“You can come to see Granddaddy again very soon,” Melissa promised, forcing herself not to see the equally wistful expression in Harlan’s eyes as she refused to relinquish her daughter.

Harlan leaned down and kissed them both. “You’re welcome here anytime,” he told her. “Both of you. Don’t stand on ceremony. Come whenever you have some time.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Cody offered, falling into step beside her. “Don’t wait up for me, Daddy. I might spend some time in town tonight.”

Melissa didn’t have to glance back to know that the comment had stirred a speculative glint in Harlan’s eyes.

“Why did you say that?” she demanded of Cody the instant they were out of earshot of the house.

He regarded her with his most innocent look, the one only a fool would trust. “Say what?”

“That you’d be staying in town for a while?”

“Because it’s true.”

“No, it’s not,” she said firmly. “We did not discuss anything about you coming into town.”

“Who said I’d be with you?” he inquired, leveling a gaze straight into her eyes.

“But you said... W-who?” Melissa sputtered. “Dammit, Cody, you did that deliberately.”

“Did what?”

“Let your father assume that you intended to spend the evening, maybe the whole night, with me.”

“Is that what I said?”

“It’s what you implied.”

“You sure you’re not projecting your own desires onto me?”

“No, I am not,” she practically shouted, causing Sharon Lynn to begin to whimper. Melissa kissed her cheek. “Shh, baby. It’s okay. Your daddy and I are just having a discussion.”

Cody chuckled. “Is that what it is? You sure do get riled up over a little discussion.”

“I am not riled up,” she insisted, keeping a tight rein on her frayed temper.

“Could have fooled me.”

“Oh, forget it,” she snapped as she put Melissa into her car seat and buckled her in. As she walked around the car, she heard the driver’s door open and assumed Cody was simply being polite. Instead she found that he’d climbed in behind the wheel.

“Now what?” she asked, regarding him suspiciously.

“I thought I’d hitch a ride.”

“Why would you want to do that? It’ll leave you stranded in town.”

“Oh, I’m sure I can find someone willing to bring me home,” he said, then winked. “Eventually.”

He said it in a smug way that had her grinding her teeth. “Is that a new technique you’ve learned for luring ladies out to your place?” she inquired testily. “You claim to need a ride home?”

“Let’s just say I’m trying it out tonight.”

“And what if no one responds to your plight?”

“Oh, I don’t think there’s much chance of that,” he said confidently. He shrugged. “If it does, I’m sure you’d be willing to take me in for the night.”