Free Wicked: Whispering Cove, Book 3 by Nikki Duncan

he? What’s happening?”
    “He’s on the back deck.” Ruth led the way, twisting her hands. “We were talking about Braydon, about how upset he seemed this afternoon, and all of a sudden Byron went bright red and passed out.”
    “How long was he unconscious?”
    “Maybe two minutes. His color is coming back to normal slowly.”
    They stepped onto the back deck where Byron sat in a glider shaped like two sails of a boat turned upside down. The wooden sails wrapped around for the arms and supported Byron in what looked like a comfortable ride.
    “Byron.” Danica crossed to him and sat her bag at her feet. “I thought I told you to take it easy.”
    “I was trying to.” He waved toward the water and the boats. “That boy makes it impossible. He needs to change his life.”
    Ruth settled on the edge of her matching glider and tsk-tsked Byron while Danica took his vitals. “Your blood pressure is high. You’re getting yourself too worked up.”
    “That boy needs to settle down.”
    She wouldn’t mind being the reason, but wasn’t going to say anything. Instead, she watched the cuff monitor climb with Byron’s aggravation.
    “He needs a nice girl to have babies with,” Byron continued. His blood pressure inched higher. His face reddened.
    “Byron—”
    “You’re a nice girl.” He narrowed his eyes and plowed over her. “Don’t you like my Braydon?”
    Like him? I love him, but the feeling isn’t returned. “He’s nice.”
    “Nicer’n that Hauk character you spend so much time with.”
    “Byron.” Danica’s caution grew into alarm with Byron’s increasing blood pressure. Her heart pounded harder. He needed to calm down before the blood pressure spikes caused more serious problems. “You’ve known Hauk his whole life. You know he’s as good a guy as Braydon.”
    Byron smacked the chair’s arm in demand. “He’s not right for you.”
    “He seemed right enough for her this morning.” Braydon pushed open the screen door and stepped outside. “She made her choice.”
    She flinched from Braydon’s abrasive tone.
    His eyes sought hers and held them captive. Even as he addressed his granddad, as he moved to kiss his grandmother’s cheek, his gaze remained on her. Smugness ruffled his normally smooth tone. “I’ve made mine.”
    “Garbage.” Byron freed himself from the blood pressure cuff and slapped a hand on the arm of his chair again.
    If his distress hadn’t been evidenced by the blood pressure cuff she’d have thought him a scheming, matchmaking faker.
    “Your wrong choices are going to bite back.” With a stiff nod, he pressed his lips together and harrumphed back into the chair.
    She narrowed her gaze. Maybe he was. The man was definitely up to something.
    Self-preservation was never wrong, but Danica wasn’t getting into that with Byron. He didn’t need to know how long she’d loved his grandson or how much she loved him still or what she might be willing to sacrifice for a chance at being with him.
    “Granddad. Relax before you pass out again.” Braydon’s gaze shifted. Concern cascaded in his stare. “Is he okay? What’s wrong with him?”
    “I’m fine,” Byron demanded.
    Ruth and Braydon raised their hands in an identical gesture to silence Byron. He huffed, but obeyed.
    “Doc?” Ruth’s normal calm had returned, though she wanted reassurances.
    “He’ll be fine. As I’ve told him already…” She cast her sternest doctor glare at Byron. “He needs to cut back on the rum.” She looked back at Ruth, avoiding the burn of Braydon’s eyes beaming into her. “And though I sympathize with his desire to see Braydon home and married and starting a herd of babies…” She paused to ensure her voice remained steady and free of echoed hopes. “He needs to stop getting riled up over the idea.”
    “You listen to me, chickadee.” Byron lunged spryly from his chair and faced her down.
    She cocked her head and smiled. He hadn’t faked tonight’s attack, but the