Heart of the Raven by Susan Crosby Page B

her voice when she asked about Danny. And while she’d been sociable to his parents, she’d been aloof, too.
    Or maybe just self-protective.
    A complicated woman, Cassie Miranda. He’d caught her once—just once—watching him with what could only be called lust in her eyes. He’d just made a wish and blown out his birthday candles at an impromptu fortieth birthday party his parents put together. He’d looked at her, the object of his wish, and she’d looked back, as if his parents weren’t there. As if they were a normal man and woman with normal attraction. Dream on.
    He’d called her as soon as his parents announced they were leaving, hoping he wouldn’t have to go over her head again to get her to return to…him. The job. But she’d 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.
    â€œYou got your forest tamed,” 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. “It’s just the beginning,” he said calmly, as if he didn’t want to sweep her into his arms and kiss the daylights out of her. “The crew will be back later to finish the rest of the property.”
    â€œThat’s great. How’s my Danny Boy?” she asked, bending over him and giving him a kiss. He turned his head toward her. Heath almost did the same.
    â€œHe survived his first week of Grammy Crystal.”
    Cassie grinned. “And you?”
    â€œI need meat.”
    â€œGroceries are in the trunk.”
    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 didn’t 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 Danny’s 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.
    â€œHow’s he been sleeping? Any pattern emerging?” Cassie asked.
    â€œHe likes Letterman,” Heath said.
    â€œYeah? Me, too. I’ll take that shift. Otherwise, what does he do?”
    â€œHe’s been taking a bottle every three hours, pretty regularly. As for sleep—you never know. The last couple of days he’s had a crying jag between four and seven in the evening.” He glanced at his watch. A half hour to go. “Nothing seems to help. Even Mom couldn’t get him to stop.”
    â€œDo you put him in his crib and let him cry or do you hold him?”
    â€œBoth. It’s all guesswork, still. Are we having steak for dinner?”
    She nodded. “And salad and baked potatoes.”
    â€œThank you for coming back.”
    â€œYou were that desperate for steak?”
    He didn’t know what to make of the distance she was keeping, physically and with her choice of words. For her to joke after he thanked her—well, it wasn’t 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.
    â€œWhy are you avoiding looking at me?” 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 she’d opened them more than a week ago.
    â€œI don’t trust myself,” she said after a minute.
    â€œWith me?”
    She nodded. He came up behind her, not touching her, but the proximity alone