Page 104 of Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots

Her head lifts, and she looks at me, her expression unreadable for a long moment. Then she smirks, a little flicker of that fire I love so much returning to her eyes. “Captain America strikes again,” she quips.

I laugh, shaking my head. “I mean it, Candace. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, and I’m not asking for forever right now. But I want to try. With you.”

Her smirk fades, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. “I’ve always loved you,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “Even when I hated you, I still loved you. And that scared the hell out of me.”

I tighten my arms around her, pulling her closer. “We can figure this out,” I say, my voice steady. “Together. If we want kids, we’ll figure out how to make that happen, too. Adoption, surrogacy—whatever it takes. We’ll write our own story.”

Her eyes search mine, and I can see the doubt warring with hope. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It won’t be,” I say honestly. “But money goes a long way to making things happen. Luckily for you, I have lots and lots of money.”

She exhales, her forehead resting against my chest. “You’re relentless, you know that? But for the record, I don’t need your money. I have plenty of my own.”

“How about we make it our money? As for relentless, you should know people who work for me say it’s one of my few endearing qualities,” I reply, grinning.

She snorts, but the tension in her shoulders eases, her body relaxing against mine. For the first time in what feels like forever, I think we’re finally on the same page.

After a few minutes, I run my fingers through her hair, tilting her face up to mine. “There’s one more thing.”

“What now?” she asks, her tone wary but amused.

“I want to take you to the vineyard,” I say. “To break the news to Brennen.”

She groans, rolling onto her back and throwing an arm over her eyes. “Are you trying to kill me? Brennen hates me… and for good reason. God, Ryan, I’ve made his life miserable.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” I say, sitting up and pulling her with me. “Emma hates you, but even if she does, I don’t givea shit. You’re part of this—part of me—Candace. They need to understand that.”

She peeks at me from under her arm, skepticism written all over her face. “You really think this is the right move?”

“I do,” I say without hesitation. My gaze locks onto hers, steady, unwavering. “They need to understand this isn’t about revenge anymore. You and me—we’re in this together. No more lashing out just to hurt people in this town, including my family. If we do this, we do it for the right reasons. And if Brennen’s got a problem with it, then he’ll have to deal with me.”

Her expression flickers, something shifting behind her eyes. She exhales slowly, nodding. “Alright,” she murmurs. “I’ll back off.”

“Maybe you can take the properties you acquired and turn them around. Instead of trying to destroy Pelican Point you can add to its revitalization.”

She rolls her eyes and groans.

“Enough,” I say firmly. “You and me, Candace. We’re a package deal. My family will get on board or they’ll have to deal with me. Either way, we’re doing this together.”

Her lips press into a thin line, but she doesn’t argue. Instead, she nods slowly, her hand slipping into mine. “Fine. But if Brennen throws me off the property, I’m holding you responsible.”

I squeeze her hand, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Deal.”

As we sit there, tangled together in the aftermath of everything that’s brought us to this moment, I feel something I haven’t felt in a long time: hope. For the vineyard. For my family. For us. And for the first time since the night of the crash, I let myself believe that we might just be able to make this work.

The sun dips low over the vineyard, casting everything in a golden haze. The air is thick with the scent of ripening grapes and the hum of summer insects. It feels like the calm before something big, and I can’t help but take a deep breath as Candace and I pull up to the vineyard on my Indian.

She’s quiet behind me, her arms wrapped around me, head resting against my back. I can feel her nerves radiating off her in waves, and I reach down, lacing my fingers through hers, before bringing them to my lips to kiss.

“Hey,” I say softly. “It’s going to be fine. Brennen’s not your enemy.”

She exhales, glancing at me with a wry smile. “No, but he and your sister see me as theirs. It’s easy for you. You’re the big brother they’ve always adored. They’re not gunning for you.”

I squeeze her hand. “They’re not gunning for you. Trust me.”

The gravel crunches beneath the tires as I park near the main house. Brennen is already waiting on the porch, his arms crossed over his chest. For a second, wariness flashes in Candace’s eyes, but she straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin.

That’s my girl.

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