“I know we will,” he says, and it feels like a promise.
As I gaze into his eyes, I imagine what our life together might look like. Weekends at the farm. Trips to the city. Scheduled time squeezed between pruning and harvest, or planned around concerts and tours. Late night phone calls, and FaceTime dates. It won’t be easy, but love never is. And what Axel and I have? It’s worth fighting for, because at the end of the day, all that matters is that we have each other.
Epilogue
12 months later
Axel
Isitontheverandah of Kyle’s cottage with a steaming mug of coffee between my hands. The crisp morning air fills my lungs as I watch the horizon, waiting for the sun’s first rays to paint the sky. Footsteps approach from behind and I smile, knowing it’s him.
Kyle settles beside me, his warm body pressing close. I wrap an arm around him, and he rests his head against my shoulder with a contented sigh. The scent of his shampoo mingles with the aroma of my coffee, as the sky lightens to a lavender blue with orange streaks, and I feel lucky to have such a perfect start to the day.
“Morning, babe,” I say, planting a kiss on his sleep-messed hair.
“Mmm, morning,” he replies, voice still rough with sleep. “You’re up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep. Wanted to catch the sunrise with you.” Kyle’s day starts as the sun comes up, heading out early to work in the vineyard and beat some of the heat of the day.
He lifts his head and meets my gaze, eyes soft and full of affection. “Bet I can think of a better way to spend the morning.”
I chuckle. “Oh really? And what might that be?” My hand slips under the hem of his T-shirt, fingers splaying across the warm skin of his back.
“How about I show you?” He straddles my lap, looping his arms around my neck, hands playing with the hair at my nape. It’s shorter now, no longer reaching my shoulders—yet another change I’ve made this past year.
I set my coffee aside and put my hands on his hips. He leans in, lips hovering just out of reach, teasing, until I move forward and capture his mouth with mine. I lose myself in his taste, in the feel of his body against me, his fingers tugging at my hair.
In moments like these, everything else fades away. The pressures of my career, the expectations, the public scrutiny—none of it matters. With Kyle, I can just be myself. No facades or pretenses. He grounds me, anchors me like nothing else can. Being here with him, it feels right.Like home.I marvel at the turn my life has taken since meeting him—everything is so much better.
We break apart and I rest my forehead against his. “Can you believe it’s been a whole year since the cruise?”
He sits back to meet my eyes, his lips curved into a soft smile. “Sometimes it feels like just yesterday, and other times like I’ve known you forever.”
I nod in agreement. “That cruise changed everything. Changed me.”
I think back to the man I was then—driven and ambitious, but also lonely and anxious, and missing so much in my life. Kyle brought light and laughter, showed me how to fall in love with my music again, and what it means to truly connect with someone.
“We’ve come so far since then,” Kyle says as he traces random circles on my back. “Not just you and me, but Rick too.”
At the mention of my brother, I feel a swell of pride. “He’s doing great, isn’t he? Really thrown himself into learning about viticulture.”
Kyle chuckles. “He’s become quite the asset around here, a real farmer, and it’s awesome that he’s doing so well at college.”
“I’m glad he’s found his passion,” I say, nodding in agreement. “After everything that happened, I wasn’t sure he ever would.”
“He just needed a fresh start, a chance to figure out who he is without all the baggage of the past.”
I hum in agreement, fingers absently tracing the strip of skin between Kyle’s T-shirt and the waistband of his shorts. “Living here, working the vineyard, it’s been good for him. Grounding.”
“He’s come into his own. Now he’s focused and driven. No more wild nights or reckless behaviour. A lot like his big brother.” Kyle’s tone is playful, eyes sparkling with mischief.
I laugh. “Hey, I was never that bad!”
Kyle raises an eyebrow. “No? Because I seem to recall some news articles that would dispute that. Headlines about some wild parties. Oh! And then there was that bachelor on the prowl thing?”
I groan, burying my face in the crook of his neck as he snickers. When we first started dating, he did the requisite internet searching and stumbled over articles, both true and some totally exaggerated. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Not on your life,” Kyle says cheerfully. “It’s far too entertaining.”
