She blinked and focused on Grams.
“Do you love him?”
“Yes,” she rasped. “I love him.”
27
MARCUS
Marcus dug his shoulder into the swinging door and entered the commercial kitchen with a tub full of dishes from the dining side of the building. His sister-in-law glanced up and smiled at him.
“Thanks, Marcus. You can put those in the sink over there.” Nikki jutted her chin to where Mark was filling the basin with soapy water. She really shouldn’t be on her feet after having a baby a few weeks ago, but Marcus wasn’t brave enough to point it out. As far as he was concerned, Mateo could handle his own wife.
Marcus’s reasons for helping out in the kitchen were more for himself than for Nikki anyway. Daniel had everything running smoothly on the ranch side of things. He knew how to delegate and get the guys to accomplish everything that needed to be done well enough that Marcus’s responsibilities had lessened. And that was saying something, considering there were fewer men on site due to the upcoming holidays.
Busy. He needed to stay busy, and how was he supposed to do that when Daniel wouldn’t pile it on? Thankfully, Nikki hadn’t hired anyone after Jason had left. He’d come in occasionally when they really needed the help with prep work while Nikki was down for the count, but otherwise, she and Mark had everything handled.
Marcus carefully placed the dirty dishes into the sink and clapped the guy on the back. “Thanks. I’ll get to work wiping down tables.” Then he turned to Nikki. “Any prep work you need help with for dinner?”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Not really. Most of the guys are gone this week, visiting family. I don’t have to make as much food and the menu is simpler.” Ah, so that was how Mateo was reining in his wife.
Marcus dusted off his hands even though there wasn’t anything on them. Once the tables were wiped down and the floor was swept, he’d run out of things to do again.
It was his own fault, really.
He’d told his brother he wanted to spend more time at the Delaney property for the coming months—at least until Wynter left—and now that she had banned him from her home, he had nowhere to go.
What was the phrase? Something about idle hands and devil’s work? He sure felt like he was being tortured. He might not be surrounded by flames, but his life wasn’t all light and peace, either. He wished God would just tell him what to do or open up Wynter’s heart somehow.
Marcus had lost count of how many times he’d wanted to go over to Wynter’s house to beg her to talk to him. Deep down he knew if he could just have a conversation with her, she’d come to see reason.
Then again, that was probably his impulsive, optimistic heart talking. He hated this. He wanted to turn back the clock to that night and knock some sense into his head.
Of course, he knew Wynter.
He’d known she wasn’t the marrying type. He knew she was hiding from something. Unfortunately, hindsight being what it was, he couldn’t do any such thing.
“Marcus?”
His head jerked upward, and he found Nikki only a few feet away with concern etched into her weary face. She definitely needed a break. She looked exhausted. His eyes shifted to where she was peeling and cutting potatoes. Rolling up his sleeves, he nodded to the stool in the corner of the room. “Sit. I’m going to do that for you.”
“Marcus…” This time her voice was exasperated, but he refused to let her argue. Instead, he grasped her by her shoulders and led her to the stool.
“Just do what he says, Nikki. He’s not going to back down. He’s like a hyperactive bumblebee.”
Marcus shot Mark a startled look. “What?” The word came out in a laugh, but Mark didn’t retract his statement. Instead, he elaborated. “You’re buzzing around, going from task to task not stopping in between.”
Nikki clicked her tongue, drawing Marcus’s attention next. “He’s not wrong. You’re definitely dealing with something and not very well.”
Marcus picked up the potato peeler and scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His friends chuckled, but he ignored them and set his focus on the potato in his hand.
Nikki kept talking anyway. “What happened with Wynter?—”
“Was a mistake,” Marcus ground out. “I know.”
“I wasn’t going to say that,” Nikki hedged, drawing him up short.
