Epilogue – Conner

We found Carter walking along the trail back to the vineyards. He was waving his phone in the air, trying to get a signal. 

“Need a lift?” Lena teased, scooting closer to my side to make room for Carter. 

“Carter?” I frowned at the lost look on his face. I hadn’t seen that look in years. Not since Harper Chapman left Superiore Bay and broke his heart. My brother hadn’t been the same since. 

“You okay?” Lena tried to hand him a bottle of water. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” He slid in next to her, oblivious of the way she sat with my arm around her shoulders. “Hurry, I need to get back. I’m not getting service out here.” 

“Carter, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Lena glanced up at me with a worried frown. “Did you hit your head?”

He shook his head, staring at his phone on his lap.

I recognized the online chat forum for the Weekly Wine. 

“Harper is coming back to Superiore Bay. She’s recently divorced.”

Lena and I shared another worried glance. She knew then. Any mention of Harper was strictly forbidden, Carter’s orders. If she was coming back, it would kill him. 

I stepped on the accelerator. Carter needed to get away from Ashford Estates and go wherever he went when he needed a break. Then, it occurred to me that he would want Lena. That was where he went when he needed a friend. I was going to have to learn to share her if we were going to be together, and I was certain that was where this was going. The burn of her kiss was still on my lips, and I wanted nothing more than to show her the surprise I had waiting for her. 

“I’ll go with you.” Lena reached for Carter’s hand. 

“No. I just need to be alone.” And the moment we arrived back at the garage, Carter took off in his car.

“I’m worried.” Lena watched him go. “Harper really hurt him when she left. Hurt me too, but not nearly as much.” 

“He’ll be okay.” I took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Give him some time, and then we’ll go check on him later.” 

She turned into my arms, giving me a hesitant smile as she leaned her head against my shoulder. “Thank you for that.” 

“I have a surprise for you.” I tugged on her hand. 

“Uh-oh.” She followed me around to the front of the main garage bay where we parked the cars. “That’s always a little scary.”

“My surprises scare you?” I laughed. “How?”

“They usually come with a lot more than I bargained for, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad,” she rushed to add. 

I clicked on the garage remote in my pocket and waited for the door to lift, watching her face for her reaction. 

“What?” She scowled at me as she looked between me and the BMW parked inside. “Oh, no.” She stepped away from me. “Absolutely not. You’re not giving me a car, Conner. I’m never going to be that kind of girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” I closed the distance between us. She stuttered and turned pink. “I like the sound of that, but this isn’t a gift from your boyfriend of like the last thirty minutes. It’s a company car your partner acquired.” 

“Acquired?” She arched a brow at me. “As in purchased?”

“I purchased it used from one of the vendors we use for the winery, who will also be servicing the Orchard Hill Farms extension. I bought it with our joint operation funds. It’s yours to use for business-related driving so they don’t see you on that crazy moped.” I handed her the keys. “I thought you might like the blue one, but we can look at others if you don’t like it.”

“It’s perfect.” She took the keys, wrapping her hand around mine. “I was on board as soon as you said it was used.” 

“I know you, Selena Contreras. I see you.” I pulled her into my arms again. “I won’t ever make that mistake again.” 

“What mistake?” She smiled at me. 

“Thinking that a woman capable of pushing me into the bay without a second thought wasn’t worth my time. You’re worth everything to me now.”