Rare Blend (Red Mountain #1)

Bonus Epilogue

MARISA

THE FOLLOWING OCTOBER

“ B aby, I’m home,” Ethan shouts from downstairs.

His voice sounds echoey, and I know he’s in the formal dining room, because there isn’t any furniture in there yet.

We’ve officially been in the new house— our house —for a little over a month. Just in time for harvest. I was excited for this new chapter of life with Ethan, but it was bittersweet leaving the cottages. We fell in love with each other within those tiny walls, and it felt like the end of an era. Though change is hard—even welcomed change—it’s been an adventure filling our home with all the pieces of us.

I would’ve been happy with a smaller house, something simple, but Ethan convinced me to go bigger. I think sometimes he’s more like his dad than he realizes, wanting to build me an ostentatious, oversize home, just like Jack built the chateau for Leanne. We compromised somewhere in the middle, and the house is still almost five thousand square feet.

I asked him, “What are we going to do with all this space?” Instead of answering me, he smiled shyly and shrugged. It made my stomach dip in that way it always does when I’m reminded we’re intertwining our futures together.

He didn’t say it and I didn’t press, because we both knew the answer. A family. We’re nowhere near ready to jump on that train but once I came back from Seattle, the space to discuss the future opened. As an only child, I’ve always dreamed of having a larger family, and Ethan, despite his siblings driving him crazy most of the time, also wants a large family.

“Coming,” I shout, descending the stairs as quickly as one can in four-inch heels.

It’s our anniversary. One whole year since I plowed through a vineyard and flipped my life upside down. I tried to argue that our anniversary should technically be from when we had our first date but, in all honesty, I feel like I’ve been his and he’s been mine from the moment we met. It was like a shift in the planets, the falling of an asteroid. There would be no reverting, no going back. We may not have realized it at the time, but our lives were irrevocably changed from that point forward.

His back is to me as I approach, and from the looks of it, he changed at the office. Gone is his uniform of Wranglers and a flannel. They’ve been replaced by a pair of camel slacks and a checkered button down. Still ruggedly handsome, just a little dressier.

He turns at the sound of my heels clacking against the hardwood floors. His eyes trace my body, leaving flares of heat in the places they linger for a second too long.

“You look so fucking beautiful.”

Before I can get a word out, his hands are on me, gripping my waist and pulling me against him. His lips capture mine, and my body melts into him. The kiss starts out slow and languid, but quickly transforms into a desperate mess. My wrists cross behind his neck, dragging him down to my slightly taller level thanks to my sky-high stilettos. Meanwhile, his hands explore my hips before traveling further to my ass, where he grabs a handful of it, and I feel it all the way to my core. A moan floats out of me as his lips pull from mine and he starts trailing kisses down my neck. You’d think we hadn’t seen each other in months, but really, it’s because it’s harvest season.

The past few weeks have felt like we’re passing ships in the night. He’s awake and out the door before I’ve even woken up, leaving Goose to keep me warm. And then he comes home just in time to eat dinner before passing out from exhaustion. I can understand now why he was such a cranky ass when we first met.

Somehow, he still manages to find the energy to mold his body to mine in the middle of the night, and show me all the ways he’s missing me. I have no complaints there, but it doesn’t stop me from missing him throughout the day.

“Ready for dinner?”

Truthfully, I’d rather have a night in. Ethan is having Gavin cover winery operations for the remainder of the day so we can have a quiet evening together. I know how much he wants to take me out and spoil me, but cuddled up with him on the couch, watching a silly TV show is really all I need. I didn’t have the heart to try and change his mind, especially when he’s been so determined to do something special for today.

“Let’s do it.”

I already know we have reservations at an Italian bistro in Badger Canyon, so I relax into my seat and let my gaze fall to the rolling hills of vineyards that flank both sides of the highway as we leave Red Mountain.

Not ten minutes into our drive, Ethan’s radio blares loudly between us. He grabs it from the middle console, and I try my hardest not to look irritated. One night. That’s all I wanted.

“Go for Ethan,” David’s static voice says.

Ethan sighs and then pulls over to the shoulder of the road, shooting me an apologetic expression. I smile tightly at him, because it’s all I can muster without looking fake.

“This is Ethan.”

“Something weird is going on at the Syrahs in sixteen. Might want to check it out.”

Now I’m not just irritated. I’m pissed. Why is David calling Ethan when he should be calling Gavin?

Ethan breathes a groan, and I can feel his stare on me. “We’re close by. It’ll only be a few minutes. I promise.”

