“They’re just neighbors,” Heather whispered as they approached. “Dad can talk to them anytime.”

Unwilling to interrupt him, Sherry stopped the girl’s progress.

“But this could go on for hours!” Heather protested, apparently loudly enough for her father to hear, because at that moment he turned and saw them.

His eyes moved from his daughter to Sherry, and he couldn’t seem to believe she was really there. He excused himself to his friends and began walking toward her.

“Hello, Cody.” The words seemed to stick in Sherry’s throat.

“I didn’t think you were going to come,” he said.

“I had a flat tire on the way, and it took ages to repair. I phoned, but I guess everyone at the Lucky Horseshoe had already left for the picnic.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved,” she said.

Cody pulled a wad of bills from his pocket, peeled off several and handed them to Heather. “Bring Sherry a plate of the barbecue beef.”

“But, Dad, I wanted to talk to her and—”

Cody silenced the protest with a single look.

“All right, I get it. You want to be alone with her. How long should I stay away?” The question was posed with an elaborate sigh. “An hour? Two?”

“We’ll be under the willow tree,” Cody said, ignoring her questions and pointing to an enormous weeping willow about fifty feet away.

“The willow tree,” Heather repeated, lowering her voice suggestively. “Good choice, Dad. I couldn’t have thought of a better place myself.”

Cody gave a sigh of relief as Heather trotted off. “You’ll have to forgive my daughter,” he said, shaking his head. Then he smiled. “She was as eager for you to return as I was.”

His words and smile went a long way toward reassuring Sherry. Their separation had felt like a lifetime to her. Two weeks away from a man she’d known only briefly; it didn’t make sense. And yet, she couldn’t deny how she felt.

All at once Sherry felt scared. Scared of all the feelings crowding inside her. Scared of being with Cody again, of kissing him again, of making more of this attraction than he intended or wanted. Her feelings were powerful, alien. At first she’d attributed them to being with Norah and Rowdy and seeing how happy they were.

Now here she was with Cody, sitting under the shadowy arms of a weeping willow, and her confusion returned a hundredfold. This man affected her in a thousand indescribable ways, but she was worried; she wasn’t sure her feelings were because of Cody himself. Maybe it was the exciting promise he represented. The happiness waiting for her just around the corner, just out of reach. She desperately wanted the joy her friends had found. She was tired of being alone, tired of walking into an empty apartment. She wanted a husband, a home and a family. Was that so much to ask?

Cody spread out a blanket for them to sit on. “How were your friends?”

“Very much in love.” It wasn’t what Sherry had meant to say, but the first thing that sprang to her lips. She looked away, embarrassed.