Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

Walker was extremely uncomfortable with Marci by his side dragging out every last detail of Clint and Lily's story. Marci appeared enthralled with Clint. Not that Clint would ever stray from Lily, but it made Walker feel like he was coming up short again.

He was happy for Clint and Lily. It had stung that they'd fallen in love while Walker was interested in her, but it was different with Marci.

Marci lit him up with a simple touch or glance. It was like comparing the sun to the stars for him. The stars were beautiful, but even the brightest star like Lily was outshone by the sun.

He worried for most of the tale that Lily would share that Walker had been after her too. Thankfully she didn't. They reached the end of their story with the proposal and wedding plans and Marci finally ran out of questions. He noticed as they ascended toward King's Peak that she was panting for air but still gushing about how beautiful and incredible the mountains were. She'd compared him to the mountains. He liked that.

"Let's stop and get a drink," he said.

Clint nodded to him, and they stopped on the trail. Walker pulled off his backpack and handed out water bottles. Marci thanked him with a smile and drank deeply from the water bottle. Trickles of moisture trailed from her lips down her neck. He studied that moisture, wanting to lift it off her skin with his finger.

"Sorry I'm slowing you all down," she said, pulling in long, slow breaths.

"You're doing great," Walker said. "You're not used to the elevation."

" Por seguro ," she said. She looked at Lily. "I run or bike the beach at home or swim in the ocean. No incline anywhere, and we are right smack at sea level."

"How intriguing," Lily said. "I've visited the beach but always lived in the mountains. Tell me about your island. Maybe we can go there on our honeymoon." She winked at Clint but then cast a quick glance at Walker. He knew she didn't want to make him feel bad.

"I've got the honeymoon all planned," Clint said. "You don't need to worry about that."

Marci hooted as Lily grinned.

"You've been engaged two weeks and you've got the honeymoon planned?" Marci asked. "Yes! I hope my fiancé is that excited about our honeymoon."

Walker didn't want to hear about Clint and Lily's honeymoon. Any man who was engaged to Marci would be more than excited about the honeymoon. He'd elope with her because he couldn't stand the wait. His neck and cheeks got hot.

"Let's keep going," Marci insisted. "I'll talk and walk."

"You let us know if we need to slow down," Walker said.

"You're the best." She ushered Clint and Lily with her hands. " Vámanos. "

Everyone smiled at that, stored their water bottles, and Clint led the way.

Marci talked about Key Largo and all the interesting things to do like biking, swimming, running, paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and the list went on. She talked about the other islands along the Keys that led to Key West. It did indeed sound like paradise. Walker thought the mountains of Montana and his ranch were paradise. Marci had seemed enthralled with the mountains, but enough to leave her beach? It didn't matter; Walker would never try to hold her here. Would Easton?

They made it to King's Peak and stopped to admire the view. Marci exclaimed over and over again about the majestic beauty.

Clint put his arm around Lily and drew her into his side. Marci brushed against Walker's arm and smiled up at him. Her chest was rising and falling quickly. He focused on her dark-brown eyes.

"This is fabuloso, " she said, gesturing to the view of the valley and town of Coleville. "I am truly on top of the world. Thank you for making this happen for me."

"You'll have to thank Papa."

"I will." She moistened her lips. "But the thank you I had in mind wouldn't be appreciated by Papa, or Mama, for that matter."

His eyes widened.

She wrapped her hand around his and asked in a quiet tone, "Can I give you that thank you later tonight?"

Walker was the one short of breath now. Did she mean … what he hoped she meant? He didn't stop to think about Easton or the repercussions of kissing her at all as he said huskily, "I'll happily accept any thank you from you."

" Que delicioso ."

" Que bonito ," he said, staring deeply into her eyes and hoping he'd said it right. He'd Googled how to say very beautiful last night and practiced using it.

Her return smile was more breathtaking than the view.

They stood there, just staring at each other.

"We're going to start down," Clint said. "You take your time." He gave Walker an approving look.

Walker's breath caught in his throat. Would Clint approve if he knew Easton thought Marci was the girl who could heal him from Cassie leaving? Clint didn't even know how deeply Cassie had wounded Easton, but he definitely didn't approve of Easton's playboy ways. If Clint knew the whole story, he'd probably ask Walker to do anything he could to help Easton heal. Including not kissing Marci tonight.

Clint had tried to be loyal to Walker through his fake engagement to Lily. He'd impressively waited and asked Walker's permission before pursuing her.

Walker needed to talk to Easton. Soon.

His head hurt as he realized he might not be able to accept Marci's ‘thank you'. Not until he worked things out with his brother.

"We'll follow you," Walker said.

