August lay perfectly still so he wouldn’t disturb the beautiful woman asleep in his arms.
Five more minutes had turned into ten and then twenty, and now he was inching ever closer to being twenty-five minutes late for his meeting with Poppa in the vineyard.
Over the last month, they’d been pruning and preparing the vines for grafting. The project would likely take months, but Leila made it very difficult for him to find the motivation to get out of bed.
After coming back to Valentino Bellas, this had become his favorite time of day, when they were tucked into Leila’s cozy cottage. When he could hold her and simply admire her while she slept.
Most of their hours had been filled with seriously hard work—with him out in the vineyards with Sam and Poppa and the many volunteers from town who’d stepped up to help them regenerate the vines while Leila and Nonna managed the growing wine club orders. It had been years since he’d worked so hard with so few resources, and yet this last month had been the happiest he’d ever been.
Leila stirred and let out a contented sigh, burrowing her cheek against his chest. “Are you late again?”
“Yep.” But he didn’t move.
“Sorry. I was going to get up and make you breakfast before you went out.” She lifted her head to peek at him, some of her dark hair spilling down over her eyes. “But I guess I’m not getting enough sleep at night.” Her wry smile made it clear that was his fault.
“I’m sorry too.” August cleared the strands of hair away so he could fully look at her face. “But sleeping is the last thing I want to do when I get in bed with you.” Mainly because he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. August weaved his fingers through hers and brought her hand to his mouth, kissing her skin.
Her expression brightened, bringing light to her eyes. “I’m not complaining.”
He loved when she smiled like that—big enough to put a tiny dimple in her right cheek. “Good.” He kissed that spot and then dragged his lips to hers. “My goal is to keep you happy.”
“I am happy.” She settled her head against his chest again. “This whole month has been a dream.”
“It has,” he agreed, tracing his fingertips along her arm. It was a dream he didn’t want to wake up from anytime soon.
The thought filled him with an urgency to get going, to move forward with her, to take the next step. Which meant he had to get out of bed. “I probably should go out there and help your grandpa.” The man had been very patient about his tardy morning appearances, but today August had an important item on the agenda with Poppa.
“Okay.” Leila pouted but scooted away from him. “Since it’s Saturday, I can come and help in the vineyard too—”
“You stay here and relax.” He kissed her lips once more before hauling himself out of bed. “You’ve been working hard too. You deserve some downtime.”
“Maybe I’ll make you a nice late breakfast.” She propped herself up on her elbows. “When can you be back?”
“I could take a break around ten.” He pulled on his jeans and a sweatshirt, and then sat on the edge of the bed. “I’d love to share breakfast with you.” He’d love to share every breakfast with her for the rest of his life, which meant he’d best get going. “Don’t go to too much trouble, though.” He kissed her once more. “It’s supposed to be your day off.”
“I like going to trouble for you.” She sat up, the covers falling away from her naked body and tempting him to forget heading out that door. “Besides, we likely won’t have any other alone time today, with the family picnic happening later this afternoon.”
“Right.” Everyone from both of their families would be gathering at the ranch later that afternoon. “But I’ll bet we could sneak away for a while.”
“Not a chance, given how much your nieces and nephew love to spend time with their uncle Auggie.” She lay back down. “Besides, I love your family.”
“I do too. Most of the time.” Even with his brother constantly hounding him to propose to Leila. He swore Wes sent him at least five text messages a day asking if they were engaged for real yet. His answer was always the same.
Not yet, but soon.
“All right, my love.” He stared into her eyes. “I’ll see you a little bit later.”
There went that smile again. “Not too much later.”
“I’ll come back as soon as I can.” He rose from the bed and grabbed his coat, forcing himself to walk out the door before he gave in to temptation and got back in bed with her.
In the last several weeks, the mornings had grown much colder. He stepped outside and followed the frost-encrusted path to the west, taking in the view of the fiery-yellow aspen trees that blanketed the mountainsides. He’d forgotten how beautiful fall was in Colorado, how much his father had loved this time of year.
Back when they were young, his dad would take the family on weekend hikes to go leaf peeping. They’d spend hours searching for the best trees to serve as a backdrop to their family pictures. His father would hoist him up onto his shoulders so August could pick some of the best leaves to take home as a souvenir. He’d loved being that tall, sitting on his father’s shoulders.
The cold, crisp fall air brought him back to those days. Lately, memories of his father came easier. Talking with Leila and his mom and siblings had brought his dad back to life for him, and now he couldn’t wait to have kids of his own to continue his dad’s legacy.
