The Manning Sisters (18 page)

Taylor did an admirable job of disguising the extent of her discomfort, but it was apparent to all that the sooner she was under medical supervision the better. Russ was calm and collected.

It turned out that the carburetor in Russ's truck had started acting up, and he'd pulled over to the side of the road. Cody had found him bent over the engine, trying to fix it so he could make it back to the ranch.

Christy held herself tense until they reached the outskirts of Miles City. Only then did she feel herself start to relax.

Within ten minutes of their arrival at the hospital, Taylor was in the labor room with Russ at her side. Cody and Christy were relegated to the waiting room, where they leafed through six-month-old issues of
Time
magazine.

Soon bored with those, Christy found her gaze wandering to Cody. Fine lines fanned out from the corners of his dark eyes, and sharply cut grooves bracketed his mouth. He was tanned, his skin weathered by the sun and wind. He had the kind of rich bronze coloring that others strived to achieve under a sunlamp. His hair was thick and as dark as his eyes and cut military short. He wasn't handsome or stunning or anything else she could easily put a name to, but he was beyond a doubt the most uncompromisingly masculine man she'd ever seen. Immediately she experienced a faint stirring of guilt.

James. Dear, sweet James. Always so patient and understanding. She shouldn't even be
looking
at another man, not when she had James.

Cody glanced up from his magazine, and their eyes met. Christy managed to fake a smile. He returned it with a smile of his own and went back to reading. Christy made a pretense of doing the same thing. Despite her best efforts, her gaze wandered back to the sheriff again and again. It was somewhat embarrassing to realize that she wasn't studying him as a representative of law and order but as a man. Cody Franklin was incredibly male. Incredibly…incredible. Everything about him spoke of strength and purpose: his walk, the square set of his jaw, even the way he sat with his ankle resting over his knee. Disturbed by her unintended focus on the sheriff, she flipped through the pages of a two-year-old issue of
People
. Something was definitely wrong with her. No doubt it had to do with Taylor and the baby. Babies were said to stir up lots of feelings and buried emotions. What astonished her was that she should find this man so attractive.

Enough!

More determined than ever, Christy reached for another magazine and gazed unseeing at its pages.

“I take it you just arrived in Cougar Point?” Cody surprised her by asking.

“Last night,” Christy said, setting aside the dog-eared issue of
People
. “Actually, it was early this morning when I went to bed. Russ left the house about the time I came down for coffee, and the next thing I knew, Taylor was telling me she was having these ‘funny' pains, only I wasn't laughing, and neither was she.”

“How long after that did you call me?”

“Too long,” Christy said vehemently. “Taylor claimed the pains were nothing to worry about. I knew I shouldn't have listened to her. Good grief, what does she know?”

Cody smiled, and her eyes were immediately drawn to his full sensual mouth. Frustrated with herself, she quickly looked away.

“Don't be so hard on yourself. You handled the situation exactly the way you should have.” He turned back to the periodical. Christy picked up another one herself, but when she glanced up, she saw Cody studying her. “I don't mean to stare,” he apologized, “but I can't get over how much you and Taylor resemble each other.”

That was almost worth a laugh. She'd hardly been able to keep her eyes off Cody Franklin from the moment they got to the hospital, and
he
was apologizing for staring at
her!
As for the part about the two sisters looking alike, Christy took that as a compliment. Taylor was stunning. In fact, Christy couldn't remember a time when her sister had been more beautiful than she was right now. Taylor was the beauty, not Christy. She didn't mean to sell herself short; she knew she was reasonably attractive. Perhaps the biggest difference was that Taylor had spunk. Her older sister had always displayed such tenacity, such mettle. When it came to dealing with their headstrong father, Taylor had more courage than the rest of them put together.

Anyone looking at the two sisters would know they were related; Christy was willing to grant the sheriff that much. Their deep blue eyes were a distinct family trait, also shared by their three older brothers, as was the slightly upturned nose.

The two sisters styled their hair differently. Taylor kept her thick chestnut hair long, whereas Christy preferred hers short in a breezy wash-and-wear style.

Christy was about to make some comment along the lines of what a peaceful community Cougar Point seemed to be when they saw Russ.

Cody and Christy stood as Russ approached, his eyes slightly dazed.

“Taylor's ready to go into the delivery room.”

