27. Epilogue

Chapter 27

Epilogue

Two Years Later

Heath

“I can’t believe how beautiful it is here, Marko. It must have been hard to leave this behind. Will you be okay when we have to leave it again?”

When Marko asked if I’d ever want to visit Croatia, of course, I said yes. I want to know everything about his life before coming to Canada. It’s such a big part of him. Knowing this is the place he was closest to his mother made it an even easier yes.

Our visits to baka and the old crew for lamb roasts endeared me to most of their culture. Except for that plum brandy. They shouldn’t be proud of that stuff. I learned my lesson, though, and stay far away.

For two weeks, we’ve toured his home country and for the last few days, we’ve been staying at his favourite place on the island of Hvar.

“It really is beautiful. I’ve missed it. There’s nothing like the scenery here. I could stare at the blue water all day and never tire of it.”

We had our lunch on the balcony off our room. The view deserved to be soaked up while we relaxed in the sun and enjoyed more of the local food. Including a bag of the sugared almonds he likes.

“This is my first ocean, and it’s incredible. Remember when you told me we had a pull like the tide and you’d always come back to me?”

“Technically, it’s the Adriatic Sea, ljubavi . Don’t say ocean here. It starts fights.” Marko squints into the distance while he thinks, and it’s the sexiest look on him. I love all his smile lines and that single dimple that pokes over his scruff. Since we’ve been together, he smiles a lot more and I see that dimple more often. I know I’m not always the easiest guy to live with, but the fact he doesn’t have grey hair yet has not escaped my attention.

Although Marko as a silver fox will be… yeah, okay. That will be a look he’ll rock.

“I remember. Why?”

“I noticed the tide here isn’t that big. But sometimes it takes a long time to come back. Would you take that long to come back if you ever left?”

He cocks his head as he digests the question. He’s used to my randomness, so this isn’t anything new to him. And I love how he still takes me so seriously. I fucking adore it, if I’m honest.

“Well, I’m not tied to the moon, so no, I’d come back faster.”

Swiping an olive from the bowl on the table, I offer it to him, and he sucks it into his mouth. “Nobody makes olives taste as good as these.”

“The olive grove here is your tattoo, right? The one we walked in yesterday?”

He nods and wraps his arm around my shoulders.

“It is. I picked olives here with my baka when I was little. ”

“Right.” I kiss his cheek. “And all the lavender here is so gorgeous. The plants inspire you, right?”

“One of the first times I ever did a watercolour painting was here. I loved the blue water and sky, and the purples of the flowers. I’ve never felt it could be captured on paper well enough. Even that sketch I made for you. When you moved in, remember I had it on the easel waiting? We had that time in the rain and you left me a note.” Marko’s thumb rubs a spot on my neck. “I sketched that scene, then painted it. Your naked body in the garden. I added lavender because you took me to see the brewery gardens, and I thought it was the most romantic thing you could ever have done.”

“So there are a lot of wonderful memories here, then?”

Marko’s gaze is soft as he turns to me.

“Yes, there are. Now there are even more.”

My heart beats all wacky when Marko looks at me like he is right now. So, here goes, I guess.

“I did a thing.”

He smiles and kisses my forehead.

“Okay, sre?o . What did you do?”

“I wanted to make this place even more happy for you. I hope. If you agree, I’d like you to meet me in the olive grove tonight for a wedding.”

Marko squints again, and I run a finger over his brow. He licks his lips and those brown eyes I love to get lost in, blink. Then they widen and blink again.

“Heath…what did you do?”

“God, my hands are shaking so bad.” I laugh softly as I stand from my chair to sit in his lap. Taking his face in my hands, I swallow and hope I don’t fuck this up. “I kept a secret for months. First, let’s acknowledge that.”

Marko sucks in a breath and nods. “Okay. That’s great. I know that’s hard for you.”

Understatement. As soon as I spoke to baka and had her blessing, I wanted to tell anyone with an ear. But I needed to stay quiet, and that was so hard.

“It was very hard keeping to myself how I contacted the resort and arranged for a marriage licence…” Marko’s lips part and I keep speaking before the nerves become too much. “And a minister for a sunset ceremony in the olive grove tonight. It was also near impossible not telling you I arranged for a jeweller to be here in a few hours so we could pick rings.” Smoothing my thumb across his cheek, I wipe a tear away. “I also asked your baka if it was okay with her and she wants us to call her immediately after. That’s assuming you don’t say no.”

Marko releases a shaky breath and wraps a hand around the back of my neck.

“You planned a wedding here? Our wedding? In my Hvar?”

“I did. Are you mad?”

He shakes his head and wipes at his eyes.

“God, no. Heath…you will never stop surprising me, I swear. This is…holy fuck…you’re going to be my husband?” His voice cracks and that’s what it takes for me to lose my composure and finally shed my happy tears.

“Yeah. Forever, Marko. I had some help pulling strings, and when we return home, we just do it over at the courthouse with our friends. I arranged that too once I had help.”

“Let me guess; Blaze. ”

“He’s a closet romantic, that guy.” My Marko kisses me softly. His hands shake just like mine as he holds my face in his hands. “So, is that a yes?”

He rests his forehead against mine and whispers, “You didn’t ask me the question.”

“Marko, will you marry me tonight and be my happiness for the rest of my life? Will you promise to buy me more ducks and forgive me when I put too much bubble bath in the tub? Will you be my husband and promise to come back faster than the tide, should we have a disagreement?”

Marko laughs softly.

“You stuck the part about ducks in there because you thought I wouldn’t notice.”

“I did.”

“Yes, Heath. Even to the duck part. Yes, to all of it.”

“Oh, thank god.” I pause before kissing him. “Wait. You mean I can get more ducks for real?”

“Shut up and let me kiss my fiancé.”

“Fine.”

And he kisses me, laughing as we make out on the balcony of our suite and it couldn’t be more perfect.

I’m getting a husband and more ducks.

I can’t wait to tell Jeff.

***

Thank you so much for reading Heath and Marko's story!

If you' re curious about Marko's rodeo friends, you can meet them in the new series!

Kissing Ridge Cowboys begins with Jackson's story!

Jackson Sutherland may be a champion at wrestling 400 pound steers to the ground, but wrestling Riley Benton's heart into falling for a cowboy is proving to be harder than he thought.

Cowboys Can't Kiss – coming early 2025!