I blinked and then shook my head. “I’m not,” I said, recalling the day a week ago when my period had come. I’d been partially relieved but mostly disappointed, and I told Grayson so. “I thought even if you didn’t want me anymore, at least I’d have a small part of you forever.”
“Kira,” he said hoarsely, pulling me to him again and hugging me tightly.
I looked up, my eyes meeting his. “Take me home,” I said.
* * *
After I’d walked a grinning Kimberly to her car and hugged her goodbye, Grayson and I packed my suitcase and got into his truck, heading home. Home. At the thought of the word, my heart leapt with joy.
I’d pick up my car another day. For now, I couldn’t bear to be apart from my husband even for an hour.
We spent the car ride updating each other on everything that had happened since we’d parted.
Grayson listened to me explain the plan Harley, Priscilla, and I had all come up with, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. “I don’t know whether to kill all three of you or to build a shrine to your courage,” he gritted out.
“I personally like the shrine idea. I mean, if you’re taking votes.” I shot him a smile.
His eyes caught mine and he smiled back and then laughed softly. “That damn dimple may have just saved you.”
I laughed, flashing it at him again.
“I think Harley deserves a promotion,” he said. “He’s obviously gifted at task juggling. Not only was he helping you, but he organized a whole crew of men to come work at the vineyard even though I couldn’t pay them at the time.”
“I know.” I smiled. “Charlotte told me.”
He glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. “So I was the only one left out of the loop? Apparently, everyone knew everything going on except for me.”
I put my hand on his arm. “Never again,” I said. “From now on, all my plots will involve you.”
“You’re not supposed to plot anymore,” he reminded me.
I bit my lip. “Oh, right…”
He tipped his head back and laughed.
As we drove through the gates of Hawthorn Vineyard, Grayson grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
We pulled up to the house and Charlotte came outside, clasping her hands to her chest in delight. We both got out and she descended the stairs, taking me in her arms and hugging me so tightly I laughed, struggling to breathe.
“How’s Walter?” I asked. The last update I’d received had been very promising, but I would be slightly worried until I saw him walking through the door.
“He’s wonderful! He comes home tomorrow.” And then she hugged me again. Feelings of gratitude and contentment flowed through me. I was home. At last, my heart whispered. At last.
Harley, Virgil, José, and several men I didn’t know came walking toward the house, apparently just finished with work for the day. They were laughing and joking and called out greetings when they got close. Sugar Pie came running up behind them, chuffing excitedly, and for a moment, time slowed as I grinned around at them: my family. A group of misfits and underdogs who, together, had brought a failing vineyard back to life and turned the table on two very powerful, corrupt men.
“Hey, Harley,” Grayson called out. “Call your woman. She needs to join us. I have about a thousand toasts to make to her.”
Harley grinned. “Will do, my man.”
We decided not to watch the news that night. The world would wait. After we had all enjoyed a family dinner full of boisterous laughing and talking and many, many cheers all around, Grayson and I retired to our bedroom. He made love to me first fiercely and quickly, and then again, slowly and sweetly, relief flowing through me at being filled by him again. As I lay in his arms afterward, I felt limp with happiness and love.
“Kira,” he murmured, turning to me, “I want you to know that I’ve made a new vow—one I intend to live by for the rest of my life.”
“What?” I whispered, sensing the importance of the words he was about to say.
He tipped my face up to his. “We’re married, and there will be times when we disagree or fight or even question the other. There will be times when loving you brings up every fear inside me. But my vow is this: no matter what happens, I will never leave the room until we’ve worked through it.” His eyes moved over my face, his expression gentle and vulnerable. “And by that, I mean I won’t draw away inside myself either. I’ll stay present until we’ve solved the issue between us, no matter how long it takes. I don’t want you ever to worry that I’ll push you away again. I vow that to you with my whole heart.”
I felt a deep ache of tenderness as I gazed up at him. “I vow the same.”
He smiled gently. “And sometimes we’ll meet halfway, but other times, I’ll come to you. And I’ll try my very best to put my pride aside so I know when I need to be the one to do that.”
“Me too,” I whispered, tears flooding my eyes. He leaned forward and kissed my eyelids, causing the tears to flow down my cheeks. He kissed my tears away and then pulled me closer against him, nuzzling his face into my hair.
And these vows, made in private whispers in the dim light of the moon streaming through our bedroom window, felt sacred and real, for these vows were based on truth and love.
EPILOGUE
Grayson
Eight Years Later
“What exactly are you doing, little sprite?” I asked, staring down at the seven-year-old girl crawling through the grass. Her head popped up, cascades of auburn hair falling down her back, deep brown eyes blinking up at me.
“I’m pretending to be a caterpillar,” she answered.
“Ah,” I said, holding back the smile that tugged at my lips. “Yesterday you were a daisy, and today you’re a caterpillar.”
She came up on her knees, putting her hands on her small hips. “Grandpa Walter says you can’t truly understand someone else unless you see the world through their eyes.”
“Does he now?” That sounded just like Walter, the man who had taught me everything I knew about being a good father. “Well, I don’t know if he was referring to daisies and caterpillars.”
“But they’re my favorite!” she insisted. “I want to understand them most of all!”
I chuckled. “And what have you discovered so far?”
“Well, daisies look up at the sky all day and watch it change. They must think the world is a very pretty place. Caterpillars just look at the ground.” She frowned. “Caterpillars must be very disappointed with the world.”
I laughed, picking her up in my arms and smiling into her serious little face. “You know what I see? A pretty little girl with a very compassionate heart. Now, where’s your little sister? I have something to tell the both of you.”
“She’s playing dress-up in the cottage. Daddy, did you put another baby inside Mommy?”
My eyes widened and I paused. “How did you know that?”
“You had that same look on your face when you told me you’d put Celia in mommy’s tummy.”
“What look is that exactly?”
She scratched her arm, her expression contemplative. “I don’t know. Kind of like how Sugar Pie looks when she catches a stick.”