“I know that. I’m not daft, child.”
Wynter bit back a laugh, then schooled her features when her grandmother leveled her with another warning stare.
“The only man who has ever meant something to you lives in this town. Just down the road. That man loves you. With his whole heart and soul.”
The muscles in Wynter’s body went rigid and her heart picked up again. She didn’t like talking about Marcus. She didn’t want to see or hear the truth her grandmother was laying out for her.
Grams’s voice softened, and she inched closer so she could reach out a hand and take Wynter’s. “I need you to be ready. And even if you don’t need someone to take care of you, I want to make sure someone in your life wants to take care of you anyway.”
Wynter choked out a sad laugh. “But I don’t want to get married, Grams.”
“Oh, hogwash.”
Wynter startled at her grandmother’s harsh tone.
“You want to get married. And I can tell you love that boy. What’s holding you back? Be honest with me. Help me understand.”
Wynter studied her grandmother’s face for a long moment before she finally had to look away. “They always leave Grams. Everyone always leaves. I can’t open my heart to anyone else. Mom and Dad. Grandpa…”
“Oh, sweetie.” There was a soft sort of understanding about the way she spoke, and it drew Wynter’s attention once more. “Your mother and grandfather didn’t leave you on their own accord. They were taken. The only person in your life who left was your father.” Grams drew her brows together and shook her head with a frown. “That man didn’t deserve you. Didn’t deserve your mother, either. And as for losing people—that’s life.”
“It will hurt,” Wynter whimpered. “I can’t let someone else into my life who isn’t going to stay.”
“And what makes you think Marcus would leave?”
She lifted a shoulder noncommittally at her grandmother’s question.
“There are no guarantees in life, sweetie. There is always risk involved. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the job market. The economy. Or in love.”
“Don’t you think I’ve had enough loss? Don’t you think you’ve lost enough?” Wynter’s voice no longer held an edge to it. If anything, there was a pleading for her grandmother to agree with her, to stay on her side. Because as hard as she was trying, she was wavering in her own convictions.
“Of course we’ve lost more than our fair share. But sweetheart, Marcus has never left you.” Grams got to her feet, walked around the coffee table and took a seat beside Wynter. She grasped both of her hands and squeezed them tight. “The only person leaving is you. The only one running… isyou. Marcus lost you once. When you moved away and cut ties with him, I think that did something to his soul. And yet when you came back, he forgave you.” She tucked a strand of hair behind Wynter’s ear and smiled sadly. “Can you blame him for getting desperate? That boy only has eyes for you. Even your grandfather saw it.”
Wynter stiffened. “He did?”
“Oh, boy, did he.” Grams smiled fondly. “He knew the two of you would end up together. Why do you think he was always hovering? He didn’t want anything untoward going on before it was appropriate, but then he was always incredibly old-fashioned. You don’t know how many times I had to remind him we live in modern times and chaperones aren’t a thing anymore.”
Wynter let out a laugh, but it wasn’t until Grams traced a thumb across her cheek that she realized she’d been crying. She sucked in sharply and blinked.
Grams handed her a tissue, her smile still present. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one thing we need to clear up.”
“And what’s that?” Wynter asked, not sure if she was ready to take this next step.
“Do you love him?”
Yes.
The word practically echoed in her brain.
She wanted to shout it, scream it, tell the world.
Yes, she was in love with Marcus. And that was why she was so utterly terrified about her future. That was why she itched to pack her bags and move back to California. Now that she knew her grandmother wasn’t injured, there really wasn’t anything stopping her. The contract was more for her benefit than anything else. She was guaranteed a job while she was here for three months, but if she wanted out, she could take her leave.
Nothing was stopping her from walking out that door.
Except that wasn’t entirely true, was it?
“Wynter?”
