“It was very sweet, Cody, and I do appreciate it.”

“Sure you do. Women get a real kick out of seeing a grown man make a jackass out of himself in front of the whole town.”

“That’s not fair!”

“You know what?” Cody barked, waving his arms, “I was liked and respected in this town before you came along making unreasonable demands. All I want is a wife.”

“You’re being unreasonable.”

Cody shook his head. “The way I see it, you’re waiting for some prince to come along and sweep you away on his big white horse. Well, sweetheart, it isn’t going to be me.”

For a moment, Sherry was too shocked to respond. “I didn’t ask you to serenade me. Or to sweep me away on your horse.”

“Oh, no,” he said, walking toward the gate. “That would’ve been too easy. On top of everything else, I’m supposed to be psychic or something. You won’t tell me what you want. It’s up to me to read your mind.”

“That’s not fair,” she repeated.

“You said it, not me.”

“Cody—” She stopped herself, not wanting to argue with him. “You’re right. I’m out of line expecting a man who wants to marry me to love me too.”

Cody apparently didn’t hear her, or if he did, he chose to ignore her and her sarcasm. “Luke. That’s where I made my mistake,” he said. “I assumed my best friend would know all the answers, because for all his bumbling ways, he managed to marry Ellie.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Sherry said, marching up the steps. “You could learn a lesson or two from your friend. At least he was in love with the woman he wanted to marry and wasn’t just looking for someone to warm his bed and keep his daughter happy.”

Cody whirled around and shook his finger at her. “You know what I think?”

“I don’t know and I don’t really care.”

“I’m going to tell you, anyway, so listen.”

She crossed her arms and heaved an exasperated sigh.

“Cancel the whole thing!” Cody shouted. “Forget I asked you to marry me!”

“Cody!” someone hollered in the distance. Sherry looked up in time to see a head protruding from the upstairs window of the house across the street. “Either you shut up or I’m calling the sheriff again.”

“Don’t worry,” Cody hollered back. “I’m leaving.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Is it true?” Heather asked the following morning as Sherry walked out of church. “Did you nearly get my dad arrested?”

Sherry closed her eyes wearily. “Did Cody tell you that?”

“No.” Heather’s eyes were huge and round. “I heard Mrs. Morgan telling Mrs. James about it. They said Dad was standing under your bedroom window singing and playing the guitar. I didn’t even know Dad could play the guitar.”

“He can’t. I think you should ask your father about what happened last night,” Sherry told her, unwilling to comment further. She couldn’t. Cody would find some way of blaming her, regardless of what she said.