“Not on your life,” Eli said, and kept right on filling prescriptions. Mabel held the door open, grinning widely.

Melissa huffed and puffed a little longer, but by the time Cody had driven to the outskirts of town, she’d retreated into a sullen silence.

“Was that caveman approach entirely necessary?” she inquired eventually.

“I thought so.”

“I would have come with you, if you’d asked politely.”

He shot a skeptical look in her direction.

“At least, I would have thought about it,” she amended.

“That’s why I didn’t ask. You’ve been thinking entirely too much.”

“Are we going to White Pines?”

“Nope.”

“Luke and Jessie’s?” she asked hopefully, the first little sign of alarm sparking in her eyes.

“Nope.”

“Cody, where the hell are you taking me?”

“Someplace where we can be alone.”

“Where?” she repeated.

“Brian’s cabin.”

Her eyes widened. “You talked to Brian?”

“I figured drastic measures were called for, and he promised the best and quickest solution.” He glanced over at her. “I was willing to do anything it took to make this happen, sweet pea.”

“Oh,” she said softly, and settled back to mull that over.

It wasn’t more than half an hour later when he noticed she seemed to be getting a little restless.

“You okay?” he asked.

She turned toward him, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she shook her head. Instantly, Cody’s muscles tensed.

“Melissa, what’s wrong?” he demanded. “Tell me.”

“It’s not a problem,” she said. “Not yet, anyway. It’s just that...” Her eyes widened and turned the color of a turbulent sea. She swallowed visibly. “Don’t panic.”

Cody panicked. “Melissa!”

“It’s okay, really it is. It’s just that it’s entirely possible that I’m in labor.” She sucked in a ragged breath, then announced, “Cody, I think we’re about to have a baby.”

16

Cody found his father already pacing the waiting room when he got Melissa to the hospital. He’d called him on his cellular phone, right after he’d spoken to the doctor. He’d asked Harlan to alert the rest of the family.

“Even Jordan?” his father had asked cautiously, aware of the friction between them.

Cody decided then and there it was time to get over the rift between him and his brother. This was a time for healing.

“Even Jordan,” he’d confirmed.

He turned now to his father. “Did you reach everyone?”

“They’ll be here in a bit. How is she?” Harlan de-manded at once as the nurse wheeled Melissa away to prep her for delivery. “Is everything okay?”

Cody wiped a stream of sweat from his brow. “She says it is, but I don’t know. You had four sons. Is labor supposed to be so painful?”