I nod, not trusting my mouth to not say something snarky that will ruin the evening. This is what I signed up for. This is his job, and I need to respect that. No matter how much it upsets me that I can’t get him to myself for one night.

“Ten-four,” Ethan says into the radio, before putting the truck in drive and flipping around to go back to Red Mountain.

The drive is quiet and tense. He can clearly tell I’m upset. Why didn’t he call Gavin? Why is he letting one radio call derail our plans? I can feel myself getting madder and madder. By the time Ethan pulls over to check out whatever this weird emergency is, my skin is flushed with anger. I take a few big inhales, trying to calm down.

Ethan hops out and then pauses, looking at me.

“I know you’re wearing heels, but would you mind getting out with me? I don’t feel comfortable leaving you in the truck by yourself.”

He has to be joking.

“I’ll sink into the sand if I have to walk out there.” I wiggle my feet, showing him my heels.

His shoulders lift to a shrug. “I’ll carry you.”

The thing about Ethan is that he’s stubborn. More stubborn than me.

My eyes close, and my shoulders sag, resigned. I think I’m going to have to chalk this night up as being a fail.

“Fine,” I tell him. “Let’s get this over with.”

He comes around to my side, and I reach out for him, wrapping my arms around his neck as his calloused hand slides under my bare thighs, the other holding me at the small of my back.

“Reminds me of carrying you out of the bar,” his voice rumbles in my ear as he walks us into the vineyard, and despite my irritation, it makes my spine tingle with awareness.

“That night was embarrassing.” I’m being a bitch, but I can’t seem to help myself.

He chuckles, and his breath dusts over my ear. “It was the first time I got to feel your tight little ass.”

My head whips, meeting his eyes. “You felt me up that night? And here I thought you were a perfect gentleman.”

He laughs again, and it reverberates through me. “Just a small graze. But enough for me to jerk my cock to it while you were sleeping in my bed.”

My jaw drops, and a laugh escapes me. “Ethan Ledger! I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now.”

I hold his stare and his hazel eyes light up, the corners crinkling from his smile.

“Baby, I had it bad.”

My head falls back, and I giggle. “Well, it’s a good thing your feelings weren’t one sided. Who knows what would’ve become of your poor cock,” I tease.

We continue walking further in, my irritation subsided and replaced with curiosity. We’ve been walking for a while, and I have yet to see anything that warrants an emergency.

“Do you know exactly where David was talking about?”

Ethan nods and looks around.

“Should be right about here,” he tells me. “Mind if I set you down so I can check it out?”

I nod, confused because I don’t see anything.

He sets me back to solid ground easily, making sure a firm patch of grass is beneath me, so I don’t sink into the ground.

I expect Ethan to run off and figure out what’s going on, but he remains at my side.

“Look familiar?”

My eyes take in the expansive vineyard. “Looks like a vineyard.” I laugh.

“Look harder.” There’s a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He’s up to something.

A surge of excitement courses through me. My eyes dart around trying to latch onto something recognizable. Eventually they land ahead, on the opposite side from where we came, toward a different part of the highway. I look back at him and the question that was building in my head is all but confirmed by his expression.

“Is this the vineyard. The one I crashed into?”

He nods slowly. “Sure is. We came a different direction, so you’d be thrown off.”

Now I’m even more confused. My forehead creases as I stare at him. “Why would you want to throw me off?”

He takes a step back, and I watch as his trembling hand reaches inside of his pocket. It suddenly hits me, and I realize what’s happening. My vision starts to blur, and I don’t know if it’s from utter shock or tears welling in my eyes, but when the image before me clears, it’s Ethan, down on one knee, presenting an open ring box.

“What are you doing?” My voice is garbled with tears. Both my hands are immediately cupped over my mouth.

“Marisa,” he starts and then pauses, because I’m a total mess.

I knew he would be proposing at some point, yet I’m completely unprepared. I also thought I would have picked up on his plans, but it seems I was oblivious. How could I not have seen what was happening? And then I think back to Hillary constantly mentioning getting a manicure as if she was trying to bury it into my subconscious.

“Baby, you have to stop crying. I have a whole speech planned.”

I take a big inhale, and it comes out embarrassingly snotty. We both laugh, easing some of the weight of this monumental situation.

“Marisa,” Ethan starts again. “From the moment I met you, my life has never been the same. I took one look at those beautiful brown eyes of yours and knew I wanted to look into them forever. I love you, baby, and I love our life.” With one hand still holding the box, his other reaches for me, shaking as he envelops my hand. When our eyes lock, I find his looking at me like they never have before, glassy and red and filled with so much love. “Will you please marry me?”

