Oliver looked so peaceful and content resting against Tanner’s chest.

Cassie watched Tanner push up from the chair effortlessly. Oliver didn’t protest, but instead seemed to snuggle closer to his uncle. “He was restless,” Tanner explained and gently touched the baby’s head. “And he seems to like this.”

She smiled warmly. “Thank you for taking care of him for me while I was sick.”

Tanner met her gaze. “That’s what family is for, Cassie.”

Her throat tightened. Family. It had been so long since she’d thought she had anyone to call her family, besides her baby son. To have someone to rely upon … to need someone herself, was a different kind of feeling.

“How about I put him in his crib and then make you some tea?” Tanner suggested quietly.

Cassie nodded. “That would be good.”

He moved across the room and stood beside her. Cassie’s heart rolled over when she gazed into the sleeping face of her son and she touched Oliver’s head gently. She glanced up and saw Tanner watching her with a kind of blistering intensity, and the look made her insides quiver.

This was physical attraction … pure and simple.

An attraction she’d always been able to ignore. Until now.

Claiming His

Brother’s Baby

Helen Lacey

www.millsandboon.co.uk

HELEN LACEY grew up reading Black Beauty and Little House on the Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven, a story about a girl and her horse. She loves writing for Mills & Boon® Cherish™, where she can create strong heroes with a soft heart and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-after. For more about Helen, visit her website, www.helenlacey.com.

For Nani

Because big sisters really are the best!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Cassie Duncan placed her four-month-old son in his bed and gently rubbed his belly through the pale blue cotton onesie. Oliver’s breathing slowed and she watched his tiny chest rise and fall, marveling at the perfect little person who’d come into her life.

If only your daddy was here...

But Doug was gone. Killed eight months earlier while on tour in the Middle East, he never got to see his son born. Now it was just the two of them, getting through each day. Cassie adored being a mother and loved Oliver more than she’d imagined she could love anyone. But she was sad that Doug would miss seeing his son grow up. He’d had very little family, just a younger brother in South Dakota he rarely saw. And Crystal Point was a long way from there. With a population of eight hundred, the small Australian beachside town sat at the southernmost point of the Great Barrier Reef. It was the perfect place to raise her child—quiet and safe—a place where she fit in, where she led a valuable life.

She grabbed the baby monitor, flicked on the colored shaded night-light and left the nursery. Mouse hunkered down the hall when he saw her. The one-hundred-and-sixty-pound black-and-white Great Dane always stood point at the end of the hall when she was in the nursery with Oliver. The dog pushed his big head against her leg and Cassie rubbed his neck.

“Feel like a snack?” she asked and kept walking.

Mouse followed her through to the kitchen. She gave him a couple of doggy treats and filled up the kettle. Oliver would stay asleep for a few hours, so she had time to make dinner and watch a movie. She rummaged through the pantry and settled on tinned soup and sourdough toast. The dog climbed into his bed by the door and Cassie set about making her meal.

Friday nights always seemed the quietest somehow. In the old days she would have called her best friends, Lauren and Mary-Jayne, to come around and they would have opened a bottle of wine and eaten cheese and crackers and shared stories about their week. But Lauren was recently engaged and making wedding plans with her fiancé. And Mary-Jayne was locked away in her workshop and wouldn’t be around for a week.

And I have Oliver.

Having a baby had changed her priorities. Not that Cassie had ever been much of a party girl. She’d dated Doug for three years before his death and although they hadn’t seen much of one another in the last eighteen months, she had stood by her commitment to their relationship. Being involved with a career soldier had been difficult. However, the long absences and constant worry for his safety hadn’t altered her feelings. She’d loved him, and now she loved their son.

She cranked the lid off the soup tin, poured it into a saucepan and sliced some bread while she waited for the soup to heat up. The baby monitor was quiet and Cassie relaxed when she sat down at the big scrubbed table and ate her dinner. The house was silent, except for its usual creaks and moans. But she loved the house and had lived in it for most of her life.

When her grandfather had fallen ill four years ago and needed full-time care, the house had been sold to an investment buyer to pay for his care and she had become a tenant in her own home. Of course she was grateful to have been able to stay on and lease the property from the new owner.

The new owner had turned out to be Doug and when he briefly returned from his tour and came around to check on the house, they’d quickly fallen for one another. There weren’t fireworks or a rush of crazy heat, but they’d shared something more...something lasting. It was grounded in friendship and Cassie would have happily spent her life with him had fate not intervened. But only months after she’d told him she was pregnant Doug was dead, killed by a sniper in a secret operation along with two other soldiers.

She’d been living in the house ever since, paying the rent and utilities, and had begrudgingly started looking for another place to live while waiting for the home she loved to be pulled out from under her and Oliver.

Because the house now belonged to Doug’s brother, Tanner McCord. She’d met him twice and on both occasions he’d proven to be the disinterested, brooding loner Doug had described. She knew the tension between the two men went back a long way and whenever she’d asked Doug about it he’d quickly dismissed her questions. Now all she could do was wait until she learned what Tanner planned to do with the house. Eight days earlier she’d received an email. He was coming back to Crystal Point. He wanted to see her. He wanted to talk.

He wants to kick me out of my home...

Cassie shuddered. Damn. She should be better prepared. She should have found somewhere else to live. She should have contacted a lawyer again and ascertained whether Oliver had any rights to Doug’s estate. Instead, she’d buried her head in the sand, plastered on her regular happy smile and hoped things would work out. Like a naive fool. As always.

She shook off the unease in her blood and finished her meal. Once she’d eaten and washed up, she left the kitchen, checked the baby, gathered her things and headed for the bathroom. Twenty minutes later she was showered, dried and wearing her comfiest gray sweats. By seven she was in front of the television watching a DVD.

But not even her favorite romantic comedy could hold her attention. She’d had a headache all afternoon, amplified by the increasing funk she’d been in since Tanner’s email had arrived. She was nervous. On edge and restless at the idea of facing him without Doug by her side. And she felt...alone. Something she hadn’t truly experienced since her parents had died. Or since her grandfather had gone into the nursing home. Even when she didn’t see Doug for months at a time she hadn’t labored over being alone. This was something else. Something more. Cassie couldn’t figure why the feeling was so intense. Since Oliver’s birth she hadn’t any time to linger over what she had lost, or the life she’d never have with Doug. But tonight the feelings were acute. Tonight she was lonely.

When her parents had died in a boating accident Cassie had gone to live with her grandfather Neville Duncan. She’d been eight years old and had grieved the loss of her family for a long time. Lauren’s folks had helped, and her granddad had done his best. But it wasn’t like having a family, a mother and father, of her own. With Doug she’d hoped that together they would make a family. But that wasn’t to be. Still, she was determined to tell her son everything she knew about his father. Doug wouldn’t be forgotten.

As for Tanner...she’d deal with whatever happened.

I can make this work.

I have to.

* * *

It was dark out and Tanner McCord had been sitting in the car for over half an hour.

Waiting.

And knowing he should have let the lawyers handle it instead of traveling halfway around the world to see her. They were only connected by her child. Doug’s son. The son his brother would never see.

Tanner drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. It had been over two years since he’d seen her. And that was only the second time since she’d become involved with Doug. But now Doug was gone. And Tanner was home to fulfill the unspoken promise he’d made to his brother.

He looked toward the house. A silhouette passed by a window. Tanner’s stomach lurched and he sucked in a deep breath. His leg ached and he pressed his palm hard into his left thigh. After months of rehab he could finally walk without that damn stick. The pain was worse when he drove for a length of time, and the five-hour haul from Brisbane to Crystal Point after twenty-plus hours in the air crossing the Pacific had taken its toll. He mostly avoided pain meds in favor of massage and physical therapy, but right now needed something to take his mind off the soreness and maintain his focus. Tanner popped a couple of aspirin and waited for the pain to ease as it usually did when he put pressure on the main fracture line.

There was more movement by the window, followed by a light being switched on in the front room. The big, low-set brick-and-tile home was positioned well back from the road and in the fading dusk he’d noticed how overgrown and unkempt the garden was. Tanner could see the flickering light from the television bouncing shadows off the curtains and he wondered if he should wait until morning before disturbing her.

Instead, he got out, pushing past the pain in his leg, and closed the door. Tanner walked across the curb and stalled in the middle of the driveway. Driving for hours had exaggerated his limp and he pulled his leg forward to force a straight stride. When he reached the door he knocked twice and waited. Seconds later he heard the soft sound of feet padding over floorboards before the door opened back on its hinges.

Cassandra.

