“It’s okay,” she said softly, her fingers still brushing his cheek. “It’s okay.”
She let her hand linger for just a moment longer before gently pulling it away. They stood in silence for a moment. Remi leaned back, breathed in slowly. She could still feel the touch of his lips on hers. His presence beside her grounded her like she hadn’t felt in weeks.
“You just caught me off guard,” she said finally. Her voice was calm, but with an edge of truth.
Leo nodded and chuckled nervously. “I caught myself off guard.”
She sighed. “This … whatever this is—we should tread carefully. There’s a lot going on in my life right now.”
“I know,” he replied. “And I’m not trying to complicate anything for you.”
“It already is,” she said softly. “You’re Vivian’s. And Gerard—he’s only been gone …”
“IwasVivian’s. And in some ways, I always will be,” Leo said, choosing his words carefully, “but that part of my lifeended long ago. And Gerard … he was your husband. I would never try to take his place.”
Remi looked at him. She saw the pain behind his eyes—the patience in his voice.
“I don’t need anyone to take his place,” she said with a steady voice. “But maybe I need someone who understands what it’s like to lose everything and still wake up the next day.”
Leo nodded. “Then maybe we just be that—for now—two people helping each other breathe again.”
Remi let out a deep breath. “Okay,” she whispered.
They stood at the stove in stillness—as two people with wounded hearts, and tentative hope, wrapped in shared grief and something new that neither of them recognized. They dared not give it a name.
“I don’t want to be another thing you carry,” he said. “If there’s a space for me, I want it to be one you choose—not one you feel obligated to fill. I’m your friend. Your confidant. Your peace.”
Remi’s throat tightened. The air between them was full of unspoken things.
And even after he was gone—after they’d eaten green tomatoes in her kitchen and sipped white wine—Leo’s kiss lingered in her mind. It wasn’t just the kiss itself, soft and unexpected, but everything it carried with it: comfort, curiosity, the quiet promise of something new—though she had no idea what thatsomething newwas. She touched her lips absent-mindedly, as if trying to hold onto it a moment longer. It had been so long since someone had looked at her—really seen her and taken her needs into consideration. And that made her chest ache in the most dangerous way.
Chapter Twenty-six
Bianca
Bianca sat on the edge of the bed, her hands resting in her lap. The wild irises beside her gave off a familiar scent, one that took her back to childhood summers in Louisiana. It was a time when Abuelita would place fresh-cut lavender flowers in chipped mason jars all over the house, insisting they would keep the bad spirits away. Bianca never believed in that kind of thing, but right now, she desperately needed something to believe in.
The room was bright and filled with Remi’s care. She could feel it in the clean linens, the open windows to let in fresh air, the soft lavender sachet tucked beneath her pillow. It unsettled her more than it comforted her. Remi’s kindness always had a way of touching her heart, but right now she didn’t feel deserving of it.
She lay back easily, her bones aching. The pain meds dulled it some, but the deeper aches—the emotional ones—no prescription could heal. She stared at the ceiling and tried to settle her thoughts. But some of the worst ones entered her mind anyway.
She didn’t want to die here; not in Napa Valley, and certainlynot in Remi’s house with everything between them still unresolved. After all, Remi had said that she wanted thedignity of rebuilding without her watching. She wanted to give her that dignity, that space to heal. But she also didn’t want to die alone. Hell, she didn’t want to die at all. She still had so much to live for. She knew she had to die someday—everyone did—but she wasn’t ready right now. There were so many things that she wanted to do.
Her eyes drifted to the corner of the room, where her suitcase sat unopened. Her life had been reduced to luggage, a few outfits, and some medications. She hadn’t expected Remi to offer her a place to stay, or come to the hospital, or to look her in the eye and still call herfriend. She’d been anything but, and the guilt of it tore her apart. She hadn’t even forgiven herself. How could she expect Remi to forgive her?
She reached for her phone. There were no new messages, no more threatening texts—for now. She had buried that secret deep. Though she hadn’t done as she’d promised Remi, that she would call the police and report it. Right after she made that promise, her life had begun to unravel and take a different turn. And now the texts seemed to have ceased, so she wouldn’t worry about it. It was something that she would keep buried.
Outside the window, the vineyard looked peaceful, still. It reminded her that life kept moving forward whether you were ready or not. Life just kept ongoing. She closed her eyes for a moment, just for a little bit of meditation and gratefulness.
“I’m sorry, Remi,” she whispered to herself. “For everything.”
After a brief nap, she made her way downstairs. She was tired of lying down and wanted to be where life was. Remi, Mila, and Zoe sat around the island in the kitchen, laughingand discussing—well, she wasn’t sure what. She hated that she felt like an intruder, though.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to … interrupt,” she said.
“It’s okay,” Remi said. “Would you like some tea?”
“I would love some,” Bianca said, making her way into the living room. She collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily. Some days it took every ounce of energy just to walk a few steps. “Thank you.”