LITMIR.BIZ

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her mind most days and nights. “Then I’ll leave you—”

      “Do you know the details about what happened?” she asked unexpectedly, cutting him off.

      Tanner stilled. “Details?”

      “About the incident.”

      “You mean how he was killed?” he queried.

      She nodded. “You’re his official next of kin so I figured you had the details. I know he was on some covert mission and that he and two other members of his squad were killed by a sniper...but that’s all I know. Since I wasn’t listed as family it’s been almost impossible to get information. I know you got the army to forward his belongings here, but did you know this house wasn’t even listed as his place of residence? Instead it’s some post office box I didn’t know existed and don’t even have a key for. And there’s a safety deposit box, too, did you know that? I don’t have access to it, of course. But I’m guessing you will.”

      Tanner didn’t respond. He didn’t want to say anything about the safety deposit box until he’d had a chance to go through the contents himself. He certainly hadn’t suspected that Cassie knew about it. Doug’s lawyer had told him about it along with the details of his will.

      “I’ll see what I can find out,” he said vaguely. “There’s also the matter of Doug’s military pension. I’m sure there’ll be some money available for you and—”

      She waved a hand and frowned. “I don’t want any kind of handout,” she said and cut him off again. “And I intend to go back to work when my maternity leave is up.”

      “And Oliver?” Tanner asked as he walked behind the kitchen counter and grabbed a mug. “What are your plans for him?”

      “Day care,” she said. “Which is the option of most working single mothers. There’s a good day care center not far from the hospital where I work.”

      “But if there’s money available you could—”

      “No,” she said, interrupting him once again. “Doug obviously wanted his estate to go to you. I can’t and won’t challenge his wishes.”

      Tanner wasn’t sure whether she was being altruistic or just foolishly naive. “It’s not that simple.”

      “Yes,” she defied. “It is.”

      He flicked on one of the lights and then rested his hands on the counter. “Oliver is Doug’s son. Which makes him the beneficiary of my brother’s estate. And also the recipient of any benefit that may come about from the years Doug spent defending this country. I won’t argue, Cassie. Not on this issue. You can look at me with those beautiful, big, blue eyes all you want...but I won’t change my mind on this.”

      She stilled suddenly, watching him as a tiny half smile creased the corner of her mouth. “You think I have beautiful eyes?”

       Damn...

      Tanner ignored the way his heart thundered in his chest and shrugged as casually as he could. “Well, I’m not blind.” He stopped, thinking he shouldn’t say anything else. But good sense didn’t prevail. “And you’re very...pretty.”

      She laughed softly and raised both brows. “I’ve always thought I was kind of average.”

      Tanner frowned. Average? There was nothing average about Cassandra Duncan. “You’re not serious?”

      “Perfectly,” she replied. “Doug said I—”

      “Doug was an ass.”

      She laughed again and the delicate sound echoed around the room. “Really?”

      “I meant that he—”

      “He did have some ass-like qualities I suppose,” she said and grinned. “But then, no one is perfect, right?”

       Except for you...

      Tanner pulled himself back from saying anything stupid. Or rather, something even more stupid. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

      “Are you referring to criticizing Doug or complimenting me?”

      Was she being deliberately provocative? Tanner couldn’t tell. He knew so little about her. Her moods, her thoughts...they were a mystery to him and he knew it needed to stay that way. “Both.”

      She sipped the tea and then placed the mug on the table. “Well, what’s a little harmless flirting? It doesn’t—”

      “Is that what we’re doing?” he asked quickly, fighting the heat climbing over his skin.

      She gave a brittle laugh. “I’m not sure what we’re doing. I’m not sure what you’re doing.”

       Going slowly out of my mind...that’s what.

      Tanner straightened. “You know why I’m here.”

      “I know what you came here to do,” she said quietly. “I’m still not sure why.”

      “Does it matter?” he asked, reluctant to say too much. “For Oliver, like I said.”

      “And to sort out Doug’s estate,” she added, watching him closely, as if she was looking for answers in his expression. “When we both know you could have done that through lawyers. The house needs to be sold. There’s no money left to speak of other than a possible military pension. So if this is all about Oliver, if my son is the real reason you’ve come all this way, I want to know why. I want to know why family is so important to you, when it didn’t seem to matter one way or another when Doug was alive.”

      There was strength in her voice and a kind of unexpected determination to get answers. She was annoyed. And she wasn’t hiding it.

      “Okay,” he said on a long breath. “The truth is, I don’t want Oliver to feel...abandoned.”

      Her gaze sharpened. “Like you were, you mean?”

      “Exactly.”

      She nodded a little. “But Oliver has me. He’s not alone. And I’m not about to shuffle him off to boarding school when he’s of age. And although I do appreciate that you want to have a relationship with your nephew, Tanner, I can’t see how it will be sustainable once you’re back in South Dakota. A part of me is reluctant to let him get attached to you when I know you’ll be leaving soon. I know he’s only a baby, but he’s already bonded with you and I—”

      “I intend to come back and see him when I can,” Tanner explained, hating all her relentless logic.

      Her brows came up. “Like you saw Doug? Once every couple of years? Tell me, how often did Doug visit you when you were at boarding school?”

      “Not often.”

      She shrugged. “I can’t see this being any different.”

      “I’m not Doug,” Tanner said. “And if his son—my nephew—ever needs me, then I’ll be there.”

      She looked into her mug for a moment and then lifted her gaze. “It’s a nice idea and I guess only time will tell. But have you considered what will happen when you get married and have a family of your own?” Her eyes were questioning. “You do plan to do that, don’t you?”

      His insides burned. “At some point.”

      “Do you really think you’ll have the time or inclination to nurture a relationship with Oliver when that happens?”

      “I won’t abandon him.”

      “You can’t take Doug’s place in his life.”

      Tanner gripped the counter. “It hadn’t occurred to me to try.”

      Her brows came up again. “Are you sure? You seem to have ridden in on your proverbial white horse. I’m not saying that

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