The Cowboy and His Baby by Sherryl Woods Page B

had some other kind of devious scheme up his sleeve.
    Harlan speared a chunk of cantaloupe, eyed it disparagingly, then ate it. “So,” he began, his tone one of such studied indifference that Cody immediately went on alert. “Is that why you took off? Did Melissa tell you she was pregnant?”
    Cody was horrified his father could think so little of him. Was that it? Had Harlan thought he’d alreadymade his decision about marrying Melissa and being a father to his child?
    â€œNo, absolutely not,” he declared indignantly. “Do you honestly think I have so little backbone that I’d run from a responsibility like that?”
    His father shot a bland look in his direction. “I wouldn’t like to think it, but the evidence was staring me in the face.”
    â€œWhat evidence?”
    â€œYou were gone. Your girl was pregnant. She quit college. She had to take that piddly job at Dolan’s to make ends meet, which suggested that no one was paying a dime to support her or the baby. Didn’t take a genius to add it all together and figure out that one.”
    â€œWell, your calculator malfunctioned this time,” Cody snapped. “She never said a word, never even tried to track me down. The first I knew about that baby was when Velma Horton brought her into Dolan’s when I was there the other day. Even then, I thought someone else had to be the father. It never crossed my mind that Melissa would hide something that important from me.”
    â€œI see.” Harlan scooped up a strawberry, eyed it with disgust, then put it back. “Now that you know, what do you intend to do about it?”
    â€œI proposed to her last night.”
    Harlan’s eyes lit up. His expression was suddenly more animated than it had been in days. “Well, hell, son, why didn’t you say so? Congratulations! When’s the wedding?”
    â€œNo wedding,” Cody admitted dully. “She said no.”
    Harlan’s openmouthed expression of astonishment reflected Cody’s feelings precisely.
    â€œShe flat-out turned you down?” his father said incredulously.
    â€œWithout so much as a hesitation,” he said. “It was downright insulting.”
    Harlan chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
    â€œYou don’t have to sound so amused,” Cody grumbled.
    â€œSure, I do, boy. Seems tame little Melissa has grown up into a spirited young woman. The next few months or so ought to be downright interesting.”
    Cody glared at him. “Months? Forget it. I’m giving her a day, maybe two, to get over this contrariness. Then I’m hauling her to a justice of the peace.”
    His father started to laugh, then smothered the sound with a napkin. “Sorry,” he mumbled, then gave up the fight and chuckled. “Son, you’re going to be able to sell tickets to that one.”
    Cody’s frayed temper snapped. He stood and tossed his own napkin back on the table. “Well, get out your checkbook, Daddy. The best seats in the house are going to cost you. Melissa and I might as well start off our married life with a nice little nest egg.”

    * * *

    Melissa wiped down the counter at Dolan’s after the last of the lunch crowd had left and eyed Cody warily. He’d been skulking up and down the aisles of the drugstore since noon, but he hadn’t come near the soda fountain. He seemed unaware that Eli and Mabel were watching him with overt fascination. Thankfully, he was also unaware of what his presence was doing to her pulse rate. Who knew what he would do to capitalize on that little hint of a fissure in her resolve.
    â€œMabel, why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off,” Eli suggested, playing straight into Cody’s hands.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you, old man?” Mabel grumbled. “You planning on shutting down business?”
    Eli gave her a pointed nod in Melissa’s direction.