“So soon?” Christy's heart was in her throat. “We just got here.” She paused long enough to check her watch—and restrain her panic. “We've only been here twenty minutes. How could she possibly be ready for the delivery room?”

“I don't know…. The nurse told me the baby's coming
now.
”

“It wasn't supposed to be this soon.”

Russ wiped a hand down his face. “You're telling me? If Cody hadn't found me when he did…” He left the rest unsaid, but the implication was obvious.

Christy slumped back into the chair, her knees about to buckle. From everything she'd read and heard, babies were supposed to take their time, especially the first one. What about those twenty-hour labors her friends had described in minute detail? What about all the talk of first labors dragging on and on? Apparently Taylor hadn't been listening.

Russ returned to the double doors, then looked back into the waiting room. He swallowed hard, and Christy realized that if she'd been shaken by the news, it had affected Russ far more profoundly.

“Are you all right?” Cody asked her.

“Of course,” she lied. “I'm not the one who's having a baby minutes after I arrive at the hospital.” A fact for which Christy was eternally grateful. She wasn't nearly as courageous as Taylor; in fact, when it came right down to it, she considered herself a watered-down version of her older sister. All her life Christy had admired Taylor, wanting to be more like her. Instead, she was complacent and congenial, never causing her parents a moment's concern. Their father once claimed he owed every gray hair on his head to Taylor and every laugh line to Christy. His two daughters were the joy of his life, he often said.

“You look like you're going to faint,” Cody said, watching her closely.

“Don't be ridiculous,” she snapped, then instantly regretted her sharp tongue. She darted Cody an apologetic smile.

“Come on,” Cody suggested, “let's walk. It'll help pass the time.”

“Pass what time?” she muttered. “We've been here for about twenty minutes, and already Taylor's being wheeled into the delivery room.”

“Come on, you could do with some activity—get your circulation going.”

Christy merely nodded. Emotions were coming at her from every direction. Her first concern was for Taylor and the baby. The thought of this precious life, created in love, stirred a realm of deep feelings inside Christy. Her stomach started churning, her palms were sweating, and her heart seemed to be doing a jig. She couldn't have uttered a word had her life depended on it.

They walked the entire length of the hallway and stopped in front of the nursery. Christy carefully studied the row of newborns swaddled in pink and blue blankets and unexpectedly found tears clouding her eyes. Normally she wasn't sentimental or weepy. She didn't dare look over at Cody. He'd assume…She hadn't a clue what he'd assume, but it wouldn't be good.

“Christy?”

“The babies are really beautiful, aren't they?” she whispered, her gaze on the five infants.

“Yes, they are,” he answered softly. He stood behind her and rested his hands on the curve of her shoulders. His touch was light, but it offered her a steadiness and comfort that had been lacking all morning. He didn't say anything when she brushed the telltale moisture from her cheeks, and Christy was grateful.

She didn't know what had come over her in the past few hours. She turned to face Cody, placed her hands on his forearms and stared up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

Nothing seemed real anymore. It was as if she'd been walking around in a dream. A living fantasy was beginning to unfold right before her. Perhaps she'd spent too many hours on the road. Otherwise she wouldn't be looking into the darkest brown eyes she'd ever seen and thinking the things she was thinking.

Cody was staring back at her with the same wonder and surprise. He seemed about to say something important when the doors at the other end of the hall opened and Russ stepped out, wearing a green surgical gown and a large smile. Seeing him, both Christy and Cody rushed forward.

“It's a boy,” Russ announced, his eyes shimmering with tears. He let out a wild shout of joy, grabbed a shocked Christy around the waist and boisterously whirled her around.

“Congratulations,” Cody said, coming forward. The two men exchanged hearty handshakes, then hugged, slapping each other on the back.

Russ didn't speak for a moment and seemed to be composing himself. “He weighed in at eight pounds, three ounces, and he's the ugliest little critter you ever saw. Taylor kept saying how beautiful he is, and all I could see was this furious pink face bawling as loud as anything. His legs were pumping like an oil rig. That boy is madder than a wet wasp.”

Christy felt tears in her eyes as she pressed her fingers to her lips. “How's Taylor?”