His stomach rolled again. She was beautiful, as he remembered. Hair the color of treacle, pale blue eyes, porcelain skin and soft, even features. The first time Doug had introduced her to him, Tanner’s breath had been sucked from his chest. The second time he was better prepared—he managed a quick visit while Doug was home on leave and had kept his distance from her. And this time...this time he had his head screwed on right. He wasn’t in Crystal Point to lust over his dead brother’s girlfriend.

History would not repeat itself. Not ever again.

“Tanner?”

She said his name in that soft, breathless way and a familiar jolt of awareness rushed through his blood. He finally drew in some air and spoke. “Hello, Cassandra.”

Her gaze narrowed as a huge dog moved around her legs and sniffed the air. The animal eyed him suspiciously and lifted his ears in alert mode. She certainly looked as though she had all the protection she needed. “You’re here...”

“You got my email?”

“Ah...yes...but I wasn’t expecting you until next week.”

“I got an earlier flight,” he explained and pressed down the jolt of pain contracting his thigh. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I probably should have called first.”

She looked flustered and a little put out, and guilt twitched Tanner behind his shoulder blades. He should have waited until morning. Or he should have let the lawyers handle it.

“No, it’s fine,” she said and nodded. “You can come inside.”

When she opened the screen and stepped back Tanner moved through the doorway. She closed both doors behind him and suggested they go into the living room. The dog trailed her and Tanner hung back for a moment. He finally followed her down the hall and remained by the doorway when she entered the front room.

Tanner watched her. She looked cautious. On edge. Out of sorts.

Suspicious.

The room had altered a little since the last time he’d been in it. There was some new furniture, new rug, different paintings on the walls. There was a fireplace with one of those fake heaters and a photo on the mantel caught his attention. Doug. In uniform. The face seemed as recognizable as it did unfamiliar. When he was young he’d worshipped Doug.

But things had a way of changing.

“That’s quite an animal you have there,” he said.

“Mouse,” she replied and ushered the dog to sit on a rug near the fireplace. The animal gave Tanner a wary once-over before curling on the mat.

“Mouse?”

She smiled a little. “The idea was to make him seem less intimidating.”

When the dog was settled, Tanner crossed the threshold. “How are you?”

She nodded. “Fine.”

“And the—your son?”

“Oliver,” she said, as though he didn’t know the child’s name. “He’s asleep.”

He took a few steps and noticed how her gaze fell to his uneven gait. She knew about the accident that had laid him up in hospital for over a month. It was the reason he hadn’t made it to Doug’s funeral.

“And are you well?” he asked and moved behind the heavy sofa.

“I said I was.” She looked him over. “More the point, how are you?”

Tanner tapped his thigh. “Better. Good as new.”

Her brows came up. “Really?”

He shrugged. “Maybe not exactly like new. But I’m getting there.”

“I should have called,” she said quietly. “But after Doug...you know...and the baby came...and by then I didn’t have time to think about anything but Oliver.”

He understood. And he hadn’t expected her to call. They weren’t friends. They weren’t anything. She was Doug’s woman. The mother of his brother’s child. It didn’t matter that her blue eyes and soft smile invaded his dreams. Wanting her was pointless. He’d never act on it, never give in to it. Never put himself through the inevitable humiliation of her rejection. Staying in South Dakota and living his life far away from her and Doug had been the sensible option.

“It’s okay, Cassandra. You don’t have to—”

“Cassie,” she said, correcting him. “No one calls me Cassandra.”

Tanner lingered over the thought. He’d always called her that. Funny how he’d never picked up that she didn’t like it. “All right...Cassie.”

She smiled a little and sat on the sofa. “Would you like coffee? Tea?”

“No, thank you.”

“You can sit down if you want.”

He nodded and moved farther into the room. She watched him intently as he eased into the opposite chair and stretched out his left leg. She couldn’t have missed the way he favored the one side when he walked.

“Are you in pain?” she asked.

Tanner shrugged. “It was a long trip.”

The suspicion in her gaze didn’t abate. “You said in your email that you wanted to talk. So, what did you want to talk about?”

In normal circumstances it might not have sounded like a fraught, loaded question. But nothing about the situation was normal. And they both knew it.

“Don’t look so wary, Cassie. I would have been here eight months ago if it hadn’t been for the accident. I finally got the all clear to travel and came as soon as I could.”

“For what?” she asked quietly, but she was clearly on edge. “Doug’s dead. Anything that needs to be sorted could be done through lawyers.”

Silence stretched between them like frayed elastic. She doesn’t want me here. He ignored her mention of lawyers. There was time to get to all of that. “You’re right,” he said, consciously keeping his voice light. “Doug is gone. But his son is very much alive.”

Her pale eyes widened. “You came to see Oliver?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

Tanner sucked in a heavy breath. “Because he’s the only family that I have.”

* * *

Family.

Cassie almost choked out a sob the way he said the word. She longed for Oliver to have a family. But this man was a stranger. Unknown. Someone she’d met a couple of times and who had always managed to unnerve her even though they’d barely spoken. She wasn’t sure why, but knew it wasn’t simply a reaction to his handsome face. There was something about Tanner...something that almost felt familiar...as if they were connected somehow. It was stupid, of course. There was no connection...no common link other than Doug.

Still...he was extraordinarily handsome—dark brown hair, eyes the color of warm toffee and he possessed a strong, muscular frame. Features that made him impossible to ignore. He was taller than Doug had been, and leaner in the waist and hips and broader through the shoulders. He was the kind of man who’d look good in jeans, chambray shirt and cowboy boots, or a suit and tie.

Tanner McCord was gorgeous, no doubt about it. But she wasn’t about to get caught up in his good looks. She took a deep breath and spoke. “I didn’t realize family was so important to you.”

It was a direct dig and he obviously knew it. “Doug and I had different lives,” he said and stretched back against the chair. “Which doesn’t mean we didn’t care about each other.”

“I know how Doug felt about you,” she replied carefully. “He told me how he looked after you when your parents died.”

Tanner’s eyes darkened. “He did, that’s right. I was nine years old. Doug was twenty-one. I lived with him for three months before he joined the army.”

Cassie frowned. She knew Tanner was about to turn thirty-one and born the same year she was. “I thought Doug went into the army when he was twenty-three?”

There was another stretch of silence, longer this time, as though he was working out how to answer her. “No. Twenty-one.”

“And where did you live then?”

“Boarding school,” he replied. “He visited when he could.”

It wasn’t quite the story she’d heard. Doug hadn’t mentioned sending his younger brother away to school at such a young age. “Well, of course he would do that, being Doug,” she said, and ignored the tiny stab of disapproval tapping in her head. “So, how long are you staying in town?”

“Awhile.”

How long was “awhile”? “To see Oliver?”

“If that’s okay?”

She wondered how her cheerful, lovable son would take to the man whose eyes were just like his own. No, they’re Doug’s eyes. But she didn’t have any reason to refuse his request. “You can see him tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Cassie.”

She looked at the clock on the mantel. It was nearly eight o’clock. Early. Probably too early to send him on his way. “So, you’re staying in Bellandale?”

The town, with its sixty thousand residents, was twenty minutes away from the small beachside community of Crystal Point and had many quality hotels.

“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll find a hotel.”

Cassie frowned and tried not to think about how his soft accent seemed to warm her skin. “You didn’t book a hotel room?”

He shrugged. “I’ll find somewhere. I picked up a rental car at the airport. I was born in Bellandale, remember? I know my way around town.”

She did know. In fact they’d been born at the same hospital, barely a week apart. But they had never met until after she’d started dating Doug. “So, about ten tomorrow?”

“Sure,” he said and got to his feet.

Cassie noticed the slight wobble and how he pushed down hard on his right leg. He was obviously in pain. She didn’t know much about his accident, only that it had been life threatening and something to do with a horse. Now wasn’t the time to ask. And really, the less she knew the better. Tanner wasn’t part of her life. Nor did she want him to be.

She was just about to say good-night and walk him out when he faltered on his feet and quickly gripped the back of the sofa for support. Cassie rushed forward. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he said and grimaced. “Damn leg locks up sometimes. It’ll pass.”

Cassie wasn’t so sure. He looked pale and uncomfortable. The long drive to Crystal Point that had followed an even longer flight from South Dakota had clearly caught up with him. “Are you sure you can drive?”

He shrugged fractionally. “I guess I’ll find out. Good night, Cassie.”

She watched as he took a slow step, then another. He was in tremendous pain and trying not to show it. “Tanner?” His name fell from her lips.

“Yes?”

What am I doing?

