Bonus Epilogue
GARRETT
5 years later
“ W elcome back Mr. Walker,” Quinn, the tasting room manager, greets me with a polite smile before turning to Paige. “Girl, you look stunning! It’s so good to see you.”
Three years ago, Leo convinced me to invest in a charming winery that is run by one of his friends’ family. It was an easy decision, especially since Sabrina definitely knows how to run a business. The first time Paige and I came to visit for one of the holiday parties, we fell even more in love and decided to make coming here an annual trip.
The women hug, exchanging excited compliments for a few moments before Quinn grabs a couple menus and motions for us to follow.
“I have our best table set up for you this evening, and it’s a clear night so you’ll have a stunning view of the sunset in about twenty minutes.”
We step out onto a private patio that overlooks the vineyard. A simple round table with sunflowers in a vase and small red plate settings sits beneath a pergola that’s lit by dim string lights hanging from the top. The table overlooks the vineyard that stretches on for miles, meeting the hills of the farm next door.
“Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful!” Paige gushes.
Quinn smiles up at me, leaning in so only I can hear while Paige snaps a couple pictures.
“Tucker will be out just before the sunset with the bottle you requested.”
With that, she disappears, leaving me alone with Paige.
I hang back, taking a few seconds to admire her in the evening glow. She’s just as beautiful as the day we met.
It’s been five years, but it still feels just as exciting and new as it did back then. Paige has made my life better in ways I never could have imagined. She’s made me better by association. Our company is thriving, with expanded offices in New York City and Sodus Bay, South Carolina. She helped take my vision for an assistant company and made it soar.
Everything Paige touches thrives, me included.
And I don’t plan on letting her get away.
After a few more pictures of the view and a couple selfies of the two of us, we’re just getting seated and watching the sun begin to set when someone clears their throat behind me. I glance over my shoulder, smiling when I find Tucker, the man who is incharge of all the vines and grapes that make up Honeywell Winery.
“Hey, Tuck!” Paige greets, motioning to one of the empty chairs behind him. “Do you wanna join us for the sunset?”
Tucker chokes on his laugh, shaking his head and stepping up to hand me the bottle of wine. “Thanks but it’s actually family dinner night up at the Jones’. We’ll catch up tomorrow though. You two are coming to Wine Wednesday, right?”
“I don’t think Ma would let us miss it.” I laugh and he winks, waving goodbye and quickly disappearing.
“Do you want to open this one?” I ask, hoping my voice is nonchalant even as my heart thuds heavily in my chest.
Paige grins, reaching out to take the bottle from me. “You know one day, you’re going to have to get over your fear of breaking the cork in the?—”
“I ruined a bottle of wine that cost a thousand dollars.”
She playfully rolls her eyes. “Yeah and luckily we were able to get all the cork out.”
I shift in my seat, subtly pulling the small black box from my pocket while I wait for her to actually look at the bottle in her hands.
“What bottle did you pick for us?” She finally muses while reaching for the bottle opener only to freeze when she finally sees it. Blinking rapidly, she glances between me and the bottle and whispers my name.
The bottle of white wine she holds is one of a kind, with a custom label made from a local artist. Colorful candy hearts with those cheesy Valentine puns frame 4 words written in a deep red cursive lettering.
Slowly, I stand from my seat and round the table, stopping in front of her. Keeping my eyes locked with her watery gaze, I sink to one knee in front of her. I suck in a deep breath and lift the box up between us and flip the top up.
“Loving you was never a conscious decision, but it has easily been my best one. You are the light in my life, making everything you touch better simply by being by my side. I’ve known for a while that I would do anything to have you by my side, as a friend and as a partner, and now, hopefully, as my wife.”
I reach out, taking the bottle from her shaking hands and place it on the table before holding her left hand in mine.
“Paige Adams, will you marry me?”
Silence stretches between us for a drawn out heartbeat before a sob spills from her lips. Within the next blink of an eye, Paige throws herself at me. I barely brace myself, catching her in my arms and holding us up while she mumbles something against my neck. Before I can ask what she said, her lips are on mine.
When she finally breaks away, gasping for breath, I clear my throat and glance at the ring between us.
“So…was that a yes?”
Paige laughs, nodding enthusiastically and smiling brightly at me. “Yes, Garrett. Yes, I will marry you.”
I move quickly, balancing her on my knee and plucking the ring from its velvet cushion and slide the ring onto her waiting finger. She stares down at it for a moment, wiggling her fingers with the widest grin stretched across her beautiful face. Then she leans forward, resting her forehead against mine.
“I love you.” She whispers and I wrap my arms around her.
“I love you too.”