Orchard Valley Brides (16 page)

“You don't mind living so far away from town?”

“At first, just a little. Now I'm happy about it.”

“That's a wonderfully romantic story.”

Ellie smiled. “Is there a special man in your life?”

Sherry exhaled slowly. “I've never fallen in love. Oh, I had a few crushes. I dated a doctor for a while, but both of us knew it wasn't going anywhere.” Sherry smiled to herself as she recalled how difficult it'd been for Colby Winston to admit he was in love with Valerie Bloomfield.

During the next few hours, Cody came up to check on their progress twice and give a report of his own. Luke, he said, had worn a path in the living-room carpet pacing back and forth, but thus far, Cody had been able to restrain him from racing up the stairs. He doubted Luke would have much hair left before the ordeal was over; he'd jerked his hands through it so many times there were grooves in his hairline.

“He loves me,” Ellie said softly.

When Sherry walked Cody to the bedroom door, he asked quietly, “Will it be much longer? Luke's a mess.”

“Another couple of hours.”

Cody nodded and his eyes briefly held hers. “I'm glad you're here.” He turned and headed down the stairs. A surge of emotion overwhelmed her, but she wasn't sure how to read it. All she knew was that she felt
alive,
acutely sensitive to sounds and colors, and she had the impression that Cody experienced the same thing.

“I'm glad you're here, too,” Ellie said from behind her.

Sherry moved back to the bed. “Doc would've done just as well.”

“Perhaps, but it helps that you're a woman.”

The second stage of labor arrived shortly after midnight, and Ellie arched against the bed at the strength of her contractions, panting in between. Sherry coached her as she had so many others. And then, at last, with a shout of triumph, Ellie delivered a strong, squalling son.

The baby was barely in his mother's arms when the door burst open and Luke barged into the room.

“A son, Luke,” Ellie whispered. “We have a son.”

Luke knelt beside the bed and stared down at the angry infant in his wife's arms. The baby was a bright shade of pink, his legs and arms kicking in protest. His eyes were closed and he was yelling for all he was worth. “He looks just like you when you get mad,” Ellie told her husband.

Luke nodded and Sherry noticed that his eyes were bright with tears as he bent forward and kissed his son's wrinkled brow. Then he placed his hand over Ellie's cheek and kissed her, too. “Never again,” he vowed. “Our family's complete now.”

Ellie's eyes drifted shut. “That's what you said after Christina Lynn was born.”

“True,” Luke admitted, “but that was because I couldn't bear to see you suffer. This time it's for me. I don't think I could go through this again. And I nearly lost my best friend.”

“You were a long way from that, partner,” Cody said from the doorway.

“I don't care. Two children are plenty. Right, Ellie? I know you said you'd like four, but you agree with me, don't you?”

Sherry moved behind the big, rangy cattleman and looked down at Ellie. “You're exhausted. You need some sleep.” Lifting the baby from her arms, Sherry placed him in a soft blanket, marveling at the tiny, perfectly formed person in her hands.

“Come on,” Cody urged Luke. “It's time to celebrate. Let's break open that bottle of expensive scotch you've been saving.”

“She's going to do it, you know,” Luke said to no one in particular. “That woman knows I can't refuse her a thing. Before I even figure out how it happened, we're going to have four kids running around this house.”

Sherry finished her duties and found Luke and Cody in the living room each holding a shot of whiskey. “Ellie and Philip are both asleep,” she assured them.

“Philip,” Luke repeated slowly, and a brightness came into his eyes. “She decided to name him Philip, after all.”

“A family name?” Cody asked him.

Luke shrugged. “Actually, it's mine. I never much cared for it as a kid and dropped it when I started school. I insisted everyone call me by my middle name.”

“Ellie says your son looks like a Philip,” Sherry put in.

A wide grin split Luke's face. “I think she's right—he does.” He stared down into the amber liquid in his glass. “A son. I've got a son.”