“You...you could stay here tonight,” she said quietly and couldn’t quite believe the words were coming out. But she didn’t want him driving and potentially crashing. He was Doug’s brother. Oliver’s uncle. Old-fashioned consideration surged through her. “You’re not exactly in any condition to drive. And you said you’ll be coming back to see Oliver tomorrow anyway. And since you haven’t booked into a hotel. I think... I think...”

What? Having him spend the night is a good idea? In what stratosphere?

“You think what?”

She shrugged lightly. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a good idea. But he was Oliver’s uncle. And family, in a way. Plus, technically the house was his. He had every right to stay.

“It was just an idea. You look tired and in pain, that’s all. And there are two spare rooms. But if you’d rather go to a—”

“If you’re sure,” he said, cutting her off.

She wasn’t sure about anything. Especially when it came to Tanner McCord. “Of course.”

He watched her, rattling her nerves in that way he always seemed to do. “Then I’ll stay. And you’re right, Cassie, I’m beat. I’d really like a shower and some sleep. Thank you.”

So it was settled. He was staying.

“I’ll show you to your room,” she said quietly and forced some air into her lungs.

“I’ll get my bag. Be back in a minute.”

She told Mouse to stay put, walked from the room and up the hall and waited while Tanner headed back outside. He returned in a few minutes with a battered duffel draped over one strong shoulder. He wore dark jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt with piping around the pocket and cuffs and, despite the now pronounced effort as he walked, Cassie felt a sharp niggle of awareness way down low. That he could do that to her, despite how much she had loved Doug, always made her resent him just that little bit more than she would have liked.

“This way,” she said and walked down the hall. He followed and stood in the doorway once she entered the bedroom. “The sheets are fresh and there are spare towels hanging in the bathroom.”

“Thank you,” he said as he walked into the room and dropped his bag at the foot of the bed.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. I need to check on Oliver.”

Cassie left the room as swiftly as she could and headed for the nursery, and tried not to think about how she suddenly had a man staying in her spare room.

His spare room. His house.

With a heavy heart it occurred to her she was now a visitor in her own home.

Once she’d checked on the baby Cassie made it to the kitchen and turned on the kettle. She heard the shower running and tried to concentrate on making tea. The wall clock read just past eight-thirty and she hoped once Tanner had showered he’d give in to the jet lag and crash out for the night.

But not so.

Fifteen minutes later he appeared in the doorway. He wore low-rise, loose-fitting jeans and a white Henley shirt that did little to disguise the washboard belly and broad shoulders. His hair was damp and flopped over his forehead.

So, he’s as sexy as sin.

It wasn’t exactly a news flash. The first time she’d met Tanner she’d been aware of his many physical attributes. Doug had joked how his brother had gotten all the looks in the family. Not that he’d been unattractive, but he certainly hadn’t possessed the classic handsomeness of the man now hovering in the doorway.

“Tea?” she asked and tried not to think about how the air seemed suddenly thicker.

He shrugged. “Coffee?”

Cassie nodded and grabbed a couple of mugs. “Is instant okay?” she asked. “Or I can put the percolator on for—”

“Instant is fine,” he said easily.

She relaxed a little and began making the coffee. “Now that you’ve showered and changed do you feel human again?”

“Yeah. I don’t mind flying, but I always seem to get a chronic case of jet lag.”

“Doug loved flying,” she said as she poured his coffee and then sugared her tea. She remembered that Tanner liked his coffee with only a little milk. Funny how some memories stuck.

“My brother always was the adventurous one.”

Cassie didn’t quite believe that. While Doug had joined the army and made a career as a soldier, she knew Tanner had traveled the world before settling in South Dakota to work his special kind of magic with horses. He had the swagger and confidence of a man who knew who he was. Now she wondered how much the accident had changed his life and the work he loved.

“Can you still ride?” she asked, figuring there were things that had to be said and she needed time to work up to the hard questions.

“Not yet,” he replied and came farther into the room.

Cassie glanced up. “When you called to say you couldn’t come to the funeral because you were in hospital I kind of zoned out and didn’t ask many questions about what had happened to you. I think I was still in shock at the time.”

“Understandable,” he said and walked around the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down. “I was in a bit of shock myself. I guess I always thought Doug was invincible.” He tapped his leg in a kind of ironic gesture “Turns out, no one is.”

Cassie brought the mugs to the table and sat down. “So, what happened?”

“You mean the accident? I got in the way of a frightened horse and was trampled.”

It sounded oversimplified and she raised her brows. “And?”

“A busted leg, broken wrist, four fractured ribs and concussion. Cuts and abrasions. And I lost my spleen.”

“A horse did that?” she asked, horrified by the seriousness of his injuries.

He sipped his coffee. “I was at a friend’s ranch. His young daughter got between the colt and the fence and I pulled her out of the way. But I wasn’t quick enough to make it back through the corral gate. The horse struck me in the chest and once I was down that was it. There was nothing anyone could have done.”

Cassie’s throat tightened. “You could have been killed.”

He shrugged lightly. “I spent a month in hospital and the next six working to get back on my feet.”

“It happened only a few days or so before Doug died,” she said quietly, thinking of the irony. “It must have been hard for you, being in hospital and getting the news your brother was gone.”

He shrugged again, but Cassie wasn’t fooled. There was something in his expression that told her losing his brother had been shattering. She’d always thought Tanner to be aloof and insensitive. Doug had called him a free spirit, the kind of man who would never settle down, never lay down roots. But she wasn’t so sure. She decided to ask him. There was no point in being coy. There was too much at stake. “What are you really doing here, Tanner?”

He sat back slowly in his seat and watched her. “I told you.”

“To see your nephew?” It seemed too easy. Too simple.

“That’s right.”

“How long are you staying?”

He pushed the mug aside. “I’m not sure.”

Cassie’s back stiffened. “Then I have to ask you,” she said and pushed her shoulders back. “Are you kicking us out of this house?”

Chapter Two

Tanner had expected the question. He knew she’d want to know about the house. It had to be hard for her. She’d lived in the house since she was a child. When her grandfather’s health had declined, the house was put on the market and sold...to Doug. Tanner had no idea why his brother had bought the place. But he knew Cassie had a deep connection to the home she’d once shared with her grandfather.

“Of course not.”

She let out a long breath, as though she’d been holding it. He noticed her knuckles were white around the mug. “Oh, okay.”

“This is still your home, Cassie.”

“But Doug—”

Tanner straightened his spine. “It’s still your home,” he said again, firmer this time.

“For the moment. And according to Doug’s lawyer, the house belongs to you.”

“An oversight, obviously.”

It wasn’t the truth. It wasn’t even close to it. But Tanner wouldn’t divulge that knowledge. There was no point. Doug was dead. His brother had left a mess behind—one Tanner had to clean up before he returned to South Dakota.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

He lied again. “I’m sure Doug had every intention of—”

“I’m not sure what Doug intended,” she said, cutting him off.

But Tanner did. Doug had made his thoughts about the house and the child Cassie carried very clear. He drank some coffee and looked at her. She was so effortlessly pretty. His insides stirred and he quickly pushed the thought aside.

“It makes no difference now.”

She shook her head. “But the house —”

“It has a mortgage,” he said quietly. “Did you know that?”

She shook her head again. “I wasn’t sure. Doug never talked about it much when he returned from tour. I’ve been paying rent and the utilities like I’ve done since he first bought the place.” She stopped and looked at him. “How large a mortgage?”

His stomach tightened as he named the figure.

“Oh...that’s...that’s a lot.”

It was a lot. It was a six-figure hole that wouldn’t be covered by Doug’s insurance policy. Most of the money had gone to repay the balance on three maxed credit cards and a bank loan taken out to purchase the top-of-the-range Ducati stored in the garage.

He pushed down the resentment thickening his blood. Whatever Doug had done, Tanner had come to Crystal Point to fix things...not make matters worse. And definitely not to upset the woman who’d borne his brother’s child.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” he said gently, trying to put her at ease.

“I’d rather—”

“Tomorrow,” he said again and stood, scraping the chair back. “I think I should crash before the jet lag really takes hold.”

“Okay. Good night.”

“’Night, Cassie.”

He left the room quickly and ten minutes later he was asleep. Only his dreams were plagued by images of pale blue eyes and soft lips. And memories of the girl he’d met so long ago, but who didn’t remember him.

* * *

Cassie got up during the night to feed and change the baby and tumbled out of bed at a little after six the following morning. Oliver was awake in his crib, gurgling and pumping his little legs. Cassie scooped him up and inhaled the scent of lotion and baby shampoo. She never got enough of holding him or cuddling him. She gave him a bottle and when that was done she changed him out of pajamas and into a navy-and-white-striped jumpsuit and popped him in his bouncing rocker, which sat secured by two bolts on the big scrubbed table.

