Married in Texas, page 17
“How...unfortunate,” was all Sherry could manage.
Her mood didn’t improve as Mrs. Colson gave her the grand tour. Despite her frame of mind, Sherry was impressed with the clinic’s modern equipment and pleased with the small apartment at one end of the building that would serve as her living quarters.
“Doc’s sure glad to get away for a few days,” Mrs. Colson said amicably, ignoring Sherry’s sour mood. “I can’t even remember the last time he had more than a day to himself. He talks about fishing a lot—gets a pile of those magazines and catalogs. In the twenty years I’ve known him, I don’t believe I’ve seen him livelier than he was today after you arrived. Guess he was thinking he’d best skedaddle before you changed your mind. I’m sure glad you didn’t.”
Sherry’s answering smile was weak. Between Dan Bowie, Doc Lindsey and Billy Bob, she’d been completely hog-tied.
“So Dr. Lindsey’s been practicing in Pepper for twenty years?” She wondered if, like her, he’d innocently driven into town and been snared. This could be something straight out of that old TV series, The Twilight Zone.
“Thirty years, in fact, maybe more. Most folks think of him as a saint.”
Some saint, Sherry thought. With little more than a nod of his head, he’d abandoned Pepper and her.
Mrs. Colson led her to Doc’s office. “Now make yourself at home. Do you want a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks,” Sherry answered, walking over to the desk. The telephone caught her eye. As soon as she had a minute alone, she’d call Houston.
But the moment Mrs. Colson left there was a knock at the office door. Sherry groaned. She hadn’t even had time to sit down.
“Come in,” she called, thinking it must be the receptionist.
In walked a tall, rawboned cowboy with skin tanned the color of a new penny. He wore jeans, a checkered shirt and a pair of scarred boots. A Stetson hat hooded his dark eyes, and somehow, with the red bandana around his neck, he looked both rough and dangerous.
“You’re not Doc Lindsey,” he said accusingly.
“No,” she agreed tartly, “I’m not.”
“Oh, good,” Mrs. Colson said, following him into the room. “I see your one-o’clock appointment is here.”
“My one o’clock appointment?”
“Where’s Doc?” the cowboy demanded.
“He’s gone fishing. Now you sit down,” Mrs. Colson directed in steely tones. “You’re Miz Waterman’s first patient, and I don’t want her getting a bad impression of the folks in Pepper.”
“I ain’t talkin’ to no woman about Heather.”
“Why not? A woman would be far more understanding than Doc.”
The cowboy shook his head stubbornly.
Personally, Sherry agreed with him.
“Don’t you argue with me, Cody Bailman,” Mrs. Colson said, arms akimbo. “And don’t you make trouble for Miz Waterman. She’s a real sweetheart.”
Cody shifted his hat farther back on his head. “It ain’t gonna work.”
“That’s right. It ain’t gonna work unless you try.” The receptionist took Cody by the elbow and marched him to the chair on the other side of the desk. “Now sit. You, too, Sherry.” Neither of them bothered to comply, but that didn’t disturb the receptionist. “Cody’s here to talk about his daughter. She’s twelve and giving him plenty of grief, and he comes here for advice because...well, because his wife died about ten years back and he’s having a few problems understanding what’s happening to Heather now that she’s becoming a young woman.”
“Which means I’m not talkin’ to some stranger about my personal affairs,” Cody said.
“It’ll do you good to get everything out,” Mrs. Colson assured him. “Now sit down,” she said again. “Sherry, you sit, too. If you stand, it’ll make Cody nervous.”
Sherry sat. “What should I do?” she whispered.
“Listen,” the older women instructed. “That’s all Doc ever does. It seems to help.”
Doc Lindsey apparently served as Pepper’s psychologist, too. Sherry had received some training along those lines, but certainly not enough to qualify as a counselor.
“I’m not talkin’ to a woman,” Cody said.
“Did you ever consider that’s the reason you’re having so many problems with Heather?” Mrs. Colson pointed out, then stalked over to the door. As she reached for the knob, her narrowed eyes moved from Cody to Sherry, and her tight features relaxed into a smile. “You let me know if Cody gives you any problems, but I doubt he will.” She dropped her voice. “What Heather really needs is a mother. In my opinion, Cody should remarry.”
“You volunteering for the job, Martha?” Cody said.
Mrs. Colson’s cheeks reddened. “I’m old enough to be your mother, and you darn well know it.” With that she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Cody laughed and to Sherry’s surprise sat down in the chair across from her, took off his hat and relaxed. As he rested one ankle on the opposite knee and stared at Sherry, the humor drained out of his face.
She wasn’t sure what to do. If she hadn’t felt so intimidated by this dark-haired cowboy, she’d have sent him on his way.
“You married?” he asked suddenly.
Her mouth fell open. When she finally managed to speak, her words stumbled over one another. “No, I’m not, I...that is...” She knew she sounded breathless and inane.
“Don’t look so worried. I’m not expecting you to offer your services as my wife.”
“I realize that,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. Unfortunately it wasn’t much.
“Then how are you supposed to know about kids?”