Sherry smiled, then yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. It had been a long day. She'd been up since dawn, not wanting to travel in the worst heat of the day, and now it was well past two in the morning.

“Come on,” Cody said, setting down his glass, “I'd better drive you back into town.”

Sherry nodded as another yawn escaped. She was weary through and through.

“Thank you,” Luke said. He took her limp hand and pumped it several times to show his gratitude. He seemed to have forgiven her for being a stranger.

“I'll be in touch tomorrow,” Sherry promised. “Ellie did a beautiful job with this baby.”

“I know.” Luke looked away as if embarrassed by his behavior earlier. “I knew the minute I saw that woman I was going to love her. What I didn't know was how lucky I was that I convinced her to marry me.”

“From what Ellie told me, she considers herself the lucky one.” Luke grinned hugely at Sherry's words.

“Come on, Sherry, you're beat,” Cody said. “Good night, Luke.”

“Night.” Luke walked them to the front door. “Ellie's mother is on her way and should be here by morning. She'll be a big help. But thanks again.”

By the time Sherry was inside Cody's truck, she was dead on her feet. She dreaded the long, rough drive back to town, but there was no alternative.

 

“Sherry.” Her name seemed to come from far away. The bottom of a well, perhaps. It was then that she realized she'd been asleep.

She'd meant to stay awake, but she was obviously more tired than she'd realized, because she'd slept through that dreadful ten-mile stretch before they hit the main road. Cody must have driven with infinite care.

To compound her sense of disorientation, she noticed that her head was neatly tucked against his shoulder. She felt warm and comfortable there and wasn't inclined to move.

“We're in town already?” she asked, slowly opening her eyes.

“No. I couldn't see taking you all the way into Pepper when you're so tired.”

Sherry straightened and looked around. They were parked outside a barn beside an enormous brick house with arched windows on the main floor and four gables on the second. The place was illuminated by several outdoor lights.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“My place, the Lucky Horseshoe. I figured you could spend what's left of the night here. I'll drive you back into town first thing in the morning.”

Sherry was too tired to argue, not that she wanted to. She liked and trusted this man, and when he came around to help her from the cab, she found herself almost eager to feel his hands on her waist again.

Cody swung her down, and if he was feeling any of what Sherry was, he didn't show it.

“I hope I didn't make a pest of myself falling asleep on you that way,” she said.

He mumbled something she couldn't quite make out. But apparently she hadn't bothered him. He led the way into the big country kitchen, turning on lights as he went.

Without asking, he took two large glasses from a cupboard and filled them with milk from the refrigerator. “You didn't have any dinner.”

Sherry had to think about it for a moment. He was right. She hadn't had anything since the cheeseburger and pie at lunchtime. To her surprise, she wasn't the least bit hungry.

“Here,” he said, handing her the glass of milk. “This'll tide you over till breakfast.”

“Thanks.”

He pulled out a chair for her, then twisted the one across from it around and straddled it. They didn't seem to have a lot to say to each other, yet the room was charged with electricity.

“So,” he ventured, “you're planning to stay in Pepper?”

Sherry nodded. She liked the gruff quality of his voice. She liked his face, too, not that he was male-model handsome. His features were too strong and masculine for that, browned by the sun and creased with experience—some of it hard, she guessed.

“You'll like it here. Pepper's a good town.”

Everything about Cody Bailman fascinated her. A few strands of thick dark hair fell over his high forehead, giving him a little-boy look. It was so appealing that Sherry had to resist leaning forward and brushing the hair away.

“The guest bedroom's upstairs,” Cody said abruptly. He got to his feet, drained the last of his milk in three gulps and set the empty glass in the sink.

Sherry finished her own and stood, too. She'd almost forgotten how tired she was.

“This way,” Cody whispered, leading her up the gently curving stairway off the entryway.

Sherry paused and glanced around at the expensive furnishings, the antiques and works of art. “Your home is lovely.”

