Noah woke up sometime during the night, and he was deliciously sore. After the two rounds of sex, he had completely forgotten how his head felt, and he was reveling in the soreness of the exertion from his muscles. He looked over at Elijah, who was still sound asleep with his mouth hanging open slightly, and smiled. He leaned over and kissed his forehead, and Elijah frowned in his sleep. Then his hand twitched as he searched for him on the bed.

Noah didn’t want to wake him, so he carefully rose from the bed and then crept to the bathroom where he freshened up and took a hot shower to ease the ache in his muscles. He grinned like an idiot into the spray as he recalled the events from a few hours prior. Elijah’s control and his willingness to submit to him was something he never thought he would experience in his life, and he was a little proud of himself that he hadn’t shied away from it and had let Elijah have his way with him. Noah wondered, after all of that, what might become of them. He was hoping he would have a chance to discuss it with Elijah when he woke. He could see a future for the two of them, and he was praying Elijah could too.

Noah had no interest in the men downstairs. He could hear some of them bumbling around, and he knew they would find them passed out drunk in some state or another in the morning, and it would be the talk of the social group for years to come. He could just see the men at a club raising their glasses to the memory of, “You remember that time at Elijah Montgomery’s singles retreat?” It would be followed by peals of laughter as they recounted when Howard Mortimer pissed in the living room plant, and when that poor assistant, Alice or Elise, asked him what he was doing, he replied, “Watering the plants.”

Previously, Noah would have been one of those men guffawing at the memory and ordering a free round for poor Howard. Now he just wished they would all pass out so the rest of the night remained unmolested and they could go home tomorrow. He had no intention of leaving when everyone else did. If Elijah would allow it, he was going to wait until everyone left and try to have a few private moments with him to discuss the possibility of a relationship, or at least giving it a try.

He was already counting the days until he could see him again, and wasn’t that funny? He was right in the other room asleep, and he could go in there and wake him up at any moment. He wasn’t going to do that however. Elijah desperately needed sleep, but he found the thought of having to spend a night away from him from now on abhorrent. Noah rubbed his face, not wanting to let his thoughts stray into a pit of despair thinking about losing what he had so recently found. He was determined to enjoy the rest of the day tomorrow, or rather, later that morning when everyone awoke, and he was also planning on staking a claim on what he now felt was his. He would, of course, remain at Elijah’s side when he mingled with his guests, but there were subtle gestures to show people what he viewed as belonging to him. And after showing Elijah he was his dessert, well, that thought, to him, was a given.

Noah had just stepped out of the shower when he heard pounding and shouting on the door. He quickly wrapped his bathrobe around his waist and ran into the bedroom, joining a groggy Elijah as he also pulled on his robe and answered the door.

Maria was on the other side, speaking in such rapid Spanish, neither could understand her.

“Maria, please, slow down. What’s happened?” Elijah’s took her forearms in his hands and urged her to breathe deeply. It took a couple of tries, but she continued to nod and breathe until they finally understood.

“El detective, Señor! He is in the bodega! He says you come now!” They both understood her enough to follow her out of the room. It didn’t take a translator to figure out she was talking about the cellar because she rushed them to the back door. They walked by passed-out drunks and had to step over several bottles, so the going was precarious in the dim light, but they eventually made it out the door.

Noah spared a single glance at the hot tub as they passed, because he wanted to make sure no one had passed out and drowned in the water. The cover was on, and it was turned off, thankfully. It looked like Elise must have given it a curfew when things got too crazy. Maria pointed to the cellar and crossed herself but refused to follow anymore, and Noah had the briefest thought that, what if they were walking into a trap? There was no evidence that the detectives were down here. It could just be Maria helping out the thief. But as soon as the thought popped into his head, it went away again. Noah followed close on Elijah’s heels. He didn’t want Elijah to go first down the cellar steps, but he was practically sprinting towards the door.

When they got the cellar, Noah tugged on his arm and raised his fingers to his lips, and Elijah looked puzzled.

“What if this is a trap?” He whispered in his ear, and then Elijah looked even more perplexed.

He padded over to the steps to the cellar and lowered himself into the pale glow that was emanating from the hole in the floor, and Noah was swift to follow. When they got into the cellar, it was too narrow to walk side by side, so instead, he walked so close to Elijah from behind he accidentally stepped on his heels a couple of times. Elijah elbowed him in the stomach on the second time and knocked the wind out of him, but his concern was growing less with each step closer to Detective Knott.

Ray was standing with his back to them and talking with Liam, who was in the alcove with someone. They approached slowly as Ray turned around.

“Elijah, do you know this man?”

“Oh, my god! Bill! Bill Langmire. What? Why?” Elijah looked horrified. Liam was standing in the alcove with a man dressed in black.

“Elijah, who is he?” Ray asked again.

“He’s the man who sold me this farm.” Elijah responded. The man was older, but even under the clothes, Noah could tell he was fairly spry. It must have been years working in the fields, because he didn’t look much older than Ray, but according to Elijah, he was.

“All those times I gave you advice! All those times I came back here to help you learn the land! I spent years here, years farming this soil, and you never once asked me for help. You never once thanked me for offering. Then I emailed that assistant of yours, and that little trollop wouldn’t even give me an invitation for this weekend!” Bill hollered.

“Bill…oh, Bill. This weekend was a singles retreat.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Bill, it was for single gay men.” Elijah looked uncomfortable for the briefest moment, like he was confessing to his own grandfather or father that he was gay.

What confused everyone was when Bill said, “Yeah, so? Didn’t you ever figure it out?”

“What?”

“What?”