Mouse lingered by the back door waiting to be let out and once the dog was outside Cassie filled the coffeepot.

“Good morning.”

Tanner.

She wasn’t used to having a man in the house. Doug’s visits over the past couple of years had been sporadic. When they were together he was charming and familiar and despite how much she had loved him, didn’t set her pulse racing at a galloping speed. Not so his brother. Tanner stood in the doorway, dressed in the same jeans he’d worn the night before and a pale blue T-shirt that enhanced his well-cut arms and broad shoulders.

Once again she was struck by a sense of familiarity...of connection...of memory...of something...

“’Morning,” she said chirpily, shaking the feeling off. “Coffee’s on and I’m just about to make breakfast.”

Oliver chuckled and the sound instantly grabbed Tanner’s attention. Cassie watched, fascinated as he made his way toward her son and stopped by the table. Oliver’s chuckle became a laugh and she saw Tanner smile. He held out his hand and the baby latched on to his finger. It was both a painful and poignant moment for Cassie. Doug never had the chance to see his son and now Tanner was in her kitchen, making the very connection with Oliver she knew belonged to his brother.

“He’s cute,” Tanner said and looked at her. “He has your eyes.”

“They’re brown,” she said and poured the coffee. “Like yours.”

“The shape is all you, though,” he replied. “Lucky kid.”

Cassie ignored the fluttering in her belly. Being around Tanner had always done it to her. It didn’t mean anything. Just a silly awareness of his good looks. Even a rock would notice.

She started on breakfast and listened as he talked softly to Oliver. He had a nice voice, softly accented and a mix of his Australian roots combined with a quiet, Midwestern drawl. Oliver seemed mesmerized and she had just slid some bread into the toaster when Tanner spoke to her.

“Can I hold him?”

She looked up. “Sure. Do you know how?”

Cassie was sure one brow came up. “I know how. My best friend has three kids,” Tanner explained. “He lost his wife in a car wreck when the youngest was a couple of months old.”

“That’s so sad.”

“Yeah, that was two years ago. I help out if I can. Grady owns a place up the road from mine so I’m on hand if he needs a sitter. With three daughters under six he has his hands full.”

Cassie watched as he carefully extracted the baby from the rocker. His movements seemed natural and effortless, as if he’d done it a hundred times before. She remembered her own first stumbling weeks when she’d come home from the hospital with a newborn. There were days when she’d never felt more overwhelmed or alone in her life.

Oliver gurgled delightfully and her heart tightened. Tanner cradled the baby in one arm and easily supported his head with a strong hand. “He’s a big boy,” he said and came toward the countertop. “Clearly a hearty eater?”

Cassie smiled. “He does love his food. He also likes to puke, so watch out.”

Tanner laughed and the rumbling sound made her belly flip over. For a reason she couldn’t quite define Cassie wished he would stop being so likable. Doug had always been the charming one. So many times he’d said his younger brother was moody and serious with little time for anyone or anything other than his horses and his ranch. The two occasions they’d met she’d had no reason to question that description. He’d hardly spoken to her. Oh, he’d been polite, but there had been almost a cool reserve in his manner. She hadn’t taken it personally because Doug had warned her that Tanner wasn’t exactly warm and friendly. It had also made the unexpected spark of awareness she’d experienced easier to ignore. But now, watching him hold Oliver with such open affection suddenly seemed at odds with Doug’s depiction.

“You’re good with him,” she said, surprising herself as she buttered the toast.

“Thanks,” he replied and tucked the baby into the crook of his arm.

Cassie grabbed a couple of plates and took the food to the table. “He hasn’t had a lot of interaction with men. Well, except for Gabe.”

His expression narrowed fractionally. “Gabe?”

“My best friend’s fiancé. Lauren and Gabe got engaged some months back. They’re good friends and very supportive. And Lauren’s parents insist I take him to see them once a fortnight. They said he’s their honorary grandson, which is nice.”

“It’s hard when you don’t have family.”

It didn’t sound like a question. And she was quick to remember what he’d said about Oliver being the only real family he had. “Sometimes.” She smiled “On the good side there are less birthdays to remember.”

He didn’t smile back straightaway. “How’s your grandfather?”

She was surprised to think he remembered she had any relatives and Cassie quickly explained her grandfather’s slide into dementia as she brought fruit and then coffee to the table.

“He doesn’t know you at all?”

“Not really,” she replied. “Sometimes he calls me by my mother’s name. I’ve taken Oliver to see him a few times but he just sits and looks at us. He’s always friendly but I miss the man he used to be. He was all I had after my parents died. He’s on dialysis now and has numerous other health issues, including a weak heart.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged and tried not to let her sudden emotion show. It was difficult talking about her only remaining grandparent. “Don’t be. I still like to see him even if he doesn’t know me. But I know he’s ill and probably not going to be around much longer.” She motioned to the food on the table. “You can put Oliver back in the rocker if you like.”

“I can manage,” he assured her as he pulled out a chair and sat down, positioning her delighted son in the curve of his elbow so he could see her from across the table. He rocked Oliver a little. “I like getting to know my nephew.”

“I’d like him to know you, too.”

It wasn’t the truth. Not really. Because she was confused by her feelings for Tanner. And it was difficult imagining her son could have some kind of worthwhile relationship with a man she hardly knew. A man she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

And that, she realized, was at the core of her reticence.

It wasn’t about Oliver.

It was the lingering awareness and unwanted attraction she had for Tanner that made her reluctant and suspicious. They’re my own secret demons. And she had to get over them. For Oliver’s sake.

“And your ranch?” she asked, changing the subject. “That’s going well?”

He nodded. “Sure. I’ve mostly been working with injured or traumatized horses for the last couple of years.” He managed a wry smile and glanced down at his leg. “Kind of ironic I guess.”

She relaxed fractionally. “Doug said you were some kind of horse whisperer.”

He laughed and the sound hit her directly between the ribs. “My brother always did like to make me sound like a crackpot.”

“I don’t think it sounds like that. And you know what they say—working with kids or animals is one of the hardest jobs in the world.”

“I think that’s in the movies, Cassie,” he said and smiled. “I just train horses to trust people again.”

She nodded, thinking that he’d probably managed to accomplish that as easily as he breathed. “And you’re happy there?”

He stilled and looked at her. “Yes, very happy.”

Cassie swallowed hard. “So you wouldn’t...you wouldn’t consider...”

“Consider what?” he asked and rubbed a gentle hand over the back of Oliver’s head.

She shrugged. “Moving back... Moving here...”

His brows shot up. “To Crystal Point? No. My life isn’t here anymore.”

She knew that. But unease still rippled through her veins. Because she knew what it meant. “Are you going to sell the house?”

He stared at her with blistering intensity. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to.”

Her blood stilled. “I could try and raise the money to...” Cassie stopped and thought about what she was suggesting. She’d never be able to commit to such a large debt. Her minimum wage job and the cost of child care put that option out of reach. She shrugged again. “I thought perhaps the insurance might have covered the mortgage.”

“No,” he said quietly. “There was some other debt and—”

“The Ducati,” she said and sighed. “Doug bought it the last time he was home.”

“Yes,” he said, still quiet. “I’m sorry about the house, Cassie. I know it was your grandfather’s home and means a lot to you.”

Heat pinged behind her eyes and she blinked quickly. She didn’t want his sympathy. Or his pity. If the house needed to be sold, then she had no option but to go along with his plans. She wanted to ask him about the “other debt,” but didn’t. What difference did it make now? Her home was going to be sold and there was nothing she could do about it.

“I’ll need some time to arrange things,” she said and concentrated her gaze on her smiling son. “Perhaps a month to sort through my—”

“There’s no rush.”

* * *

Tanner saw the emotion in her stare. He didn’t want to alarm her or make her life complicated. In fact he wanted the opposite. He’d come to Crystal Point to right a wrong. To forgive and find a kind of peace so he could get on with the rest of life.

She stared at him over the rim of her mug. She really does have the most amazing colored eyes. Eyes easy to get lost in. Eyes that made it even easier to forget that Doug had loved her. And that she had loved his brother.

“I guess that depends on how long it takes to sell,” she murmured.

“I have an appointment with Doug’s lawyer on Wednesday,” he explained. “We’ll know more after that.”

“We?” She looked skeptical. “The house belongs to you, Tanner. It’s your decision. Your call. I’ve got nothing to do with it.”

