BONUS EPILOGUE

SKYLAR SPOTTED the sign for Living in Zin and put on his turn signal. For a country road, there was a surprising amount of traffic. Then again, it was Christmas Eve. Downtown had been nuts when he'd driven through on the way here, people rushing about at their last-minute errands and shopping. Even these rural roads weren't immune to the madness.

He waited until it was safe, then made the turn, taking the long driveway up the hill. His car made the climb without a problem. Simple as it was, the thought made Skylar smile. He'd worked damned hard to afford this car. It didn't look like much, but it was mechanically sound. His brother-in-law, Vaughn, had seen to that.

Skylar pulled into a parking spot and shut off the engine. He sat there for a moment, gazing out at the landscape that opened up before him. Just like last winter, the grapevines were all bare, the branches reaching out, all crooked and wild, the grapes and leaves long gone. This past year, he'd gotten to watch the vines get pruned, the leaves start to grow, the grapes to come in. He'd never gotten to really witness anything like that back in the city. Skylar couldn't wait to see it all happen again.

And it was all around him. Everywhere he looked. In place of traffic and smog and skyscrapers, Skylar lived amongst quaint shops, tree-lined streets, and endless vineyards.

It was like a dream.

He got out of his car, noting a few others there in the lot, and let himself into the house. Ward and Charlie had kicked him out of the house for a few hours, sending him away for a sort of play-date with the other boys in their group. He couldn't imagine what they were up to, other than maybe finishing up details for the party that night. Since the men at Living in Zin had hosted Christmas Eve last year—not to mention Skylar, Ward, and Charlie's wedding—they were returning the favor this year, celebrating their first anniversary by having all their friends over.

Skylar couldn't wait to get back home and bask in it all. He was married! Even a year later, that still took his breath away.

But for now, he was told in no uncertain terms that he had to be here instead. Skylar shut the front door behind himself and looked around. As usual, the house was all done up with Christmas decorations. It looked stunning. Like some kind of fairy land. Still, he preferred his own house. Charlie had been in charge of decorations, and the place looked amazing. Last year had been a dream. This year, it turned out even better now that the house was almost fully furnished and they'd bought more decorations to really fill out the space.

Footsteps sounded from the direction of the garage, interrupting his thoughts. “You're here!” Dakota exclaimed. He grabbed Skylar's hand. “Come on. Everyone's waiting in Ryder's room.”

Skylar ran after him. They ducked through a big laundry room, up a set of stairs, and into the apartment over the garage. Skylar had gotten a tour of this space before. It was where Dakota lived with Beau, Mav, and Ryder, giving them their own private living space apart from their guests. The apartment had originally been much smaller, spanning the footprint of a two-car garage below it. But when the original couple had become a foursome instead, they'd needed more space. So the garage got expanded to accommodate four cars, and the apartment grew to match it. The only part of the expansion that Skylar hadn't seen was Ryder's room. The boy was incredibly protective of his private space. He was like Charlie, in that respect.

Dakota led the way through the apartment and to another set of stairs at the farthest end of the house. They went down, stepping into a big, open space that gave the impression of a studio apartment. Two big sliding glass doors faced out onto the back of the property, just far enough away from the back patio to still afford privacy while also granting a stunning view of the surrounding vineyards and hillsides.

The natural light was incredible, highlighting a space that was cozy and bright.

Skylar greeted the others—Adam, Nicky, Haven, and Morgan were also there—and then Ryder gave him a private tour.

“This is pretty much all the stuff from my old apartment, from before I met Dakota and the others,” Ryder explained as he took Skylar around. There were shelves all along the back wall, displaying what had to be hundreds of books. A twin daybed stood to one side. Ryder gestured at it. “I sleep down here sometimes. I still have days when it's hard for me to share a bed.”

Skylar nodded. Charlie was the same way. Back at their place, they'd fitted up the second bedroom as a guest room, and Charlie escaped in there sometimes when he needed a quiet space to himself.

“But Mav and I also use this as a work space,” Ryder went on, pointing out a couple of desks, as well as a couch and a coffee table. “We write our books in here.”

“That's awesome,” Skylar said. “I just read your latest one,” he went on. He'd seen the display of their books two Christmases back, but had only recently gotten a chance to read any of them. “It was so good.”

Ryder blushed and ducked his head. “Thanks.”

