Healed with a Kiss (Bride Mountain 3)

“Thanks. I just got him a few weeks ago. He’s a handful.”

The dog had already moved to Alexis, who petted him a couple of times before his owner dragged him away, somewhat futilely ordering him to “heel.”

“This really is a doggy town,” Alexis commented, counting at least half a dozen from where they stood. “You think any cat people live in Seattle?”

Logan shrugged. “Probably. Just not many people walk their cats.”

As if to prove him wrong, an older man in jogging clothes and serious walking shoes strode briskly past them, accompanied by a black-and-white cat trotting beside him in a harness leash.

Alexis and Logan shared a look, then broke out laughing. She loved laughing with him.

They had just decided to leave the park and walk across the street for coffee when a frightened cry caught their attention. “Charlotte, stop! Come back right now!”

Alexis turned to see a streak of blue dash past her, headed straight for the water. Before she could even process what she’d seen, Logan was in motion. Throwing himself forward, he scooped the shrieking toddler into his arms just as she appeared ready to throw herself into the lake. Logan stumbled a bit and for a moment, Alexis was certain he was going in, as well. He steadied himself almost immediately, and she released the breath she’d caught.

The little girl squirmed and kicked in Logan’s firm grip. “Wanna swim!” she bellowed. “Down!”

A woman in trendy running clothes and neon-pink athletic shoes rushed toward them, waving her hands frantically. “Ohmygosh, thank you so much! She just leaped out of her stroller and got away before I could stop her.”

She motioned toward the expensive running stroller she’d abandoned on the path behind her. “I’ve just been having so much trouble keeping her in the stroller ever since she figured out how to unbuckle the strap. I looked away just a minute to chat with someone I recognized, and she took off.”

“Wanna swim!” the unruly child insisted again, still struggling.

Holding her beneath her armpits, Logan held the toddler at arm’s length toward her mother. “You should find a way to reinforce those buckles or to tie her in so she can’t get out,” he suggested with typical bluntness.

The woman sighed gustily. “I know. It’s just that she’s so advanced for her age, and very curious. I’ll explain to her that she can’t swim in this cold weather. I’m sure she’ll understand when we’ve talked.”

She took the child away from him and turned to walk away, while Charlotte continued to vociferously demand to be set free.

Alexis looked up at Logan with wide eyes. “You saved that little girl’s life!”

Looking embarrassed by the hyperbole, he motioned briefly toward the spectators who’d gawked at them during the incident but now turned and returned to their walking, jogging, biking or skating.

“I doubt that I actually saved her life. She’d have been wet but someone still would have gotten to her.”

“I thought what you did was amazing,” she assured him.

He chuckled with little humor. “Now I really need that coffee.”

“I’ll buy.”

She noticed as they headed for the closest coffee shop that he was limping somewhat more noticeably than usual. She waited until they were seated with their coffees—black for him, a flavored latte for her—before asking, “Did you hurt your leg when you jumped for the little girl?”

He dropped his hand quickly, as if he hadn’t been aware he’d been massaging his left knee. “Nah. Twisted it a little. It’s okay.”

“You said you broke it playing sports?”

He took a long, careful sip of his coffee and she got the distinct impression that he was delaying his answer. “Yeah. Long time ago.” He changed the subject quickly, now sounding a little weary from their day of walking and sightseeing, but still game to keep her entertained. “So, what else do you want to do on our last day in Seattle?”

Cradling her coffee cup in her hands, she smiled at him. “I would like to have another nice dinner, and then I

’d like to go back to our room and sit on our balcony with a bottle of good wine and admire the lights on the water. After that—well, I’m sure we’ll think of something to do.”

She could almost see the relief in his eyes. “Have I ever mentioned that I like the way your mind works?”

“And I thought you just wanted my body.”

His lips curved upward. “That, too.”