“You’re doing just great,” Sherry murmured, wiping Ellie’s face with a wet rag.

“How much longer will it take?”

“A while,” Sherry said gently. “Maybe several hours.”

Ellie’s shoulders sagged. “I was afraid of that.”

Twenty minutes later, Cody appeared after knocking lightly on the bedroom door. “How’s everything going up here?”

“Fine,” Sherry told him. “Ellie’s an excellent patient.”

“I wish I could say the same for Luke. Is there anything I can get you?”

“Pillows and a C.D. player.” At his frown, she explained, “Soothing music will help Ellie relax during the contractions. I have C.D.s with me.”

Cody nodded and smiled at Ellie. “Don’t worry about Christina Lynn. She’s in her crib and sound asleep. I phoned the ranch, and our housekeeper’s staying with Heather, so everything’s taken care of at my end.”

“Whatever you do, make sure Luke stays out of here,” Ellie said. “You’d think I was the only woman who ever had labor pains. He was a wreck when Christina Lynn was born. Doc Lindsey had to spend more time with him than with me.”

“I’ll keep him in line,” Cody said, ducking out of the room.

Sherry remembered more than one birth where the father required full-time attention. It always touched her to see that men could be so greatly affected by the birth of their children.

A couple of minutes later, Cody brought a small C.D. player and two plump pillows. Sherry arranged the pillows behind Ellie, then put in a C.D. of soft piano music.

“That’s nice,” Ellie said, panting.

Sherry held her hand through a powerful contraction.

“Talk to me,” Ellie requested before the next one gripped her body.

Sherry described her introduction to the good people of Pepper. She told her about meeting Mayor Bowie and Doc Lindsey and Billy Bob. Ellie laughed, then as the pain came again, she rolled onto her side and Sherry massaged the tightness from the small of her back, all the while giving encouragement.

“I’m a transplant myself.” Ellie spoke when she could. “I was a college senior when I came here to visit my grandparents. They’ve lived in Pepper for as long as I can remember. I only intended to stay a few days, but then I met Luke. I swear he was the most pigheaded, most ill-behaved man I’d ever known. I told myself I didn’t want anything to do with him. To be truthful, I had kind of a crush on Cody Bailman back then.”

“Obviously your opinion of Luke changed.”

“My sweet Luke. You’ve never seen anyone tougher on the outside and so gentle on the inside. I’ll never forget the afternoon he proposed. I’d decided to drive home to Dallas—good grief, I’d spent two weeks longer than I’d originally intended. Luke didn’t want me to leave, but I really didn’t have any choice. I had a job waiting for me and was signed up for classes in the fall. Grandma sent me off with enough food to last a month.”