Skylar frowned. “You don't think so?”

Ryder shrugged. “I'm getting kinda burned out on gay romance, honestly. I want to try something different. But I don't know what–”

“Hey, Ry-Ry?” Nicky called from one corner of the room, where all the other boys had gathered. “Where are your brick separators?”

“Oh.” Ryder headed that direction, pointing.

Skylar followed, then stopped with a gasp. “Holy what the–” That whole corner of the room was dominated by a big table, bearing several LEGO sets, while bins below the table seemed to hold loose pieces. “This is amazing!”

Ryder blushed again.

Dakota laughed. “This is pretty much all he spends his money on.”

“You've got, like, a whole little city going on here,” Skylar noted.

Ryder beamed. “This is just my little Christmas village,” he said, pointing at the buildings that had white pieces attached to the roofs, imitating snow. “After New Years, I'll dismantle all this and rebuild the city again.” He dragged a box out from under the table and opened it up to reveal a stack of instruction manuals. “See? I've got a bookshop and a bank and a repair garage…”

While the others sat around, assembling a few ornaments and Christmas trees, putting the finishing touches on Ryder's little village, Ryder excitedly described his plans for the new year. He showed Skylar all the different sets he had, grinning as he pointed out some of the finer details. One set had a secret passage, while another had a hidden space in the wall behind a swinging portrait. His joy reminded Skylar of Charlie. It was the kind of simple innocence that made Skylar thankful to be alive.

Skylar flipped through some of the instructions, marveling at how far these sets had come since he was a kid. He paused, laughing. “Hey, look. It's Morgan.” He pointed at the image of a LEGO figure dressed as a barista with dark, curly hair. “And that could totally be Everett,” he added, pointing at another that was dressed in a suit.

Morgan laughed. “Holy shit. That's amazing.”

“Oh!” Dakota gasped. “I want one! Can you customize these? Oooh! Ry, you could totally make figures of all of us and put them in your city.”

“You could mime out your stories,” Skylar suggested. “Use the figures as your characters.”

Ryder's eyes went wide. He gasped and shot to his feet, scrambling over to one of the desks. He came back with a notebook and a pen and started scribbling out notes while the rest of them made up stories and threw out ideas.

Skylar sat back, grinning as he watched it all. He hadn't gotten to experience anything like this in years. Friends. Companionship. Youthful joy and innocence. It made him feel like a kid again.

And to think he'd almost missed out.

They sat together and played for almost an hour before Dakota's phone beeped. The boy checked the screen and gasped. “Daddy says they're ready for us.”

Everyone got up and quickly finished their builds before tidying up the space. Ryder supervised, directing where things were supposed to go and making sure it was all done right. Skylar chuckled. Ryder was the same way at work.

As though Nicky had somehow read his thoughts, the boy bumped Skylar by the shoulder and whispered, “We love our little tyrant, don't we?”

Skylar laughed. “Yeah.” But he really did. As controlling as Ryder could be, Skylar had no problem with it. He was used to it from being with Charlie. Working with Ryder was nothing.

And he was so grateful for the job. After enjoying a perfect Christmas honeymoon in their new house, Skylar had spent the first couple weeks of the new year, hunting for a job. He hadn't been able to disclose his work history, so a bare résumé didn't get him anywhere. When Nicky chanced to overhear Skylar's struggles, he'd immediately dragged him into the wine distribution warehouse where he and Ryder worked. One of their coworkers had recently resigned to move out-of-state, so they had an open spot to fill.

It was the first job interview of his life, and Skylar had sweated through the whole thing. Ryder had grilled him first, asking if he had initiative and attention to detail. The boy had even tested him right then and there, seeing if he could pay attention and follow orders. Skylar had no problem with that. He picked it up quickly, learning the location codes and how to tell different wineries apart. By the end of it, Ryder looked satisfied, and he'd gone straight to the upper management to suggest Skylar for the job.

The whole thing still made Skylar laugh. Ryder wasn't the warehouse manager, but everyone treated him like he was. The boy was most definitely in charge, keeping things organized and running smoothly.

For Skylar, the job was a godsend. He got to go to work every day and feel useful and fulfilled, just like Ward wanted for him. Instead of taking off his clothes and spreading his legs, all he had to do was pick up a box and put it back down again. Then pick up another box and put it back down. Rinse and repeat until an order was pulled. The physical labor was demanding, as was the need to pay attention to vineyards and vintages, but Skylar loved it. At the end of the day, he could look at the neat stacks of orders, all waiting to be loaded up and delivered, and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment instead of shame.

