Claiming His Brother's Baby (2 page)

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

T
anner 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 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 know me. But I know he’s ill and probably not going to be around much longer.” She motioned to the food on the table. “You can put Oliver back in the rocker if you like.”

“I can manage,” he assured her as he pulled out a chair and sat down, positioning her delighted son in the curve of his elbow so he could see her from across the table. He rocked Oliver a little. “I like getting to know my nephew.”

“I’d like him to know you, too.”

It wasn’t the truth. Not really. Because she was confused by her feelings for Tanner. And it was difficult imagining her son could have some kind of worthwhile relationship with a man she hardly knew. A man she wasn’t sure
she
wanted to know.

And that, she realized, was at the core of her reticence.

It wasn’t about Oliver.

It was the lingering awareness and unwanted attraction she had for Tanner that made her reluctant and suspicious.
They’re my own secret demons.
And she had to get over them. For Oliver’s sake.

“And your ranch?” she asked, changing the subject. “That’s going well?”

He nodded. “Sure. I’ve mostly been working with injured or traumatized horses for the last couple of years.” He managed a wry smile and glanced down at his leg. “Kind of ironic I guess.”

She relaxed fractionally. “Doug said you were some kind of horse whisperer.”

He laughed and the sound hit her directly between the ribs. “My brother always did like to make me sound like a crackpot.”

“I don’t think it sounds like that. And you know what they say—working with kids or animals is one of the hardest jobs in the world.”

“I think that’s in the movies, Cassie,” he said and smiled. “I just train horses to trust people again.”

She nodded, thinking that he’d probably managed to accomplish that as easily as he breathed. “And you’re happy there?”

He stilled and looked at her. “Yes, very happy.”

Cassie swallowed hard. “So you wouldn’t...you wouldn’t consider...”

“Consider what?” he asked and rubbed a gentle hand over the back of Oliver’s head.

She shrugged. “Moving back... Moving here...”

His brows shot up. “To Crystal Point? No. My life isn’t here anymore.”

She knew that. But unease still rippled through her veins. Because she knew what it meant. “Are you going to sell the house?”

He stared at her with blistering intensity. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to.”

Her blood stilled. “I could try and raise the money to...” Cassie stopped and thought about what she was suggesting. She’d never be able to commit to such a large debt. Her minimum wage job and the cost of child care put that option out of reach. She shrugged again. “I thought perhaps the insurance might have covered the mortgage.”

“No,” he said quietly. “There was some other debt and—”

“The Ducati,” she said and sighed. “Doug bought it the last time he was home.”

“Yes,” he said, still quiet. “I’m sorry about the house, Cassie. I know it was your grandfather’s home and means a lot to you.”

Heat pinged behind her eyes and she blinked quickly. She didn’t want his sympathy. Or his pity. If the house needed to be sold, then she had no option but to go along with his plans. She wanted to ask him about the “other debt,” but didn’t. What difference did it make now? Her home was going to be sold and there was nothing she could do about it.

“I’ll need some time to arrange things,” she said and concentrated her gaze on her smiling son. “Perhaps a month to sort through my—”

“There’s no rush.”

*

Tanner saw the emotion in her stare. He didn’t want to alarm her or make her life complicated. In fact he wanted the opposite. He’d come to Crystal Point to
right
a wrong. To forgive and find a kind of peace so he could get on with the rest of life.

She stared at him over the rim of her mug.
She really does have the most amazing colored eyes.
Eyes easy to get lost in. Eyes that made it even easier to forget that Doug had loved her. And that she had loved his brother.

“I guess that depends on how long it takes to sell,” she murmured.

“I have an appointment with Doug’s lawyer on Wednesday,” he explained. “We’ll know more after that.”

“We?”
She looked skeptical. “The house belongs to you, Tanner. It’s your decision. Your call. I’ve got nothing to do with it.”

You’ve got everything to do with it...

Guilt pressed between his shoulders. And rage toward his brother that he quickly pushed back down. “On paper, perhaps. However,” he said and touched Oliver’s cheek, “there’s more to this situation than an out-of-date last will and testament. And there’s little point in imagining the worse outcome before
we
have all the facts.”

“But the mortgage—”

“We’ll see what happens. And any money left from the insurance will go into trust for Oliver.”

“But that’s not what Doug wanted,” she replied quickly. “He left everything to you.”

Tanner knew it had hurt her. How could it not? She was in a relationship with his brother and Doug had failed to provide for her and her child when she needed it the most.

In typical Doug fashion.

It wasn’t the first time his brother had betrayed a woman he’d professed to love.