by Helen Lacey
“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 mem
ories 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.”
