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.