Take Four by Karen Kingsbury Read Free Book Online

Cody’s shoulder. “So,what’s the deal with you and Bailey? You gonna ask her to be your girlfriend?”
    “Hey,” Justin was sitting in the backseat next to Shawn. He gave his brother a friendly punch in the arm. “You can’t ask that.”
    In the front seat, Connor stayed quiet. He was closer to Bailey than any of the Flanigan boys. Instead of joining the conversation he only turned a half-smile in Cody’s direction, as if to say, “Yeah, what are your intentions for her?”
    Cody laughed under his breath. “Well, guys, sorry to disappoint you.” He kept his eyes on the road. “I don’t have any answers yet. It’s not smart to rush things with girls.”
    “But you like her, right? I mean more than a friend?” Shawn was relentless.
    Again Justin gave him a shove. “He said he didn’t know.”
    By then they were all laughing. Cody glanced at the rear view mirror and raised his brow at Shawn. “If things get serious with me and Bailey, I’m sure you’ll be one of the first to find out.”
    “Probably not.” Shawn slumped back against the seat, teasing. “She tells Connor and Mom everything first.”
    “Okay, you’ll be second.”
    “Probably third.”
    Cody enjoyed the banter. The Flanigan boys had been like brothers to him for years—ever since he lived with their family. Cody had watched the boys grow up, and he loved the easy way they had with each other. He turned up the music, and in five minutes they pulled into the Flanigan driveway.
    The boys emptied out with their gear, and Cody went inside with his own bag. The family’s downstairs guest bedroom was still always open for his use if he needed it, especially now that he was back from Iraq and in their lives on a regular basis again. He didn’t see Bailey, so he went to the guestroom and took a shower. He fitted his leg with his waterproof prosthetic, the one he used for swimming. Again he was grateful his doctors had been ableto save so much of his left leg. He had his knee and several inches below that. It was why his prosthetic looked so real and why he was still so competitive in sports. Most people never noticed his injury.
    He headed to the backyard and stretched out on one of the Flanigans’ chaise lounges. Since the Fourth of July, Cody had thought constantly about how to handle this new connection with Bailey. Yes, they’d kissed—but only once. Since then he remembered once more how precious she was, how he’d looked after her and protected her when he was nothing more than her big brother, back when he lived here.
    She was a precious girl, a gift from God. He didn’t plan to kiss her randomly, and maybe not at all until they had an understanding between them. Cody felt butterflies in his stomach, and he looked up at a single puffy white cloud making its way across the sky. He wanted to ask her soon, make it official so he could call her his girlfriend. But he didn’t want her to feel rushed. A two-year relationship, like the one she’d had with Tim Reed, needed a little time to heal—no matter who initiated the breakup.
    Also, in the days since the the Fourth, they’d spent their time with her family, and not alone. Cody liked this because being with her family helped him keep his focus, helped him think with his head and not his heart. Bailey was a forever sort of girl; there was no need to hurry things.
    He heard the screen door and he sat up a little higher. Bailey and Ricky led the way, with her other brothers a few feet behind. They were talking about practice, Shawn and Justin bragging that Connor was proving to be the best quarterback on the Clear Creek field.
    “Seriously?” Bailey wore shorts and a T-shirt. She had a towel draped over her arm and a smile Cody could feel across the patio. Bailey looped her arm around Connor’s waist. “Way to go, buddy. I knew you’d love playing this year.”
    “I miss CKT,” Connor grinned and put his arm easily around her shoulders. “But I have to admit, I’m loving me