Free Longing by Karen Kingsbury Page A

cold made her teeth chatter a little. “That’s what you had to offer.”
    For the first time since he pulled up, the conversation between them wasn’t one of questions and explanations. In light of what she’d just told him, for a few precious seconds Cody looked at her the way he had that summer. Back when it felt like they might have found forever. But he kept the distance between them. “So … what happens now?”
    The answer was as easy as her next breath, even if she felt a little sad saying it. “We move on.” She placed her hand on his shoulder for a brief moment. “Back at the game I had this … Idon’t know, this physical reaction to seeing you. Like an ache in my heart.” She hugged herself, still cold. “I wasn’t sure what I felt.”
    He didn’t have to say anything. His eyes told her exactly how his heart was reacting to that. That maybe if he’d believed how strongly she felt for him … maybe neither of them would be where they were today.
    “But I was mad. I figured it out.” She felt herself relax, felt her control return a little more. “Angry about the past … but not anymore.” The image of Brandon’s face, the sound of his voice filled her heart. “Having a reaction … feeling something about the past …” She shook her head. “It’s not enough. What I have with Brandon is real.” In all her life she never pictured saying these words to Cody, but it was time. “I love him … I really do.”
    His eyes gave him away at first, about how hard her statement hit him. But then he seemed to find a place of understanding as well. “I get it.” He breathed in deep and sat up a little, distancing himself even more. “I’m not asking you to walk away from Brandon.” He raked his hand over his short hair. “I just … I wanted to explain myself. Why things went the way they did.”
    She nodded. “I appreciate that.” The truth of what she’d said, the depth of her feelings for Brandon were still finding their way to the control center of her heart. But as they did, they felt real and right and true. She couldn’t be mad at Cody. Like he said, they had both moved on.
    “Anyway …” He seemed to catch himself, seemed to remember there was no point to furthering the conversation. Not late at night out here on her parents’ porch. “I can’t stay long. DeMetri is out with the guys, but he’ll be home soon.”
    “DeMetri Smith? Your running back?”
    “Yeah.” Cody smiled, the familiar smile that instantly recalled the close connection they would always share. “He lives with me … Long story.” Cody glanced at her house, at the sound of the boys’ voices beyond the front windows. “Let’s just say Godallowed me to do for DeMetri a little of what your parents did for me.”
    Suddenly Bailey remembered the game. “Congratulations, by the way. On the win.”
    “Thanks. We had a lot of help, I know that. DeMetri’s touchdown — not possible without divine intervention. It’s been great … just being a part of it all.”
    This was something she would always love about Cody: his humility. She only wished it had been mixed with the sort of confidence Brandon had. At least where she was concerned. “I’d say God used you in the lives of those players … they’ll never forget Him or this night … or you.”
    “I pray that’s true.” Cody looked more at ease, despite the falling temperature. “DeMetri wants to be a pastor. He’s going to Liberty University, same as Connor, right?”
    “Right. Cody … that’s wonderful.” She couldn’t help but make the obvious connection. Her parents had taken him in and he’d gone into a line of work that might help people. And now he’d helped DeMetri, and the guy wanted to be a pastor. “I guess it’s true, what my dad always says: You never touch just one heart. Because once someone is loved like that, they’ll go on to touch countless hearts. And with God the chain reaction never ends.”
    Cody laughed softly