“I don’t need you to tell me that. I’ve been ridiculous ever since I saw you holding Ellie’s baby in your arms. I’ve been behaving like a lovesick idiot from the first time I kissed you. I can understand what caused a normally sane, sensible man like Luke Johnson to chase after a sports car on his horse because he couldn’t stand to let the woman he loved leave town. And dammit, I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

What had first sounded rather romantic was fast losing its appeal. “I don’t like what I feel for you, either, Cody Bailman. I had a perfectly good life until you barged in.”

“So did I!”

“I think we should stop while we’re ahead,” she murmured, pulling away from him. “Before we say something we’ll regret.” She dropped her arms to her sides and stared up at him.

“Great,” he said. “Let’s just do that.”

With so many couples whirling about, Sherry found it difficult to make her way off the dance floor, but she managed. To her consternation, Cody followed close behind.

Catching sight of Ellie beneath the shade of an oak tree, Sherry hurried in that direction, determined to ignore Cody. She was halfway across the park when she heard him call after her.

“Sherry! Wait up!”

She didn’t bother to turn around to see what had detained him. When she reached Ellie, the woman smiled up at her brightly.

“I see you’ve just tangled with the most stubborn man this side of Luke Johnson.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“Cody infuriates me,” Sherry announced, sinking down next to Ellie Johnson on the blanket under the tree. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed in frustration.

“Men have infuriated women since the dawn of time. They’re totally irrational beings,” Ellie said calmly while patting her infant son’s back. Philip was sleeping contentedly against her shoulder.

“Irrational isn’t the word for it. They’re insane.”

“That, too,” Ellie agreed readily.

“No one but Cody could use a compliment to insult someone!”

“Luke did when we first started dating,” Ellie told her. “He’d say things like ‘You’re not bad-looking for a skinny girl.’”

Despite her annoyance with Cody, Sherry laughed.

Cody had been waylaid by Luke, Sherry noticed. Luke carried Christina Lynn on his shoulders, and the toddler’s arms were reaching toward the sky in an apparent effort to touch the fluffy clouds. Sherry hoped Ellie’s husband was giving Cody a few pointers about relationships.

Forcing her thoughts away from the men, Sherry sighed again and watched Ellie with her baby son. Philip had awoken and she turned him in her arms, draped a receiving blanket over her shoulder, then bared her breast.

“He’s thriving,” Ellie said happily. “I can’t thank you enough for being with me the night he was born. Having you there made all the difference in the world.”

“It wasn’t me doing all the work,” Sherry reminded her.

“Then let’s just say we make an excellent team.” Ellie stroked her son’s face with her index finger as he nursed greedily. “I’m really glad you’re going to live in Pepper. I feel like you’re a friend already.”