“Don’t start with me. I’ve just been subjected to Harlan’s knowing looks for the past few hours.”

“Not another word,” Kelly promised readily. “Nobody understands the perverse streak that runs in this family any better than I do.”

After Kelly had gone, Melissa slowly put her comb into her purse and headed back to their table. She saw at once that Cody had been joined by Kelly’s precocious six-year-old, Dani.

“I came to see the baby,” Dani announced when Melissa had joined them. “She’s cuter than my brother. I wanted a sister, but somebody got mixed up and gave me a brother instead.”

Melissa grinned at her. “I bet you’ll be glad of that when you’re older. I always wished I had a brother who’d look out for me.” She shot a pointed look at Cody when she said it.

Cody rolled his eyes. Clearly, he didn’t think Jordan had done such a terrific job of looking out for him when it counted.

Dani stood closer to the table and leaned her elbows on it, propping her chin in her hands as she regarded her uncle. “You know, Uncle Cody, I was thinking.”

He visibly contained a grin. “What were you thinking, you little con artist?”

“Maybe Sharon Lynn should have a kitten of her own.”

“Maybe she should.” He glanced at Melissa. “What do you think?”

“I think you two were plotting this,” Melissa charged, trying not to chuckle at the guilty expressions. “Sharon Lynn does not need a kitten. More importantly, a kitten does not need Sharon Lynn. She’d probably scare it to death.”

Dani’s brow knit as she considered the argument. “She’s probably right, Uncle Cody. Babies don’t understand about kittens. Francie thinks that my brother is a pest.”

“A valid point,” Cody agreed. “Maybe after Sharon Lynn gets to know how to behave around those kittens you talked me into taking, she can have one of her own.”

“Good idea,” Dani said. “Francie will probably have more by then.”

“Over my dead body,” Jordan said, arriving to stand behind his stepdaughter. “Hello, Melissa.” He looked straight at Cody, who avoided his gaze. “Cody.”

After a visible internal struggle, Cody nodded curtly.

Jordan stood there, looking uncharacteristically indecisive for another minute before sighing and saying, “Come on, Dani. Your dinner’s getting cold.”

When the pair of them were gone, Melissa said, “You were rude to him, Cody. He made an overture and you didn’t even say hello.”

Cody closed his eyes. When he opened them, his stubborn resolve seemed to be firmly back in place. “I had nothing to say to him.”

“Cody, I’m the one who betrayed you, not Jordan. I’m the one you thought had cheated on you. I’m the one who kept it a secret that I’d had your baby. You’re speaking to me. You’ve forgiven me.”