Theo comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. I relax into him immediately, my hands covering his.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I say.
“Thank you for coming.” He presses a kiss to the top of myhead. “You want to walk around before it gets dark? I can show you the property.”
I turn in his arms. “Yes. Absolutely yes.”
We bundle up and head out into the cold. The air is crisp and clean, and our breath fogs in front of us as we walk, boots crunching through the thin layer of snow on the path between the vines. Theo takes my hand as we walk, pointing out the different grape varieties, telling me about the summer he spent here. The early mornings, the backbreaking work, the way Henry taught him to taste wine properly.
“That’s where I fell in love with food,” he tells me, gesturing toward an old barn in the distance. “Not just cooking it, but the whole experience. The way a good meal can bring people together. The way wine can tell a story about a place, a season, a year.” He shrugs, a little self-conscious. “It sounds pretentious when I say it out loud.”
“It doesn’t.” I squeeze his hand. “It sounds passionate. I love hearing you talk about things you care about.”
We reach the top of a small hill and stop, looking out over the valley. The sun is sinking lower now, painting the snow in shades of rose and gold. The vineyard spreads out below us like a patchwork quilt.
I lean into him, pressing my cheek against his shoulder. “I could stay here forever.”
He tightens his arm around me. “Same here.”
We stand there for a while, watching the light change. Then a thought occurs to me. A very bad thought. I glance down at the snow near my feet. Perfect packing consistency.
“You know what I’m thinking?” I say casually, crouching to adjust my boot.
“What?”
“That you look very unsuspecting right now.” My fingers close around a handful of snow, packing it quickly.
Theo narrows his eyes. “Emma. What are you?—“
I hurl the snowball directly at his chest. It hits him square inthe middle, exploding on impact, snow spraying into his face. The look of pure shock is so perfect I double over laughing.
“Oh, you’re dead,” he says.
I make it maybe ten feet before his arms wrap around my waist, and then we’re both going down into a snowdrift. I’m shrieking and laughing, snow everywhere, and then he rolls us over and pins me to the ground.
“That was a direct hit,” I gasp. “You have to admit that was impressive.”
“I admit nothing.” But he’s fighting a smile. “You’re a menace.”
“Youloveit.”
“I do.” The teasing fades from his voice. “I really do.”
He leans down and kisses me, slow and deep, and I forget about the cold entirely. My arms come up around his neck, pulling him closer. When he finally pulls back, we’re both breathing hard.
“We should go inside,” he murmurs against my lips. “Before we freeze to death.”
“Probably smart.” But I don’t let go of him. “Five more minutes.”
He laughs and kisses me again. “Five more minutes.”
We lie there in the snow like idiots, kissing and laughing and shivering, until the cold finally becomes unbearable and we stumble back to the cabin, soaking wet and grinning like teenagers.
CHAPTER 17
Theo
After dinner at the winery’s cafe, the cabin is quiet except for the crackle of the fire and the soft clink of wine glasses. We’re settled on the couch, the windows stretching wide beside us, looking out over the snow-covered vineyard glowing silver under a sky thick with stars. The air inside is warm, and Emma is curled against my side with her legs draped across my lap, a wool blanket pooled at her feet.
