of emotion as he stepped away from the touching reunion. He’d never been so terrified in his life as when he saw Jami caught in that whirlpool current. She nearly died! Damn, he loved the woman!
Without hesitation, he had risked his life to save her. And he would do it again. A mental movie of the horror when he’d thought he would lose her replayed through his mind, chilling his heart and soul. Though she now stood safe, Grant had the overwhelming feeling he’d still lost her.
Witnessing the unshakable bond between Jami and Toby, Grant felt empty inside. He wished he could be included in their circle of love. With aching heart, he wished they were his family—his wife and his son. Nearly losing them had made that painfully clear.
He wrung out the tail of his soggy shirt and sloshed ashore. Alone. Grant Carrington’s glorious bachelor existence didn’t feel so glorious anymore.
It felt damn lonely.
“Hey, Grant!” Toby called.
He whipped around to face the boy. “What, Toby?”
The child scampered from his mother to Grant, thrusting something into Grant’s palm. “Here’s your bow-and-arrow guy back. Mom says to wash him with rubbing alcohol, and he’ll be all clean and shiny again. I’m sorry I took him.”
“I am, too.” Grant’s fingers slid over Cupid’s surface, the smooth curves and sharp edges. This was only a piece of jewelry. It possessed no magical powers. It was no love charm to cast spells or reunite Grant with the woman of his dreams. No matter how he’d come to wish otherwise, Cupid could not make Jami love him.
But at least she was alive. Fist closing over Cupid, Grant stared down at Toby. “You were wrong to take something without permission, and I want you to promise not to do it again.”
“Okay.” Bare feet planted slightly apart, the child nodded and gulped as he gazed up at Grant.
Jami was limping slightly as she moved past them. Grant reached out to her, but she knocked his hand away and kept walking.
“Did I apologize enough?” Toby asked, bouncing on his heels as if he also couldn’t wait to get away from him.
“Do you realize,” Grant continued, “your mischief almost cost your mother her life?”
“I said I was sorry!”
“Maybe sorry isn’t enough,” Grant replied, thinking of what could have happened to Jami.
Toby’s bottom lip trembled, his eyes filled with hurt, and exhaustion welled into tears. “You hate me, don’t you?”
Stunned into silence, Grant watched as the sobbing boy ran into the woods and disappeared from sight. Grant considered slamming his fist into the nearest tree. He hadn’t meant to take his anger out on the child.
“What happened?” Jami demanded, halting at the waterline. Her body taut as a rattler ready to strike, she stared at Grant through wounded, accusing eyes.
“Toby thinks I hate him,” Grant answered incredulously. How had he made such a mess of his relationship with Jami and her son?
“I don’t see him. Where did he go?” she demanded, looking behind Grant to search for her son.
“Toby ran into the woods.” He internally groaned as she gasped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so hard on him.”
“He’s my son. It’s my place to discipline him, not yours.” Jami started for the woods, but he grabbed her wrist.
“He’s just letting off steam.”
She jerked free. “We have to go after Toby. If my son gets lost, it’s your fault!”
Grant recoiled from the bitter hurt in Jami’s face and the pain her words stabbed into his heart. “He only has a minute head start, he can’t get lost.”
“Oh, sure. He’s not yours. I need to find my son, and you’re costing me time.”
“You don’t have to handle everything by yourself, Red.”
“I do.” She stared hard at Grant, her defiance vibrating the air between them.
“No, you don’t. I’m going to help you. Come on, let’s go.”
He grasped her hand tight, allowing no room for argument, then, jogging, led Jami into the woods after her son. Calling Toby’s name, they tracked into the woods. Grant suspected the boy was in earshot, but refusing to answer. “I think he’s hiding from us.”
“Hiding from you. Just leave.” Jami jerked her hand from his and stomped through the brush ahead. “I’ll find my son myself.”
“Why do you always act so damned independent? We all need to turn to someone at times. Why not turn to me?”
“Like you’d be there.”
“I’d try.”
“I doubt it.”
Jaw hardening, Grant swallowed a lump of frustration. After another twenty minutes of searching, he halted to grab Jami by the damp waistband of