“Thanks.”

Sherry followed him to the top of the stairs and then to a room at the far end of the hallway. He opened the door and cursed under his breath.

“Is something wrong?” Sherry asked.

“The bed isn't made up. Heather had a friend stay last night and she promised to change the sheets and remake the bed herself. Looks like she forgot. Listen, I'll sleep in here and you can use my room. Janey, our housekeeper, changed the sheets just today.”

“That isn't necessary,” she protested. It would only take a few minutes to assemble the bed.

“You're dead on your feet,” Cody returned. “Here.” He reached for her hand and guided her down to the other end of the hallway.

If she'd possessed the energy, Sherry would've continued to protest, but Cody's evaluation of her state was pretty accurate.

“Call me if you need anything, and don't argue, understand?”

Sherry nodded.

Whether it was by impulse or design, she didn't know, but before he turned away, Cody leaned down and casually brushed her lips with his.

They both seemed taken aback by the quick exchange.
Neither spoke for what felt like the longest moment of Sherry's life. Her pulse was pounding wildly in her throat, and Cody pressed his fingertip to the frantic throbbing. Then, before she could encourage or dissuade him, he bent his head and brought his mouth to hers a second time.

Her moist lips quivered beneath his. He moved toward her and she toward him, and soon they were wrapped in each other's arms. The kiss took on an exploring, demanding quality, as if this moment was all they'd be granted and they'd better make the most of it.

Sherry nearly staggered when he released her. “Good night, Sherry,” he said, then she watched as he strode the length of the hallway. He paused when he reached the opposite end and turned back to look at her. Even from this distance, Sherry could read the dilemma in his eyes. He didn't
want
to be attracted to her, hadn't wanted to kiss her, and now that he had, he wasn't sure what to do about it.

Sherry was experiencing many of those same feelings herself. She opened the door and stepped inside his room, angry with herself for not insisting on the guest room. Because everything about these quarters, from the basalt fireplace to the large four-poster bed, seemed to say Cody.

She pulled back the sheets and undressed. She thought she'd be asleep before her head hit the pillow, but she was wrong. She tossed and turned until dawn, the image of Cody standing at the end of the hallway burned in her brain. Finally she fell into a troubled sleep.

 

“Hot damn.”

Sherry gingerly opened her eyes and saw a pretty girl of about twelve, dressed in jeans and a red plaid shirt,
standing just inside the doorway. Dark braids dangled across her shoulders.

“Hot damn,” the girl repeated, smiling as if it was Christmas morning and she'd found Santa sitting under the tree.

Sherry levered herself up on one elbow and squinted against the light. “Hello.”

“Howdy,” the girl said eagerly.

“What time is it?” Sherry rubbed her eyes. It seemed she'd only been asleep a matter of minutes. If it hadn't been rude to do so, she would've fallen back against the pillows and covered her face with the sheet.

“Eight-thirty. Where's Dad?”

“Uh…you're Heather?”

“So he mentioned me, did he?” she asked gleefully. The girl walked into the room and leaped onto the mattress, making it bounce.

“I think you have the wrong impression of what's going on here,” Sherry felt obliged to tell her.

“You're in my dad's bed, aren't you? That tells me everything I need to know. Besides, you're the first woman I've seen him bring home. No, I think I get the picture. How'd you two meet?” She tucked her knees up under her chin and looped her arms around them, preparing herself for a lengthy explanation.

“Heather!” Cody's voice boomed from the end of the hallway.

“In here!” she shouted back with enough force to make Sherry grimace.

Cody appeared as if by magic two seconds later, his large frame filling the doorway.

“Dad,” Heather said with a disappointed sigh, “you've been holding out on me.”

“S
o, Dad, when's the wedding?”

“Heather!” Cody ground out furiously. He looked like he'd dressed in a hurry. He was in jeans and barefoot, and his Western-style shirt was left open, exposing his hard chest and abdomen and an attractive smattering of dark, curly hair.