You’ve got everything to do with it...

Guilt pressed between his shoulders. And rage toward his brother that he quickly pushed back down. “On paper, perhaps. However,” he said and touched Oliver’s cheek, “there’s more to this situation than an out-of-date last will and testament. And there’s little point in imagining the worse outcome before we have all the facts.”

“But the mortgage—”

“We’ll see what happens. And any money left from the insurance will go into trust for Oliver.”

“But that’s not what Doug wanted,” she replied quickly. “He left everything to you.”

Tanner knew it had hurt her. How could it not? She was in a relationship with his brother and Doug had failed to provide for her and her child when she needed it the most.

In typical Doug fashion.

It wasn’t the first time his brother had betrayed a woman he’d professed to love.

“He would have changed things,” Tanner said, lying through his teeth as he looked down at the baby. “If he’d had the opportunity and the time. But he was in a war zone and on a covert mission, Cassie...and probably not thinking clearly.”

She sighed heavily. “I know that. He was...surprised... I mean, when I told him about the baby.”

Surprised? Tanner knew that wasn’t the half of it. Doug had called him at three in the morning in a rage, ranting about how Cassie had deliberately gotten pregnant and probably planned to trap him into a marriage he didn’t want. He played devil’s advocate as best he could, insisting that Cassie wouldn’t be so manipulative. But Doug was unswayed. He didn’t want marriage. Or children. And Tanner knew his brother intended telling Cassie as much, had he lived. He had the proof via several emails Doug had sent before he was killed.

The baby gurgled and he grabbed on to the distraction. He couldn’t tell her the truth. He wouldn’t. It was better she believed Doug wanted to do the right thing by her and his son.

“This little guy is my nephew and I promised Doug I’d look out for him,” he said softly and touched Oliver’s head. “And you.”

She visibly stiffened. “I don’t need looking out for, Tanner. I can take care of myself and Oliver.”

The air crackled and Tanner didn’t miss the edge of resentment in her voice. Not that he really blamed her. Cassie Duncan had no real reason to trust him. But he didn’t want to be at war with her, either.

“Can you at least meet me halfway, Cassie?” he asked. “I know you’ve been through a lot these past few months, but I’m not your enemy.”

“Then what exactly are you, Tanner? My knight in shining armor?”

“How about your friend?” he suggested and the moment the words came out, he felt like a complete fraud. He could never be friends with Cassie. He’d do what he’d returned to Crystal Point to do and then hightail it back home.

She stared at him. “Friends? Sure...”

But she looked as unconvinced about the idea as he was.

He placed Oliver back in the rocker. “I’ve got a few errands to run. But I’ll come back a little later to see this little guy again and get my bags, if that’s okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Then he left her alone.

His leg ached, and Tanner pressed down heavily on his heel to help ease the pain as he walked from the house and headed for his rental car. He needed to clear his thoughts for a while. And knew just where to do that.

Five minutes later he turned the car into a familiar driveway. The old farmhouse looked much the same, as did the seventy-five-year-old woman who stood on the porch, waving at him to come inside. Tanner waved back and got out of the rental car.

Ruthie Nevelson had lived just out of Crystal Point for over sixty years. A widow for more than a quarter century, she’d been a friend and neighbor when his folks were alive and a much needed friend to him once they were gone. From her front gate, in the distance Tanner could see the rooftop of the home he’d lived in as a young boy. It was still a working sugarcane farm and he breathed in a heavy, nostalgic breath. If his parents had lived he would have taken over the farm and been the fourth generation McCord to do so. Instead, the place had been sold to another neighboring farmer three months after their deaths and Tanner was shipped off to boarding school a couple of weeks later. After that, he spent the holidays with Ruthie. Doug was in the army by then and returned whenever he could. But there were times when Tanner didn’t see his brother for six or more months.

It was Ruthie who showed him kindness and offered comfort and understanding while he grieved the loss of his parents. Not really a grandmother, but as close to one as Tanner had known. It was she who’d pushed him to pursue his talent with horses and arranged the opportunity for him to work with her brother-in-law, a horse breaker and rancher, in South Dakota. After traveling through Europe for a couple of years, Tanner settled in Cedar Creek ten years ago and finally found a place he could call his own.

He locked the car and headed up the path.

“’Bout time you got here,” Ruthie said with a wide grin as he took the narrow steps in two strides and landed on the porch. “I’ve had the coffee ready for half an hour.”

Tanner hugged her close. He hadn’t seen Ruthie for two years and she still looked as vibrant and healthy as she did back then. Her hair was still dyed an impossibly bright red, and she still wore moleskins, her favorite cowboy boots, and moved with that straight-backed confidence he’d recognize anywhere. Ruthie Nevelson was the best person he’d ever known, and he’d missed her like crazy.

“Hello, Ruthie,” he said, smiling broadly. “It’s good to see you, too.”

She set herself back to get a better look at him. “That leg still ailing you?”

He nodded. “A little. The long flight didn’t help. It’ll ease up in a couple of days.”

“Good,” she said and grabbed his arm. “Now, come inside and eat the cake I made for you.”

There had always been something about Ruthie’s cooking that could cheer him up, and she knew it well. He followed her inside the house and down the narrow hall. Two small dogs came scurrying to greet them and bounced around his feet for attention.

“Ignore them,” she said as she dropped her hat on the cluttered counter and pointed to a seat at the table. “They’ll lose interest soon enough.”

“They’re new,” he said and pulled out a chair. “What happened to Bluey?” he asked about her old sheepdog.

“Got sick and died last spring,” she replied. “Inherited these two when Stan Jarvis passed away a few months ago.”

Stan had been Ruthie’s on-again, off-again suitor for over twenty years. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

She shrugged and grabbed two mugs. “Everybody dies,” she said and gave him a wide smile. “Even this old girl will one day.”

“Impossible,” Tanner said with a grin, then more seriously. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You, too.” Ruthie poured coffee and brought the mugs to the table. “I was expecting you yesterday. Where’d you stay last night?”

“Cassie’s,” Tanner said as he sat down and spotted a large frosted cake in the center of the table. He reached out to steal a fingerful of frosting, giving an approving “Mmm” at the delicious flavor.

Ruthie stared at him. “I see.”

“It was late when I got there,” he explained. “And since I wanted to see the baby anyway, she offered—”

“You told her about the house?” Ruthie asked in her usual straight-to-the-point way.

Tanner shrugged. “We discussed things.”

She shook her head. “Messy situation. Typical of that no-good brother of yours.”

Ruthie had never pulled punches when it came to Doug. But Tanner respected her too much to disagree. “I’ll have to sell the place.”

“I thought as much.” Ruthie’s expression narrowed. “It’s not your fault. Some things even you can’t fix.”

Tanner took the mug she offered. “I can try.”

She tutted. “And get your heart broke all over again? I dunno if that makes you a fool or a saint.”

“I’m no saint,” he said with a half grin. “You know that better than anyone.”

“What I know is that you can’t keep cleaning up his chaos,” Ruthie said, her voice harder than usual. “That girl should be told the truth about him.”

The truth about Doug? To the outside world he was charming and likable and there was no doubt he’d been a fine soldier. But he’d had troubles, too. In civilian life he’d been unreliable. The army had sorted him out eventually. But it wasn’t a truth that Cassie needed to know.

“I’ll tell her enough,” he said quietly.

Ruthie looked unconvinced. “And will you tell her that Doug McCord got your eighteen-year-old girlfriend pregnant and then dumped her right before he stole your inheritance?”

Chapter Three

No. Tanner had decided. He wouldn’t be telling Cassie anything about the girl who’d cheated on him with his brother and when she’d gotten pregnant how Doug had bailed on his responsibility. Or that his brother had taken the money put in trust for Tanner when he reached twenty-one, and used it to fund his partying and gambling. It had ended badly. For him. For Doug. For everyone. But telling tales wasn’t his style. And it had been twelve years ago. There was no point in rehashing old betrayals.

“Still protecting him?”

Ruthie’s voice got his attention again. “I just don’t want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily.”

“Anyone?” Her silvery brows came up. “You mean Cassie Duncan?”

“I mean anyone,” he emphasized.

“She should be told,” Ruthie said, relentless. “Putting him on a pedestal won’t change the truth. You were too quick to forgive and forget.”

I haven’t forgiven.

Not yet. It was why he’d come back. Why he had to make things right for his nephew.

