“Yes, indeed,” he swore. “In my shirts and in my women. And you, sweet pea, are full of it.”

Melissa had a feeling it would take her weeks to puzzle out whether he meant that as a compliment. For the first time, though, she had this funny little feeling she was going to have the time of her life figuring it out.

8

Somewhere in the middle of the grocery store, Melissa lost track of Cody. She was aware of the precise instant when she no longer felt the heat of his stare or the sizzling tension of his nearness. She almost sagged with relief, even as she fought off a vague stirring of disappointment. Clearly his attention span was no better now than it had ever been.

Worse, he was getting to her. Despite her best intentions, she was responding to his teasing, to the allure of his body. She could not let that happen. Steering totally clear of him, however, seemed to be the only way she was likely to be able to avoid succumbing to that seductive appeal. Now seemed like a good time to make a break for it.

All she had to do was get through the checkout line and race home before he caught up with her. She could barricade the door. Or maybe just hide out in a bedroom until he was convinced she wasn’t home.

She tossed a six-pack of soft drinks she didn’t need into the cart, just in case Cody wasn’t as far away as she hoped. She had to leave the store with more than a quart of milk or he’d know that this trip had been nothing more than a ploy to avoid being alone with him.

She had rounded the last aisle and was heading for the cashier when she spotted him. He was positioned in front of the baby food, studying labels with the intensity of a scientist in his lab. Apparently, though, he wasn’t so absorbed that her presence escaped his notice.

“Which of these does Sharon Lynn like?” he asked, holding up competing brands of strained peas.

“Neither one.”

His brow knit worriedly. “Doesn’t she have to eat vegetables?”

“Yes, but she’s past the baby food. She has her first baby teeth. She can chew soft food.” She regarded him oddly. “Do you really care about this?”

“Yes,” he said succinctly, and replaced the peas. “Fill me in on everything.”

Melissa shrugged. “Okay. She can eat the junior brands. Like these,” she said, plucking a couple of jars off the shelf. “There are some foods that don’t have to be specially prepared. She can eat the regular stuff. Peas, for example.”

To her surprise, he seemed to be taking in every word as if she were delivering a fascinating treatise on something far more significant than baby food. In the past he’d reserved that kind of attention for very little besides ranching.