“But, Dad, you've comprom—” she faltered “—ruined your friend's reputation! Aren't you gonna make an honest woman of her?”

Sherry laughed. She wondered where the girl had acquired such an old-fashioned expression, although it was clear Cody wasn't amused by his daughter's badgering. Heather's blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

“So,” the girl continued, “how long has
this
been going on?”

“You will apologize to Miz Waterman,” Cody insisted, his voice hard.

“Sorry, Miz Waterman,” Heather said. She didn't sound at all contrite. “I guess you're new in town?”

Sherry nodded and thrust out her hand. “Call me Sherry. I'll be working with Doc Lindsey.”

“Wow. That's great.”

“I was with Ellie Johnson last night,” Sherry said.

“Ellie had her baby?” Heather's excited gaze shot to her father.

“A boy. They named him Philip,” Cody answered.

Heather slapped her hand against the mattress. “Hot damn! Luke never said anything, but I know he was hoping for a boy. But then, Luke's so crazy about Ellie he'd have been happy with a litter of kittens.”

“Quit it with the swearing.” Cody rubbed his forehead. “And something else—we didn't get back to the house until after two. The guest bed wasn't made up.” He looked accusingly at his daughter.

“Oops.” Heather pressed her fingers against her lips. “I said I'd do that, didn't I? Sorry.”

Sherry gave a discreet cough. “Uh, I'd better see about getting back to town.” With Doc gone she was responsible for any medical emergency that might arise. Not that she intended to be manipulated into staying. She still planned to take the time owed to her, with or without the sheriff's approval.

“You want me to see if Slim can drive her?” Heather asked her father.

“I'll do it,” Cody said casually, turning away from them. “But first we'll have breakfast.”

“Breakfast,” Heather repeated meaningfully. She wiggled her eyebrows before slithering off the bed. “He's going to drive you back to town himself,” she added, grinning at Sherry. Her smile widened and the sparkle in her eyes grew brighter. “Yup,” she said. “My dad likes
you. This could be interesting. It's about time he started listening to me.”

“I… We only met yesterday,” Sherry explained.

“So?”

“I mean, well, isn't it a little soon to be making those kinds of judgments?”

“Nope.” Heather plopped herself down on the edge of the bed again. “How do you feel about him? He's kinda handsome, don't you think?”

“Ah…”

“You'll have to be patient with him, though. Dad tends to be a little dumb when it comes to women. He's got a lot to learn, but between the two of us, we should be able to teach him, don't you think?”

Sherry had gotten the impression from talking to Cody that Heather was a timid child struggling with her identity. Ha! This girl didn't have a timid bone in her body.

“I love romance,” Heather said on a long drawn-out sigh. She looked behind her to be sure no one was listening, then lowered her voice. “I've been waiting for years for Dad to come to his senses about getting married again. My mom died when I was only two, so I hardly even remember her, and—”

“Heather, your father and I've only just met,” Sherry reminded her. “I'm afraid you're leaping to conclusions that could be embarrassing to both your father and me.”

The girl's face fell. “You think so? It's just that I'm so anxious for Dad to find a wife. If he doesn't hurry up, I'll be, like, twenty before there're any more babies. In case you haven't guessed, I really like babies. Besides, it's not much fun being an only child.” She hesitated and seemed
to change her mind. “Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't. You know what I mean?”

Sherry would have answered, given the chance, but Heather immediately began speaking again.

“You like him, don't you?”

Sherry pushed the hair away from her face with both hands. She didn't need to look in a mirror to know her cheeks were aflame. “Your father's a very nice man, but as I said before—”

“Heather!” Cody boomed again.

“He wants me to leave you alone,” Heather translated with a grimace. “But we'll have a chance to talk later, okay?”

“Uh…sure.” Sherry was beginning to feel dizzy, as if she'd been caught up in a whirlwind and didn't know when she'd land—or where.