Losing Leah had hurt. Even though their relationship was new and filled with the usual teenage angst, he’d fallen for her quickly. Four months later she’d announced she was pregnant and in love with his brother. But Doug made it clear he didn’t want her or the baby and skipped town, taking Tanner’s inheritance with him. Unable to get past such a betrayal, it was all the motivation Tanner needed to pack his bags and leave Crystal Point. He spent close to two years backpacking in Europe before Doug finally tracked him down and by then Leah and the baby she’d tragically miscarried were a distant memory to his brother. Doug returned some of the money, said he was sorry, and Tanner did his best to believe him. But the experience had forever changed their relationship. He came home, stayed with Ruthie for a month and then moved to South Dakota.

And he’d never really looked back.

Until now.

Until Cassie.

But he’d already loved one woman who’d preferred his brother. He wasn’t about to do that again. No matter how much her blue eyes haunted his dreams.

Still, he was tired of being angry. Tired of resenting Doug and wishing things were different. Tired of living in the past. For years Tanner had battled the anger he’d felt toward his brother. It had kept him shut off and restrained in relationships with almost everyone he knew. Except for Ruthie and his closest friend, Grady Parker, who knew some of what happened between him and his brother.

Almost losing his life in the accident had shifted his perspective. Tanner didn’t want to be angry anymore. He wanted to live the rest of his life without blame and bitterness. And to do that he had to truly forgive Doug. Only then would he find the peace of mind he craved.

“I know what I’m doing,” he assured the old woman sitting opposite.

But he was pretty sure she didn’t believe it.

She nodded anyway. “So, you gonna stay there tonight?”

“No,” he replied. “I’ll check into a hotel in Bellandale.”

“Nonsense,” she huffed. “You’ll stay here.”

Tanner grinned. “You know, you’re getting bossy in your old age.”

“Hah...I’ve always been bossy.” Ruthie’s throaty laugh made him smile. “Besides, I’ve got a new colt that needs breaking.”

Tanner tapped his leg. “I’m not quite back in the saddle yet.”

“No problem. I just need help mouthing and long reining.” Ruthie’s brows came up and she grinned. “You still look fit enough for that. As long as you can do it without whining like a girl.”

Tanner laughed loudly. Ruthie always cheered him up. He left a short time later and headed back to Cassie’s. She was in the front yard when he pulled into the driveway. Oliver’s stroller was parked nearby in the shade and Mouse sat by the front wheels. She wore cutoff jeans, a gray T-shirt, trainers and thick gardening gloves. A bougainvillea twisted up and across the paling fence and she was cutting off some of the biting vines as he approached.

He patted the dog and flipped his sunglasses off. “Gardening?” He stood by the stroller. “Looks like fun.”

Cassie stepped back and turned. “Well, maybe not fun, but necessary at least. I’ve neglected the yard since Oliver arrived. My grandfather always took such pride in his garden.”

Tanner looked around, hands on hips. “It’s a big yard. Perhaps getting someone in would be a better—”

She stiffened. “I can do it.”

“I’m sure you can do anything you set your mind to.” He smiled at the defiance in her expression. “Would you like some help?”

Cassie nodded and bent to collect the gloves. “If you have time. I could make lunch.” She stilled and met his gaze. “Unless you’ve already eaten?”

“No, I haven’t.”

She held out the gloves. “Great. I’ll take Oliver inside and you see if you have any more luck cutting back that vine. See you back in the house in half an hour.”

Tanner grabbed the gloves and clippers and got to work on the overgrown vine. He made short work of it and once the branches were hacked he hauled them into a respectable pile. But the spikes, he discovered, were unforgiving and the razor-sharp thorns bit through his T-shirt. He pulled the shirt off, removed the spikes from the fabric and re-dressed before he headed up the path and toward the house.

He cleaned up in the laundry and Cassie was in the kitchen making sandwiches when he rounded the corner and stalled by the threshold. She looked up instantly and brought plates to the table.

Tanner spotted the stroller by the table. “Is he asleep?”

“Yes. I gave him a small bottle and he went out like a light.”

Tanner walked into the room and peered into the stroller. Oliver’s little face looked peaceful. It occurred to him that he might be able to help out with the baby. “You don’t...you know...feed him yourself?”

Her brows came up slowly. “Do I breast-feed, you mean?”

Tanner tried to ignore the ridiculous heat that crawled up his neck. “Yeah.”

She shook her head. “I did for a few weeks. But after that I couldn’t.” She shrugged and walked back to the countertop. “Sometimes it happens that way. I was unwell and after Doug—”

“It’s okay, Cassie,” Tanner said quickly. “You don’t have to explain.” No, because he understood. The man she loved was dead, she had a new baby and she was faced with the knowledge that the home she’d lived in most of her life was about to be pulled from under her feet. It wasn’t difficult to figure out why she’d struggle to nurse her son.

She shrugged again and he was sure he saw moisture in her eyes before she blinked and turned toward the refrigerator. Half a minute later she returned to the table and sat down.

“Where’d you go this morning?” she asked and pushed a plate toward him.

“Ruthie’s,” he explained.

She nodded. “Ruthie Nevelson? She sent me a card when Oliver was born. Doug never visited her much. I guess you’re closer to her than he was.”

“I guess,” he said. “I always spent my summers with Ruthie once school was out. Doug was in the army by then.”

Cassie looked up and smiled. “My friend Lauren and I used to swipe oranges from her tree when we were kids. Funny,” she said and toyed with her sandwich. “We never saw you there. I mean, Crystal Point is a small town—you’d think we would have crossed paths at some point.”

We did.

But Tanner didn’t say it. Even though the memory was etched into his mind. At thirteen they’d met briefly. It was fourteen years later that he met her again. And by then she was Doug’s girlfriend and hadn’t remembered those few moments on the beach so many years earlier.

“I was usually hanging out with my friends,” he said, taking a sandwich and smiling. “No time for girls back then.”

“And now?” she asked, grinning slightly. “Is there someone in the picture?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “No one at the moment.”

“But there was?”

Another shrug. “For a while. It wasn’t all that serious.”

In truth, Tanner hadn’t ever been completely committed in a relationship. For a time, with Ash, he’d thought they might have a future. But it had faded quickly once they realized they were better as friends than lovers. It had ended over a year ago and he hadn’t been inclined to pursue anyone since.

“But you want to settle down eventually?”

“Eventually,” he replied and took a bite of the sandwich.

“In South Dakota? I mean, you’re settled there?”

He nodded. “Cedar Creek is a good town, with good people.”

“Like Crystal Point?” she asked.

“There are similarities,” he said. “Small towns tend to breed a certain kind of people.”

“I suppose they do.” She stared into her plate, and then spoke a little wistfully. “Doug didn’t share the same beliefs about small-town life. He never seemed happy here.”

“It just wasn’t his...fit,” Tanner said. “The military was his home.”

She nodded. “Maybe that’s why he found it so hard to come back. Even when he did he was always...” She stopped, paused, clearly thinking and not wanting to say too much. “He was always a little unsettled.”

Tanner knew that. And knew why. “He wasn’t the settle-down type, I guess.”

He quickly picked up the way her eyes shadowed. “That’s what he used to say about you.”

“I mean, he wasn’t the type to settle down to a life as a cane farmer.”

“I know what you meant,” she said, bristling, and pushed the plate forward. “I’m not completely blind to who he was.”

There was pain in her words and he gave himself a mental jab. “He did love you,” Tanner said and immediately wished he hadn’t.

Her eyes lost their luster, as if she was thinking, remembering. “Not enough to come home.” She stood and pushed the chair back. “I shouldn’t have said that. Doug’s gone. Wishing for him to be different is unfair.”

“Cassie, I didn’t mean to—”

“I need to run a few errands myself this afternoon,” she said through a deep breath. “I shouldn’t be too long.”

Tanner stood and looked at her half-eaten lunch. “I’ll finish in the garden while you’re gone if you like. And head off when you get back.”

“Fine,” she said and within seconds had wheeled the stroller from the room.

* * *

“What’s he like?”

Cassie raised her gaze toward her best friend Lauren and rocked Oliver in her arms.

He’s a gorgeous, sexy cowboy who makes my pulse race.

“He seems nice.”

Lauren’s brows shot up. “Seems nice?”

She shrugged again. “What do you want me to say? I hardly know Tanner.”

“Apart from what Doug told you?”

True. Only, everything Doug had said about his brother didn’t seem to match the man she’d come to know over the past twenty-four hours.

“Okay, maybe he’s not the brooding loner Doug made him out to be. Although I’m not going to make too many judgments after one day.”

Lauren nodded. “But he wants to be a part of Oliver’s life?”

“That’s what he said.”

“And he’s selling the house?”

