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'And now I'm reaping the benefits. Would you like a flying job?
Deliveries not testing.'
'No!'
Logan raised his dark brows. 'You're very emphatic.'
Raina looked away from him, her hands gripping each other until she
deliberately eased her tense fingers. 'Danny has already lost one
parent through flying. I couldn't run the risk of it happening again.'
'I wouldn't let you run any risks. I'm not asking you to do trick flying.'
'Are you telling me flying jobs are the only ones available?'
'Heavens, no!' he said impatiently. 'I just thought you'd like
something more interesting than sitting behind a desk.'
'Sitting behind a desk is nice and safe,' she said tightly. 'For Danny's
sake, I'll stick with that, thanks.'
'You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?"
She looked at him and saw his eyes were speculative, perhaps a little
critical. 'Yes, of course I would,' she said. 'I'm his mother I'm all he
has, now.'
'Don't overdo it, Raina.'
She raised her chin and demanded, 'What do you mean?'
'I mean that you could be over-protective. And that can't be good
for either Daniel or you.'
'I don't think that how I choose to bring up my son is any of your
business, Logan.'
He gave her a long, measuring look, and she stared back, refusing to
lower her eyes first.'
'Whether you like it or not,' he said slowly, 'you and Dan are my
business. Perry asked me to look out for you both, and I won't welsh
on my promise to him. In lots of ways, we were closer than brothers. I
can't tell you how to bring up your own son, and I wouldn't try. But I
will tell you if I think you're making mistakes. I owe Perry that. I can't
force you to agree with me, but I think you've enough intelligence and
gumption to at least consider another opinion on its merits. I'm not
saying I know better than you, just that sometimes another viewpoint
can help. If Perry had lived, you would have discussed Dan's
upbringing between the two of you, wouldn't you?'
'Of course, but you're not Perry.'
'That's right, I'm not.' His voice was harsh, suddenly. 'But I'm the
boy's godfather, and I'm prepared to take that relationship pretty
seriously. You may not like it, but you'll have to accept it.'
'I do accept that. But I won't accept interference.'
His mouth tightened. 'If that's how you see it, it's too bad,' he
shrugged.
'I don't mean to be ungracious,' said Raina. 'I know you mean well -'
'Oh, for God's sake!' he said irritably. 'Spare me that!'
He stood up, and she stood with him, saying, 'You know how grateful
I am for all you've done, Logan '
'Yes, I know! And if you mention it just once more, I'll shake you,
Raina, so help me!'
She bit her lip. 'Well, you .know that if I could repay you in any way -'
'You mean you'd give anything not to feel in my debt, don't you?' he
enquired rather nastily.
His eyes were icy with anger, and she met them with green fire in her
own. 'Something like that, yes,' she admitted frankly.
He smiled, without warmth. 'Anything?' he repeated silkily, and
suddenly she recalled last night, and his lips on hers, his hands
holding her closely to his hard masculinity. Involuntarily she took a
step back from him.
It wasn't far enough. Logan shot out a hand, and hard fingers curved
about her nape, pulling her towards him. She met the angry mockery
in his eyes and said, 'You wouldn't -'
Still holding her, he drawled, 'No I wouldn't.'
He let her go suddenly, and she turned away, her heart pounding with
reaction. His voice said tauntingly, 'Disappointed?'
She whirled round, then, her eyes flashing with temper. 'You'd be
lucky!' she said witheringly, and Logan laughed.
Her eyes went wary as his hand reached for her again, but he only
caught at her hair, and gave it a hard little tug as he said, 'I think I've
outstayed my welcome. Goodnight, Raina.'
The following day was cold and cloudy, but Raina needed to do some
shopping, and she asked Mrs Crimmins, her next-door neighbour, to
keep an eye on Danny for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Mrs
Crimmins was a widow in her sixties, and always seemed quite
willing to babysit, although Raina didn't like to ask too often.
Their street was a small cul-de-sac, and the other residents were
middle-aged couples, the wives going out to work during the day.
Raina knew them all by name, and they had offered all kinds of help
when Perry had died, but none were really friends. She had made
some younger friends through taking Danny to the local play-centre,
and been invited to the occasional coffee morning, but other
invitations were few since she had lost Perry. Parties and dinners
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