sense?” He threw back the covers, struggling to get out of bed. “I should be in the guest room.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” Sam stalked over to the bed and pulled the covers up again, pushing gently on his shoulders so he lay back down. “This room is bigger, more open, so you can move around better once you get the go-ahead from the doctor to get off bed rest. There’s a connected bathroom, which the guest room doesn’t have. And it’s closer to the main living areas. It was my decision, and I have no problems with it whatsoever.”
Well, other than the overwhelming temptation to lift those covers back up, scoot him over just a bit, and snuggle on in.
Sam pursed her lips and turned away. She really had to stop this daydreaming. Especially since her mother was regarding her with suspicion in her eyes. Any minute now her mindreading talents were going to kick in and Sam would really be in trouble.
Right now, though, her mother’s attention was totally fixed on Cody.
There was something about her look that stopped Sam for a moment. She looked almost—vulnerable, which made no sense.
What about Cody would disturb her mother so?
“If you say so,” Cody said, a dubious note in his voice. He lay back against the pillows, closing his eyes for a moment. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, showing the toll his silly attempt at chivalry had cost him.
“I do,” she said firmly.
“Sam.” A warning note underlay the sweet tone of her mother’s voice.
Sam shot her a look, then quickly masked it with a smile at Cody.
“It’s been a long time, Mrs. Quincannon,” Cody said, looking between the two of them. “I hope you’re doing well.”
“Yes, thank you,” her mother replied. “It’s Mrs. Alderson now, though.”
“Oh, you remarried? Congratulations,” he said. “I’ll have to let my mom know.”
A flash of pain showed on her face for a moment, then disappeared. “It would be nice to see Norma again,” she said, almost to herself. Then she shook her head and smiled tightly at Cody. “How are you feeling?”
He grimaced. “Not great.”
“Well, when you participate in something as dangerous as the rodeo, these things are bound to happen.”
“Mom!”
“Well, they are.” She glared at Sam defiantly. “The rodeo killed your father, and it almost killed poor Cody here. No wonder he’s feeling awful.”
“I wouldn’t say awful,” Cody put in. “I’m pretty lucky.”
Sam interrupted, desperate to stop her mother’s impending rodeo-is-eeeevil speech. She could almost see her gearing up for it. “Mom, could you get a glass of water for Cody?” Belatedly, she remembered the almost-full glass already on his nightstand. Grabbing it, she thrust it at her skeptical mother. “This one’s been here all night. I’m sure he’d appreciate a fresh cup.”
With a narrowed glance, her mother left the room, clutching the glass. Sam breathed a quick sigh of relief and turned back to Cody. “Sorry about that. I just didn’t want to leave you alone in the apartment while I went out.”
“A babysitter, huh? If you say so.”
She nodded with a bit more confidence than she actually felt. “And I wanted to ask you something, too.”
“Shoot.”
“Can I have your hotel key card?”
He laughed out loud at that, tilting his head back against the pillows. “Words I never thought I’d hear you say, Sam.”
“Cody,” she hissed, head swiveling toward the open doorway. Her mother could be back any minute.
“Sure, darlin’.” He flashed her a smile, a ghost of the grin she still remembered from all those years ago. “Hoping to stop by later for a little visit?”
Sam could feel the blush creeping up her neck. “Uh, no.”
“My loss.” He winked at her. “Well, if you change your mind…”
“Cody!” She backed away a step. “I was going to stop by your hotel and grab your things, close out your account, stuff like that.”
He heaved a sigh. “Not nearly as
“No, you shouldn’t.” Sam stalked over to the bed and pulled the covers up again, pushing gently on his shoulders so he lay back down. “This room is bigger, more open, so you can move around better once you get the go-ahead from the doctor to get off bed rest. There’s a connected bathroom, which the guest room doesn’t have. And it’s closer to the main living areas. It was my decision, and I have no problems with it whatsoever.”
Well, other than the overwhelming temptation to lift those covers back up, scoot him over just a bit, and snuggle on in.
Sam pursed her lips and turned away. She really had to stop this daydreaming. Especially since her mother was regarding her with suspicion in her eyes. Any minute now her mindreading talents were going to kick in and Sam would really be in trouble.
Right now, though, her mother’s attention was totally fixed on Cody.
There was something about her look that stopped Sam for a moment. She looked almost—vulnerable, which made no sense.
What about Cody would disturb her mother so?
“If you say so,” Cody said, a dubious note in his voice. He lay back against the pillows, closing his eyes for a moment. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, showing the toll his silly attempt at chivalry had cost him.
“I do,” she said firmly.
“Sam.” A warning note underlay the sweet tone of her mother’s voice.
Sam shot her a look, then quickly masked it with a smile at Cody.
“It’s been a long time, Mrs. Quincannon,” Cody said, looking between the two of them. “I hope you’re doing well.”
“Yes, thank you,” her mother replied. “It’s Mrs. Alderson now, though.”
“Oh, you remarried? Congratulations,” he said. “I’ll have to let my mom know.”
A flash of pain showed on her face for a moment, then disappeared. “It would be nice to see Norma again,” she said, almost to herself. Then she shook her head and smiled tightly at Cody. “How are you feeling?”
He grimaced. “Not great.”
“Well, when you participate in something as dangerous as the rodeo, these things are bound to happen.”
“Mom!”
“Well, they are.” She glared at Sam defiantly. “The rodeo killed your father, and it almost killed poor Cody here. No wonder he’s feeling awful.”
“I wouldn’t say awful,” Cody put in. “I’m pretty lucky.”
Sam interrupted, desperate to stop her mother’s impending rodeo-is-eeeevil speech. She could almost see her gearing up for it. “Mom, could you get a glass of water for Cody?” Belatedly, she remembered the almost-full glass already on his nightstand. Grabbing it, she thrust it at her skeptical mother. “This one’s been here all night. I’m sure he’d appreciate a fresh cup.”
With a narrowed glance, her mother left the room, clutching the glass. Sam breathed a quick sigh of relief and turned back to Cody. “Sorry about that. I just didn’t want to leave you alone in the apartment while I went out.”
“A babysitter, huh? If you say so.”
She nodded with a bit more confidence than she actually felt. “And I wanted to ask you something, too.”
“Shoot.”
“Can I have your hotel key card?”
He laughed out loud at that, tilting his head back against the pillows. “Words I never thought I’d hear you say, Sam.”
“Cody,” she hissed, head swiveling toward the open doorway. Her mother could be back any minute.
“Sure, darlin’.” He flashed her a smile, a ghost of the grin she still remembered from all those years ago. “Hoping to stop by later for a little visit?”
Sam could feel the blush creeping up her neck. “Uh, no.”
“My loss.” He winked at her. “Well, if you change your mind…”
“Cody!” She backed away a step. “I was going to stop by your hotel and grab your things, close out your account, stuff like that.”
He heaved a sigh. “Not nearly as
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