I’m a blubbering, crying mess as my head nods profusely. Just when I think he’s going to slip the ring on my finger he stands and pulls me against him.

“I can’t not touch you when you’re crying, even if they’re happy tears.”

He cradles me in his arms, running soothing motions up and down my back and smoothing my hair. “They are happy tears, right?”

My eyes meet his. “Yes, very happy.”

I crane my neck up to kiss him, and his lips collide with mine in a searing kiss. I coax out my tongue and he welcomes it, deepening the kiss.

My heart beats at an overwhelmingly fast tempo as Ethan consumes me, moving his lips over mine, grabbing at my hips and digging his fingers into my flesh like he’s holding on to me for dear life. It’s desperate, and tangled, and all encompassing. It’s us.

Drawing away from our kiss, Ethan litters my face in kisses, kissing at the drying streaks of my tears, and then rests his forehead against mine, our breaths ragged against each other.

“Ready to marry me?”

I nod, unable to utter words over the clog of emotion sitting in my throat.

“Ready to be Marisa Ledger?”

“So ready,” I manage to get out.

“I can’t wait for you to be my wife.” His voice is a hushed whisper.

My eyes close, letting the significance of the word wash over me. Wife. I’m going to be his wife.

“You better put that ring on my finger before I change my mind.”

I toss him a teasing smirk, and he playfully rolls his eyes.

“Always such a brat,” he says as he reaches back into his pocket and retrieves the velvet box.

I was so overcome when he was down on one knee, I never actually looked at the ring. This time when he opens the box, I make sure to inspect every detail.

Though we both knew marriage was the path we were on, we never discussed rings or what I would want. I’ve never been a big jewelry girl, usually keeping it simple with a dainty necklace or a modest pair of earrings. The ring Ethan chose is absolute perfection. A sleek, gold band with a single, oval-shaped diamond at the center.

“What do you think?”

His voice comes out husky and thick, like he’s nervous about my reaction.

“I love it. I love it so much,” I say and tilt my head up to kiss him softly. “I love you more, though.”

He plucks the ring out of the box and takes my left hand in his.

“I had to sneak one of your rings out of your jewelry box to figure out your size, so hopefully it fits.”

The cool metal slides around my finger, fitting like it was made for me.

I stare at it, once again flooded with a rush of emotion.

“I can’t wait for you to be my husband.”

Ethan brings my hand to his lips and kisses my palm, brushing his thumb over the diamond.

“You look good with a ring, baby.” He kisses my palm again. “You look like mine.”

Once we’re back in the truck, I catch a glimpse of myself in the visor mirror.

“Why didn’t you tell me I look like a scary racoon?” Frantically, I start wiping at the runny mascara under my eyes.

“A very sexy racoon,” Ethan says with a chuckle.

“We’re going to have to run by the house before dinner. There’s no way I can go to the restaurant looking like this.”

“About that…”

I still, as whirls of nerves and excitement dance in my stomach. “What? What is it?”

Ethan dips his chin, watching me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“The whole dinner thing was more of a distraction.”

“What are we really doing?” I ask hesitantly.

This is the same man who whisked me away in a helicopter on our first date and hasn’t stopped surprising me since. I don’t think I could guess even if I tried.

“We’re going back to our house,” Ethan says casually.

“And?”

“And…there might be some people there waiting for us. They might have been hiding at Gavin’s earlier, waiting until we left to sneak over.”

I shake my head, biting my lips to suppress my smile.

“Always full of surprises.”

When we get to our house, my dad, Jenn, Sadie and Caleb are there, along with Ethan’s parents and siblings. Even Hillary, Archie, and baby Josephine made the trip over. Leanne connects with my mom over a video call, allowing her to join in on the celebration despite being thousands of miles away.

A year ago, I was broken. Stripped of all the hopes and dreams I had for myself. And thank goodness for that. I’ve never been more grateful for that lost girl, because she got me here, to a room surrounded by the people I love, with the man of my dreams. I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought I knew exactly how my life would go. Turns out it took a minor car accident, a grumpy neighbor, and a reset on life to realize sometimes you have to lose your way to find the journey you were always meant to take.

As my gaze meets Ethan’s from across the room, everything else fades away, the chatter becoming a distant whirr, leaving just the two of us in our own world. He smiles gently, stirring a familiar rush of warmth through me as my chest swells, fuller than it’s ever felt. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us, knowing no matter what life throws our way, our love is rare, rare enough to last a lifetime.

The End