I banked the helicopter toward town, the sprawling vineyards coming into view like neat green ribbons across the rolling hills. Sparkling Oak Winery sat nestled among them, its stone buildings glowing golden in the evening light. And there, on the terrace where we'd first confessed our feelings, I could see a familiar figure waiting for me.
My heart did that ridiculous skip it always did when I spotted Lila. Even from this height, I could make out her silhouette—the way she stood with one hand shading her eyes as she watched my approach, the other holding what looked like a wine glass. She'd changed out of her work clothes into a flowing sundress that caught the breeze, her long hair loose around her shoulders.
I set the helicopter down in the designated landing area behind the winery, the rotors gradually slowing as I went through my post-flight checklist. By the time I'd shut everything down and grabbed my gear, Lila was there waiting for me, that smile that never failed to knock the breath from my lungs lighting up her face.
"Show off," she called over the dying whir of the rotors, but her eyes were sparkling with pride and something deeper—something that still amazed me every time I saw it. Love. Pure, uncomplicated, no-holds-barred love.
"Says the woman who closed the biggest distribution deal in Sparkling Oak's history this week," I replied, pulling off my helmet and crossing to her in three quick strides.
I swept her into my arms, spinning her around as she laughed—that musical sound that had become my favorite song.When I set her down, she was breathless and beautiful, her cheeks flushed pink from the spinning and the wine.
"Careful," she said, steadying herself against my chest. "I'm holding our celebration."
"Celebration?" I raised an eyebrow, taking the glass she offered me. The wine inside was deep red, almost purple in the golden light. "What are we celebrating?"
"Madeline just got confirmation—the San Francisco buyers want to triple their order for next quarter. And the Los Angeles market wants to expand into three new regions." Her smile was radiant, success and happiness combining in a way that made her absolutely luminous. "We did it, Griffin. The partnership between Sparkling Oak and Rhodes Select is officially the most successful in the company's history."
"We did it," I agreed, clinking my glass against hers. The wine was rich and complex on my tongue—one of their premium Cabernets that I was slowly learning to appreciate under Lila's patient tutelage. "To partnerships."
"To partnerships," she echoed, but the way she said it, the heat in her gaze as she looked at me over the rim of her glass, made it clear she wasn't just talking about business.
We walked together toward the terrace, my arm around her waist, her body fitting perfectly against my side. The sun was setting over the bay, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange that rivaled any sunset I'd ever seen from a cockpit. Below us, the vineyard stretched out in neat rows, heavy with grapes that would soon be harvested for the next vintage.
"How was the training exercise?" Lila asked as we settled onto the stone wall that bordered the terrace, the same spot where we'd had our first real conversation about the future.
"Good. The local crews are sharp—better than I expected, actually. They've been dealing with wildfire threats for years, but they were eager to learn some of the techniques we use in Nevada." I took another sip of wine, savoring both the flavor and the moment. "Captain Morrison asked if I'd consider consulting on their winter preparedness program."
"That's amazing." Lila leaned into me, her head finding its familiar spot on my shoulder. "You're building something here, aren't you? Something real."
"We're building something," I corrected, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Speaking of which, Rex called this afternoon. He and Sabine are planning to drive down for the harvest festival next month. Something about wanting to see what all the fuss is about with wine country."
Lila laughed. "Are you sure they're ready for Oakcrest Bay? It's a little different from Foxfire Valley."
"That's exactly what I told them. But Sabine said, and I quote, 'If Griffin can survive being domesticated by a wine snob, we can handle a few fancy grapes.'"
"Wine snob?" Lila pulled back to look at me with mock outrage. "I prefer 'educated enthusiast.'"
"I stand corrected." I grinned, loving the way her eyes sparkled when she was pretending to be offended. "Though you have to admit, you've gotten a little carried away with the wine education program you've designed for me."
"You needed it," she said primly. "A man who thinks all wine tastes like 'grape juice with delusions of grandeur' clearly requires intervention."
"And now?"
She considered this seriously, swirling her wine thoughtfully. "Now you can tell the difference between a PinotNoir and a Cabernet, you know what tannins are, and you've stopped asking if we can mix the Chardonnay with Sprite."
"Growth," I said solemnly.
"Tremendous growth." She kissed my jaw, a soft press of lips that sent warmth spiraling through me. "I'm very proud."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the sun sink lower toward the horizon. The harvest was still a few weeks away, but I could already feel the anticipation building. This would be my first harvest season here, my first time seeing the culmination of a full year's work in the vineyards. Lila had been talking about it for weeks, her excitement infectious as she described the controlled chaos of harvest time—the early morning starts, the careful timing, the celebration when the last grapes were brought in.
"Penny for your thoughts," Lila said softly.
"Just thinking about how different things are from six weeks ago," I admitted. "How different I am."
"Different how?"
I considered the question, trying to put into words the shift that had happened inside me since that night on the terrace when she'd finally stopped running. "I used to think that staying in one place, building something permanent, was a kind of trap. That it would make me soft, or vulnerable, or... I don't know. Less than what I was."