August pulled a beanie out of his pocket and yanked it down over his ears. Before long, the snow would be flying, and he and Leila would be entering a different season together. He was ready to take the next step. He’d been ready since he’d kissed Lei at the AppleFest.
He moved faster through the chardonnays and finally found Poppa already hard at work with the pruning shears.
“Good morning, son.” The man paused from his work and greeted August with a handshake like he had every morning for the last month. “It’s a cold one today, boy. I heard we’ve got snow in the forecast next week.”
Their conversation started out this way every morning—with talk about the weather. August knew from experience a farmer had to be obsessed with what was happening in the skies. But today, he had other things on his mind. “Yeah, you can feel the change in the air.”
There were many changes coming. He picked up the other pair of shears lying in the cart nearby. “Speaking of changes, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
The man came to work alongside him. “You can talk to me about anything.”
“You know how much I love your granddaughter. She means everything to me.”
“You don’t have to tell me that.” Poppa snipped branches and tossed them into the cart. “Nonna and me, we couldn’t be happier for the both of you.”
“Thank you.” He hadn’t expected emotion to choke him up, but her grandparents could’ve easily held a grudge against him instead of opening their hearts the way they had. They’d been the ones to walk with Leila through the aftermath when he’d abandoned her the first time. And they’d had the most to lose when Kingston had tried to take over the winery. Yet they’d been so generous with offering him a place in their family.
“Your support means a lot to us.” He stopped working. “I know I haven’t always been faithful to my promises, but I’ve learned from those mistakes and I’m a different man now.”
Poppa set his shears in the cart as though he knew this moment deserved his entire focus. “I see that change in you, son. It takes a lot of courage to own up to things. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have you back in all of our lives.”
Damn, his eyes were stinging. “I’m ready to marry her, if she’ll have me.” He’d been ready the day they’d arrived back from California, but he’d wanted to let them all settle in. “I’ll devote my whole life to her. She’ll never have to wonder how much I love her.” Because of where they’d been, he wouldn’t take Leila for granted. “So, I am officially asking for your blessing to put that ring on her finger.”
“Well, it’s about time.” Poppa chuckled. “She was getting a little antsy, if you want to know the truth.”
August laughed too. “She wasn’t the only one.”
He patted the ring he’d been carrying in his pocket since before California. Now he had to figure out the perfect time to ask the most important question of his life.
* * *
Leila tried to focus on the spreadsheet in front of her, tallying the newest orders that had come through, but her gaze kept drifting to the window.
Lately, she couldn’t focus on anything for more than five minutes without her mind wandering to August. She wouldn’t mind having him to herself all evening, but there would be a lot of people around at the picnic.
Regina weaved herself around Leila’s legs, purring and meowing. “What do you think?” Leila picked up the cat, cradling her in her lap. “Will Auggie and I be able to sneak away from the party to be alone?”
Not that she wanted to avoid his family. Now that there were no more lies to manage, she loved spending time with Mara and Jane and sweet Charlee. But still, her relationship with August felt new and exhilarating, and she liked going to bed early with him.
An e-mail dinged on her computer, drawing her attention back to her work. But instead of another wine club order, this one was from August.
Dearest Lei,
Want to sneak away from your desk early and meet me in the pasture before the chaos starts? Knievel and I will be waiting.
The simple request brought a smile to her face. She wasn’t sure she’d stopped smiling even once over the last month.
“Sorry, Regina.” She set the cat on the floor and closed her laptop. “I have a secret rendezvous to get to.”
After shutting off the lights, she hurried out the door and locked up the office. Regina followed her out the pet door, veering off into the grass as though she’d caught a mouse’s scent.
Leila drove to the Harding Ranch, enjoying the scenes from a perfect fall day—the golden aspen leaves fluttering to the ground, the highest peaks in the distance frosted with a layer of fresh snow. Instead of parking at the main lodge, she continued on down the rutted dirt road and parked near the barn.
August already stood at the fence with Knievel, wearing his cowboy hat and the grin he seemed to save for her alone.
Funny, she’d thought she loved him so much back in high school, but truthfully, she hadn’t even known what love was. Yes, she’d cared for him deeply, but the love she had for him now ran through her blood, giving her insatiable energy and hope. It drove her to move faster, her feet slightly clumsy on the uneven ground as she entered the pasture through the gate.
