Heart of the Raven(10)

"It's true."

They faced off. She finally smiled. "How about if we go together?"

"What a novel idea."

She laughed quietly, then hesitated a moment. Even though her pajamas  weren't see-through, it would be apparent she was not wearing a bra. The  only other option was to get dressed, which seemed silly and obvious  and immature, even. For all intents and purposes they were doing a job  together, and that was all.

"He's sounding very unhappy," Heath said, his brows raised.

She stopped debating with herself. Her priority was Danny, after all. "Well, let's go cheer him up."



Heath knew Cassie hated not being the one to hold Danny, but he wasn't  about to let her take charge. This was his son, and she wouldn't be  there forever. He needed to learn how to care for Danny on his own,  especially if he decided he only wanted day help.

Danny's crying was winding down. Heath paced the living room, bouncing  him lightly, making soothing sounds. Maybe it had taken him longer than  it would have taken Cassie, but Danny had finally settled down. Every  once in a while he hiccuped but he was almost dead weight. Heath decided  if he talked and Danny didn't wake up, he would be asleep enough to put  back to bed.

He wanted to know more about her childhood. His own parents may have  been a little on the flaky side, but at least he'd had a steady, loving  upbringing. "Why wasn't your father in the picture?"

"I have no idea who he was. He was not named on the birth certificate, nor was I ever told a name."

Heath sat across from her on the sofa. "How was it living with your grandfather?"

She smiled, reminiscence in her eyes. "He was old and sweet. He'd lost  touch with my mom years earlier, and didn't even know that I existed, so  he was a bit bewildered when the Florida child welfare people tracked  him down here in San Francisco. I know I was a huge responsibility for  him at a time in his life he didn't need any. Look, there was good and  bad in my upbringing, as there is in everyone's."

He heard the dismissal in her voice. A touchy subject for her. What  happened? he wondered. If it had been a good experience, she would've  said so. "Did you go to college?"

"Yes. I liked school."

She was stingy with her answers. It made him want to know more. "You were a good student."

"I decided I could be just as successful as anyone else. Maybe my  hurdles were bigger than some, but they were also smaller than others. I  didn't want to become a stereotype."

"A stereotype? You mean as a product of the system?"

"Yes. I fought to stay at the same high school for all four years. Can we change the subject?"

"I'm interested because we lived such different lives. Why are you so defensive?"

"Because I don't look back."

The way she plucked at her pajama bottoms led him to believe there was a  lot more to say. How much more could he push her tonight? "What was  your major in college?"

"Criminal justice."

"Why?"

"I wanted to be a lawyer."

"Why didn't you?"

"I ran out of money for law school, so I took the job as an investigator  for Oberman, Steele and Jenkins. I ended up enjoying it. Didn't have to  stay cooped up in an office or a courtroom all day."                       
       
           



       

He wondered about that. He would bet she still had dreams of becoming a  lawyer, probably defending children's rights. "How did you support  yourself through college?"

"Jobs. Lots of jobs."

He thought about his own college life. He'd gotten a full scholarship, only having to work for spending money.

She said nothing for a few seconds then angled toward him. "Danny's  sound asleep. I think we should get some sleep ourselves while we can.  You never know how long the quiet will last."

He didn't feel tired at all. He wanted to hear about her life, and how  she'd carved out her own future. His path had been so much easier, with  hardly a bump in any road. Except for Kyle-

"You're right." He stood. "Let's hope he lasts longer than a half hour this time."

He felt Cassie walking behind him to the nursery. He put Danny carefully  into the bassinet, which was in the crib. Danny barely moved.

"Next time you can hold him. Even if I'm up," Heath said.

"You figure we're going to come to fists over him?" she whispered, a smile in her voice, as they both leaned over the crib.

Heath turned his head toward her. She was barely a foot away. A sliver  of light from the hall illuminated her face enough that she was all  intriguing shadows. She went as still as a statue. He inched closer. Her  gaze dropped to his mouth and lingered. She smelled of soap and  toothpaste. He wanted to put his palms along her face, bring her close,  touch his lips to hers. Slip his hands under her pajama top, feel her  skin-

She straightened abruptly. "I don't- I mean … "

He pulled back. "Right. Yes. Of course." What the hell was he doing?  Wasn't that how he got into this predicament in the first place? Well,  not exactly, but giving his long-starved libido free rein had something  to do with it. He couldn't kiss her, couldn't make that mistake.

"I'll see you later," she said then hurried off ahead of him.

He waited a minute, following more slowly, letting her go ahead without  the potentially awkward moment of them standing outside their rooms.

An hour later Danny woke up. Heath let Cassie take over. The next time,  two hours later, she slept-or pretended to sleep-while he fed and  changed Danny.

As he walked Danny to sleep he glanced toward the stairs, wondering if  she was awake and thinking about the kiss that had almost happened, that  would have happened had she not stepped back, showing much more  self-control than he had.

He really needed to get out of the house, he decided with a laugh at himself.

When he went to bed a few minutes later, he noticed her bedroom light  was still on. He stood outside his bedroom for a few seconds, in case  she called out to him.

She didn't, and he went into his increasingly lonely bedroom, wondering  at all the changes in his life and what would come next. He was ready  for the adventure.





Seven




Cassie didn't usually have leisurely Sundays, so the idea of having  nothing to do but cook, eat and play with Danny seemed like a vacation.  She hadn't taken one of those in a long time, either, although Quinn  informed her she would be required to take three weeks a year, no  argument, no postponing.

She hummed to herself as she flipped pancakes on the griddle to add to  those already staying warm in the oven. She'd heard the shower running  upstairs, so she figured Heath would make his way downstairs soon.

She needed to calm herself down before he got there. She'd almost kissed  him last night. Almost shouldn't count, maybe normally it didn't. But  last night it counted. She had a job to do. He was the client.

And yet earlier she had seen his gaze drift down her a few times, not  blatantly, but enough to feel his interest and to figure he knew she  wasn't wearing a bra under her pajamas. Of course, she'd checked him  out, too, and looked him over pretty thoroughly.

So she was nervous this morning. So what?

She drew a settling breath. Just slightly panicked, she looked around  the room. Was she pushing too much by opening every drape and blind? If  he didn't like it, she'd already figured out a way to get him to leave  the blinds open. She'd also set the back porch table for breakfast. Too  pushy, again? Probably. She didn't care. Whatever it took to help him  get back to living. Danny needed that from him. What was he going to  do-fire her? At least it would be a distraction from the almost-kiss.

It was almost eleven o'clock. Danny hadn't slept much during the night  but had been asleep now for over two hours. Every fifteen minutes or so  she would tiptoe in and check on him. He must've worn himself out  finally.                       
       
           



       

She heard Heath coming down the staircase, his footfalls slow and  steady. Her heart rate picked up. She wanted to see his face when he saw  the outside light pouring in, to gauge for herself his reaction.

He came into the kitchen, his eyes riveted on the view.

She pulled the warm platter filled with pancakes and bacon from the oven  to add the final pancakes. "Breakfast is ready," she said, her pulse  tripping, when he remained silent for too long. "I thought we could eat  on the back porch."

He met her gaze then didn't break the connection for several long seconds. "You've really moved in."

She didn't miss all the implications of his words. "That's what you hired me to do."

"It's my house, Cassie. My choices."

She went to the refrigerator and took out the fruit plate she'd put  together. "Well, I don't want to alarm you, but Danny looks a little  jaundiced to me. He needs sunlight." Although not much could break  through his forest, anyway.