Despondency stole through her as she considered the possibility that they would never be able to move on.

“Melissa?” Cody said softly.

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I don’t believe that. You looked as if you were about ready to cry.”

She tried to shrug off the observation. “Don’t mind me. It’s probably just Monday blues.”

“I know how to cure that,” he said. “Come out to White Pines tonight. We’ll have a barbecue. It’s warm enough today.”

Melissa didn’t think spending more time with Cody was such a good idea, not when parting suddenly seemed inevitable. Maybe Janey Treethorn’s presence had been innocent enough, but sooner or later some other woman would catch his eye. They always did.

“The temperature’s supposed to drop later,” she said by way of declining his invitation. “It might even snow overnight.”

Cody’s expression remained undaunted. “Then I’ll wear a jacket to tend the grill and we can eat inside.”

“You never give up, do you?”

“Never,” he agreed softly, his gaze locked with hers. “Not when it’s something this important.”

“What is it that’s important, Cody?” she asked, unable to keep a hint of desperation out of her voice. “What?”

“You, me, Sharon Lynn,” he said. “I want us to be a family, Melissa. I won’t settle for anything less this time.”

She heard the determination in his voice. More important, she heard the commitment. He sounded so sincere, so convinced that a family was what he wanted.

“Will you come?” he asked again. “You and Sharon Lynn?”

Melissa sighed. She’d never been able to resist Cody when he got that winsome note in his voice, when that thoroughly engaging smile reached all the way to his dark and dangerous eyes.

“What time?”

“Five-thirty?”

“We’ll be there.”

“My house,” he said. “Not the main house.”

Thoughts of making love in that house flooded through her. Melissa shook her head. “No,” she insisted. “Let’s have dinner with Harlan, too.”

“Scared, Me...liss...a?”

“You bet, cowboy. You should be, too.” She lowered her voice. “The last time we were alone in that house, we made love and we didn’t take precautions. I’m not risking that again.”

Cody grinned. “Hey, darlin’, that’s something I can take care of right here and now,” he offered. “I’m sure Eli can fix me right up.”

Melissa’s cheeks flamed at the prospect of having Eli and Mabel know any more of her business than they already did. “Cody, don’t you dare. Besides, we decided that sleeping together only complicated things.”

“Did we decide that?”

“You know we did. We have dinner at Harlan’s or you can forget it.”

“Okay, darlin’, I’ll let you win this round,” he said, startling her with his lack of fussing. “See you at five-thirty.”