing in place, as were the wreaths high up on the rafters.

  Ruth insisted they keep what was left of the desserts the Grant ladies had made, and Cody made a mental note not to forget to take some home for later.

  Diana and Bill thanked those who’d remained for their help. Hugs and Christmas wishes were exchanged, and Cody brushed his lips over Autumn’s cheek as she hugged him briefly.

  He moved his mouth close to her ear. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” She pulled back. “Merry Christmas, Cody.”

  “It is now.”

  The tone in his voice was full of promise and wonder, and it was clear from the blush that rose prettily on her cheeks that Autumn had understood his meaning.

  She didn’t look at h
im again as she left the barn with her mother, but he had the feeling this was the start of something magical.

  He watched them leave, Gus on their heels, and when he turned back to his parents, he found them gazing straight at him, grins on their faces.

  He stared at them suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. “What are you two grinning at?”

  Diana stepped forward and pinched his cheek lightly. “Why didn’t you tell us you and Autumn are dating?”

  “Because we’re not, Mom.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Certainly didn’t look that way to me.”

  “You’ve just married one son off today. Isn’t that enough for you for now?”

  She placed a kiss on his cheek. “I want you to be happy, too, baby boy.”

  “I am happy. Now butt out of my love life.”

  The grin was back on her face. “Oh, so Autumn does have something to do with your love life?”

  “Okay, dear.” Bill grabbed his wife’s arm gently and spun her toward him. “That’s enough matchmaking from you for the time being. Let’s grab the food and head home.”

  He paused and turned back to Cody. “Just for the record, son, Autumn is a lovely young woman and we both like her very much.”

  Cody couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face. “Duly noted.”

  He drifted over to the dessert table and filled up the container his mother had left there for him. Autumn and Ruth were incredibly good bakers and nobody could make a pie like them, although his mom’s pies were just as delicious.