It didn't pay nearly as well as escorting had done, but Skylar didn't care. He was working. Proving himself as a man. Making a living. Helping to provide for his household. He, Ward, and Charlie lived a simple life, but it was more than enough. It was perfect.

Skylar joined the other boys as they all headed outside and piled into their cars. He led the way through town, then out beyond the city limits, grinning to himself as he navigated the country road that led home. When he spotted his driveway up ahead, Skylar signaled and slowed down, all the others queuing up behind him.

He turned up the driveway, his smile growing as he went. Off to the right, the driveway forked, leading to John and Adam's little house. Skylar continued up the left fork, leading to the property's main house, where he and his men lived.

Several cars were already there, all of their daddies having arrived ahead of them. Skylar parked his car, then waited for the others before heading to the front door.

He couldn't stop grinning as he approached. The house was all done up in Christmas lights, thanks to Charlie. The boy had insisted they decorate outside as well as in. Every night when Skylar got home from work, the beautiful colors greeted him.

He truly was living a dream.

They went inside, the lot of them stripping out of coats and shoes, adding to the pile already there by the front door. Everyone knew there were no shoes allowed inside the house. Skylar loved that all their friends took to Charlie's rules so willingly.

“Wow, look at this place!” Nicky exclaimed. “You guys did such a great job!”

Skylar beamed. They really had. They hadn't started out with much, but the house had slowly and surely come together over the past year. And decorated for Christmas, it looked even better. A big tree stood in the corner, all draped in lights and garland and ornaments. All the windows were framed with more garland, while Charlie had pinned up more lights and ornaments all around the rooms. It was somehow both chaotic and tasteful all at once.

But it made Charlie happy. The boy got up every morning, made his coffee, and sat down in front of the Christmas tree. Sometimes, Skylar and Ward got up with him. They'd sit in silence, admiring the colors. Mostly admiring Charlie's joy. The boy got so happy over such simple things.

Skylar never wanted to let go of that.

He moved farther into the house, then paused. The dining area was curtained with old sheets, clearly tacked up to hide something. Weird. Before Skylar could question it, he heard Nicky chuckle.

“You got another one?” Nicky asked.

“Huh?” Skylar turned and saw the boy pointing at the mouse cage. “Oh!” Skylar laughed. “Yeah.” They headed that way. Charlie had brought the mouse cage from his old bedroom, but it had taken him weeks to decide where it would go. In the end, he'd put it near the kitchen. Once that was set, they'd taken Charlie to a pet store so he could pick out a new mouse. Now, every morning, Charlie got to say good morning to Mouse Mouse while he made his coffee. “Charlie decided that Mouse Mouse needed a friend. So now we have Mouse Mouse and Friend Friend.”

Nicky laughed. “That's so frickin' adorable.”

“There's my sweet boy,” a deep voice rumbled nearby.

Skylar beamed and whirled around. There stood Ward, in all his big, strong, gentle glory. Skylar threw himself into the man's arms, then got crushed when Charlie flew over to join them.

“Did you have a good time?” Ward asked, rubbing his back and pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“Yeah.” Skylar hugged them back, snuggling into their warmth. They were all wearing their flannel shirts, the ones they'd worn at their wedding. It felt so good and comfortable, helping to bring back all the little memories of that perfect day. “So do I get to know what this is all about?” he asked, pointing at the sheets.

“Patience, kitten,” Ward said with a smirk. “It's a surprise.”

Charlie scrunched up his face and let out a long squeak.

Skylar couldn't help laughing, seeing their mischievous joy. “Okay. Fine.” Whatever it was, he'd love it. He just knew it.

Ward got everyone's attention while Beau and Mav handed out glasses of Champagne all around. Actual Champagne, Skylar knew. Not the California sparkling wine that pretended to the name. Skylar had that one drilled into his head plenty since going to work with Ryder and Nicky.

“Thank you all so much for coming,” Ward began once everyone had a glass in hand. “This past year has been such an incredible journey. We've found home and life and love together,” he went on, pulling Skylar and Charlie to his sides. “And you, our friends—our family—have made it even better. We can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us. For welcoming us into your fold. For making us one of you. For all your support and unwavering friendship.”

