Page 52 of The Roper & the Author

“How long will you stay?”

His blue gaze traveled slowly over her face, then he cradled her cheek with one strong palm. “As long as you need.”

Marci’s eyes widened. His pledge was beautiful and exactly what she needed. She’d never be alone again. She arched up toward him.

“Que diablosis happening here?” Abuelita croaked from down below.

“Abuelita!” Marci turned from Walker and bent down to her grandmother. “You live!”

“Barely,” Abuelita whispered.

Marci kissed her cheek and eased back. She smelled of hospital antiseptic, not her usual high-dollar perfume. “What happened? Did they hurt you?”

“No.” Abuelita shook her head. “Not evensuciocriminals want to injure an old grandmother.”

“But how did you get free?”

“I don’t know. It’s all a fog. The nurses say they had me drugged.” She reached up and Marci clasped her hand. “You have to stay safe,mi amor.”

“I will, Abuelita.” Her gaze flicked to Walker, and he nodded seriously. “I’ve got incredible protection, and they’ll watch over you now too.”

“Bien, bien. Now … who is thisvaquero guapoand how soon can we go home?” She tugged the oxygen away from her nose, obviously annoyed.

Marci and Walker both smiled at Abuelita using the term she’d called him. “Abuelita, this is Walker Coleville. He’s a cowboy and a gentleman.”

“I can see that.” Abuelita raised her eyebrows. “Do you love my beautifulnieta?”

Walker’s jaw slackened. He brushed a hand through his hair.

Marci’s stomach dropped.

He didn’t love her. Who could blame him? He hardly knew her, and of course he had things to heal from, and she was too vocal and didn’t understand human relationships.

“Abuelita. How are you feeling? Truly?”

Her grandmother raised an eyebrow at her and then she started cursing in Spanish.

Walker stayed by her side, but things were stiff between them again. What had she expected? Him to proclaim his love?

Crazy.

Chapter

Seventeen

Walker spent a verylong day trying to stay close to Marci and support her and her grandmother, but things were awkward with her and they were awkward with Easton. Autumn kept flirting with Easton and his brother returned it.

If Marci was supposedly Easton’s ‘one’, why was he bantering with Autumn? Walker was fed up with his brother. He’d held himself back from fully pursuing Marci because of guilt and hoping Easton could be healed from Cassie and now Easton was acting like his normal self and flirting with a woman who’d already proclaimed she only did ‘shallow hookups’.

If only Walker had proclaimed the love that was building inside of him for Marci when her grandma had asked earlier. He’d frozen, wanting to talk to Marci alone about everything he was feeling, and he’d probably hurt her or confused her more than ever.

It was after dinner—thankfully Autumn had brought sandwiches in so they didn’t have to eat hospital food—that Abuelita was released. They had six of them escorting Abuelita and Marci to their Key Largo estate. The sun sank into the ocean to the west as they crossed the expanse with bridges on bothsides. It was breathtaking, all that ocean stretching as far as the eye could see. Walker had seen pictures of this scene. To see it out the window was stunning. Even as distracted as he was, he could appreciate the openness and beauty.

Walker was in the rear SUV with Marci by his side and Nick and Abuelita up front. Autumn, Easton, and the other two guards employed by Aiden, Adam and Jose, were in the lead vehicle.

Nobody said much, and it was obvious Abuelita was exhausted when they finished the hour and a half drive and pulled up to the gate of her estate. It was dusk, but he could still see swaying palm trees and an expanse of grass and flower beds flowing to the ocean with a thick forest of trees beyond a small cottage at the far end of the estate.

He thought his mountain home was paradise, but this was the definition of paradise in most people’s minds. Marci had gushed about the mountains, as delighted as anyone he knew, but what if she never wanted to leave her grandmother and this island spot? He couldn’t ask that of her. If he could tell his brother he was pursuing her and somehow admit to her all he felt, could they try a long-distance relationship? He could come visit anytime he wasn’t helping his family with protection details, training, or at a roping event.

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