Page 97 of Wyoming Homecoming


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“Okay! I’ll go take my bath right now!” Lucy promised.

“I’ll run the water,” Hannah said when Abby started toward the bathroom.

“Thanks, Hannah,” Abby called after her.

“No problem,” she called back.

Abby was left alone in the room with Cody. He caught her hand in his and pulled her gently to him. He stood close to her, just looking down at her radiant face, her bright eyes. Yes, he thought solemnly, she did love him. Amazing that he hadn’t noticed that. He recalled what Lassiter had said, that if a man she loved lost everything, Abby would stay right there beside him, helping him recover.

He bent and brushed his mouth softly over hers. “You’d never sell a man out,” he whispered. “You’re too softhearted. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that.”

“You were busy with your friend in law enforcement,” she murmured sadly.

His lips nibbled at hers, causing delicious shock waves up and down her body. “She’s not my friend,” he whispered. “I arrested her and she’s awaiting extradition to Denver in one of my jail cells.”

“Wh-what?” she exclaimed, her eyes widening.

“She poisoned Horace Whatley, but you don’t know that,” he said firmly.

“Oh, my goodness! But she’s in law enforcement...!”

“She’s not,” he interrupted. “She’s involved with Bobby Grant, the man who wants Horace dead so he can bulldoze Nita Whatley into marrying him. After which, she’d have a convenient fatal accident.”

“Good heavens!”

His big hands caught her waist and pulled her to him, riveting her to the length of his powerful body. “You smell nice,” he whispered as his mouth settled on hers once again, suddenly insistent and devouring.

She moaned huskily as the fever burned high and bright. Her arms went under his and around him and she held on tight.

They didn’t hear the first two coughs, so Hannah closed the hall door. Hard.

They jumped apart, breathless, looking like two deer in the headlights at night.

Hannah bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Lucy’s had her bath and she’s in bed, waiting for both of you,” she added.

“Had her bath.” Abby was completely out of it. “But she just went into the bathroom.”

“Fifteen minutes ago,” Hannah drawled, giving them a speaking look. She grinned.

Cody cleared his throat. He was having some discomfort, but multiplication tables saved him before it became visible.

“We should go tuck her in,” Abby said.

“We should.” Cody linked her fingers into his and smiled down at her.

“Okay,” she replied, breathlessly happy.

He grinned. She was pretty when she laughed. She made him feel young, full of hope, she gave him a new lease on life. He’d become very fond of her since she’d returned to Catelow.

They went into Lucy’s room and stood beside the bed while she said her prayers. Abby tucked her in and kissed her. So did Cody.

Abby clicked her fingers and Snow jumped onto the foot of the bed. She smiled at Lucy with her whole heart, and her face was radiant with love.

Cody felt the ground shake under his feet as he watched her. She was the kindest woman he’d ever known. She reminded him of his mother; not that he had that sort of feelings for her. She turned and looked at him and his heart jumped up into his throat. He stared at her as if he’d been hit in the stomach with a bat. Why hadn’t he realized it before? He...loved her. He really, truly loved her. And he hadn’t known it. Not until now, when he saw her so loving with Lucy and thought suddenly of another child, his child, being tucked in at night. His breath caught audibly and there was a faint flush, high on his cheekbones. He looked stunned.

Abby looked up at him worriedly. “Are you all right?” she asked softly.

All right? He was submerged in wonder. Drowning in fantasy. He smiled slowly. “I’m all right. I’ve never been better in my life.”

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