As soon as she realized what she was doing, allowing herself to be drawn into the magic of the moment, she pulled away and concentrated on the music. Cody didn’t attempt anything beyond a mere shuffling of his feet, which suited Sherry just fine.

She quickly saw her mistake. With her head back, their eyes inevitably met, and neither seemed inclined to look away. They continued to stare at each other, attempting to gauge everything that remained unspoken between them. The longer they gazed at each other the more awkward it became. Seconds ripened into minutes….

Sherry was the first to look away. Cody’s hand eased her head toward his, and she sighed as her temple again unerringly came to rest against his jaw. Her eyes had just drifted shut when, out of the blue, she remembered where she’d met Jack Burnside.

“College,” she said abruptly, freeing herself from Cody’s embrace. She glanced about the restaurant until she spotted Jack. “I do know him,” she said. “We met in Seattle years ago.” Taking Cody by the hand, she led him off the dance floor to a table at the far side of the restaurant, where Jack was eating alone. He stood at their approach.

“Jack,” she said, slightly breathless, “you’re right, we do know each other. I’m Sherry Waterman. Your sister and I were roommates in our junior year at college. You were in Seattle on business and took us both to dinner. That must’ve been about twelve years ago.”

Jack’s face broke into a wide grin. “Of course. You’re Angela’s friend. I was sure we’d met.”

“Me, too, but I couldn’t remember where.”

“So, how are you?”

“Fine,” Sherry replied. “I’m living in Texas now.”

“As a matter of fact, so am I. Small world, isn’t it?” He looked fleetingly at Cody.

“Very small,” Sherry agreed.

Jack seemed especially pleased to have made the connection. “I never forget a face, especially one as pretty as yours.”

Sherry blushed at the compliment. “This is Cody Bailman.”

The two men exchanged brisk handshakes. “Please join me,” Jack invited, gesturing toward the empty chairs at his table.

“Thanks, but no,” Cody said. “My daughter’s with us and she’s rather shy. She’d be uncomfortable around a stranger, I’m afraid.” Cody refused to meet Sherry’s baffled glance. Heather shy?

The three of them spoke for a few more minutes, and then Sherry and Cody returned to their table and an impatient Heather.

Sherry knew that the reason she’d dragged Cody off the dance floor was more than the opportunity to prove she was right about Jack. It was a way of breaking the romantic spell they’d found themselves under. Cody had made her feel vulnerable, and she’d seized the opportunity to show him she wasn’t.

“Who were you talking to?” Heather asked, craning her neck. “I didn’t think you two were ever going to come back.”

“The man who approached me earlier,” Sherry said. “I remembered who he was, so we went over to speak to him. His sister and I are friends, although Jack and I only met once.”