It was impossible not to like Cody's daughter. She was vibrant and refreshing and fun. And not the least bit timid.

“Great. I'll talk to you soon, then.”

“Right.”

Fifteen minutes later, Sherry walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Cody and Heather were sitting at the table and a middle-aged woman with thick gray braids looped on top of her head smiled a warm welcome.

“Hello,” Sherry said to the small gathering.

“Sherry, this is Janey,” Cody said. “She does the cooking and housekeeping around here.”

“Hi, Janey.” Sherry nodded and noticed the eager look exchanged between Heather and the cook. Heather, it seemed, hadn't stopped smiling from the moment she'd discovered Sherry sleeping in her father's bed. The housekeeper looked equally pleased.

“Janey's been around forever,” Heather said as she stretched one arm across the table to spear a hot pancake with her fork.

Janey chuckled in a good-natured way. “I'm a bit younger than Heather believes, but not by much. Now sit down and I'll bring you some cakes hot off the griddle.”

Breakfast was delicious. Cody didn't contribute much to the conversation, not that Sherry blamed him. Anything he said would be open to speculation. A comment on the weather would no doubt send Heather into a soliloquy about summer being the perfect time of year for a wedding. The girl seemed determined to do whatever she could to arrange a marriage for her father. Sherry's presence only worsened the situation.

After they'd finished eating, Cody said he needed a few minutes to check with his men. Sherry took the opportunity to phone the Johnson ranch and see how Ellie and the baby were doing. She spoke to Luke, who said that everything was well in hand, especially since Ellie's mother had arrived that morning. Once again, he thanked Sherry for her help.

“You ready?” Cody asked when she hung up the phone.

“All set. Just let me say goodbye to Janey.”

When Sherry walked into the yard a few minutes later, Cody was waiting for her. Heather had come with her, and the girl paused when she saw her father standing outside the pickup. “You aren't driving her back in that old thing, are you? Dad, that truck's disgusting.”

“Yes, I am,” Cody said in a voice that defied argument. It didn't stop Heather, however.

“But Sherry's
special.
Don't you want to take her in the Caddie?”

“It's fine, Heather,” Sherry insisted, opening the door of the truck herself. Unfortunately she was six inches too short to boost herself into the cab. Cody's aid seemed to come grudgingly. Maybe he regretted not accepting Heather's advice about which car to drive, she thought.

Sherry waved to the girl as they pulled out of the yard. Heather, with a good deal of drama, crossed her hands over her heart and collapsed, as if struck by how very sweet romance could be. With some effort, Sherry controlled her amusement.

Cody's ranch was huge. They'd been driving silently for what seemed like miles and were still on his spread. She asked him a couple of questions about the Lucky Horseshoe, to which he responded with little more than a grunt. He was obviously a grouch when he didn't get a good night's sleep.

About ten minutes outside of town he cleared his throat as if he had something important to announce. “I hope you didn't take anything Heather said seriously.”

“You mean about you making an honest woman out of me?”

He snorted. “Yes.”

“No, of course I didn't.”

“Good.”

He sounded so relieved it was all she could do not to laugh.

“The kiss, too,” he added, his forehead wrinkled in a frown.

“Kisses,” she said, reminding him there'd been more than one.

Despite her restless sleep, Sherry hadn't given the matter much thought. She did so now, concluding that
they'd both been exhausted and high on the emotional aftermath of the birth and the roles they'd each played in the small drama. In those circumstances, being attracted to each other was completely understandable. The kisses had been a celebration of the new life they'd helped usher into the world. There hadn't been anything sexual about them…had there?

“Let's call them a breach of good judgment,” Cody suggested.

“All right.” That wasn't how Sherry would've defined them, but Cody seemed comfortable with the explanation—and pleased with her understanding.