Marci pulled out her phone and snapped a ton of pictures, gushing over the view and the varieties of trees and even him. He smiled for the pictures, wishing he dared ask to take photos of her.

He and Marci eventually followed behind Clint and Lily. She took his hand again. Her smaller hand felt very right clasped in his. Every moment with her, he fell harder for her. He didn't want Easton to come home and mess everything up, steal Marci from him as Easton could easily do. He had to talk things out with his brother.

What would he do if Easton didn't give up his ‘dibs' on a chance with Marci? His hand tightened around hers. He'd fight his brother if he had to, but what if Easton won her heart and either dumped her and ruined Walker's chance or he had to watch yet another brother plan a wedding and honeymoon with the woman he wanted to be with?

The descent was much faster than the ascent. They caught up to Clint and Lily. Marci asked Lily a multitude of questions about being a labor and delivery nurse and how her family's ranch helped those displaced from their homes. She was more thorough and smoother than an interviewer on a news magazine show.

When they got back to the house, Walker excused himself to go feed. Lily led Marci inside the house, saying they'd go help Mama get dinner out. Clint said he'd help Walker.

They walked to the barn together. The silence was thick. Neither of them said anything as they fed the horses and the bulls who only ate two, sometimes three times a day.

Finishing up, Walker waited by the barn door for Clint. His oldest brother sauntered up to him. He opened the door, but Clint held up a hand. "I came out here to talk to you."

"You're not too great at talking," Walker teased, though his gut turned over uncomfortably. He didn't really want to talk to his brother.

Clint smiled. "True. Except with Lily." He leveled his gaze at Walker.

"I'm … happy for you," Walker said. He meant it, but it was still awkward and painful, like a rope burn on his palm that took a long time to heal.

"Thank you." Clint folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the barn wall. He wasn't going anywhere soon. "Marci's great."

"She is." Walker pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his hair.

"She's into you."

Walker shook his head and shoved his hat back on. "Easton called dibs."

Clint snorted. "I thought we established that dibs is for teenagers."

Walker blew out a breath and splayed his hands. "Easton thinks Marci is his one, the one to get him over Cassie."

"He's still hung up on Cassie Johnston?" Clint asked, his gaze narrowing.

"She broke his heart," Walker admitted. "I don't want to betray his confidence, but I know Cassie leaving and never coming back was the catalyst for him becoming such a player."

"Dang." Clint drew in a breath. "And you think Marci could help him heal? How is she different for him than the other thousand woman he's gone on one date with?"

Walker splayed his hands. What did he know? Could Easton ever heal and settle down? But the magic ingredient was … Marci. "Maybe. Marci is the most incredible woman I've ever met."

Clint studied him and thumped his fist against his leg. "It would be something if Easton stopped acting like a teenager chasing a different girl every week." His oldest brother's gaze grew reflective. "But if Marci is after you, it doesn't matter much what Easton wants. Nobody owns a woman by calling dibs. We found that out with Lily."

Clint's words were factual, and Walker knew dibs didn't really matter, more a term the brothers used to prevent a battle like this from happening. Lily choosing Clint stung, but it didn't gouge and blister like it would've before he met Marci.

"As soon as Easton gets back here, he'll charm her into wanting him," Walker said softly. "You know he will."

"I didn't think you lacked confidence with women."

"I don't. I've always had plenty of women after me." Walker rolled his eyes. He wanted to be the ‘sigma' like Marci had said, but facts were facts. His twin was a charmer with ‘rizz' and Walker was more serious and reticent. Not the one to step forward or draw attention to himself. "But it's rare that a woman resists Easton if he sets his target on her."

"Marci will."

Walker really liked Clint's confidence in him and in Marci. She was a rare jewel, not another woman to add to Easton's string of dates. It was time to stand up for himself and Marci.

"I saw how she looked at you," Clint said.

Walker's heart sped up just thinking about the way Marci looked at him, the way she made him feel like he was ten feet tall and the most incredible man on the planet. Her vaquero guapo . Instead of admitting any of that to his tough older brother, he teased, "Man. Lily has really got you in touch with your emotions, eh?"

Clint chuckled. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I never imagined love could be so incredible, that I could find my missing piece."

Walker wanted to tease that he'd never heard Clint get sappy, but he felt the same. Clint's gaze focused too intently on Walker. Walker shifted his weight and waited for the advice that was surely coming.

"Let me ask you this. Do you feel more for Marci than you ever felt for Lily?"

"Yes," Walker answered without hesitation. It hurt to lose his chance with Lily, but he was coming to see that was more years of thinking she was the right one and male pride than Lily actually being his right one. "It's like comparing the sun to the stars. She lights my world and the way she makes me feel with one look, word, or touch is warmth and power."

