She laughed and swatted at him. “And cheesy.”
“But you like cheese.”
Wynter peered up at him. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
They stared at each other for several long moments. Until the air didn’t feel as cold. Until her fears didn’t seem as big. Then he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “So…” he drawled in a whisper.
“So…” she mimicked.
“Do you think if we gave this another shot… that it will end up in the same kind of disaster as last week?”
Wynter grimaced. “I sure hope not.”
“Does that mean you think it’s worth trying?”
She could hear the hope in his voice. Boy, she envied that hope. The man was a full-blooded optimist. Nothing got him down.
Nothing but losing her, apparently.
Her stomach fluttered, and she smiled up at him again. “I think it’s worth the risk.”
Marcus’s smile lit up his whole face, and he let out a whoop before spinning her around and setting her on her feet. He leaned down to kiss her, but she caught him with two fingers.
“On one condition.”
“Anything,” he said against her fingertips.
“Can we take it slow?”
His expression grew serious, and for a moment she thought she’d said the wrong thing. But then he nodded. “One month at a time. One week at a time. One day at a time. We can take it one minute at a time if that’s what you need.”
She laughed despite herself. “Like I said. Crazy.”
“But you like crazy. Almost as much as you like cheese.” He didn’t give her a chance to retort before he swept her up into his arms and kissed her like she was oxygen and he’d been starved of it. When he finally released her, she was the breathless one.
“I love you, Wynter.”
She stared at him for another long moment. “I love you, too.”
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 thathe 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.
