From the fiery blush in her cheeks, he had the feeling, though, that he’d been wrong about that. He got the distinct impression that Melissa’s dreams had been just as erotic as his own lately. He vowed that one day soon they’d compare notes...and make them come true.

13

The rapport between them lasted all the way back to White Pines. In fact, Cody had high hopes that he was finally beginning to make progress with Melissa. He was convinced that his presence during the previous night’s medical crisis had started the difficult process of convincing her that he wasn’t going to bolt out of their lives at the first sign of trouble.

It had been such a small thing, being by her side during those tense moments, but he’d heard the gratitude in her voice this morning, seen the first faint flicker of renewed faith in her eyes. He couldn’t allow anything to shake that trust again, not until he’d had time to strengthen it.

As they drove up the long, winding lane at White Pines he was startled to see his father emerge from the house. It appeared Harlan had been watching for them and, from the too cheerful expression on his face and the contradictory worry in his eyes, Cody could only guess that there was bad news.

He stepped out of the car and faced his father warily. “Hey, Daddy, everything okay?”

“Fine, just fine,” Harlan said too heartily. He darted a worried look at Melissa, then added, “You’ll never guess who’s here to see you, son.”

Cody shot a desperate glance toward Melissa and saw that she was hanging on his father’s every word. He couldn’t imagine who might have turned up at White Pines uninvited, but experience with his father’s demeanor suggested he was right to be concerned. He regretted more than he could say having Melissa here at this precise moment. He should have walked home, even if it was twenty miles. He would have if he’d had any idea that trouble was going to be waiting on the doorstep.

He drew in a deep breath and braced himself. “Who?” he asked just as the front door creaked open and a slight figure with cropped black hair and a pixie face emerged. Shock rendered him speechless.

“Janey? What the hell?” He looked to his father, but Harlan merely shrugged. Cody turned back to the teenager who’d apparently tracked him down and come after him all the way from Wyoming. “What are you doing here?”