LITMIR.BIZ

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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

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