His first stop was her house, where he managed to sneak in without being caught by the sheriff or a neighbor. He rummaged through her drawers and closets to find lingerie and the prettiest, sexiest maternity clothes she owned. He packed them, along with perfume and cosmetics, praying that he got the right ones. He didn’t want her dissolving into tears because she couldn’t find her blush or her mascara. Her hormones had her reacting in the most bizarre ways these days. He figured he ought to get a whole lot of points for just managing to stick by her anyway.

He’d considered taking her off to someplace fancy, maybe the most expensive suite in Dallas, but then he’d decided that would put her too close to taxis or planes or other means of escape. He wanted her all to himself.

He fought all of his old past resentments—most of them, as it had turned out, unwarranted—and tracked Brian down in San Antonio, where he was practicing law. He pointed out that his former best friend owed him one for the scam he and Melissa had tried to pull on Cody years before.

“I’m just grateful that you didn’t come after me with a shotgun,” Brian said. “Anything you want is yours.”

“Does your family still have that cabin by the lake?”

“You bet.”

“Can Melissa and I borrow it for the weekend?”

“It’s all yours,” Brian said at once.

He told Cody where to find the key, offered some unsolicited advice on taming the reluctant Melissa, then added seriously, “I’m glad you called, buddy. I’ve missed you.”

“Same here,” Cody said. “Next time you’re down this way, we’ll have to get together. You do have your own woman now, don’t you?”

Brian chuckled. “Do I ever. Good luck. You and Melissa should have worked this out long ago. I’d have told you the truth myself, but Melissa swore me to secrecy.”

“Secrets are her specialty, it appears,” Cody said. “Anyway, thanks again for the cabin.”

Those arrangements made, Cody loaded groceries, flowers and nonalcoholic champagne into the back of the truck, then swung by Dolan’s. He marched straight to the soda fountain, ignoring the startled gazes of the teens gathered there.

“Cody? Is everything okay?” Melissa asked as he rounded the corner of the counter and headed toward her.

“Just dandy,” he confirmed, tucking one arm under her legs and the other behind her waist. He scooped her up, amid a flurry of outraged protests from her and that same pimply faced kid who’d defended her honor once before.

“It’s okay, son,” Cody assured him. “She wants to go with me.”

“I do not!” Melissa protested.

“Eli, call the cops or something,” the boy shouted, his face turning red as he bolted after Cody.