They hit up the tea shop, and Wynter grabbed a box of peppermint tea. She read the label, then tossed it into her basket with a disgruntled look. “Grams might be losing it.” She said it with humor and a smile, no sign of worry. Then she headed for the front of the shop.
Marcus glanced at the shelf, full of boxes. Then he chuckled as he scooped several more boxes into a basket he retrieved from the floor.
Wynter gaped at him when he got to her side. “Marcus, you don’t have to get that many.”
“Fewer trips, right? You won’t have to come out this way while you’re in town, and Nora won’t have to worry about replenishing her stash before the snow melts. Call it peace of mind.”
Wynter seemed to hesitate for a moment before she finally nodded. “Yeah, okay. But you’re not paying for it.” She reached for his basket, but he held it up and away from her.
“Marcus!”
“Wynter,” he parroted in a similar tone of voice.
She huffed. “I mean it. You don’t have to take care of her just because?—”
“Just because what? Tell me, Wynter, what am I doing?” When she didn’t respond to his question, he continued. “Nora was almost as important a figure in my life as yours. She helped me through my formative years. And I owe her a lot. This is the least I can do.”
Wynter pulled her mouth to the side, probably trying to decide if there was any chance she could overpower him. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. Finally, she turned around and faced the cashier. “Six of these.” She handed the single box of tea over to the cashier, and Marcus’s eyes widened. Smirking at him over her shoulder, she rummaged in her purse for her wallet, but he was faster on the uptake.
In seconds, he had his card out and had ducked around Wynter to give it to the woman checking them out.
Wynter’s cry of surprise and irritation was music to his ears. He wanted to help. This was what he was good at. Wynter needed to get to the point where she could accept help from others. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world to let someone do something kind for her.
She grumbled her thanks when the cashier handed a bag full of peppermint tea over the counter.
“I’m buying us lunch,” she insisted.
“You can try.” Marcus chuckled.
Her death glare could have burned a lesser man, but he was used to her ire. And right now, it was fueling him in ways he had missed.
They were standing in a café, deciding what kinds of sandwiches to order, when a deep voice called out, “Wynter? Wynter Delaney. Is that you?”
Marcus stiffened, and they both turned to find Jake Decker. And just like that, Marcus was taken back six years ago. Jake had filled out. He might not have been built, but he didn’t look like a kid right out of high school either. Marcus’s eyes narrowed as he approached.
“It is you. Man, how long has it been?”
Seriously? This guy was acting like they’d been best friends. Couldn’t he tell that Wynter wasn’t interested by the way she stiffened as he gave her a hug? Marcus took a step toward them, but if Jake noticed, he didn’t say anything.
Instead, the man let out an appreciative whistle. “You look good. Do you live in Colorado Springs now?”
“No. I’m just running errands.”
“Cool, cool. Yeah, me too. Hey, I wanted to tell you I was sorry for the way I treated you in high school.”
Marcus snorted. The sound was enough to drag Jake’s attention toward him, and Jake’s brows lifted.
“Hey, Marcus. I didn’t see you there.”
Yeah right.
“Anyway, how long are you in town? Have you moved back?”
Wynter shook her head, her polite smile tight. The guy was an idiot. There was no other explanation for the way he was acting around her. And yet, Wynter was being nice to him despite the way he’d bullied her. “Only a few months,” she admitted.
“That’s plenty of time for a date. What do you say?”
“I beg your pardon?” Wynter asked.