Cassie drew in a breath. “That’s also what he said. There’s a large mortgage.”

“I’m sorry,” Lauren said after a long pause. “I know it isn’t what you’d hoped.”

“I knew it might come to this,” she said, hurting all over at the thought of losing her home, but determined to put on a brave face. “And it’s only a house. I’ll make a home for Oliver somewhere else.”

“You can stay with us,” Lauren offered. “You’ll always be welcome.”

Cassie blinked back the heat in her eyes. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Lauren said, clearly concerned. “You look pale and tired.”

“It’s just a headache,” she said and managed a smile.

She did have a headache. And a scratchy throat and a quickly growing lethargy. But she didn’t admit she was feeling increasingly unwell as the day progressed. Lauren’s fiancé was a doctor and her friend would have had her under the stethoscope in a heartbeat if Cassie said she was feeling ill.

“If you’re sure,” Lauren said, still looking concerned. “Just be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Cassie tapped her own chest. “I’m impervious to hurt,” she said with a wry grin. “Tough as nails, you know that.”

But she knew her friend didn’t believe it.

By the time Cassie bundled Oliver into the car and pulled into the driveway it was well past four o’clock. She noticed immediately how the once out-of-control bougainvillea vine was now three piles of tightly bound cuttings and what remained of the hedge had also been carefully clipped back. Plus, the lawn was mowed and the scent of fresh cut grass lingered in the air.

Tanner had been busy. In a matter of hours the front yard was transformed into a neat and tidy copy of what it had once been—before Doug’s death, before the bills had piled up and she’d taken leave from her job and had to watch every penny she spent.

Inside, Cassie headed straight for the kitchen and made up formula for Oliver.

She could hear the shower running and once the baby was fed she carried him to the nursery, laid him on the changing table and stripped off his clothes.

“Hey there.”

She stilled and turned. Tanner stood in the doorway—hair damp, wearing washed-out jeans and a black collared T-shirt that looked way too good on his broad-shouldered frame. “Hi.”

“Did you have a good afternoon?”

Cassie nodded, trying to ignore the throb at her temple. “I went to see my friend Lauren.”

“Ah, the orange thief?” he said with a grin.

Cassie laughed softly. “Yes. Were your ears burning?”

He grinned. “Talking about me, eh?”

“Maybe a little,” she replied. “I’m going to give Oliver a bath now.”

“Sure.”

She took the baby into her arms. “Thanks for doing the yard.”

“No problem.”

Cassie felt the warmth of his stare through to her bones and tried to disregard the heat coiling up her legs. He really did have the sexy thing down pat. She willed some good sense into her limbs and headed from the room, conscious of how he moved aside to let her pass. She lingered in the nursery with Oliver after his bath and by the time she’d dressed him in a navy romper suit and settled him down to sleep it was dusk outside.

When Cassie returned to the kitchen she found Tanner talking to Mouse, and the dog was staring up at him, listening intently. Again, she was struck by the image of the man Doug had told her he was, and the contrasting man he seemed in reality. Not closed off and moody. Not a brooding, unfriendly loner.

Not anything like the man Doug had described.

He looked up. “Is Oliver settled?”

“For the moment,” she replied. “He’ll sleep for a couple of hours. His usual routine gives me enough time to have a shower and eat something.”

Tanner checked his watch. “Then I should probably go.”

Something niggled at her. She couldn’t define it. Maybe she didn’t want to. She drew in a long breath and frowned.

“Are you okay?” he asked, watching her.

Cassie nodded. “I’ve had one of those daylong headaches.”

He laughed and then must have realized how insensitive it sounded. “Sorry, I was thinking that maybe since I’ve been here for twenty-four hours there was a connection.”

She smiled. “No. Although...”

His brows came up. “Although?”

She shrugged. “Well...you’re not...”

“I’m not...?”

Heat crept up her neck and she searched for the words. “It’s only that you’re not exactly who I thought...” She shrugged again and took a deep breath. “I guess I thought you wouldn’t be so...easy to get along with.”

Tanner rested against the counter and folded his arms. “Compared to what?”

She hesitated as her gaze shifted to the floor. “To the person I thought you were.”

“Who you thought I was,” he said quietly. “Or who Doug said I was.”

Her shoulders came up for a second and then dropped. “I suppose. He said you were quiet and...”

“And what?” Tanner asked when her words trailed. “Indifferent and unfriendly?”

She looked up. “Words to the effect.”

“And what do you think?”

Cassie stepped back. “I think you’re confident and sensible. I think you don’t waste time trying to charm or manipulate people.” She paused and took a breath. “I think you know exactly who you are. And what you want.”

His brown eyes darkened. “And do you?” he asked softly. “Do you know what you want, Cassie?”

At that moment she wanted to run. Everything about him reached her on some base, heady level. She was hot all over and she knew why. Tanner McCord made her remember she was a woman. And it scared her to death.

“Ah...what about dinner,” she said quickly and took a sharp breath. She pointed to the telephone. “I have the number of a great pizza place on speed dial. I mean, unless you want to leave right away.”

He pushed himself off the counter. “Dinner would be good.”

Cassie nodded and left the room. After checking on Oliver she took only minutes to collect fresh clothes and lock herself in the bathroom. She showered and dressed in cargo pants and a sensible blue shirt buttoned up to her throat.

By the time she headed back to the kitchen another half hour had passed and she ducked her head around the corner of the nursery to ensure the baby was still asleep. At the kitchen doorway she stilled. Tanner stood by the counter, one elbow in the air and he tugged at the back of his shirt.

“Something wrong?” she asked and stepped across the threshold.

He swiveled around and dropped his arm. “I think I caught a barb this afternoon.”

“A what?”

“From the vine,” he explained and winced.

Cassie walked toward him. “You’re hurt?”

He shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

“Do you want me to take a look?”

He took a step back. “I don’t think so.”

Cassie ignored the sudden heat in her cheeks. If he’d been injured pruning the hedge she needed to be sensible and find out how bad it was. “It could get infected.”

“I’m sure it will be—”

“Let’s see,” she said matter-of-factly. “Where is it?”

He hesitated for a moment before moving one shoulder. “Left side.”

Cassie stepped closer. “Okay, turn around.”

He did as she asked and she took a second before reaching out. His shirt was soft between her fingers and she tugged it down a fraction. When she couldn’t see anything other than one incredibly well-defined shoulder blade, Cassie released the shirt.

“It has to come off.”

He turned his head. “What?”

“Your shirt,” she explained. “I can’t see anything. I’m too short.”

“I’m sure it’s not—”

She ignored him, moved back around the countertop and grabbed the small first-aid kit from the bottom drawer. “It won’t take a minute.”

He didn’t seem convinced and hesitated before he shrugged again and then pulled the shirt over his head and dropped it on the table.

And of course she couldn’t look anywhere but at his bare skin.

Sweet heaven.

He didn’t possess the body of a man who spent hours in a gym—but of one who worked outdoors, using and honing muscles every day. His tanned skin looked as smooth as the sheerest silk pulled across pressed steel and the light smatter of hair on his chest was incredibly sexy. He was pure beauty and temptation. And she had to stop thinking about it.

“Turn around please.”

His eyes darkened and Cassie was sure she caught a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. So, maybe she did sound way too polite and incredibly tense. That was her nature...her way. He turned and Cassie saw where the bougainvillea thorn had pierced his skin directly below his shoulder blade. The spike was easily an inch long and was lodged deep. Cassie opened up the first-aid kit and took out a needle.

“I see it. This is going to hurt,” she said. “You might want to brace yourself against the counter.”

“Sure,” he said and stepped forward, levering his hands on the countertop.

She sterilized the needle and as she moved closer, Cassie tried not to think about his smooth skin and well-defined muscles. Or the fact she picked up the spicy scent of soap and some kind of citrusy shampoo that somehow amplified the awareness she experienced whenever he was near.

With purposeful intent, Cassie reached out and touched him. She sensed rather than felt the tension coiling up his back as her fingertips connected with his skin. She used the needle quickly and started dislodging the thorn.

“Ouch!”

She pulled back. “Don’t be such a baby.”

He jerked his head around and scowled. “Don’t be such a brute.”

Cassie stopped the grin that threatened. “I thought you were a tough cowboy.”

“I thought you were sweet and gentle.”

She sucked in a shallow breath. His words stilled in the air between them. Sweet and gentle? Is that how he saw her? Not lonely and guarded and desperate to keep her distance?

“Is that who Doug said I was?”

He didn’t respond immediately. “Yeah, of course he did.”

