“You turn back. I’ll find Toby.” She reached behind her to brush at Grant’s hand as if it were an annoying gnat.
He let go and blew out a frustrated breath. “A bare-footed six-year-old, unfamiliar with these woods, couldn’t have gotten farther. We’ve missed him, so we need to backtrack.”
Lifting her chin, Jami spun away from him, calling for Toby. She plowed ahead, shoulders slumped and hair every which way, but not limping as much as before.
“Stop.” Grant closed the distance between them in quick, determined strides and snagged her arm. “No deeper into the woods. We’ve passed Toby and have to turn back. Trust me.”
“Trust you?” Jami challenged, spinning to face him. “Why should I? You didn’t trust me to discipline my own child. You had to interfere, and now he’s lost.” Her voice broke on the last word.
“I wasn’t usurping your parental authority,” Grant replied, turning Jami around to guide her back toward the lake. “I was purely reacting to the crisis.”
Lips compressed and amber eyes sparkling with unshed tears, Jami mutely stared back at him.
A whimpering sob shattered the silence.
“Toby!” Jami whispered, whirling toward the sound like radar.
“There!” Grant hurdled over a boulder to land by a bush-encircled patch of tall mountain grass. “Sound asleep,” he added in wonder as he knelt beside the boy curled upon the wild grass.
Toby shifted and whimpered again. “Poor kid’s crying in his sleep.”
“My baby,” Jami cried softly, bending to stroke Toby’s flushed cheek.
“He must’ve been hiding from us and fell asleep,” Grant said, stilling her hand with his own. “Don’t wake him. I’ll carry Toby back.”
“I can carry my own son.” Jami’s chin jutted high.
“Get real, Red.”
“I could if I had to.”
“Well, you don’t. Stop trying to be superwoman.”
“Keep your voice down, or you’ll wake Toby.” Jami bit her lip as if still unconvinced. She stroked the hair off her son’s forehead, appearing fragile herself as she tenderly examined the pads of his bare feet. “I want to hold him.”
“No. I’ll take him. Toby’s too big for you to lug through the woods and back to the lodge.” Grant shot her a frown. “You know that.”
“Okay,” she grudgingly agreed. “But be careful.”
“Of course.” Scooping Toby into his arms, Grant cradled the boy against his chest, then stood. “You go ahead to retrieve his shoes and socks and tell the others we found him safe.”
Jami opened her mouth as if to argue, but turned and dashed down the trail.
“I’ll be just behind you.”
Dirt and tear-tracks streaked the child’s face and left-over sobs rattled his warm little body as Grant held the boy close.
Led by Jami, Grant hurried through the lodge and entered the suite, then crossed through to the inner bedroom and deposited the boy onto the bed.
“Jami, we have to talk,” Grant said softly as he turned away from the sleeping child, who sighed and snuggled into the bed.
“No we don’t,” Jami retorted. “Ever!” Shaken by what could have happened to her child, she blamed Grant, and the air between them remained as frigid as the Rockies in January.
“I don’t understand what’s happened between us.” Grant raked a hand through his damp hair, new lines carved into his handsome face. “Please explain what’s upset you.”
“My little boy ran away,” Jami raged, smothering the sob in her voice. “And you wonder why I’m upset!”
“Toby’s fine, but you could have drowned,” Grant argued. “It was hell seeing you get caught in that whirlpool.”
“Like you’d even miss me.” Jami turned her back on Grant and dropped to the bed where she began removing Toby’s wet clothes with a gentle touch to keep from waking her son.
“Not miss you?” Grant groaned. “Are you crazy?”
“Why don’t you get out of my room? Go find someone else to torment.”
“You’re the one tormenting me,” he growled, moving with panther swiftness to reach her side, sweeping her up into his arms. “You kiss me, then turn into an ice princess. I don’t understand you, Jami Rhodes.”
Her breath caught as he lowered his head.
His warm, masterful mouth possessed hers in a kiss that melted Jami’s insides. All thoughts vanished as she reveled in the feel of Grant’s velvety tongue slide against hers.
Toby let out a soft cry, bringing her to her senses. She planted her hands against Grant’s chest and pushed. “Let me go.”
He stiffened. “Why not?” Grant’s harsh voice raked up Jami’s spine as he released her. “You were never mine to hold, were you?”
He stalked out of the bedroom, snapping the door shut behind