When Rhett envisioned getting married at the Mallory Vineyard, he never imagined marrying a Mallory at the Mallory Vineyard. June twelfth was their unofficial first anniversary, the date they’d told people their first date took place. No one knew the truth.

The origins of their relationship were something they’d decided to keep to themselves, even though the ruse had long ago crossed the line from pretend to real. Rhett enjoyed having secrets with Cole. Little truths that belonged only to them made Rhett feel special and only added to the depths of his feelings for Cole.

Rhett straightened his tie, then slid into his jacket. Buttoning it quickly. he examined himself in the mirror. Sometimes he wondered what Cole saw in him. Rhett smiled at his reflection. It didn’t really matter, he supposed. Rhett felt like Cole had been the first person to really see him, to see the man below the bookish surface and to embrace him for who he was. The way Cole looked at him sometimes still took Rhett’s breath away. He couldn’t begin to fathom how he’d gotten so lucky.

“There’s the handsome groom,” Penny said, appearing out of nowhere, Tyson perched on her hip in his tiny suit, flapping his chubby arms. “You almost ready?”

Rhett nodded and Penny smiled at him. “I’ll send him in.”

“There he is. The future Mr. Mallory.”

Rhett turned and grinned at Cole taking in the sight of him all at once, then bit by bit, committing the sight of him to memory. “Mallory-Kingston,” Rhett corrected.

“Are you ready, babe?”

Cole was devastatingly handsome in his black suit and his green tie, the same color as Lucy’s foliage. It also happened to bring out the sage color in his eyes. He held his hand out for Rhett, like a question waiting for an answer.

Rhett took his hand. “Is this real?” he breathed as Cole tugged him close and brushed his lips against Rhett’s. Their last kiss as fiancés.

“This is real, Rhett.” Cole twined their fingers together and they walked down the stairs and out into the vineyard and down the aisle toward their guests. Penny stood front and center, a book open in front of her, ready to be the one to marry them and together they walked toward their family, their friends, and their future.

Rhett stood in front of them all and grabbed his dream with both hands. There were moments in the early days of their relationship when Rhett had felt as if he’d finally found everything he wanted, but he was terrified that for Cole it would never be as real as it was for him.

Penny pronounced them husband and husband, and Cole leaned in, his lips claiming Rhett’s, his arms wrapping around him, pulling him close, tucking their bodies together, washing the last of Rhett’s doubts away.

Cole pressed his lips near Rhett’s ear. “This is real. You are the most real thing in my life, Mr. Mallory-Kingston.”

Rhett returned Cole’s sentiment with a kiss that had their family and friends clapping and cheering, but nothing could drown out Rhett’s pulse, frantic in his ears, roaring with desperation to be alone with his husband.

Rhett laughed as Cole, his husband, kissed him for the hundredth time that night. “You’re going to wear my lips out before we even get to the honeymoon.” Rhett let himself melt against Cole’s side. “Which you still haven’t told me where you’re taking me.”

“It’s not a surprise if I tell you.”

“You’re no fun at all, Mr. Mallory.”

“Mallory-Kingston. I happen to love the way my husband’s name sounds next to mine.”

“If you two get any more nauseating, people will start puking, they’ll blame the wine, the entire vineyard will go bankrupt, your future will be ruined.” Ryan exclaimed, his cheeks a lovely rosy pink color to match the wine that he’d clearly had enough of.

“Then we better just take off.” Cole wrapped his arm around Rhett’s waist and pretended to run away with him.

“Where’s your date?” Rhett asked his brother, who shrugged a shoulder.

“Around. I think.” Ryan seemed a little confused, but then shook it off. “I wanted to say goodnight to you guys.” Ryan wrapped his arms around Rhett and hugged him tight. He whispered in Rhett’s ear, his voice tight, “Mom would have loved this.”

When Ryan pulled away, he looked at Rhett with glassy eyes, then nodded. He gave Cole a quick hug, then disappeared, maybe in search of his date.

