Read Online Heart of the Raven by Susan Crosby - Free Book Online Page B

business contacts, like you. I’ve never felt this—this need, especially this fast.”
    â€œSo, we need to be careful.”
    â€œYes,” he said quietly.
    â€œSo, no touching.”
    He hesitated. “I don’t want to make rules. Do you?”
    No. She didn’t need the guilt that would come if they broke any rules. She shook her head.
    He seemed to relax all at once. “Okay. We’ll take it slow and easy. Deal with the issues at hand first.”
    â€œThen when life settles down, we’ll see where it goes from there,” she said. Although he was wrong, she thought. “Slow and easy” wasn’t going to work forthem. The tension between them ratcheted up another notch hourly, it seemed. “Breakfast is getting cold.”
    Awkwardness accompanied the meal, not only because of their discussion but because he was sitting outdoors. As they finished their second cups of coffee she closed her eyes, wishing the sun could find its way through the gloom surrounding his house.
    â€œWhat would you be doing today if you weren’t here?” he asked.
    â€œIf I’m not working, I spend Sundays volunteering at the O’Connor Children’s Home.”
    â€œWhat do you do?”
    â€œI counsel mostly. Been-there, done-that kind of thing.”
    â€œThey’ll be missing you today. Maybe you should—”
    â€œNo. I called in already. They know they can’t count on me every week. My job takes me out of town quite a bit, but it’s also just a matter of working very long hours.”
    â€œYou enjoy it, though.”
    â€œNo question. ARC takes on such a variety of cases. Well, maybe that’s not exactly it. It’s the clients that make it so fascinating. Celebrities, executives, politicians—they have a high-powered list, and the work is rarely routine.” She looked at him over the rim of her mug. “I heard you’d actually wanted my boss for your case.”
    â€œI generally get the person at the top.”
    â€œBut you got me instead.”
    He toasted her. “Even better.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œI don’t think your boss would’ve moved in and helped out with the baby.”
    She thought he smiled. His eyes seemed to twinkle. “You wouldn’t have asked him,” she countered.
    â€œTrue.” He set his mug on the table and leaned back. “This has been nice.”
    â€œI’m glad.”
    â€œWere you worried?”
    â€œNah. I’m a pretty good cook when I set my mind to it.” She smiled. She knew what he meant, but chose not to respond to it. Of course she’d been worried that he would balk at sitting outdoors, but worry never stopped her from doing what was necessary.
    Through the portable baby monitor they heard Daniel fuss.
    â€œI’ll clean up the kitchen,” Heath said. “You can get the baby.”
    She pushed back her chair. “You just don’t want diaper duty.”
    He grinned.
    Silence swooped in like a huge, noiseless, hovering bird. Her heart stopped. Triumph grabbed hold of her. She’d done that. She’d made him smile like that.
    Now she needed to figure out how to do it again, and again, and again.
    Â 
    A couple hours later Heath wandered over to a window in his office and lifted a slat. He couldn’t see Cassie and Danny, who were out enjoying a walk. Cassie had invited Heath along, but he wanted to use the time to get some work done. Or so he told her.
    It was mostly true. He had plenty of work to do, although not much interest. That was a first.
    He walked to the other end of the office and lifted ablind there then spotted her. She was standing still, although swinging side to side. Heath wondered if Danny was awake.
    He dropped the slat and stepped away, tunneling his fingers through his hair. His jaw hurt. Everything hurt. Stress was his constant companion, although not for a few minutes now and then