Clint was grinning now. "I've never heard you talk like that, and that is exactly the way I felt about Lily compared to Sheryl. There's no comparison, because Lily is the right woman for me."

"You think Marci could be the one for me?" Walker was having trouble breathing imagining Marci in his arms and his life. It was crazy and too soon and they lived on different ends of the country, but he'd move mountains to be with her. Would he break his brother's heart? He didn't know how to work around that.

"I don't know. That's for you to decide." His gaze narrowed. "How does it feel when you kiss?"

"I haven't kissed her."

"Oh." Clint blinked, swallowed, and then straightened away from the barn wall and shoved the door open. "Shall we go in and wash up for dinner?"

"Wait a minute." Walker's neck tingled. He grabbed Clint's arm, stopping him in the open doorway. "Did you kiss Lily during that whole … fake fiancé situation?"

Clint looked as guilty as Walker had ever seen his loyal, straight-arrow brother look. He thumped his closed fist against his leg, squinted at the setting sun then faced Walker straight on, his shoulders straightening. "I did," he admitted on a heavy exhale.

Walker released his grip on him and stared. "Huh," was all he managed to say, cold anger making his chest tight. He'd trusted Clint to give him a chance with Lily, just as Easton was trusting him with Marci. He didn't know how to riddle it out in his mind, but it still felt awful to be the one blindsided. How would Easton feel if he came home and Walker had claimed Marci's heart and her lips? His fists tightened.

"The first couple of times, it was for the fake fiancé ploy," Clint said quietly. "But it was the most mind-blowing sensation I've ever felt. Then … I got carried away. We were alone in my house and …" He focused on the horse stalls, his shoulders bunched around his ears. "I'm sorry. It's no excuse, but she kissed me first and I let down my guard and my self-control."

Walker was stunned. On one hand, he couldn't say that he blamed his brother. Being alone with the right woman for him in his house, protecting her, pretending to be engaged… Now that Walker knew how hard it was to resist Marci, he wasn't ready to rip his brother apart like he would've been a few weeks ago.

"A few weeks ago, I would've slugged you. Repeatedly. Now I just want to slug you, but I want to slug myself for that matter." He groaned. "Being around Marci …" He shook his hands out and admitted, "I understand how hard it is to resist the right woman for you."

Clint's shoulders relaxed, and he said quietly, "Near impossible."

A few seconds passed. It was uncomfortable and neither of them knew where to step next.

"Do you think I can kiss Marci and not feel like I'm betraying Easton?" Walker asked into the silence.

"I don't know. I definitely didn't think about you when I was kissing Lily and experiencing heaven on earth." Clint grinned, but it slid away quick and he thumped his fist against his leg. "It was a hard wallop of guilt after, but definitely not during."

"Good." Walker wasn't sure if he was saying good that Clint enjoyed kissing his fiancé or good that he'd felt some guilt.

"Thanks for understanding," Clint said gruffly.

Walker nodded. Had he really understood? Kind of, because he now felt like he was in Clint's shoes. If only he could have the same end result and someday soon be engaged to Marci and have Easton punch him if he needed, but not hate him for life.

"Talk to Easton," Clint continued. "Get it off your chest. If you and Marci are meant to be, it'll work out. You're the most considerate and impressive of men, Walker. Marci would be lucky to have you love her."

Clint slapped him on the shoulder and exited the barn. He'd definitely exceeded his emotional capacity and deep conversation threshold. Walker had never talked with Clint like that before. He appreciated the honesty and the insight, even if the anger was still leaking out and the confusion hadn't completely dissipated.

Walker stood there for a few moments. Could he kiss Marci tonight and not feel as if he was betraying his brother's trust? Clint had done something similar to Walker and Walker didn't hold too many hard feelings. He'd forgive Clint. Would Easton forgive him?

Clint had called Walker two weeks ago to tell him he couldn't resist Lily any longer and begged him to give up his ‘dibs'.

Walker pulled his phone out. His hands were unsteady as he pulled up Easton's text saying he was coming home. He'd had service but might not now. He pushed Easton's number before he could second guess himself. It went straight to voicemail.

Dang. Did that mean the good Lord wanted him to wait? Talk to his brother face to face? He was still feeling a bit put out and judgmental of Clint, and Easton was much more prideful than he was.

He drew in a breath, bowed his head, and said a prayer. He needed a lot of help and strength. Especially if Heavenly Father wanted him to resist kissing Marci. He didn't know that he'd ever faced a harder temptation than wanting her in his arms and his life.