Cassie ignored the stab of guilt, grabbed the tweezers and extracted the barb. “All done,” she said and stepped back.

Tanner turned and she was faced with the solid wall of chest. She noticed a long faded scar below his rib cage, but other than that there was nothing imperfect about him. Her belly swayed and she got mad with herself. Being attracted to Tanner was out of the question.

Perhaps one day she’d find someone to share her life—a friend, a lover, a husband. Someone who she could love and who would welcome the role as father to her son. But not yet. She wasn’t ready. And she certainly had no intention of paying too much attention to the burgeoning attraction she had for the man in front of her.

Still, it was easy to get drawn into the warm depths of his liquid brown eyes. Easier still to stare at his broad shoulders and satin-smooth skin. Heat crept over her skin. Maybe I have a fever? Yes, that had to be it. She was unwell. Out of sorts. It had nothing to do with his brown eyes and broad shoulders.

“Cassie?”

His voice brought her stare upward and she locked his gaze as the air flamed, swirling up as it coiled around them. And suddenly she couldn’t pretend it was anything other than raw attraction. Chemistry. Undeniable and absolutely unwanted.

And from nowhere, a sudden memory kicked in. She’d felt it once before, long ago. She’d all but forgotten that hot summer when she was thirteen. She recalled the boy who’d captured her attention on the beach one late afternoon. Her first crush. Her first kiss. The fluttering in her belly caused a familiar rush and she quickly pushed the memory away.

“I should check Oliver,” she said on a shallow breath.

A car pulled out outside.

“Our pizza,” Tanner said and grabbed his shirt off the table. “Thanks for the first aid. I’ll be back with our dinner.”

He walked from the room and Cassie stared after him. Being around Tanner was a mistake. Maybe the biggest of her life.

Chapter Four

Tanner sensed the change in Cassie’s mood the moment she returned to the kitchen. He couldn’t miss the tension in her expression as they ate and afterward when she refused his offer to help clean up. Uncomfortable by the sudden awkwardness, he left her alone for a while. The awareness between them was hard to deny and he wondered if she realized he was attracted to her and that’s why she seemed so closed off. He headed back to the guest room and packed his bag and dropped it in the hallway. Tanner was in the living room looking at the photographs on the mantel when she came into the room some twenty minutes later.

“Everything all right?” he asked and propped the photo of Doug back on the shelf.

“Fine,” she replied and pointed to the photograph. “That was taken years ago. I don’t have anything current, in case you wanted a copy.”

“I have photos,” he said and turned. “But thanks.”

She nodded. “I also have Doug’s things stored away in the spare room. You’re welcome to go through the boxes and see if there’s anything you’d like to keep.”

“Won’t you want those as keepsakes for his son?”

“I’ve selected a few things already. And I have several videos Doug made while he was on tour. Oliver will know his father.”

He heard the dig and wondered why she was so tense. It’s not as if she owed him any explanations—about anything. “You know, not every conversation we have has to be a battle.”

Her eyes flashed brilliantly. “I don’t—”

“You act like I’m the enemy.”

She crossed her arms and sighed heavily. “Can you blame me?”

He wasn’t sure what she was getting at and shrugged. “Which means?”

“I’ve been in limbo for months, Tanner. Maybe I did shove my head in the sand when it came to the house and Doug’s estate, but that doesn’t make me any less shocked that you’ve turned up and now I’m faced with the prospect of leaving the only home I’ve known since I was a young girl.”

Tanner’s insides contracted. “I didn’t come here to make things harder for you,” he assured her. “On the contrary...”

Her brows came up. “Do you think your being here would make things easier?” She shook her head. “The fact is, you’re a walking, talking reminder of exactly how much my life is about to change.”

Of course he would be. So the sooner he did what he had come to do and then got back to his own life, the better.

“I have no intention of disrupting your life.”

“Do I seem so naive to you, Tanner?” She took a couple of steps farther into the room and seemed to waver on her feet. “Your very presence is a disruption.”

She wanted him gone...that was evident enough. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Cassie. Be assured that as soon as I have the estate sorted I’ll be returning to South Dakota. But as I said yesterday, Oliver is my nephew, the only family I have, and I’d like to play some role in his life.”

“As what?” she asked quietly. “The absent uncle?”

Tanner pushed back the irritation weaving through his blood. Obstinate, infuriating woman. “I’m here now. And I’d like to stay in contact once I go home. It’s what Doug would have wanted.”

Her brows came up. “Is it?” She paled and an uneasy silence filled the room. When she spoke again her voice was unusually raspy. “Are you sure about that? You and Doug weren’t exactly close.”

“Things between us improved these last few years.”

There was some truth in his words. His brother had tried, in his way, to mend their broken relationship. And Tanner had cautiously let him back into his life. He’d returned to Crystal Point on two occasions to see Doug and his brother had briefly visited his ranch in Cedar Creek six months before his death.

She raised her chin. “He never did tell me why you were estranged.”

Tanner’s stomach tightened. “It was a misunderstanding that happened years ago.”

“Really?” Her brows came up. “What kind of misunderstanding?”

He shrugged. Tanner had no intention of telling her about Leah or the money or anything else from his past. “It doesn’t matter now.”

She raised her chin in that stiff, determined way he was getting used to. “So you won’t tell me?”

“No.”

She laughed, the sound brittle in the room. “Well, Doug did say you had a stubborn, unforgiving streak.”

He tensed. Of course his brother would have said that. Doug wasn’t one to take responsibility for his actions or his mistakes.

Her expression narrowed. “What was your relationship like when you were kids?”

“Good,” he replied truthfully. “But with twelve years between us we were never really kids together.”

She nodded. “You said Doug joined the army at twenty-one and sent you to boarding school?”

“That’s right.” He named the school that was about two hundred miles west of Bellandale.

“Were you happy there?”

It seemed an odd question. “I’ve never really thought about it.”

She pushed on. “You’d just lost your parents, correct? Why do you think Doug made the decision to send you away when you were so young?”

“He joined the army,” Tanner said. “I guess he did what he thought was the best thing at the time.”

Cassie didn’t look completely convinced. “But what did you think?”

He opened his mouth to speak, then clamped it tightly shut. She stared at him, looking intrigued and a little confused. He drew in a slow breath. “I thought... I suppose I thought I’d been abandoned.”

“Did you ever tell him that?”

Silence stretched like elastic for a moment. Finally, he spoke. “I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that.”

“Then thank you,” she said. “For not dismissing the question. I suppose I’m trying to understand why Doug would have done such a thing. I mean, you really only had each other.”

“What twenty-one-year-old wants to be saddled with a kid? Especially someone like...”

Tanner stopped when he saw her expression shift. He met her gaze and waited for her to speak.

“You mean, someone like Doug?” she asked, her voice a bare whisper. When he didn’t respond she spoke again. “You know, don’t you?”

Tanner shrugged a little. “I know what?”

“You know Doug wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of having a baby?”

Wasn’t exactly thrilled? His brother had flat-out said kids weren’t in his plans—ever.

“I know he had some reservations.”

She shrugged and maintained her resilient look. “It was a shock, that’s all. We’d never talked about children and when I found out I was pregnant I was surprised at first. When I told Doug, he didn’t...well, he wasn’t happy about it.”

He knew the story. Doug had no intention of ever being a father to his child and Tanner knew his brother would have told Cassie that very thing had he lived.

“I’m sure it was the shock, like you said.”

As he said the words and tasted the lie, Tanner knew he had to keep the truth from her. It would hurt her deeply if the truth ever came out.

“I suppose we’ll never know,” she said, softer still.

Tanner shrugged fractionally. “I should get going.”

“Are you heading into Bellandale?” she asked.

“No,” he replied. “I’m going to crash at Ruthie’s for a few days. But I’d like to drop by tomorrow afternoon to see Oliver if that’s okay?”

“Of course.”

“Good night, Cassie. I’ll see myself out.”

She nodded and watched him leave. Tanner grabbed his bag from the hall and headed through the front door and realized that leaving was the last thing he wanted to do.

* * *

When Cassie sat up in bed at six the next morning she knew the headache and scratchy throat she’d been harboring for days had finally taken hold. But Oliver’s cries made her ignore her pains, push back the covers and roll off the mattress. She changed into jeans and a T-shirt, took a couple of aspirin and worked through her sluggishness. It was well past the half hour by the time she’d fed him and then made herself some soothing peppermint tea.

But Oliver was unsettled for most of the morning and in between doing two loads of washing and putting a casserole in the slow cooker, she took him for a long walk. When she got home it was after three and she gave him a bath and a bottle before putting him to bed for a nap.

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