“She's fine…more than fine. That woman's incredible. I don't know what I ever did to deserve her, but I intend to thank God every day for the rest of my life.” He half turned toward the doors he'd come through. “I've got to get back. They're taking Eric into the nursery now, and the delivery room nurse said I could watch him being washed and dressed. If I have anything to say about it, I'll do the washing and dressing myself.”

“You're naming him Eric?” Christy asked as she moved one step forward.

Russ nodded. “Eric Russell, after your father and me. Taylor insists.”

“That sounds like a perfectly wonderful name to me,” Christy whispered, surprised at the emotion that clogged her throat. Her father would be so proud, the buttons would pop right off his shirt.

“If you two walk over to the nursery, you might be able to see him, too,” Russ added excitedly. “Taylor will be out of the delivery room anytime. I know she'll want to talk to you both, so stick around for a little bit, okay?”

Christy and Cody had already started in that direction when Russ stopped them. “Hey, one last thing. Taylor and I talked it over, and we want the two of you to be Eric's godparents.”

Christy exchanged a meaningful glance with Cody before they simultaneously nodded.

“We'd be honored,” Cody answered for them.

“Truly honored,” Christy repeated, her throat tightening even more.

In her excitement Christy whirled around to face Cody—except that she hadn't realized he was quite so close. She flattened her hands against his chest as she smiled up at him, her joy overflowing now that her nephew was safely born.

Cody returned the smile. His dark eyes were alive with emotion.

Slowly, moving as if he were hypnotized, Cody slipped his arms around her waist and raised her from the ground. Her hands clutched his shirt collar as his eyes delved into hers.

“I believe congratulations are in order, don't you?”

“Yes,” she said, hugging him, afraid he was going to kiss her, equally afraid he wouldn't.

How would she ever explain kissing another man to James? How would she rationalize allowing Cody to hold her like this when she'd promised to spend her life loving someone else?

“O
h, Taylor, he's so beautiful,” Christy whispered. “Russ held him up for me to see and…” She paused, unable to continue. The minute she'd seen Eric, her heart had swollen with such a profound sense of love that it had been impossible to suppress her tears.

“You're crying,” Taylor said softly.

Christy rubbed her cheeks. She reached for her sister, and they hugged with an intensity she'd never felt before. This wealth of emotion, of happiness, took Christy by storm.

“I love you, Taylor. I really do. And I love Eric, too. He's beautiful, perfect. I feel absolutely ecstatic.” She straightened and gave a breathy laugh. “I want to throw open the windows and tell the world my sister just had a beautiful baby boy.”

“Did you get a chance to talk to Mom and Dad?”

Christy nodded. The moment her mother heard the news she'd started weeping and then her father had taken the phone. His own voice hadn't sounded all that steady, either. Russ had done most of the talking with Christy crowded close beside him. When it was her turn, she seemed to jabber on like a magpie, but couldn't stop herself.

Following the conversation, Russ and Cody had gone to the hospital gift shop to buy a box of cigars. Christy had spent these few moments alone with her sister.

“I'm sorry I frightened you,” Taylor said apologetically, “but I didn't want to leave for the hospital without Russ.”

“I understood. I wasn't worried.” On the contrary, Christy had been nearly frantic, but it didn't matter now that everything had turned out so well.

Her sister sighed. “I'm glad you were able to meet Cody.”

At the mention of the other man's name, Christy abruptly looked away, feeling uneasy. She hadn't had the chance to tell Taylor and Russ about her engagement to James Wilkens. Unfortunately the diamond ring James had given her was still at the jeweler's being sized. If she'd been wearing the ring, it would've been a logical introduction to her announcement. She'd meant to surprise her sister and brother-in-law with the big news as soon as she'd arrived, but it had been so late and everyone was exhausted. Then, before Christy knew it, it was morning and Taylor had gone into labor.

Now the timing was all wrong. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she'd tell Taylor. Everything would be less hectic then. But even as she formed that decision, Christy hesitated, not fully understanding why.

Her head spun and her thoughts skidded to a halt. Who did she think she was fooling?

She
did
know why.

Cody Franklin had hugged her when Russ had come to tell them about Eric. Now, an hour later, the way she'd felt in his arms still caused her pulse to accelerate. He'd pulled her close, and the feeling of being held by this man was completely and utterly natural, as instinctive as breathing or sleeping. It was as if they'd known each other all their lives. As if their relationship was one of long standing.

