Orchard Valley Brides

by Debbie Macomber

  “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?”

  “I was just passing through on my way to Houston,” she explained patiently—and not for the first time. “Mayor Bowie assumed I was here to stay and so did Doc. Before I could stop him, he was out the door with his fishing pole in hand.”

  “You should’ve said something.”

  Sherry resisted the urge to scream. “I tried, but no one would listen.”

  “Well, Doc told me to tell you he’ll be back in town sometime this afternoon. He says the fish don’t bite this early in the season, anyway.”

  “I’ll need to call my friends and tell them I’m going to be late,” Sherry said. She hadn’t had a chance to phone Norah yesterday, thanks to the events of the afternoon and evening.

  “Sure, go right ahead.”

  Sherry decided to wait until she’d showered and changed clothes before she contacted Norah. It was mid-morning before she felt human again.

  “I’m in Pepper,” Sherry explained once she had Norah on the line. “It’s a long story, but I won’t be able to leave until later this afternoon, which will put me in Houston late tomorrow.”

  “That’s no problem,” Norah was quick to assure her. “I’m so glad you’re coming! I’ve missed you, Sherry.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “How do you like Texas so far?” Norah wanted to know.

  Given Sherry’s circumstances, it was an unfair question. “I haven’t been here long enough to really form an opinion. But the natives seem friendly, and with a little practice I think I’ll be able to pick up the language.”

  Norah chuckled. “Oh, Sherry, I am so looking forward to seeing you! Don’t worry, I’m going to give you a crash course on the state and the people once you arrive. You’re going to love it—just the way I do.”

  Sherry didn’t comment on that. “How’s Rowdy?” she said instead.

  “Busy as ever. That man runs circles around me. So many people want his time and attention, but that’s all right. It’s me he comes home to every night, me he sits across the dinner table from and me he loves. He’s such a good father and an even better husband.”

  “Val and Steffie send their love. Your dad, too.”

  “Talking to you makes me miss them even more. Rowdy promised we’d fly to Orchard Valley this fall, but I doubt my dad’s going to wait that long. I half expect him to drop by for a visit before the end of the summer.”

  Sherry chuckled. “Well, at least I’ll be there before he is.”

  “It wouldn’t matter,” Norah said. “You’re welcome anytime.”

  Sherry felt a lot better after talking to her friend. But Norah sounded so happy she couldn’t quite squelch a feeling of envy. Norah and Rowdy had two small children and were adopting two more. Norah had always been a natural with children. Sherry never did understand why her friend, with her affinity for kids, hadn’t chosen pediatrics.

  In an effort to help pass the time until Doc’s arrival, Sherry read several medical journals in his office. When she looked up, it was well past noon.

  Mrs. Colson stuck her head in the door, “Do you want me to order you some lunch?” she asked.

  “No, thanks.” Her impatience for Doc to get back had destroyed her appetite.

  “I’m going to order a salad for myself. The Yellow Rose is real good about running it over here. You sure I can’t talk you into anything?”

  “I’m sure.”

  Donna Jo stopped off fifteen minutes later with a chef’s salad and sat down on a chair in the reception area. Mrs. Colson was behind the counter, and Sherry was sitting on another chair with her purse and suitcase, ready to go. “The Cattlemen’s Association’s in town for lunch,” Donna Jo told the receptionist, removing her shoe and massaging her sore foot. She eyed Sherry with the same curiosity she had a day earlier. “I hear you delivered Ellie’s baby last night.”

  Word had indeed gotten around. Sherry nodded.

  “You must’ve spent the night out there with her and Luke, because Mayor Bowie came into the café this morning looking for you. You weren’t at the clinic.”

  “Actually, Cody B
ailman drove me over to his house.”

  “You stayed the night at Cody’s?” Donna Jo asked, her interest piqued. Mrs. Colson studied Sherry with undisguised interest.

  “It was after two by the time I finished. I was exhausted, and so was Cody.” She certainly didn’t want these two getting the wrong impression. “Nothing happened. I mean, nothing that was, uh…” She gave up trying to find the right words. “Cody was a perfect gentleman.”

  “Isn’t he always?” Donna Jo winked at Mrs. Colson.

  “Is there something wrong with my spending the night at Cody’s?”

  “Not in the least,” Mrs. Colson immediately said. “Cody’s a gentleman.”

  “As much of a gentleman as any Texan gets,” Donna Jo amended. “Martha, are you going to tell her, or am I?”

  “Tell me what?” Sherry said.

  Donna Jo and Mrs. Colson shared a significant look.

  “What?” Sherry demanded again.

  “I don’t think so,” Mrs. Colson said thoughtfully. “She’ll find out soon enough on her own.”

  “Yeah.” Donna Jo nodded. “You’re right.”

  “What will I find out on my own?” Sherry tried a third time, but again her question was ignored.

  “Martha here tells me you’re bent on leaving town,” the waitress said conversationally. “Stop in at the café on your way out and I’ll pack you a lunch to take along. You might not be hungry now, but you will be later.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that.”

  Doc showed up around two that afternoon, looking tired and disgruntled. “I’ve been up since before dawn,” he muttered. “It didn’t make sense that I wasn’t reeling in any fifteen-inchers until I realized it was too early in the month.”

  “I’ll be back in less than two weeks,” Sherry promised, “and next time the fish are sure to be biting.”

  “I hope so,” Doc grumbled. “You might’ve said something about arriving early, you know.”