Chapter 29
MARCUS
The main house of Winding Creek Ranch had never felt so small.
Marcus glanced around the living space and couldn’t believe how much things had changed in the last couple of years.
Every single one of his siblings had someone to call their own.
Engagements. Weddings. Pregnancy announcements.
Life was moving forward at a breakneck speed, and he was here for it.
Everyone was happy.
He’d be an uncle again in a few months when Sophia had her first child. And Roman had just announced he and Olivia were expecting.
It was all… so surreal.
There were more people present for Christmas Day brunch than just his siblings and their spouses.
Mateo had made it clear that family was family, even the extended parts.
Marcus had lost track of names, but a few of his in-laws had invited their parents or siblings as well.
The only other person besides his family that he recognized was Mathew.
Jason had also invited his sister Penny, who was busy chatting with Camilla at the moment. They fit into the family seamlessly.
Wynter stayed close to Nora near the fireplace, a cup of hot chocolate in hand.
Most of the Palmers were still dressed in their pajamas as some of them had stayed the night, which only added to the chaos of Christmas morning.
Marcus had driven out to pick up Nora so she could participate in the Christmas morning shenanigans, and the happiness on her face made her look ten years younger.
He glanced around at his family again, in awe of what he had. It was perfection. There was no other way to describe it.
Only a few months ago, he’d been watching on the sidelines as his family continued to grow, find love, and a purpose. He’d felt stuck. All he had to offer was a means of protection for his sisters.
His focus lingered on Wynter, and she turned to find his gaze. Every time she looked at him like that, he fell for her all over again. Now he had something precious he had to protect at all costs. And he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers.
They hadn’t talked about what would happen in two months when her official contract was up. Part of him was nervous to rock the boat after they’d confessed their feelings to one another. Wynter might still be insistent on returning to California.
Already he knew what he’d do if she made that choice.
He wasn’t going to try to convince her to stay.
He’d promised he’d follow her anywhere. Wynter had a lot from her past to deal with, and it wasn’t going to be easy for her to find her way.
Until she developed confidence in their relationship and what they could have together, he was determined to stand by her side.
She’d learn by his example that he wasn’t going anywhere unless it meant he could be with her. They’d go wherever she wanted. Together.
Wynter ducked her head, a smile and a blush crossing her features.
“So, you finally got what you wanted,” Mathew’s quiet voice came at his side.
Marcus gave his friend a smile. “I did.”
“Now what?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is she going to stay here? In Copper Creek? Or is she going back to California?”
Marcus knew what he’d do either way. “Doesn’t matter.”
A low chuckle rumbled from Mathew before he brought his orange juice to his lips. “You really do have it bad.”
Glancing over at Wynter once more, Marcus’s chest tightened but in the most delicious way.
He wanted to cross the room and pull her into his arms so everyone could see just how gone he was for that woman.
“Yes, I do.” There was no denying it. Everyone had seen the effect she had on him when he’d proposed at that Christmas party a week ago.
“But we agreed to take it slow. No more rushing into things.”
Mathew chuckled again. “I’m happy for you.”
Marcus turned to him and frowned, noting the twinge of something in the man’s voice. He was closer to Mateo’s age, and yet they got along better than Marcus did with his own brother. “Everything okay?”
Mathew didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, he let his focus sweep over the room full of Marcus’s family.
The man might have been trying to hide it, but there it was, present in his eyes.
He longed to have this. To have a family of his own.
He might have made several comments about how that wasn’t something in the cards for him, but he wanted it all the same.
“You can have it too, you know,” Marcus said quietly.
Mathew didn’t seem surprised by Marcus’s words. He took another sip of his juice and flashed Marcus a smile. “I don’t know. I might have lost my chance.”
“It’s never too late.”
He barked out a chuckle. “I moved to this small town to stay close to my family. My brother and sister are here. My folks are here so they can be close to their family. There are plenty of people in my orbit. But that doesn’t change the fact that the town is small.
I’m getting older. And my job doesn’t exactly make it easy to meet new people unless I want to hit on those coming in with injuries. ”
Marcus laughed at that. “Could be worse. I hear women love a guy who can take care of them.”
Mathew nodded. “I’ve heard the same. My ex can attest to it. But I wasn’t around enough to give her the attention she needed.”
Right. Mathew was speaking from experience. He’d tried to find that soul-binding kind of love that Marcus had found with Wynter. And it hadn’t worked out. No wonder he was more inclined to give up than try again. It was sad, really.
Marcus could feel Wynter before she arrived at his side. She slipped her fingers between his and smiled up at him before leaning forward and catching Mathew’s eye. “Merry Christmas, Mathew.”
He lifted his glass in a toast. “Merry Christmas.”
Wynter leaned into Marcus, and he pressed a kiss to her head. “I have a present for you,” she said softly.
“And I have one for you.”
“Yeah? Is it as good as the last one you got me?” She peered up at him with a brightness that could have blinded a lesser man.
“Better,” he assured her.
She hummed thoughtfully. “I find that hard to believe. That butterfly is still my favorite gift.”
“I think you’ll find this one will be even more fascinating.”
Mathew made a sound that could have been construed as disgust before he wandered off. Marcus chuckled at his retreating form. “I’m going to go get your gift.”
“It’s not under the tree?”
“Nope. Couldn’t figure out a way to wrap it.”
She gave him a surprised look, but he didn’t stick around long enough for her to pelt him with questions.