Without his saying a thing, Christy knew he'd experienced the same lavish range of sensations. They'd stared openly at each other, neither speaking. If Russ hadn't been there, Christy couldn't help wondering what would've happened. What they would've said to each other. If anything.

But Russ had been there, and after an awkward moment, Cody had released her. He'd dropped his arms with a reluctance that sent blood pounding through her veins until she grew dizzy simply remembering.

James was her fiancé! Yet she had to struggle to bring his image to mind. Her parents had been thrilled with the news of their engagement, but Christy had known they would be. Her father had told her often enough that James, an attorney, would make her an excellent husband. They'd been dating on and off for nearly two years, almost from the first week Christy had been hired as a paralegal at James's law firm. Their relationship, however, hadn't turned serious until three months ago. Until then, their dates had been casual get-togethers with mutual friends. Then they'd started working together on an important case. It had been a real coup for James to be assigned to defend Gary Mulligan against the Internal Revenue Service, and if everything went well, it could mean a partnership for him.

“Christy?”

She turned to her sister. “Sorry. Were you saying something?”

“Just that I'm glad you met Cody today.”

“He…seems very nice,” Christy answered, and sighed with relief when the nurse walked into the room, distracting her sister's attention from the subject of the sheriff. The woman brought in a huge bouquet of red roses in a tall crystal vase.

“Oh, my,” Taylor breathed, reaching for the card. She tore open the small envelope and read the message. Immediate tears filled her eyes. “They're from Russ.”

“How sweet.”

Taylor smiled softly as a faraway look came into her eyes. Christy speculated that her sister was recalling the first time she'd met Russ and all that had happened since. Russ might not have been the man her family would've chosen for Taylor, but one fact had been clear from the instant they flew to Seattle to attend their parents' anniversary party. Russ Palmer loved Taylor. Beyond question. Beyond doubt. Whatever reservations Christy and her brothers held regarding this marriage had been quickly dissolved.

Footsteps from behind Christy told her Russ and Cody had returned.

“Russ…” Taylor held out her arms to her husband. “The roses are so beautiful. Thank you.”

Christy's brother-in-law walked across the room, and his eyes closed as he took his wife into his arms. He whispered something in her ear; Taylor smiled and nodded. The scene was an intimate one, and Christy felt like an intruder. She backed away, not looking at Cody until it was impossible to avoid him.

“Hello, again,” he said. His voice was low and his smile contained a warmth and depth that multiplied a hundredfold all the sensations she'd experienced earlier, the very feelings she was trying to put out of her mind. Once again Christy was struck by the possessiveness she felt looking at him, studying him. For the past hour she'd been trying to understand why she should feel anything toward him. Nothing had come to her. No insights. Nothing.

They were barely more than strangers, and yet she felt completely comfortable with him. At the same time, he rattled her composure unlike anyone she'd ever met. It seemed absurdly ironic to be so flustered by a man and still feel so sheltered.

Cody glanced toward Russ and Taylor. “Would you like to go down to the nursery to view our godson?”

She nodded, gladly accepting an excuse to leave husband and wife alone.

Together she and Cody walked down the familiar corridor until they stood in front of the large nursery window. But it wasn't the newborns that captured their attention. They made comments about little Eric and the other babies, but what interested them most was each other. After a while they gave up the pretense of looking at the newborns.

“Russ phoned the ranch and is having a couple of his hands drive a car over for him,” Cody said after a while. “He's planning to spend the day with Taylor.”

Once more Christy nodded. It seemed all she was capable of doing. Being this close to Cody felt like being trapped in a magnetic force field. It didn't matter how much she resisted, she was drawn to him.

With a determined effort, she diverted her attention to Eric again. The infant was sleeping, swaddled in a pale blue receiving blanket. A long-sleeved T-shirt covered his tiny arms and fists. He was so small, so adorable.

Cody's eyes followed hers, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with astonishment. “He's really something, isn't he?”

“Yes.” Her voice was a whisper. “And to think we could've ended up delivering him.”

“We?” Cody joked. “In all my years of law enforcement I've been spared that. Thank God.”

Standing behind her, Cody's large hands held her shoulders, as if he'd been holding and touching her for a lifetime. It felt right and good to have this man so close. A small shudder skimmed down her spine at the innocent contact.

Cody must have noticed it, because he turned her around to face him, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You're trembling.”