He took her hands in his and pulled her in for a kiss. “Hey.”
“Hi.” He made her breathless every time he touched her. “I’m so glad you e-mailed.”
He grinned. “I knew you’d be working on your day off.”
“I’m not sure there’s such a thing as a day off around the winery.” But their hard work had already started to pay off. They were building up their wine club; they were regenerating the vines and preparing for the future. They didn’t have extra money, but they had enough. They had everything in just being together.
“Knievel and I have something to show you. Want to take a little ride?”
“I would love to.” She accepted his help climbing onto the back of the horse, and then he pulled himself up behind her. “I’ve never ridden bareback.” But she had to admit, she enjoyed the feel of August’s strong chest against her back.
“We don’t have far to go.” He secured one arm around her waist, holding her close while he steered the reins with the other.
They ambled out of the pasture to the path around the lake while she smoothed her hand on Knievel’s mane. “He’s such a beautiful horse.”
“And you’re such a beautiful woman,” Auggie uttered against her neck. He kissed the spot under her ear that made her moan.
“How far are we going?” she asked weakly. She couldn’t kiss him the way she wanted to up on this horse.
“Almost there.” He guided the horse into the trees at the lake’s edge. In a small clearing, he’d set up a bistro table with a bottle of wine and a platter of cheeses and grapes.
“Wow.” She admired the spread. “And here I thought you summoned me so we could fool around.”
“I’m always hoping we can fool around.” He dismounted the horse and then helped her slide to the ground before setting his hands on her hips and drawing her close. “We don’t have too much time before our families come looking for us, though, and I have plans.” His eyebrows rose mysteriously.
“Plans, huh?” Her heart lifted. “What kind of plans?”
“Plans to eat a little.” He took her hand and led her to one of the chairs, pulling it out for her. “Plans to drink a little.”
While August poured her a glass of wine, Leila popped a few grapes into her mouth. “That’s it? Plans to eat and drink?”
His grin overtook his eyes, bringing those crinkles in the corners she knew and loved. “Okay. There’s more. I wanted to get you alone so I could tell you I love you more than anything.” He lowered to his knee in front of her. “I had this whole plan to take you on another romantic overnight date in Denver—for real this time—but I can’t wait that long.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. “Marry me, Lei. As soon as possible. Let’s start to build the future we always talked about together.”
“Auggie…” Tears ran hot down her cheeks as she studied the beautiful simplicity of the emerald-cut diamond with a gasp. “That’s Nonna’s ring.”
“It is.” He caressed her left hand. “Poppa first offered it to me right after we said we were getting married.”
She laughed. “I still can’t believe you went along with my harebrained idea.”
“I can’t say I regret one minute of pretending to be your fiancé.” He carefully took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her left ring finger. “Our engagement may have started out as a ruse, but I love you, Lei. I never stopped loving you.” He kissed her knuckles. “You were the woman I compared everyone else to, the woman I never thought I deserved.”
“I’ve always loved you too,” she whispered. “Always. You are the only man I’ve ever fully loved. The only man I will ever fully love. And I’m dying to marry you.”
Auggie stood with a whoop and pulled her to her feet, dancing her around their space. “I swear the ring has been burning a hole in my pocket since your grandfather gave it to me. I couldn’t wait to give it to you.”
“I’m glad you didn’t wait.” Leila wrapped her arms around his neck, swaying her hips with his in time to their own music. “No more waiting.” She said the words between small kisses. “Let’s go to a beach and get married as soon as possible.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.” He lowered her into a dip and then brought her back up, twirling her around.
Leila held onto him, laughing and out of breath. “We’re getting married!” She was marrying August Harding. “I can’t believe—”
Her fiancé’s phone broke out into song.
“Great,” August muttered. “That’s Wes’s ring.” Leila stepped away so he could answer.
“Where are you two?” she heard his brother ask through the speaker. “We’re getting all the food ready. Ryan said Leila’s Jeep was here.”
“We’ll be right there.” Auggie ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket. “Where were we?” He pulled Leila back to him.
“You told them we’d be right there,” she murmured, holding off his kiss to tease him. “We should probably help.”
He dipped his lips to her neck. “We’re too busy to help.”
“I think you’re right,” she half whispered.
“Uncle Auggie!” Ryan’s shout came from a distance. “Where are you?”
August groaned. “I guess our moment is over.”
“For now.” She stood on her tiptoes to reach his lips once more before they were found. “But there will be many more moments.”
