Fair enough, but it sounded like Cassie was already ingrained in the family’s life. Babysitting his daughter overnight meant Tank obviously trusted Cassie, and that was a huge thing in relationships. They already had a solid foundation of friendship, so giving in to the romance developing between them would only be a good thing. “But if the mom’s not in the picture, how could moving on with a new relationship be bad? Tank deserves to be happy, so does Kaia...and so do you.”

Cassie nodded with a sigh. “We’re making progress, I think,” she said, scooping up a passed-out Diva and carrying her to her doggy bed.

The puppy flopped onto her back, all four paws straight up in the air, snoring loudly for such a little thing. “It’s really unsettling how she just passes out like that,” Erika said, watching her friend cover the dog with her pink blanket.

“Yeah, it was trippy at first. But the vet says she’s fine and she might grow out of it.” She sat on the couch next to her. “Anyway, enough about my sad, nonexistent love life. What about you? Anyone you’re pining away for back in Anchorage?”

An image of Reed flashed in her mind and her cheeks flushed, giving her friend the wrong idea.

“There is, isn’t there? Who is he? Dish.” She turned on the couch, moving closer to hear the scoop.

But there wasn’t one. Erika shook her head. “Unfortunately, mine is even sadder and even more nonexistent.” Unfortunately? Where had that come from? She wasn’t missing a relationship, was she? She liked her life alone—her own space, her own independence, sole control of the television remote...

“Oh come on. You’re gorgeous, successful and smart. There’s no way men aren’t interested.”

“Truthfully, I wouldn’t have time to notice if they were. Work is all I do.” And the other doctors at the hospital were too much like her, too much like her father, to evoke any feelings of attraction. She’d dated several after med school, but there wasn’t a connection worth pursuing. Her time was better spent in the lab. Science made sense. Love didn’t.

Cassie frowned. “But you date...sometimes, right?”

She wished she could remember the last time she’d been on a date, just to give her friend the impression that she wasn’t a complete loner. “Not lately. I mean I’m not still a virgin if that’s what you’re thinking.” She laughed. “I’ve dated in the past. I even had one semi-serious relationship while I was still in premed, but once I graduated and started working at the hospital with my dad, I was too busy. Brian...the guy I was seeing...said he didn’t want a part-time girlfriend.” She shrugged. She hadn’t been able to argue with him or promise to change. Her career was her passion and she’d yet to meet a man to challenge that. He’d been a nice guy—solid and kind, pursuing a law career—but there hadn’t been a spark. No butterflies. No passion.

Damn, why did Reed keep popping into her mind!