grasp as optic stars danced, blurring her vision. The heat wreaked havoc with her senses. Was she hallucinating, or did he sound just like—
“I didn’t sneak.” He shifted her weight, but still hung on. “The door was wide open. I—”
“Riley?” The name came as her vision cleared and a pair of eyes, dark and smoldering, stared down at her. No one could deny the deep dimple on his chin or the slight arch of a smile that was a male counterpart of the Mona Lisa. Jami’s jaw pumped, but it took a moment for the words to form. “Riley Hunter?”
“That’s right.” He shook midnight-black hair from his forehead, revealing a faded scar along his hairline—the gift of a barbed-wire fence during a high school hunting accident. “In the flesh.”
“Put me down.” She thumped a hand against his brawny shoulder as a flood of sizzling emotions coursed through her. The nape of her neck burned against a sweep of hair. “Now.”
“Whatever you say.” In one easy motion, he spun her vertical and placed her not-so-gently on her feet, making her stomach lurch. One hand lingered at her waist as she stumble-stepped forward. His voice was warm caramel and carried the full measure of mischief she remembered. “Whoa…find your land legs yet?”
“I’m fine.” She leaned against the counter while smoothing her rumpled T-shirt. What was Riley doing here? He’d left for San Diego half-a-decade ago—right after ruining her life.
“It’s been a while since your fly-girl days, hasn’t it?”
“You know I never liked when you called me that.” She frowned at the nickname he’d branded her with their freshman year of high school. “And at least I had some talent to fall back on.”
“If you call getting tossed from the top of a cheerleading pyramid while chanting incessant rhymes talent.” He shrugged so the dimple along his chin deepened. “Me, I prefer to pursue something with a little more substance.”
“Like ramming your head through a barbed-wire fence while chasing a helpless deer?”
“I had a hunting permit, and it was in season.” He took a paperback from the turn style, scanned the back cover blurb before nodding slightly and putting it back. “And there’s nothing wrong with venison. Makes great chili. But I do still owe you and your grandmother for the ride to the hospital.”
“It’s too late to thank Nana.” Jami’s throat tightened with grief. “She passed away last August.”
“Oh, I had no idea.” Riley’s voice softened as he captured a lock of her hair and tucked it behind one ear before giving her silver teardrop earring a gentle flick. “I’m so sorry. I know you two were close as Velcro.”
“Yes, we were.” His touch loosened the tightness in Jami’s chest and caused a burst of heat to spike up the length of her spine. “You bled all over Nana’s car seats. We never could get the stains out.”
“I’m sorry for that, too.” He rubbed his head, as if remembering the pain. “Is it too late to make it up to you?”
“Yes. Way too late. After you stumbled into the car, you blabbed the entire way to the hospital…told Nana terrible lies about Jacob Fortner.”
“Oh, yeah. That.” He shrugged. “I was out of my head with a concussion.”
“That’s no excuse. You ruined everything…all of my meticulously-laid plans.”
“Well, I hate to say it, but your guy-radar was seriously messed up, because the things I told your grandmother weren’t lies. Fortner meant to hurt you, Jami.”
“My guy radar is just fine, thank you very much.” Jami crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “It’s warning lights are flashing off the charts now, with you here.”
“I see, then, that your progress in that department has been minimal.”
“Say what you want, but I know what I feel.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do.” For some unfathomable reason, the question stole her equilibrium. Jami pressed a hip against the checkout counter to steady herself.
“I didn’t sneak.” He shifted her weight, but still hung on. “The door was wide open. I—”
“Riley?” The name came as her vision cleared and a pair of eyes, dark and smoldering, stared down at her. No one could deny the deep dimple on his chin or the slight arch of a smile that was a male counterpart of the Mona Lisa. Jami’s jaw pumped, but it took a moment for the words to form. “Riley Hunter?”
“That’s right.” He shook midnight-black hair from his forehead, revealing a faded scar along his hairline—the gift of a barbed-wire fence during a high school hunting accident. “In the flesh.”
“Put me down.” She thumped a hand against his brawny shoulder as a flood of sizzling emotions coursed through her. The nape of her neck burned against a sweep of hair. “Now.”
“Whatever you say.” In one easy motion, he spun her vertical and placed her not-so-gently on her feet, making her stomach lurch. One hand lingered at her waist as she stumble-stepped forward. His voice was warm caramel and carried the full measure of mischief she remembered. “Whoa…find your land legs yet?”
“I’m fine.” She leaned against the counter while smoothing her rumpled T-shirt. What was Riley doing here? He’d left for San Diego half-a-decade ago—right after ruining her life.
“It’s been a while since your fly-girl days, hasn’t it?”
“You know I never liked when you called me that.” She frowned at the nickname he’d branded her with their freshman year of high school. “And at least I had some talent to fall back on.”
“If you call getting tossed from the top of a cheerleading pyramid while chanting incessant rhymes talent.” He shrugged so the dimple along his chin deepened. “Me, I prefer to pursue something with a little more substance.”
“Like ramming your head through a barbed-wire fence while chasing a helpless deer?”
“I had a hunting permit, and it was in season.” He took a paperback from the turn style, scanned the back cover blurb before nodding slightly and putting it back. “And there’s nothing wrong with venison. Makes great chili. But I do still owe you and your grandmother for the ride to the hospital.”
“It’s too late to thank Nana.” Jami’s throat tightened with grief. “She passed away last August.”
“Oh, I had no idea.” Riley’s voice softened as he captured a lock of her hair and tucked it behind one ear before giving her silver teardrop earring a gentle flick. “I’m so sorry. I know you two were close as Velcro.”
“Yes, we were.” His touch loosened the tightness in Jami’s chest and caused a burst of heat to spike up the length of her spine. “You bled all over Nana’s car seats. We never could get the stains out.”
“I’m sorry for that, too.” He rubbed his head, as if remembering the pain. “Is it too late to make it up to you?”
“Yes. Way too late. After you stumbled into the car, you blabbed the entire way to the hospital…told Nana terrible lies about Jacob Fortner.”
“Oh, yeah. That.” He shrugged. “I was out of my head with a concussion.”
“That’s no excuse. You ruined everything…all of my meticulously-laid plans.”
“Well, I hate to say it, but your guy-radar was seriously messed up, because the things I told your grandmother weren’t lies. Fortner meant to hurt you, Jami.”
“My guy radar is just fine, thank you very much.” Jami crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “It’s warning lights are flashing off the charts now, with you here.”
“I see, then, that your progress in that department has been minimal.”
“Say what you want, but I know what I feel.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do.” For some unfathomable reason, the question stole her equilibrium. Jami pressed a hip against the checkout counter to steady herself.
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