God, he’d failed to protect her friend—twice.
“Wyatt, tell me about Marcie.”
He pulled back and reluctantly met her gaze. But for the life of him, he couldn’t think of the right words.
Or any words.
She touched his cheek with her left hand. “It’s okay. I know she didn’t make it. I heard the radio in the ambulance when Reed called for the ME. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Did Shane shoot her?”
He nodded. “He claims he found her like that, and somebody hit him on the head. I don’t believe him. He had the gun in his hand.”
“Could you tell anything about the blood spatter? Or the angle of entry?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “No, Professor. I didn’t have much time for that. I arrested him on the spot, though, and turned him over to Sheriff Hardin. I’ve already called Ranger Sergeant Olivia Hutton, my crime scene analyst. I’ve made sure she understands to check everything thoroughly—herself.”
“Good.” Nina’s voice was hoarse and her eyes were filled with tears. “Poor Marcie.”
Wyatt sat on the edge of the bed and laid his palm against her cheek. “God, Nina. I’m so sorry.” He muttered as his heart wrenched in grief and regret. “I was too late—again.”
Nina’s fingers brushed his lips. “No,” she said vehemently. “No you weren’t. You did everything you could. Today and two years ago. It took me a while to realize what kind of man you are. It shouldn’t have taken that long. I should have known the first time I met you.”
Wyatt caught her hand in his and squeezed it. He couldn’t look at her.
She went on. “I should have known that badge was more than just a piece of silver that gives you the authority to bring in the bad guys. That piece of silver represents you, down to your soul.”
“Nina, I—”
“Shh. Marcie got Marcie killed. And I’m afraid she got Daniel killed, too. If she’d been truthful with you—if she had accepted your protection—then she might be alive today.” She shook her head. “I lost my friend two years ago.”
Wyatt’s heart was still pounding, but now not with fear or lust. “God, I love you.”
Nina blinked. She knew she was hazy from the drugs they’d given her, but was she hallucinating, too? Did she imagine him saying what she wanted so badly to hear? “What did you say?”
Wyatt’s face had gone pale, which wasn’t a good sign. “I said I love you—I think.”
Those last two words wrenched the breath right out of her. It took her two tries to be able to speak. “You—you think?”
He shook his head and mumbled a curse. “No, I don’t…I mean, I didn’t…”
She bit her lips to keep from moaning aloud. She lay back against the pillows. “It’s okay, cowboy.”
He growled deep in his throat. “Look, none of this is coming out the way I wanted it to.” He took a deep breath. “I love you. I want to marry you, damn it!”
A clatter of metal against metal announced the nurse’s return. She stopped, an amused look on her face. “Wow! How romantic,” she drawled. “Now if you’re done with that lovely proposal, the bride needs to go to surgery.”
To Nina’s drowsy amusement, Wyatt’s face turned red. He jumped up from his seat on the bed. “Right. Sure,” he stammered. “I’ll, uh—”
The nurse held up a syringe. “They’re on their way from the operating room to get you now. After this shot, you’ll be pretty sleepy. So if you’ve got anything to say, you’d better say it now.”
Nina smiled at her flustered Texas Ranger. “My charming, eloquent hero. It’s settled, then. I want to marry you, too, damn it.”
“You do?” Wyatt’s face was still red as a beet.
The nurse snorted as she injected the drug. “How could she pass up such a sweet proposal? You’d better kiss her fast. She’s about to nod off to sleep.”
Nina lifted her head for his kiss, which was the sweetest, most tender kiss she’d ever experienced. “Are you running off to chase bad guys?” she murmured.
“Sheriff Hardin and Sergeant Hutton can handle the bad guys for now. I’m not going anywhere until you’re all sewn up. I’ll be right here when you wake up. You can count on it.”
She could no longer keep her eyes open, but she knew that Wyatt Colter, Texas Ranger, was a man of his word. “I know,” she whispered, smiling.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4660-1
CLASSIFIED COWBOY
Copyright © 2010 by Rickey R. Mallory
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