She couldn't deny it. This man she hardly knew confused her, bewildered her. The worst part was that she couldn't understand why. She'd met and dated any number of attractive, compelling men before. Yet none of them had ever overwhelmed her the way Cody did.

“Are you cold?”

“No,” she answered quickly, flustered by his questions.

“What's wrong?”

How could she possibly explain something she couldn't grasp herself? “Nothing.”

His eyes found hers, and she could've sworn they went several shades darker. “Does this happen often?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Does it to you?” Christy swallowed, astonished she'd had the courage to ask him such a personal question.

“No,” he answered after a moment. “Never.”

She pulled her gaze away, baffled by his openness. His honesty. It was exactly what she'd longed to hear. And what she'd feared.

“I…I need to get back to the ranch,” she said, seeking an excuse to do something, anything to end this heightened awareness between them. “Taylor asked me to make some phone calls for her.”

Cody lowered his eyes to her lips, his look, unhurried and sensual, as intimate as a kiss. Christy's stomach became a churning mass of doubts, mingled with an abundance of misgivings. She wanted to blame this feeling on the chaotic events of the day.

Slowly, almost unaware of what she was doing, Christy raised her own eyes to meet Cody's. He didn't look too comfortable. In fact, he seemed as perplexed and hesitant as she.

“I need to get back myself,” he murmured.

Not until that moment did Christy realize the only way she had of returning to Cougar Point was with Cody. A sinking feeling assailed her. She couldn't possibly avoid an hour or more with him in the intimate confines of his vehicle.

 

Cody Franklin had no idea what was happening between him and his best friend's sister-in-law. To be honest, he hadn't paid Christy Manning much attention until they were in the hospital waiting room. She'd been terribly agitated, flipping through one magazine after another. Cody doubted she'd read a single word.

Then Russ had appeared and said that Taylor was ready for the delivery room, and Cody had watched as Christy started to completely unravel.

He'd suggested they take a short walk in an effort to help her relax. He didn't know how much comfort he'd be to her, since he was a stranger, but the least he could do was try. He knew from his years as a lawman that some physical activity might help take her mind off her sister.

It was when they'd stopped to look at the babies in the nursery that Cody had felt the faint stirring of something more. Faint stirring, hell, it was like a fist to his gut!

From that moment on, some emotion had started to awaken deep within him. He experienced a lost sensation, as if he were charting unknown land, and each turn led him farther away from all that was familiar. He was suddenly at a loss for words; he'd planned to involve her in conversation, occupy her with inane chitchat about Seattle and her job to keep her from thinking about Taylor, but he hadn't asked a single question.

Every time Cody started to speak, he got lost in her eyes. He'd never seen a woman with eyes quite this blue. They reminded him of the coldest days of winter, when everything around him seemed to anticipate the promise of spring. When she smiled, those same blue eyes brightened even more, and it was like watching sunshine emerge after rain.

She'd look at him, and Cody swore he could see all the way to her soul. She was guileless and genuine and so lovely, it was all he could do not to stare at her, something he'd already apologized for once that day.

Twice he'd placed his hands on her shoulders. It wasn't his habit to comfort women with physical gestures, and he didn't understand his own actions. When he'd first held her, she'd obviously been shaken by Russ's news about Taylor, and he'd reached out in an effort to steady her.

The moment his hands had closed over her shoulders, his heart had begun racing like a runaway train. That hadn't happened since he was thirteen and had kissed a girl for the very first time.

Twenty-two years had passed, and the impact now was nearly as strong. Every minute with her he learned something new about himself, and every emotion he discovered only bewildered him more.

“I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience for you to take me out to the ranch,” Christy said, sliding into the front seat of his four-wheel drive.

“It isn't a problem.” The only difficulty it created was of his own making. He was caught in some mysterious web of yearning. Perhaps, in some strange way, this all had to do with Russ and Taylor. He couldn't help envying the happiness his friends had found. Taylor was the best thing that had ever happened to Russ Palmer, and now Russ was a father.

Cody paused, half expecting to feel a twinge of jealousy or resentment. When he was introduced to Taylor a year ago, he'd wanted to date her himself, but she'd already met Russ and it was clear that she was falling in love with him. Cody had stood on the sidelines and watched their romance unfold, amused at the way they'd both fought it so hard.