afraid she’d given herself whiplash. “You want me to babysit?”
“I guess in a way, I do.” She gestured to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “I don’t like leaving Cody alone, especially since he just took his medication. I’d just relax more if I knew someone was here to keep an eye on him.”
“No.”
Sam stared at her. “What?”
“I can’t. I—I have plans for the day.”
Which she hadn’t mentioned on the phone twenty minutes earlier, but that was beside the point.
“You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.” She looked out the window at the backyard. It was shaping up to be another scorcher of a day. “Besides, it’s just Cody. You’ve known him forever.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, from the look on her mother’s face, that wasn’t a selling point.
Shaking away the confusing thought, she took another tack. “I really could use the help, Mom.”
Her mother looked away, her lips pinched together. Finally, she heaved a sigh. “Oh, all right.”
Sam slanted her mother a puzzled look. She knew that the rodeo was a sore spot for her mother, but this level of vehemence was unusual, even for her.
“Thanks,” she said dryly.
“I’m sorry.” Her mother leaned over and gave her a one-armed around-the-shoulder hug. “I’m a bit out of sorts today. It’s nothing personal.”
Sam smiled and held up her mug. “Coffee?” At her mother’s nod, she headed for the kitchen. “So what’s bringing you down today?”
“Oh, this and that.” She stood and followed Sam to the edge of the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the tall stools at the breakfast bar. “Actually, I’d sort of hoped you wanted to spend the day together.”
“I can’t leave Cody by himself, Mom. He had a concussion, and he’s still not in very good shape yet. Besides, I made a commitment, and I intend to honor it.”
Her mother stared at her in horror. “What kind of a commitment?”
God, Mom, get a grip. “A commitment to monitor his recovery for the next couple of days,” Sam said, enunciating each word. “What kind of commitment were you thinking about?”
Her mother blushed. Blushed, for heaven’s sake. “Well, you did have a crush on him once upon a time,” she answered, a bit defensively.
“Am I ever going to be able to live that down?” Sam filled a wide blue mug with coffee, then doctored it with plenty of milk and sugar. “It was thirteen years ago. I was a child.”
Of course, her own bitterness toward Cody over the years might have something to do with her mother's attitude. She grimaced, then tried to hide the expression with a sip of her own coffee.
“You’re not a child anymore.” Her mother took the offered mug with a nod of thanks, blowing on it gently.
She resisted the urge to ask her mother why she kept treating her like one, then. “Don’t worry, Mom. Cody may have a head injury, but two days in my presence hasn’t made him break out the diamond ring or anything. As far as he’s concerned, I’m just the annoying person who woke him up every three hours for the past two nights to check on him.”
Which was just too bad.
No, no, no. She was not going there.
“Doesn’t he realize you’re just doing your job?”
Sam gritted her teeth and smiled. If her mother didn’t pick a side and stick with it, Sam was going to end up being the one with whiplash.
“So, where’s the houseguest?”
Sam fought the urge to roll her eyes. “In bed, Mom. He’s got at least one more day of bedrest before he can get up. And he’s more of a patient than a houseguest.”
“Well, as long as he’s not in your bed, I suppose that’s all that matters.”
Sam inspected her fingernails until she was certain her facial expression wouldn’t give her away. Technically, Cody was in her bed. But giving him the master bedroom because it was more comfortable and convenient for her convalescing guest was different than sharing that bed with him. All the hair-splitting in the
“I guess in a way, I do.” She gestured to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “I don’t like leaving Cody alone, especially since he just took his medication. I’d just relax more if I knew someone was here to keep an eye on him.”
“No.”
Sam stared at her. “What?”
“I can’t. I—I have plans for the day.”
Which she hadn’t mentioned on the phone twenty minutes earlier, but that was beside the point.
“You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.” She looked out the window at the backyard. It was shaping up to be another scorcher of a day. “Besides, it’s just Cody. You’ve known him forever.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, from the look on her mother’s face, that wasn’t a selling point.
Shaking away the confusing thought, she took another tack. “I really could use the help, Mom.”
Her mother looked away, her lips pinched together. Finally, she heaved a sigh. “Oh, all right.”
Sam slanted her mother a puzzled look. She knew that the rodeo was a sore spot for her mother, but this level of vehemence was unusual, even for her.
“Thanks,” she said dryly.
“I’m sorry.” Her mother leaned over and gave her a one-armed around-the-shoulder hug. “I’m a bit out of sorts today. It’s nothing personal.”
Sam smiled and held up her mug. “Coffee?” At her mother’s nod, she headed for the kitchen. “So what’s bringing you down today?”
“Oh, this and that.” She stood and followed Sam to the edge of the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the tall stools at the breakfast bar. “Actually, I’d sort of hoped you wanted to spend the day together.”
“I can’t leave Cody by himself, Mom. He had a concussion, and he’s still not in very good shape yet. Besides, I made a commitment, and I intend to honor it.”
Her mother stared at her in horror. “What kind of a commitment?”
God, Mom, get a grip. “A commitment to monitor his recovery for the next couple of days,” Sam said, enunciating each word. “What kind of commitment were you thinking about?”
Her mother blushed. Blushed, for heaven’s sake. “Well, you did have a crush on him once upon a time,” she answered, a bit defensively.
“Am I ever going to be able to live that down?” Sam filled a wide blue mug with coffee, then doctored it with plenty of milk and sugar. “It was thirteen years ago. I was a child.”
Of course, her own bitterness toward Cody over the years might have something to do with her mother's attitude. She grimaced, then tried to hide the expression with a sip of her own coffee.
“You’re not a child anymore.” Her mother took the offered mug with a nod of thanks, blowing on it gently.
She resisted the urge to ask her mother why she kept treating her like one, then. “Don’t worry, Mom. Cody may have a head injury, but two days in my presence hasn’t made him break out the diamond ring or anything. As far as he’s concerned, I’m just the annoying person who woke him up every three hours for the past two nights to check on him.”
Which was just too bad.
No, no, no. She was not going there.
“Doesn’t he realize you’re just doing your job?”
Sam gritted her teeth and smiled. If her mother didn’t pick a side and stick with it, Sam was going to end up being the one with whiplash.
“So, where’s the houseguest?”
Sam fought the urge to roll her eyes. “In bed, Mom. He’s got at least one more day of bedrest before he can get up. And he’s more of a patient than a houseguest.”
“Well, as long as he’s not in your bed, I suppose that’s all that matters.”
Sam inspected her fingernails until she was certain her facial expression wouldn’t give her away. Technically, Cody was in her bed. But giving him the master bedroom because it was more comfortable and convenient for her convalescing guest was different than sharing that bed with him. All the hair-splitting in the
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