her voice when she asked about Danny. And while sheâd been sociable to his parents, sheâd been aloof, too.
Or maybe just self-protective.
A complicated woman, Cassie Miranda. Heâd caught her onceâjust onceâwatching him with what could only be called lust in her eyes. Heâd just made a wish and blown out his birthday candles at an impromptu fortieth birthday party his parents put together. Heâd looked at her, the object of his wish, and sheâd looked back, as if his parents werenât there. As if they were a normal man and woman with normal attraction. Dream on.
Heâd called her as soon as his parents announced they were leaving, hoping he wouldnât have to go over her head again to get her to return toâ¦him. The job. But sheâd said she would be back after work that evening, with no hesitation at all.
Heath turned to go back into his house when he heard a car heading up the driveway. Cassie. Adrenaline rushed through him, jump-starting his heart, his lungs, his muscles, and everything else that mattered.
Danny stirred as Heath went to meet her at the car.
âYou got your forest tamed,â she said, after reaching for her briefcase.
She smelled good. Not like perfume but something totally unique. Maybe just her shampoo. Whatever it was, he wished he could wallow in it. âItâs just the beginning,â he said calmly, as if he didnât want to sweep her into his arms and kiss the daylights out of her. âThe crew will be back later to finish the rest of the property.â
âThatâs great. Howâs my Danny Boy?â she asked, bending over him and giving him a kiss. He turned his head toward her. Heath almost did the same.
âHe survived his first week of Grammy Crystal.â
Cassie grinned. âAnd you?â
âI need meat.â
âGroceries are in the trunk.â
He passed Danny to her, not trying to avoid touching her as he had in the past. He wanted to touch. Needed to. She kept her focus on the baby, not giving Heath a hint about her feelings, but he didnât believe it was just a job to her anymore.
As he got the food and her belongings out of the car he watched her walk toward the house, her face close to Dannyâs as she whispered to him. They met up in the kitchen, where he set down her suitcase and garment bag so that he could put away the groceries.
âHowâs he been sleeping? Any pattern emerging?â Cassie asked.
âHe likes Letterman,â Heath said.
âYeah? Me, too. Iâll take that shift. Otherwise, what does he do?â
âHeâs been taking a bottle every three hours, pretty regularly. As for sleepâyou never know. The last couple of days heâs had a crying jag between four and seven in the evening.â He glanced at his watch. A half hour to go. âNothing seems to help. Even Mom couldnât get him to stop.â
âDo you put him in his crib and let him cry or do you hold him?â
âBoth. Itâs all guesswork, still. Are we having steak for dinner?â
She nodded. âAnd salad and baked potatoes.â
âThank you for coming back.â
âYou were that desperate for steak?â
He didnât know what to make of the distance she was keeping, physically and with her choice of words. For her to joke after he thanked herâwell, it wasnât like her.
She shifted Danny into a new position, so that his head was tucked between her shoulder and neck. He looked so tiny that way, curled into her.
âWhy are you avoiding looking at me?â he asked.
She closed her eyes briefly, then got up from the bar stool and walked to a window. The blinds were raised, as they had been since the first time sheâd opened them more than a week ago.
âI donât trust myself,â she said after a minute.
âWith me?â
She nodded. He came up behind her, not touching her, but the proximity alone
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