“Yeah, he said he loved you, too. But I don’t like the way he went about getting you to marry him,” Grady’s voice grumbled through the phone line.
“He said that?” Hope’s heart thundered as she looked at Jason and he nodded his head, his eyes bright and intense.
“He did,” Grady affirmed. “I’m worried, Hope. I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.” A tear trickled down her cheek. All of her brothers had expressed their concern, and it was genuine. She might not have been able to be really close to them, but she wanted that to change. “I love you, Grady. I’m so glad you have Emily. I’m going to be as happy with Jason as you are with Em,” she told him reassuringly.
“You’re my baby sister. It’s my job to worry,” Grady replied, his voice graveled and emotional. “And I love you, too, Hope. I don’t want you to be married to the wrong guy.”
“I’m not. I married the perfect man for me. I know you’re upset with Jason, but you know him. You know what kind of person he is. He risked his life by descending a rock wall that no climber should be climbing down without safety equipment just to get to me. And all I had was a sprained ankle. Do you really think he’d hurt me intentionally? I like to think that he lied because he was so out of his mind with lust that he would do anything to have me,” she told her brother teasingly.
Jason nodded again, emphatically this time, his eyes fixated on hers.
“Please. I don’t want to hear about one of my best friend’s and my baby sister’s sex life, although I do know exactly what he was feeling,” Grady said hastily. “Just tell me one more time, honestly, that you’re okay.”
“I’m more than okay,” she told him softly. “I’m in love with Jason.”
Jason gaped at her, as though he were awed to hear her say it again.
“Tell him he’s lucky we don’t all kick his ass,” Grady grunted.
“I wouldn’t let you lay a hand on him. I like his handsome face and hot backside exactly the way it is—thank you very much,” she flipped back at Grady.
“Spare me the details,” Grady begged.
Hope laughed, a delighted chuckle because her brother seemed to be completely grossed out by hearing anything sexual about her and Jason. “Give my love to Emily,” Hope requested.
“I can definitely do that,” her brother answered. “Call me tomorrow. I want to hear from you every day or I’ll come there to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’ll call.” She disconnected the phone after they had said their goodbyes.
Jason came forward slowly, took the phone from her hand and sank to his knees beside the bed. “Did you mean it?” he asked hesitantly, vulnerably.
“Yes.” She looked him straight in the eyes. The tears continued to flow down her face. “Did you?”
“I love you more than I love anything or anyone else in this world, Hope.” He grasped her hand and entwined their fingers together. “I’d take back how our marriage happened in a heartbeat if I could, but I can’t make myself regret being married to you. I want it too much. I love you too much.” His voice cracked with emotion as he squeezed her fingers. “Can you forgive me?”
Remembering that she was going to make him grovel, she asked, “How badly do you want my forgiveness?” She’d already forgiven him the moment he’d risked his life for her, maybe even before that, but she wasn’t quite ready to tell him that yet.
“I want it bad enough to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You’ll always come first in my life, sweetheart. And I’ll never lie to you again.”
“Why did you do it?”
Jason grimaced. “For the exact reason that you told Grady you were hoping for on the phone. I was out of my mind for you, and when I heard that you were getting married, I couldn’t let you marry anyone else but me.”
“Were you ever going to tell me?” she asked curiously, not wanting to think that he’d never planned to tell her the truth.
“Yes. I couldn’t live with myself or you if I didn’t. I was planning on telling you as soon as I got back from town. Hence, the flowers.” Jason nodded at the large bouquet that now sat on the dresser for her to enjoy. “And a few other things I picked up.”
“You were trying to bribe me to forgive you?” Her lips twitched to keep from smiling. Jason looked so forlorn that she didn’t want him to think she was laughing at him.
“No. I wanted to make you happy,” he said earnestly.
Hope swiped at her tears. Honestly, Jason’s sadness killed her. “The flowers are beautiful. Thank you.”