“I have two younger brothers and a sister,” she said, wondering why she thought she had to defend herself. She should be sending him on his way. She sighed. The longer this day lasted, the more convinced she was that she’d somehow stepped out of the present. The man sitting across from her might have come from another century.
“So you know about girls?”
“I was one not so long ago myself,” she said wryly. Resigning herself to the situation, she asked, “Why don’t you tell me about Heather and I’ll see if I can help?”
Cody seemed to need time to think over her suggestion. Eventually he began. “Well, first off, Heather’s doing things behind my back.”
“What sort of things?”
“Wearing makeup and the like. The other night I went in to check up on her and I swear she had on so much silver eye shadow her eyelids glowed in the dark.”
Sherry swallowed her impulse to laugh.
“No more’n about six months ago,” he continued, clearly confused by his daughter’s behavior, “Heather was showing signs of being one of the best cowhands I’d ever seen, but now she doesn’t want anything to do with ranching. Besides that, she’s, uh, getting bigger on top.”
“Have you bought her a bra?”
He flushed slightly beneath his tan. “I didn’t have to—she bought her own. Ordered it right off the Internet before I even knew. From what I can see, she didn’t have any idea what she was doing, because the one they sent was at least five sizes too big. Instead of admitting she doesn’t know about such things, she’s wearing it and as best I can tell stuffing it with something. Heaven only knows what.”
“My guess is tissue.” That had worked for Sherry when she was a teenager.
Cody’s dark eyes narrowed in concentration. “Could be. I asked her about it, and she nearly bit my head off.”
Mrs. Colson was right; the poor girl did need a mother.
“Has Heather got a boyfriend?” Maybe Cody was jealous of some boy. It sounded like a good theory anyway.
Cody frowned. “Ever since she’s been wearing this bra, she’s got a whole passel of boys hanging around. The thing is, she doesn’t like all this attention. You have to understand that until recently Heather was a tomboy.”
“Heather’s growing up, Cody,” Sherry told him. She leaned back and crossed her arms. “She doesn’t really understand what’s happening to her body. She’s probably frightened by the changes. Trust me, she isn’t any happier about what’s taking place than you are. Give her a little time and a little space, and you’ll be surprised by how well she adjusts.”
Cody eyed her as if he wasn’t convinced he should believe her.
“Does she have any close friends?” she asked.
“Wally and Clem, but she doesn’t seem to be getting along with them as well as she used to.”
“What about girlfriends?”
“She has a couple, but they live here in town and we’re twenty miles away. What she really needs is to talk to someone—you know, a woman, someone older than thirteen, who knows a bit more about bras and other girl stuff. And then there was this business with the 4-H—all of a sudden my daughter wants to run my life.”
“The 4-H? Your life?”
“Never mind,” he said, groaning heavily.
“Would you like me to talk to her?” Sherry offered. “I... I don’t know if I’d be able to accomplish anything, but I’d be willing to try.”
“I’d like it a whole lot,” he said, his eyes softening with gratitude. He frowned again. “She’s been acting like a porcupine lately, so don’t be offended if she seems a bit unfriendly.” Cody looked down and sighed. “Then again, she might be overly friendly. Just don’t be shocked by anything she says or does, all right?”
“I won’t be,” Sherry promised. “We’ll get along fine.” She wasn’t as confident as she sounded, but she found she liked Cody Bailman. It hadn’t been easy for him to discuss such private matters with a stranger, a woman, no less, yet he’d put his concern for his daughter first. She was impressed.
“I found something the other day. I’m sure Heather didn’t mean for me to see it.”
“What was it?”
“A book. She had it tucked between the sofa cushions. It was one of those romance novels you women like so much. I tell you right now, it worries me.”
“Why?”
“Well, because I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to be filling her head with that sort of nonsense.” He muttered something else, but Sherry didn’t catch it. Presumably he didn’t think highly of romance.
“I’ll discuss it with her if you want,” Sherry said. “Of course, I won’t let her know you found the book.”
Cody stood. “I appreciate this, Miz...”
“Waterman. But please, call me Sherry.”
“Sherry,” he repeated. He held out his hand and she took it. Was it her imagination, or did he maintain contact a moment longer than necessary? Her gaze fell to their clasped hands, and he released her fingers as if he suddenly realized what he was doing. “It’s been a pleasure.”
“Thank you. Do you want to bring Heather in to see me tomorrow afternoon, or would you rather I paid a visit to your ranch?”
“Could you? It’d be best if this conversation seems casual. If Heather ever found out I was talking to anyone about her, she’d be madder than a mule with a mouthful of bees.”
“I’ll get directions from Mrs. Colson and be there shortly after lunch—say, one o’clock?”
“Great.”
Cody lingered at the door and appeared to be assessing her. “Are you thinking of sticking around Pepper?”
“I was hired last month. I wasn’t scheduled to start work for another two weeks, but it seems I’m starting early.”
Sherry couldn’t believe she’d said that. Until Cody Bailman had walked in the door, she’d been intent on demanding her two weeks. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Cody said, grinning broadly.
“Tomorrow,” she agreed.
Still he stayed. “Might as well come by around lunchtime. The least I can do is feed you.”