They remained silent for the rest of the trip, and Sherry considered the situation. She found she agreed with him; their evening together had been like a moment out of time. Nevertheless, disappointment spread through her—almost as though she'd been standing on the brink of a great discovery and had suddenly learned it was all a hoax.

Her entire romantic career had followed a similar sorry pattern. Just when she thought perhaps she'd connected with her life's partner in Colby Winston, she'd realized she felt no great emotion for him. Certainly nothing like what Ellie had described.

Sherry knew precious little of love. Four years earlier, she'd watched the three Bloomfield sisters back home in Orchard Valley find love, all within the space of one short summer. Love had seemed explosive and chaotic. Valerie and Colby had both been caught unawares, fighting their attraction and each other. Sherry had stood by and watched the man she'd once seriously dated fall head over heels in love. She knew that this was what she wanted for herself.

Then Valerie's sister Steffie had returned from Italy. She and Charles were brought back together after a three-year separation and they, too, had seemed unprepared for the strength of their feelings. They were married only a few weeks after Valerie and Colby.

But the Bloomfield sister who'd surprised Sherry the most was Norah. They'd been schoolmates, sharing the same interests and often the same friends. Sherry couldn't help smiling whenever she thought of Norah and Rowdy. The lanky Texan millionaire hadn't known what hit him when he fell for Norah, and the funny thing was Norah hadn't, either. All of Orchard Valley had seemed to hold its collective breath awaiting the outcome of their romance. But Norah and Rowdy made the ideal couple, in Sherry's opinion. Nothing, outside of love, would have convinced Norah to leave Orchard Valley.

In the years since Norah had left Oregon, Sherry had been busy studying and working toward her degree, too absorbed in her goal to find time for relationships. But now she was ready. She wanted the love her friends had found, the excitement, the thrill of meeting that special someone. She wanted a man who felt about her the way Luke felt about Ellie. A man who'd look at her like Colby Winston looked at Valerie Bloomfield.

Cody brought the truck to a stop behind Sherry's car. Sherry unbuckled the seat belt and reached for her purse and medical bag.

“I really appreciate the ride,” she said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

“You're welcome.” He briefly took her hand, then leaped from the cab and came around to help her down. When his hands circled her waist, his eyes held hers. For
the longest moment she didn't move,
couldn't
move, as if his touch had caused some strange paralysis. But when he shifted his gaze away, she placed her hands on his shoulders and allowed him to set her on the ground. As she met his eyes again, she saw surprise and a twinge of regret.

Cody eased away from her, and Sherry sensed that an invisible barrier had been erected between them. Irritation seemed to flicker through him. “I'm not going to apologize for kissing you last night,” he said abruptly.

“But you regret it?”

“Yes, more now than before.”

The harsh edge in his voice shocked her. “Why?” Her voice fell to a whisper.

“Because it's going to be difficult not to do it again.” With that, he stalked back to the driver's side of the pickup, climbed in and roared off.

Sherry got into her car and drove the short distance to the clinic, parking in the small lot behind the building. When she walked in the front door, Mrs. Colson broke into a delighted smile. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks. Ellie had a beautiful baby boy.”

“So I heard. Word spreads fast around here. Ellie claims she'll never have another baby without you there. She thinks you're the best thing that's happened to Pepper since we voted in sewers last November.”

Sherry laughed. “I don't suppose you've heard from Doc Lindsey?”

“Yes. He called this morning to see if everything was working out.”

Sherry was relieved. At least the physician had some sense of responsibility. “I want to talk to him when he phones in again.”

“No problem. He wants to talk to you, too. Apparently there's been a misunderstanding—you weren't scheduled to begin work for another two weeks.”

“That's what I've been trying to tell everyone,” Sherry said emphatically. “I made the mistake of driving through town, and everyone figured that because I was here I was starting right away.”

Mrs. Colson fiddled with a folder from the file drawer, pulling out a sheet of paper and glancing through its contents. “Doc's right. It's in the contract, plain as day. So, why
are
you here so early?”