Molly studied Grace. “You’re very protective of him. You got right between him and Levi. You were defending him against our brother.”
“Only because Levi was in the wrong. Trust me, if Wyatt had decided to retaliate, Levi would’ve needed defending. Our brother would be in the hospital right now. But that’s not who Wyatt is.” She nearly told Molly he was a Secret Service agent but didn’t want to break his confidence. “He’s a good guy. A really good guy.”
Molly’s face softened. “A lot must’ve happened out there. I’ve never seen you quite like this.”
Grace dragged her fingers through her damp strands. She didn’t know how to put into words how she felt about Wyatt. And had no desire to figure it out right now, with Molly watching every thought flitter across her face.
“Levi called Chief Dalton and explained what happened, so everything’s cool now. Is Wyatt angry?”
“I don’t think so. He’s not exactly happy though—can you blame him? And I really don’t want him to leave yet. He has business here he needs to finish first, and I aim to help him.”
Molly gave her an inquisitive look and then, miracle of all miracles, didn’t press her about it. Instead she eased up off the mattress. “All right then. I’ll see what I can do to smooth your friend’s feathers. And I’ll make sure Levi plays nice too.”
“I’m really sorry I worried you,” Grace said, because it couldn’t be said enough. Levi’s impulsive behavior didn’t erase their suffering.
“I’m just glad you’re all right.” Molly gave her a wink, then slipped out the door.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Wyatt had a few critical things to take care of this morning.
When he looked in the mirror, he was relieved to see his jaw was only slightly discolored. Though Grace’s brother had surprised him, Wyatt’s training paid off. He automatically spun away from the punch, letting the hook pass through. The damage had been effectively minimized, and he’d managed to restrain himself. Barely.
The public library was closed today, and he was taking a break from hiking. His shoulder needed a few days off from backpack hauling. He rolled it, testing. He needed to go to the gym later, lift a little, and get back to his regular physical therapy. It wasn’t lost on him that he was broken both physically and psychologically. A case could also be made for spiritually—which was why he’d decided to head to church this morning. The service he’d looked up online started at nine.
But he had something else he needed to settle first. He slipped out of his room and made his way down the hall. All was quiet behind Grace’s door. He took the stairs silently, and when he reached the bottom he found just the situation he’d hoped for. Levi alone, working the front desk.
The man did a double take as Wyatt rounded the corner. He straightened to his full height—a few inches taller than Wyatt.
As Levi’s gaze sharpened on Wyatt’s jaw, he shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
“Ah, about yesterday . . .” Levi lifted his chin a notch, reminding Wyatt of Grace. “I wanted to apologize again for jumping to conclusions.”
“Accepted. Do I need to find somewhere else to stay?”
Levi blinked but didn’t give an inch. “That depends. What are your intentions toward my sister?”
“I have no intentions toward Grace—if that’s any of your business.” He didn’t know why it annoyed him so much that her siblings treated her like a child when he’d initially put her squarely in the same category.
“Does she know that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should ask her,” he said, because he knew Levi wouldn’t bother. Grace would just tell him to butt out.
“She’s young. And more vulnerable than you might think.”
“She’s an adult, and she wouldn’t appreciate your talking behind her back. She’s also quite capable of taking care of herself.”
Levi’s jaw clenched and his eyes flashed. He obviously didn’t like being told about his sister by someone who’d known her less than a week. But Wyatt was right.
“Good morning!” Molly waltzed into the room, energized by her morning coffee? Or maybe a little manic. “How’d you sleep, Wyatt? Can I get you a seat in the dining room? Miss Della baked up her blueberry streusel muffins this morning, and you don’t want to miss those.”
Her gaze toggled between the men. “Everything all right here? Yeah? Wyatt, I also recommend the meat lovers’ omelet. It’s a fluffy, cheesy wonder you’ll be dreaming about for weeks