“I didn’t run off with a married man!” she said hotly. “For you to even suggest it is ridiculous.”

“I spent the entire night sleeping in my pickup, waiting for you to get back, so if I happen to be a bit short-tempered, you can figure out why.”

“Then maybe you should just go home and think this through before you start throwing accusations at me.”

“Maybe I should,” he growled.

Sherry was mortified to find out that they had an audience. Mrs. Colson was standing on the porch, enthralled with their conversation. The woman across the street, who’d been watering her roses, had long since lost interest in them and was inadvertently hosing down the sidewalk. Another couple rocking on their porch seemed to be enjoying the show, as well.

“I’m serious, Sherry. This is the last time I’m going to ask.” Cody jerked open the truck door and leaped inside. “Are you going to marry me or not? Because I’ve had it.”

“That proposal’s about as romantic as the first one.”

“Well, you know what I think of romance.” He started the engine and ground the gears.

He’d just pulled away from the curb when she slammed her foot down on the pavement. “Yes, you idiot!” she screamed after him. “I’ll marry you!”

CHAPTER TEN

“I don’t think he heard you, dear,” the lady watering the roses called out to her.

“I don’t think he did, either,” the older man on the porch agreed, standing up and walking to his gate to get a better look at Sherry.

“I can’t believe he drove away,” Mrs. Colson said. “That man’s beside himself for want of you. Cody may be stubborn, but he isn’t stupid. Mark my words, he’ll come to his senses soon.”

Sherry wasn’t sure she wanted him to. He was too infuriating. Imagine—suggesting she was seeing a married man behind his back!

“Do you want me to phone Cody for you, dear, and explain?” Mrs. Colson suggested as Sherry marched up the steps and in the front door.

Sherry turned and glared angrily at the receptionist.

“It was only a suggestion,” Mrs. Colson muttered.

“I can do my own talking.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Colson said pleasantly, clearly not offended by the reprimand. “I’m positive everything will work out between you and Cody. Don’t give a moment’s heed to what he said earlier. Everyone knows how stubborn he can be.”

“I’m not the least bit positive about anything having to do with that man,” Sherry returned. Cody had been telling her for weeks that this was her last opportunity to marry him, that he wasn’t going to ask her again.

A half hour later, when Sherry came out of her office reading a file Doc Lindsey had left for her to review, she heard Mrs. Colson speaking quietly into the phone.

“I swear you’ve never seen anyone so angry in all your life as Cody Bailman was this morning,” she said. “He just peeled out of here, and all because he’s so crazy about—”