He took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the right. Doug’s headstone was glaringly white beside the faded one of their parents. Tanner’s stomach churned and emotion quickly thickened his throat as he read the words.
Douglas Ian McCord. Aged 41. Son. Brother. Soldier. Killed in action. Never forgotten.
He blinked away the heat in his eyes. In that moment the loss of his brother hit home in a way it hadn’t since the moment he’d heard Doug had been killed. Tanner pressed a palm to his chest to ease the sharp jab of pain that knocked him with the force of a runaway train.
He experienced a mix of emotions. Hate and love. Betrayal and forgiveness. Relief and anguish. Over the years he’d felt them all in one way or another when it came to his brother. After Leah had told him she was in love with Doug and carrying his brother’s child, Tanner had shut down and vowed to never speak to the other man again. At eighteen, his heart had been fueled with rage by the knowledge of Doug’s treachery. His inheritance was gone. The girl he’d loved was gone. He’d packed his bags and taken off for Europe, never intending to look back.
Two years had passed before Doug tracked him down and for so long afterward Tanner wondered why his brother had sought him out. For a man who didn’t want commitment or anything or anyone tying him down, he’d worked hard to rekindle their broken relationship.
Guilt...
He hated to think that was his brother’s sole motivation. But nothing he’d done later in his life made Tanner believe that Doug had changed. Not when he’d bought a house he clearly couldn’t afford or wasted money on cars and bikes he’d never use. Not when he’d secured the love of another woman who would go on to bear his son, and then have every intention of casting them aside.
No...his brother hadn’t changed.
But he still grieved the loss of his only sibling. And he still wanted him back so he could tell him what a damned irresponsible fool he was.
“Tanner?”
A soft voice said his name and he turned. Cassie stood by his parents’ headstone, her hands clasped together. In her kitchen he’d almost kissed her beautiful mouth. And he was certain she wouldn’t have stopped him. Which meant one thing.
Complicated.
He stepped back, leaning heavily on his uninjured leg and moved beside her. “I thought I’d come and pay my respects,” he said quietly.
She nodded. “I usually stop by on my way back from seeing my grandfather.”
“How is he?”
“Granddad?” She stepped closer. “He’s had a bad week and didn’t know me today.”
Tanner saw the pain in her expression. “That must be difficult.”
She shrugged. “Yeah...but he’s eighty-two and has lived a full life. Not like...”
“Like Doug?” he queried when he noticed her gaze flick to the headstones. “Or my parents? Or your parents?”
“Yes, exactly.” She pointed south. “They’re down that way.”
“Shall we visit?”
She frowned a little and looked at Doug’s grave. “You don’t want to stay here?”
“I’ve said my goodbyes.”
She lingered for a second and then nodded and, as she turned, the scent of her perfume caught on the breeze. It didn’t take long to reach the spot where her parents were and Tanner hung back while she stood at the foot of their graves. She remained there for barely a minute and then turned back to him.
“I’ve had enough now,” she said and started moving away.
“It’s hard for you to be here?” he queried as they walked down the path.
She shrugged. “I guess I don’t want this place to be how I remember them. No one’s life is defined by their headstone.”
“You’re right,” he said and moved in step with her. When they reached their vehicles and she’d flicked the lock mechanism on her sedan he opened her driver’s door. “If it’s okay with you I’ll see you back at the house. I went to the lawyer today and there are some things we need to discuss.”
Her small smile faded. “My friend Mary-Jayne is at home looking after Oliver and she always stays for dinner on Wednesday night, so now is probably not a great time.”
“I met her,” Tanner said and grinned. “I dropped in earlier. Colorful girl.”
Her smile returned. “She’s a straight shooter. And she never liked Doug much, if that’s what you mean.”
“She didn’t call him anything he didn’t deserve,” he said drily. “So, how about you play hooky for an hour so we can talk?”
She frowned a little, but then pulled her phone from her bag. “I’ll call M.J. and say I’m going to be late. Where would you like to go? Perhaps Ruthie’s? Or we could go to the beach and sit on one of the tables near the kiosk.”
“The beach,” he answered quickly, thinking he didn’t want to talk to Cassie beneath Ruthie Nevelson’s interested eyes. “We can grab coffee from the kiosk if you like.”
“Ah...okay. See you there.”
The Crystal Point beach was an idyllic spot where the Bellan River met the sea. There was a surf club near the holiday park and a kiosk that catered to the locals and tourists. It was off-season, so the park was mostly vacant and the kiosk quiet. Tanner parked outside and waited for Cassie to pull up beside him. He got out, locked the car and met her by her door.
Five minutes later he’d bought take-out coffee and they were making their way along the path that led to the beach. They stopped before they reached the sand and took a seat at a concrete picnic table.
“So,” she said, getting straight to the point, “what did the lawyer say?”
Tanner took a steady breath. “He confirmed what we already knew. There’s a mortgage and some credit card debt. The insurance covered some of the debt but there’s still a sizable amount owing.”
She wrapped her hands around the foam cup. “And you have to sell the house?”
“Yes.”
Her breath came out heavy. “Well, that’s not exactly unexpected. I’ll start seriously looking for a new place tomorrow.”
“It’s not that urgent,” he said and watched her over the rim of his cup. “The house needs some work done to it before it goes on the market if we’re to get the best price.”
She sighed. “I know I’ve let it run down since—”
“It’s not your fault. Nor was it your responsibility. But I don’t want to keep going on about what Doug should have done. I’ll fix the house up and hopefully it will sell quickly. Whatever money is left from the sale will go into trust for Oliver.”
She returned the barest nod and met his gaze. “Will...will I need to get DNA testing done to prove Oliver is Doug’s child?”
“You’re not serious?”
Color rose in her cheeks. “I thought you might want proof before you handed any money over.”
“No,” Tanner said gently. “I know whose child he is, Cassie. He has Doug’s eyes.”
“And yours,” she said.
“A family trait,” he said and smiled. “He’s a beautiful child and I’m glad I’ve been able to get to know him.”
“I’m glad, too.” She cradled the cup in her hands. “I know I’ve