Skylar blinked, feeling his eyes begin to sting. “Hear, hear,” he agreed. He looked around the room, at the faces of all the people who knew his past and still accepted him without question. This was his home. His family. He was so lucky, words weren't enough to ever convey it.

“I am so blessed to have my sweet, beautiful boys,” Ward continued. “Charlie, Sky. I love you both so much more than I can say. Happy anniversary.”

“Happy anniversary!” everyone cheered.

They all raised their glasses and took a sip. It was all Skylar could do to join them, choked up with emotion as he was.

“And now,” Ward said, setting his glass aside, “for a few surprises.” He patted Charlie on the shoulder, and the boy followed suit, handing off his wine glass. “Believe it or not, this was Charlie's idea,” Ward added as he and Charlie started unbuttoning their shirts.

Skylar's eyes went wide. Just what the heck were they up to?

They both turned, tugging their shirts down on one side, exposing their left shoulders.

Skylar gasped as tears sprang to his eyes. “Oh my god.” There, on each of them, permanently marked, was a heart tattoo just like his own. On Ward's shoulder, the heart contained a kitten and a mouse. On Charlie's, it was a kitten and a wolf. Skylar reached out and carefully brushed his fingertips just below the freshly inked designs. “Oh my god,” he repeated.

“You're ours, sweetheart,” Ward murmured.

Our Sky, Charlie signed. Always.

Skylar covered his eyes, then yanked his hands down to cover his mouth instead. “I can't believe you guys did that. You said you'd never get a tattoo!” Skylar pointed out. “And Charlie hates needles!”

Worth it, Charlie signed, and Ward nodded agreement.

Skylar threw his arms around them. “This is amazing,” he gasped. “I love it.”

They hugged him back, then pulled away with big grins on their faces. “There's more,” Ward announced as they refastened their shirts.

More? Skylar wasn't sure he could take much more.

Ward and Charlie walked over to the hanging sheets. “Charlie's been planning for this all year. We've been saving up, trying so hard to keep it a surprise.” Ward looked at Charlie, who gave him an eager nod. The two men pulled down the sheets and whisked them aside.

Skylar stared. Up against the wall stood a piano. They'd bought him a piano!

His jaw dropped as he moved towards it, utterly speechless. Fresh tears filled his eyes as he reached out and rested his fingertips on the body.

“We wanted to get you a new one,” Ward blurted out in an apologetic tone, “but this one is in good shape, and it's tuned–”

Skylar shook his head. “It's beautiful,” he gasped. “It's perfect.”

“Play something!” Dakota called out.

Charlie squeaked, bouncing in place. Play! Play! Play! he agreed.

Skylar pulled out the bench and sank heavily onto it, then folded back the keyboard cover with shaky hands. He touched the keys, feeling the smooth ivory under his skin. He'd gotten to play the instrument over at Living in Zin on occasion, but it hadn't been enough.

Now he'd get to play whenever he wanted.

Skylar tested the keys, starting to play the first thing that came to mind. He smiled. The instrument was beautifully tuned. He pulled his fingers away, then started the song over in earnest.

Adam stepped up beside and joined in, singing Lifehouse's “Everything” while Skylar played.

Tears clouded Skylar's vision, but he didn't need to see. He felt the keys like an extension of himself. When the chorus came around, he couldn't help singing along, adding his voice to Adam's. He didn't have Adam's talent—not by a long shot—but he didn't care. Skylar simply had to sing. It burst out of him, unable to be contained. He felt the words so keenly, right down to his soul. Ward and Charlie were—and always would be—his everything.

When the song ended and everyone cheered, Skylar shot to his feet, pulling Ward and Charlie into his arms.

“Thank you,” he cried. “This is incredible. Thank you.”

“You're so welcome, sweetheart,” Ward murmured back. “You deserve it.”

Charlie nodded in agreement.

Skylar beamed at them and wiped away his tears. He looked back on his life, on all the horrible, dark, lonely, soul-crushing days, and knew they'd all been worth it. If he could do his life over again, he wouldn't change a thing. It had all led to this place. These people. This moment.

It brought him home.

* * *

Go back to the beginning and enjoy some more wine country love! It all starts with Beau, Mav, Dakota, and Ryder's story, Living in Zin.