blow. “Don’t hit me!”
Skidding to a stop, Jami’s mouth dropped open. She gradually absorbed his words and lowered the branch. “You don’t have a scratch on you.”
“Not yet.” He eyed her stick, his glance slipping to the rocks clutched in her other hand. “What did I do to tick you off so badly?”
Jami felt a blush fire her cheeks. Was this another Toby scam? “Where’s the bear?” she asked, suspecting the answer.
“What bear?”
“Toby said a grizzly attacked you and that you were hurt,” Jami stammered, feeling foolish. As if a bear would dare attack Grant Carrington.
“You were coming to my rescue?” Grant asked, wonder in his midnight blue eyes as he gazed at her. “You’d brave an attack from a wild animal to save me?”
They stood mutely staring at each other, Jami unable to deny the love and concern blazing in Grant’s face. He held open his arms. She ran to him and he caught her in his embrace, swinging her like a rag doll locked against his heart.
“You do care,” Grant whispered into her hair, sending a thrill through her entire body. “Oh, Red, you’re the only woman for me.”
“I am?” Jami echoed, her heart recognizing his sincerity.
A plastic arrow zinged above their heads.
Toby! Jami swung around. Where was that stinker?
“Is this your doing, slugger?” Grant asked in a mock-stern tone.
She squinted and located her son at the bend of the trail, holding his bow. He stood between Dottie and Doris.
“Yes, sir,” Toby replied, snapping a salute.
“Good job,” Doris chirped, patting Toby’s head. “You’re a regular Cupid, young man.”
Dottie winked down at Toby. The three of them wore silly grins as they watched Grant laugh and retrieve the toy arrow.
“Just like when we met,” Grant chuckled, tossing the arrow back to Toby.
“Not quite,” Jami corrected, pulling Grant’s head down for a sizzling kiss as the trio of conspirators disappeared into the woods.
Grant hugged Jami so close she could hear the laughter rumble in his chest and the steady beating of his heart. “Your son is proving to be almost as amazing as his beautiful mother. Toby told me you loved me, but I didn’t believe the rascal.”
“Toby planned this?” Jami stared up at Grant, her head in a wild spin.
“Apparently.” Grant traced Jami’s lips with the pad of his thumb, sending a flurry of sparks to mark the path. “And he told me that you want to marry me.”
“Toby did?” Jami squeaked, a shiver running up her spine as Grant’s hands now stroked her throat and back.
“Was he wrong?” Grant demanded, his gaze locked with hers.
“I claim the Fifth.” Jami pressed her lips together, striving to regain some dignity. Grant’s fingers danced along her jaw line to circle the sensitized area around her ear.
“Trail rule number six—always tell the truth.” Grant’s voice dropped to rough velvet as he pulled her tighter against him until she could feel his rising desire. “Jami Rhodes, do you love me?”
“Do you love me?” she shot back.
“I’m crazy about you,” Grant replied, nibbling at her ear lobe, until Jami felt quite crazed herself. “I adore you. I crave you.” He skimmed his hot lips over hers. “Yes, dammit, I love you!”
“You do?” Jami asked, stunned. “But what about all the other women?”
“From the moment your son struck me with a toy arrow, and I looked up to see that copper-haired angel mom of his, there’s been no other woman.” Grant smiled his heart-stopping smile and gazed lovingly into her face. “You’re the only woman for me, Red.”
“What about the woman you left at the altar?” Jami wanted to believe him, but suspicions haunted her. Jami searched his gaze, a tight knot forming in the pit of her stomach. “I overheard your phone call.”
“What?” Grant rubbed his chin, before light suddenly dawned in his eyes. “My mother! That was my mother asking if we had set a wedding date.”
“We?” Jami asked, her voice a croak. “Like in you and me?”
“That’s the we all right.” He laughed, then cradled her close. “Ouch!” Suddenly he let go of her and reached into his pocket. “What the...? How did Cupid get here?”
Jami watched Grant pull his grandmother’s gold brooch out of his jeans pocket. He reared his head back and started to laugh so hard that she found herself laughing with him. All the tension and worry drained out of her as her giggles merged with his deep chuckles until tears rolled down her cheeks and she hiccupped.
“Cupid’s magic,” Grant finally gasped, still holding the brooch. “Cupid made