“Can we get out of here soon?” Rhett asked, eager to be alone with his husband.

“Soon. There’s one more person I need to talk to.” Cole tugged Rhett over to Kristen, who had given birth scant weeks before the wedding. Her original due date, in typical Kristen fashion, had landed on Rhett and Cole’s wedding date. Their niece, however, had other plans.

Kristen smiled at them as they approached, tiny Kate bundled in her arms. “Rhett, did you know that the girls are still talking about the baby shower you threw me?”

Rhett leaned in and kissed Kristen on the cheek, then glanced at his sleeping niece. “I bet they are. My evil plan was for it to be so grand that they’d all want to have babies just so I could plan baby showers for them.”

Cole took baby Kate in his arms and Rhett’s heart let out a happy sigh.

“Oh gross, you can’t look at my brother like that when I’m right here.” Kristen moaned, reaching for a bottle of water. “That’s practically obscene. When are you leaving for your honeymoon?”

“Soon, actually.” Cole handed Kate back to her mother. “Did I ever thank you, Kristen, for what you did for us?” Cole linked his hand with Rhett’s and held it tight. “You gave us our dream.” After Kristen’s grand display at New Year’s, which had impressed everyone except for their grandparents, Kristen and Cole’s relationship had improved slightly, and her relationship with Rhett had done a complete one-eighty. Cole only pretended to hate that Rhett and Kristen were friends.

“Oh, my God.” Kristen rolled her eyes. “Do not get all goopy and sappy on me. Save it for the husband.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” Cole said suggestively.

“Oh gross, Cole.” Kristen made a face and Cole laughed, tugging Rhett away from the party.

“Is it time to leave for our honeymoon now?” Rhett asked. The honeymoon location was top secret and he hated being in the dark, but Cole had refused to divulge anything.

“Not yet, but it is time to be alone with my husband,” Cole practically growled.

“Oh, thank God,” Rhett exhaled as Cole stopped in a secluded section of the vineyard. They were bathed in the glow of a million twinkle lights and could hear the music from the reception softly playing.

Cole cupped Rhett’s cheek and kissed him, his lips gentle and delicate. “Mr. Mallory-Kingston, will you dance with me?”

“For the rest of my life.”

They danced in the vineyard under a galaxy of lights, humming bars from “Unforgettable.” They danced pressed tight against the other, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment, until it built into something far more urgent and they went home to be truly alone.

Hours later, a very tired Rhett leaned against Cole in a crowded airport.

“Will you tell me now?” Rhett pleaded.

Cole laughed and kissed Rhett’s cheek. “California to New York to France, to drink Bordeaux in Bordeaux.”

An impossibility. A figment of his imagination. A future he never thought possible. “You’re too good to be true,” Rhett said, angling for a kiss.

“You’re a dream come true.”

“You’re sappy.”

“Of course I am. I’m in love with you.”

Rhett smiled and kissed his husband in the middle of the crowded airport. He pulled away when a voice overheard announced their flight was boarding.

Once in the air, Rhett pulled out his e-reader and looked at Cole, who still hadn’t started a movie.

“Aren’t you going to watch something?” Rhett asked, turning it on.

Cole snuggled closer and tapped the screen of the e-reader. “Why don’t you tell me more about this flirty dragon?”

Rhett’s cheeks flushed. “Here?” Rhett glanced around the cabin, but no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

“Yes, here. I want my husband to read to me about flirty dragons and whatever else is in that book of his.”

Rhett leaned over and kissed Cole. “I love being your husband.”

“My very real husband. Now, please, I’m dying to know about the dragon.”

Rhett chuckled. “I finished those books weeks ago.”

“What are you reading now? Read that to me instead.”

“Well, it’s about this omega named Percy.”

“Wait, what’s an omega?”

“It may take a while to explain,” Rhett warned with a smile.

“We have the rest of our lives.” Cole captured Rhett’s hand and brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss across the knuckles. “Read to me.”

“Always,” Rhett promised.