“Countless moments,” he murmured. “A whole future full of them.”
“Seriously, Uncle Auggie! I’m never gonna find you.” Ryan’s voice was much closer.
August held a finger against his lips with a smile, telling her to stay quiet. Then he took her hand and they led Knievel toward the kid’s voice. At exactly the right moment, they rushed out of the trees and onto the path. Auggie ambushed Ryan, sweeping him up into his arms and then hoisting the kid onto his shoulders.
Ryan squealed and cheered. “I knew it! I knew you were around here. My dad told me to come this way.”
“I’m glad he did.” August set Ryan on Knievel’s back and handed him the reins.
“Yes! A horsey ride! Giddy up!” the boy called.
Smiling, August collected Lei to his side, and they walked Ryan and Knievel back to the pasture, dropping the horse off before heading for the lake’s beach to see their families.
Jane and Toby were fussing with all the baby stuff—the diaper bag and stroller to keep Charlee contained. Mara was chatting with Nonna, Papa, and Wes’s family near the picnic tables.
Ryan ran ahead of them. “I found them! They were having some secret picnic in the woods. But I brought them back!”
“Here we go.” August held Leila’s hand tightly in his and stopped walking. “You ready for this?”
She looked at the crew in front of them with tears in her eyes—at Mara and Nonna and Poppa. At Wes and Thea, who was just starting to show. At Ryan, who couldn’t seem to sit still, and his lovely older sister, Olivia. At Jane and Toby, who were too busy doting on Charlee to notice much of anything else. At Sam, who was pouring wine, of course. This was their family. Messy and loud and chaotic, but also their support system.
“I’m ready.”
Wes approached them first. “A secret picnic, huh?” His gaze went right to Leila’s left hand. “Holy shit! You finally asked her to marry you!”
“That’s a quarter in the jar,” Ryan called.
Leila laughed through her tears. “Yep.” She held up her left hand for all to see. “It’s official!”
“What!” Mara pushed her way past everyone else to wrap them both in a hug. “I can’t believe this! I mean, I knew you would get engaged, but I thought I’d have to wait forever.”
“We’re done waiting,” Auggie told her.
Jane all but moved Mara out of the way to hug them. “I knew this would happen when I saw you two at the AppleFest!”
“Now we can finally talk about something else at our house,” Toby joked. He shook August’s hand. “Congrats, guys.”
“Thank you.” Leila had started to cry again, but she didn’t wipe her tears away. They were happy ones.
“Way to go, man.” Wes pulled August in for a literal bro hug. “I knew you had it in you.” He shifted to hug Leila. “Welcome to the family!”
“Thank you.” Oh, these tears. She wasn’t sure they’d ever stop.
“Can we eat now?” Ryan looked down at them all impatiently. “I’m hungry.”
“Sure, we can eat.” Auggie took her hand again, and together they led the way to the picnic tables where her grandparents still stood, Poppa’s arm around Nonna’s shoulders.
Chaos erupted as everyone else got the food organized, but Leila tugged August to her grandparents. She hugged them both tightly to her, never wanting to let go. “Thank you for showing us what love could look like.”
“After seeing the kind of relationship you two have, we’ll never settle for anything less,” Auggie added.
Nonna wiped her eyes and kissed both of their cheeks. “Everything you two have been through only makes your love stronger.”
“Welcome to the family, son.” Poppa initiated August into the Valentino clan with kisses on both of his cheeks.
“Nonna.” Ryan wandered to them and tugged on her sleeve. “You should eat. Ladies first,” the boy said solemnly.
“Why, thank you.” Nonna allowed Ryan to escort her to the food table with Poppa following a few steps behind. “You’re such a gentleman.”
“I’m a cowboy,” Ryan informed her. “Like my dad and my uncle Auggie. Cowboys are always gentlemen.”
That they were. Leila slipped her hand back into August’s and nudged him in the opposite direction.
He shot her a curious look. “Where are we going?”
“To your cabin.” Or at least to the cabin Mara had offered him. They hadn’t spent much time there since he’d been staying in her cottage.
A wicked grin heated his eyes. “Think they’ll miss us?”
Leila paused and looked over her shoulder. Everyone was too busy dishing up food, talking and laughing and discussing the prospects of a wedding to even notice they’d stepped away. It was a wonderful sight.
She smiled at him, squeezing his hand. “They won’t miss us. And I don’t want to miss this moment with you.” The first beautiful moment of the rest of their lives.