When he returned with the cardboard box containing her gift, the conversations around them quieted.
Curiosity clung to the air like morning mist in the fall.
There was a hum of anticipation as she placed the box on her lap.
“Before you open it, be aware that it’s very fragile. Don’t jostle it too much.”
Several people inched closer so they could get a better look. And the second Wynter opened the box, gasps and shrieks ripped through the air.
Wynter stared wide-eyed at him briefly, not speaking, before she pulled the Plexiglas habitat from the box. The wonder in her expression was unmistakable as she ducked her head to get a better look at her new pet.
“The pet store said it’s an—”
“Orb-weaver,” she whispered with awe. “Marcus, she’s beautiful.”
“Marcus! Eww, gross!” Isabelle had long since shrunk back from where Wynter sat on the couch.
She clutched Jason’s flannel pajama shirt with both hands and peered over his shoulder at the clear container.
The spider was technically a gold orb-weaver, and its body was a mixture of yellow and brown.
The legs were darker, but it wasn’t the look of the spider that made it special. The web looked like a work of art.
Wynter held up the crate to get a closer look, fascination shining in her eyes. “It’s… I don’t know what to say.”
“I say hurry up and get it out of here!” Isabelle called out again, which got a couple chuckles and more than one mutter of agreement.
Wynter held the carton close to her chest and gave Isabelle a momma-bear look. “Leave her alone.”
Marcus settled onto the couch beside her and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad you like her.”
“She’s perfect,” Wynter whispered back, all the while Isabelle made a sound of disgust. She handed him the spider and rose from her seat to head across the room to her purse. She rifled through it until she produced an envelope.
Her eyes lifted to meet his and she fiddled with the envelope before moving once again across the room to sit beside him. “It’s nothing special. But it’s the only thing that made sense.” Her fingers seemed to shake as she continued to fidget.
Marcus dipped his attention to the envelope and his throat clogged. He didn’t know what it was, but based on her behavior, he had to believe it was incredibly important to her that he like what she’d come up with. He placed a hand on her trembling ones. “I’ll love whatever you give me.”
The room was once again silent. And he could tell it was only adding to Wynter’s unease. He wanted to tell everyone to mind their own business, so they could have this moment alone, but he refrained.
Wynter nodded, then handed him the envelope. He opened it, sharing a reassuring smile. Then he pulled out a sheet of paper. The heading had the letters CCS stamped across it. He scanned the document, and his heart practically beat out of his chest.
“Is this real?” he whispered.
She nodded again.
“Babe,” he whispered again, “are you sure?”
This time she let out a strangled laugh. “Do you like it?”
“What is it?” someone called out.
Wynter didn’t even flinch, nor did her eyes leave his when she said, “I’m accepting a full-time position at Colorado Crop Sciences.
” Her cheeks flushed, and she chewed on her lower lip.
“I’m moving here permanently, Marcus. I want to be with you.
I’m terrified. Terrified of moving forward.
Terrified of what will happen if we don’t.
” Her words were barely above a whisper, but they meant more to him than anything she could have said.
She was fighting her demons to be with him, and he’d spend every single day making sure she never regretted it.
Thank you so much God for answering this prayer!
That was what Marcus wanted to yell out loud.
But instead he took her face into his hands and kissed her deeply.
It was the kind of kiss that could end wars.
It was magic, and everything he knew they could have together.
Wynter met his kiss with her whole heart.
They might be taking things slow, but he could tell she was all in.
“Okay, okay, break it up. I still have to give you my gift.” Nora’s voice broke through his mind, and another ripple of chuckles reached his ears. Wynter’s blush was a deep red, and she avoided looking at anyone but him or her grandmother.
Nora got to her feet and rambled over to where they sat. She looked from Wynter to Marcus and back. There was something in her eyes that said she was as convinced as he was that they’d end up together. She glanced up over Marcus’s head and nodded.
Before Marcus could turn to see what was happening, Jason plopped an old leather work belt into his lap.
Wynter gasped. “Grams…”
“I hope it’s okay that I didn’t wrap it.” Nora smiled at Marcus. “It belonged to my Jack. And there’s more to it.” She gave Wynter a pointed look before turning her firm gaze to Marcus. “The shop out back and all the tools that come with it. All of it belongs to you now.”
Marcus frowned. “The shop? Nora…”
“Grams, what do you mean?”
Nora held up her hand to stop both of them, then she held out a folded piece of paper and gave it to Wynter with tears shining in her eyes. “Merry Christmas, dear.”
Wynter dipped her eyes to the paper, then took it. When she opened it and scanned the contents, she brought a shaking hand to her lips to cover them. “Grams, it’s… too much.”
“It’s yours,” Nora insisted. “All of it. And I expect both of you to play nice and share.”
Mathew’s quiet gasp behind Marcus mirrored his own sentiments. Then he answered the question everyone seemed to want to ask. “She’s gifted them the shop, the house, and the property.”
Marcus found Mateo’s eyes. They both knew what this meant. Marcus would be moving on. He’d leave the family business to start on his own path. Some part of him knew this was always a possibility, but now that he held the evidence in his hands, there was no denying he’d be taking this leap.
His oldest brother gave him a curt nod, one of encouragement. Then he lifted his glass of orange juice to show his support before taking a drink.
This was it.
Marcus turned to Wynter and read the agreement in her gaze. They were setting off on a new adventure, and this was only the beginning.
Their new beginning.