Epilogue
Three Months Later
Cole swept into the living room, a large glass of StoneMill Chardonnay in hand. He looked gorgeous, as always, wearing a pair of dark washed jeans and a classic white T-shirt. As the light from the fire flickered over the hard lines of his face, softening them with an amber glow, Rachael lost her breath.
She loved him more today than when he descended upon her small mountain town...
“You’ve been glued to the computer for the last hour.” He handed her a glass of wine and slouched into the couch beside her. “What’s got you hooked?”
She clicked the refresh button for the hundredth time and watched Crazy in Love’s iTunes downloads jump once more. He’d uploaded the live versions of Run to Him and Crazy in Love—complete with their onstage declarations of love—to iTunes the day after the concert. They’d gone viral, earning more money than all of the songs on Cole’s first record combined. She was beyond proud.
“Crazy in Love is going to hit the charts again this week,” she said, amazed. “It’s hard to believe, but your fans love the songs as much as I do.”
“I’m thrilled…I’ve be even more thrilled if I could talk you out of this robe.” He leaned over, tugged down her collar and kissed her bare shoulder. “I’ve been thinking…if the songs keep doing this well, I may be able to stay in Blue Lake longer than I thought.”
He hadn’t left town since they returned from the concert in Lake Tahoe. Although she’d told him he could go back to Hollywood and they could have a long distance relationship, he’d shot her down immediately. After the first month, he’d told her he’d stay another. And then another. But they’d never discussed exactly when he’d return to Southern California.
She’d assumed he’d leave when it was time to record another album.
“Is that so?” she asked, sipping the wine to hide her grin. “How much longer do you think you’ll stay?”
Cole leaned against her, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. “When I first came back to Blue Lake, I thought I’d get bored within a few days. But after staying these last few months with you, I can’t imagine leaving.”
She’d taken time to show him the sights that Blue Lake had to offer. They’d picnicked at the lake, rafted down the river, frequented Lucy’s winery, and had even panned for gold in one of the retired sites. Cole had found a sliver of a nugget—worth less than a few dollars—and had hollered so loud, Rachael thought he’d won the lottery. The last three months had been heavenly. Perfect. And it meant so much that Cole felt the same way about their time together.
“What about your music?” she asked, clicking refresh again. Another hundred copies had sold worldwide since he joined her on the couch. Amazing. “And your next record? Won’t you need to go back?”
“I’ve made enough money on the iTunes sales alone to keep my home in Hollywood and invest in somewhere around here. I could live in Blue Lake, and when duty called I’d travel south and stay a week or so. It’d be like a vacation. You’d love Hollywood.”
“I’m coming with you?”
He draped his arm over her shoulder and squeezed her against him. “Of course you are. Baby, I don’t want to be apart from you any longer than I have to be.”
Hesitantly, she asked, “Who’d take care of the inn while I’m gone?”
“Skylie.”
“Skylie?” She frowned, trying to follow his train of thought. “Lucy’s assistant at the winery?”
He nodded. “When Lucy stopped by for dinner last night, she asked if I was going to stay in Blue Lake for the long haul.”
Rachael turned to him. “She did?”
“Yes, and I asked her if she knew of anyone looking for work, so if the time came that we had to take off for a few days, every one of your guests would be taken care of.”
Since the addition had opened, the rooms had been full. Surprisingly, Cole didn’t seem to mind the guests coming in and out. He was amiable. Friendly and comical, cheering them up with songs by the fire and stories of “behind-the-scenes” Hollywood.
Rachael’s heart warmed when she thought of the way her professional life had molded with her personal one. “That was sweet of you to think of them…and me.”
“She said her assistant Skylie is phenomenal and is looking to supplement her income at StoneMill with another job during the day. It might be perfect.”
Yeah, it just might be.
“Besides,” he said, “after seeing the response from these songs, Rita wants me to stay here and continue writing.”
“Oh, yeah, now she’s changed her tune. Now that you’re making so much money that you don’t really need her anymore.”
“She’s a pain in the neck, but she’s got killer business sense.” He kicked his feet up on the coffee table as their new German Shepherd puppy, Jagger, trotted into the room and curled on the rug beneath his legs. “She says I was inspired here. Whatever I did before, I should do again and again.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Not that I needed permission from Rita, but I like the way she thinks. There are more than a few things that I’d like to repeat with you.”
Her cheeks warmed as he nuzzled into her neck and planted a soft, wet kiss under her jaw.
“Will you play me something?” she asked, as the fire crackled beside them.
“Of course.”
It was her favorite time of night. After the guests had retired to their rooms and she and Cole were left alone in front of the fire. Rain battered on the front windows and Jagger let out an angry-sounding yap. Rachael tugged a fuzzy flannel-colored blanket over her lap and drew her legs beneath her.
“Shh,” Cole said, stroking the dog’s coat. “It’s all right. It’s just the storm.”
Picking up his guitar from beside the couch, Cole rested it in his lap and teased a few strings. His fingers moved over the strings effortlessly, and Rachael couldn’t help but be in awe of him. He played her a quiet love song—the one he’d been working on the last week—and entranced her by the sultry rhythm of the music and the sexy husk of his voice.
“That one’s going to be your next hit,” she said when he’d finished. “What’s it called?”
“That one is just for you. I call it Rachael’s Serenade.”
Swooning, she kissed him and stroked her hands over his chest. As her gaze trailed to the windowsill, she caught sight of a tiny white butterfly fluttering its wings against the wet glass. Odd…she’d never seen a butterfly in the rain before. She recalled seeing a tiny white butterfly, resembling the one on the window now, before she and Cole made love on the floor in the inn addition. It was a bizarre thing, but the sight comforted her. Reassured her that the love they shared wouldn’t disappear.
“What do you want to hear next?” he asked.
“Something soft.”
He leaned over and whispered into her ear, “I love you.”
She went weak, her stomach tingling with delight. “I love you, too,” she said, and had never meant the words more.
Moving the guitar so that it rested on the opposite side of him, Cole placed a gentle hand on the back of Rachael’s head and guided her so she lay on her chest. The quiet thump-thump of his heartbeat and the warmth radiating from his body spoke to every part of her. She’d never felt more complete.
“I know it’s sudden…” He brushed his hands over her hair, a loving caress that caused her eyelids to flutter closed. “…but I’m going to marry you. Sooner rather than later, if I have my way.”
“Sweetheart,” she said, her heart beaming with love and promise, “that’s music to my ears.”
THE END