questions than a politician caught up in the middle of a sex scandal.”
“You really do know how to bring a man back down to earth.”
“I was trying to reassure you.”
Cord wasn’t reassured, but he pushed aside his own uneasiness to concentrate on hers. When they walked up to the front door at White Pines, he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “Ready?”
She shot him a brave little smile. “Hey, it’s only dinner, right? How bad can it be?”
Of course, dinner was the least of it. From the instant they walked through the door, they were being subjected to a mix of speculative glances and, in his case, downright penetrating glares. He was relieved when he finally spotted a familiar, friendly face.
“Cord, I’m so glad you could come along with Sharon Lynn,” Harlan Adams said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and guiding him over to speak to his wife. “Janet, you remember Cord, don’t you?”
She gave him a warm smile and shook his hand. “Of course. I’m so delighted Sharon Lynn brought you along today.”
“Thank you for including me.”
She shot an amused glance toward her husband. “Trust me, Harlan couldn’t wait to have you over. He’s already thinking of you as family.”
“Hush, Janet. Do you want to scare the man to death?”
“Just giving him fair warning.”
Cord grinned at her. “Not necessary. I think your husband and I understand each other completely.”
He wasn’t sure who was more surprised by his statement, but Harlan Adams recovered first. With a hoot of laughter, he slapped Cord on the back. “You need any help, son, you just come to me. I still have a little influence with my grandchildren, no matter how old and independent they think they are.”
“If you don’t mind, sir, I think I’ll just take it from here on my own.”
“Confidence, I like that,” Harlan Adams enthused. His expression sobered. “Just remember what I told you when you first came around. Sharon Lynn’s had a rough time of it. You’ll have to take things nice and easy.”
Cord wanted to grumble that if he took them much more slowly, he’d be standing still, but he simply nodded. “I’ve gentled a lot of skittish horses in my time. I figure a woman who’s been hurt is a lot like that.”
Harlan grinned. “I’m not sure Sharon Lynn would appreciate the analogy, but you’ve definitely got the right idea. Now you come with me. I want to get another peek at that baby you two have been looking after.”
“She’s the prettiest little girl I’ve ever seen,” Cord told him as they worked their way through the crowd surrounding Sharon Lynn. “Smart, too.”
“You sound a lot like a proud papa.”
Cord didn’t even bother trying to deny it. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
Sharon Lynn glanced up just then and met his gaze. A smile lit her eyes for just an instant and then she was distracted by the arrival of yet another relative.
“Justin,” she murmured in a tone that held both welcome and panic.
“Hey, Sharon Lynn,” he said, giving her a subtle shake of his head, even as he stroked a finger lightly down the baby’s cheek. “Hey, beautiful,” he whispered.
Cord moved closer. As if there had been some signal, the others slipped away, leaving Justin alone with Sharon Lynn, Cord and the baby.
“There’s no news, then?” Sharon Lynn asked after she’d introduced him to her cousin.
“Nothing concrete,” Justin said.
Cord thought he heard an unspoken warning in his voice. “But you expect to have something soon, don’t you?”
“It’s possible we’re getting close,” Justin said with a worried look at Sharon Lynn.
She swallowed hard, but she didn’t crumple at the news. “How close?” she asked in a breathless whisper.
“I’m meeting with someone in Garden City tomorrow who may know who the mother is.”
The color washed out of her cheeks. She turned suddenly and shoved the baby into Cord’s arms, then fled from the room. Startled by the abrupt move, Ashley began to cry. Justin met Cord’s gaze evenly.
“Here, let me take her. You go see how Sharon Lynn’s doing. Right now, I’m probably the last person she wants around.”
Cord handed over the baby, then went in search of Sharon Lynn. He found her in what was apparently her grandfather’s office, standing at the window, staring off into the distance. He doubted she even saw the beautiful rugged scenery. He stepped up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. She trembled at his touch.
“Don’t panic, darlin’. We’ve known all along this could happen.”
“That doesn’t make it any