With a slight nod of her head, she accepted his offhand invitation.
The phone on the desk rang, breaking the silence—and the spell that had apparently descended on both of them. Then the ring was cut off. Mrs. Colson must have picked it up.
As Cody was just about to leave, the receptionist burst through the door, a look of panic in her eyes. “That was Luke Johnson. Ellie’s having labor pains, and he’s scared to death he’s gonna have to deliver that baby on his own. You’d better get over there quick as you can.”
“Where?” Sherry asked.
“Rattlesnake Ridge,” Cody said. “Come on.” He gripped her elbow. “I’ll drive you. You’d never find it on your own.”
Two
“Rattlesnake Ridge?” Sherry muttered under her breath as she hurried with Cody toward his pickup truck. He opened the passenger door and helped her inside. Although slender, Sherry wasn’t the sort of female who generally required assistance, but her comparatively meager height—five foot five, as opposed to Cody’s six-two—meant she needed help this time. The tires on his truck looked as if they belonged on a tanker trailer.
It was impossible to determine the color of the vehicle, and Sherry suspected it hadn’t been washed since it’d been driven off the showroom floor. Maybe, she thought, the dirt helped the rust hold the thing together.
Once she situated herself inside the cab, Cody dashed around the front and leaped in. His door made a cranking sound when he opened and closed it. He shoved the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life. She immediately noticed all the papers clipped to the dash; it looked as if he stored most of his paperwork there. She couldn’t suppress a smile at his fingertip filing system.
“I’ll need some things from my car,” she told him. “It’s parked over by the café.” Cody stopped on Main Street, directly in front of her PT Cruiser and answered her unasked question.
“It’s the only car I didn’t recognize,” he said as he opened the door and jumped down, then came around to give her a hand.
By the time Sherry was back in the pickup and fumbling with her seat belt, they were racing out of town.
Over the past few years Norah had written her long e-mails about life in Texas. One thing she’d said was that the men here were as unique as the trucks they drove. Sherry had been amused and intrigued enough to move here herself. She was beginning to understand what Norah had meant about the men.
“I wish I’d talked to Luke myself,” Cody said. He glanced at Sherry as if she was somehow to blame for his friend’s discomfort. “That man’s so crazy about Ellie he’d lose his head completely if anything ever happened to her.”
Sherry grinned. “Isn’t that how a man should feel about his wife?”
Cody didn’t answer right away. “Some men with some women, I suppose,” he said a moment later.
Not wanting to discuss what he’d said or what it might imply, Sherry changed the subject. “Are there really rattlesnakes out there on Rattlesnake Ridge?” she asked conversationally.
“In Texas we tend to call a spade a spade. We don’t pretty up the truth, and the truth is there’s rattlers on that ridge. You’ll see it isn’t named Buttercup Hill.”
“I see.” She swallowed hard. “Are snakes a problem around here?”
“You afraid of snakes?” His gaze left the road for a few seconds.
“Not particularly,” she said, trying to make her tone light. Norah hadn’t said anything about snakes. “Tell me what you know about Ellie. Doc said she’d gone two weeks beyond her due date with the first pregnancy. Do you remember the baby’s birth weight?”
Cody glanced at her again, his expression puzzled.
“If I’m going to be delivering this baby, any fact you can give me is helpful,” she said. “Is Ellie small and delicate?”
“I guess...”
Sherry could see that Cody wasn’t going to provide much information. “What else can you tell me about her?”
“Well, she’s real cute.”
“Young?”
“Mid-twenties. Luke wasn’t interested in marriage until Ellie came to visit her grandparents a few years back. He took one look at her and he hasn’t been the same since. I swear he walked around like a sick calf from the moment he met her.” Cody frowned before he continued, “Unfortunately, his condition hasn’t improved. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen a man as smitten as Luke.” He said this last part as if he had little patience with love or romance. “My bet is that Ellie’s the calm one now.”
“Her first pregnancy was normal?”
“I think so. Don’t know for sure.”
“Boy or girl?”
“Girl. Christina Lynn. Cute as a bug’s ear, too.”
“Was she a big baby?”
“Not that I recall, but then I don’t know much about that sort of thing.”
“How old is Christina Lynn?”
“She must be a year or so.” He paused. “Is that bad?”
“Why?” His question surprised her.
“Because you frowned.”
Sherry hadn’t realized she had. “No, it’s just that they didn’t wait long before Ellie became pregnant again.”
“No, but if you want the truth, I don’t think this one was planned any more than Christina Lynn was. Luke’s besotted—that’s the only word for it. Got his head in the clouds where Ellie’s concerned.”
Sherry found that all rather endearing. She liked his terminology, too. Smitten, besotted. Here she was in her late twenties and no man had ever felt that way about her—nor she about any man. This was one of the reasons she’d decided to move out of Orchard Valley. If she stayed, she had the sinking feeling the rest of her life would have gone on just as it had been. She’d been content, but never excited. Busy, but bored. Liked, but not loved.
She’d lived her entire life in Orchard Valley, a small town where neighbors were friends and the sense of community was strong. It was one of the reasons Sherry had accepted the position in Pepper—another small town.
