Page 158 of Pucking Tangled
He passed her a towel, his eyes softer than usual. “Doing okay?”
“I’m really good,” she said, voice catching a little. “I love everything about being here with you.”
Luca leaned in, drying his hands on the towel before wrapping his arms around her from behind. “I love it too.”
She leaned back into his chest, closing her eyes.
They stayed like that for a while—quiet, close, the sounds of the others laughing outside drifting in through the screen door.
Eventually, Mia turned in his arms and whispered, “Thank you for bringing us here.”
Luca kissed her forehead. “Thank you for coming.”
And with that, they stepped out into the Texas sun to see exactly what their guys were up to.
The roadto Keller Vineyards wound through open pastures and gently sloping hills, the kind of drive that begged you to roll the windows down and let the wind tangle in your hair.
Mia had claimed the middle seat in the back again, thighs pressed between Waylon and Luca.
She changed into a flowy sundress Luca had pulled from her bag that morning and tossed her way with a quiet, “Wear this to the vineyard for me?”—and okay, maybe she’d twirled in it a little, because the way all four of them had looked at her after?
Yeah. Worth it.
Keller Vineyards came into view just as Waylon was dramatically re-enacting the moment Casey allegedly “cried a little” when his favorite band broke up and news broke while they were all in the locker room together.
“I didn’t cry,” Casey said, pointing at him from the front passenger seat. “I teared up. One time. Quietly.”
“Still counts,” Owen chuckled from the driver’s seat.
Mia laughed. Luca took her hand and kissed her knuckles as they pulled into the gravel lot, the rows of grapevines stretching behind the tasting room like a dream.
The air was thick with the scent of summer—crushed grass, warm stone, and the sweet edge of ripening fruit. Asoft breeze ruffled the leaves, and somewhere nearby, a wind chime tinkled against wood siding.
“Wow,” Mia said as she stepped out. “This is gorgeous.”
“It’s been here forever,” Luca said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “My mom used to bring us here for picnics when I was a kid. I’d sneak off and pretend to be lost in the vines.”
The tasting room looked like something out of a Texas daydream—whitewashed stone, green-trimmed windows, and a wide porch draped in flowering vines. A rustic sign above the door readKeller Vineyards—Established 1924.
Inside, it was cool and airy, with wide-planked wood floors and sunlight streaming through stained glass. Shelves lined with bottles flanked a long tasting bar, and tucked in the back were little bistro tables surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the vineyard.
A blonde woman looked up from behind the counter, her face lighting up when she spied Luca.
“Well, if it isn’t the famous Luca Blackford in the flesh,” the woman beamed.
Mia tried to fight back the jealousy she felt in her chest.
“Harlow Clark. How are you?” Luca smiled back.
“Pregnant and miserable.” Harlow shuffled from behind the counter, rubbing her rather large belly. “Still got at least four weeks before this one arrives though.” She hugged him. “Last time I saw you, you were face-first in a barrel of muscat grapes.”
“I maintain that was strategic.”
Harlow rolled her eyes, though she was smiling as she did. Then she looked past him to take in their group. “And I’m guessing this whole charming crew is with you?”
“Yep,” he said, slipping back to Mia’s side. “This is Mia, Owen, Casey, and Waylon.”
“Nice to meet y’all,” Harlow said warmly. “You’re staying at one of the Airbnb’s around here, right?”