“Son, I am gay!” he roared at him. Bill had obviously had a bit to drink tonight. His eyes were red, and he had a slight pungent odor that was only increasing in the confined space. “That little tart said I wasn’t invited because this party was for a special class of people. Are they any better than I am? Me, the man who worked this farm and sold it to you so you could build it up and throw them this party.”

“I—I didn’t know. I—they aren’t better than you, Bill. They’re just, well, they are younger than you.”

“I might be old, but I’m not dead.” At this, the whole party went silent. It was kind of awkward thinking of a response to say to this, and Noah could see that plain as day on everyone’s faces.

“Mr. Montgomery, will you be pressing charges?” Liam was the one to ask.

“Erm…” Noah could see his hesitation given the circumstances.

“I suppose the first question, Liam,” Ray began. “Bill, did you drink the bottle you stole?”

“No. I couldn’t do it. Then I found out it was the wrong one anyway, so what was the point?”

“Where is the bottle?”

“In my truck, which is parked about a half a mile down the road.”

“Alright. We’ll go and get it in a minute. Elijah?”

“Aw, Bill, why did you attack us, though? Why didn’t you just leave after you took the bottle? Were you hiding in the barn all night?” Elijah looked incredulous, and even Ray and Liam’s heads were playing the ping pong routine between Elijah and Bill.

“What are you talking about? I never attacked you in the barn. I listened in the shrubs outside the sitting room windows, and that’s how I found out about the wine. I was thinking about the best way to gate crash the party and not be kicked out.”

“Did you see anyone run by you when you were eavesdropping, Mr. Langmire?” Liam asked it sharply and shook his arm for emphasis.

“No. I was too focused on the party.” Bill suddenly looked tired and dejected, which only softened his case a little more. If there was anyone who would empathize with someone who had been rejected, it would be Elijah.

“What are you talking about, Ray?” Elijah asked.

“Don’t worry about it. You aren’t in any danger. We believe the man who attacked you is someone who is after Liam and I.”

“What? You didn’t think it was a good idea to mention this!?” Elijah was dumbstruck, and Noah felt the irrational heat of anger rise in his stomach. They had placed him in harm’s way by coming here and not told him?

“We didn’t know this person was aware of our presence here, needless to say. They left a note, and it was directed at the two of us.”

“What did it say?”

Liam was the one to respond, “That is part of an ongoing investigation and not something you need to worry about, Mr. Montgomery. Now, if we can get back to the case in hand, are you going to press charges?”

“Of course not. If I had known any of it, I would have invited Bill myself. I don’t care how old he is, and I say if there was one among those lunatics who are currently passed out in my living room who preferred older men, all the more power to them. Besides, just look at you two. You’re a perfect example of that.”

Ray and Liam looked affronted.

“Fair enough. There’s the usual Elijah.” Ray muttered dryly. Noah couldn’t help but smile despite himself.

Liam let go of Bill’s arm but not before saying, “As Captain of the San Francisco Police Department, I don’t have the authority to arrest you, as this farm is outside my jurisdiction. However, we are going to take a walk to your truck and fetch that bottle. It is invaluable to Elijah, and you are going to return it. I am also going to put a call in to the local PD, and they may decide to pursue charges. And if that is the case, I suggest you calmly wait it out with me until they get here. Understood?”

Bill had the decency to look sheepish and nodded. Liam led him back to the cellar steps, and they left. Ray followed them soon after, and Elijah looked at Noah, who was beaming at him.

“It looks like the weekend maybe didn’t turn out so horrible after all?” He asked hopefully. Elijah launched himself at him, and laughing, Noah lowered his lips to Elijah’s, giving him a congratulatory kiss. Noah wanted more, but there was no time to have him properly, so they went to join Ray and Liam in the house.

Bill handed over the bottle that had been stolen.

“Bill, I’m sorry you were treated that way. You could have asked me personally, all those times you came to the farm to chat and everything.”

“I know. You always just seemed so focused, so determined. I didn’t want to get in the way of that. I recognized the same look, because it was the one I had when I started this farm. I’m sorry, Elijah. I do hope someday you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done. I just desperately wanted some piece of this place, something that meant that I was here at the start of it, and at the end of what it was for me. I planted those vines that you took the first grapes from for that bottle, and I wanted something to remember it by, even if I never cracked open that bottle and drank it.”

“I can understand that.” Elijah went to the cupboard, and all of the men stared curiously at him as he uncorked the bottle and poured five glasses.

“Elijah, I thought you were saving this for tomorrow’s departure.”

“Do you honestly think those party animals are going to be able to tell the difference between this bottle and the next? They don’t give a damn about my dream, just as long as the booze is free and they don’t have to clean up after themselves. This weekend was the biggest mistake I have ever made, and the best mistake I have ever made.” He gave Noah a pointed look, and Noah smiled so wide his face hurt.

It wasn’t until the next day, long after the five men clinked glasses, that he and Elijah had the opportunity to be alone. They had walked to the back vineyard for a picnic, having sent most of the guests home early because they were so hungover they couldn’t function properly. Maria had packed them something special, and as they walked out, they saw Bill talking amicably with some of the field hands as he too worked on harvesting the grapes. The local PD wasn’t going to press charges, but he told Elijah he didn’t feel right not making it up to him, so could he volunteer his time working part time in the field with the rest of them.

Liam, Ray, and Elijah thought that was a perfect idea for restitution, and Elijah was obviously pleased with the outcome of the case. Noah was too, although now he was dreading the departure.

When they were settled on the blanket and eating lunch, Elijah looked out over the valley, and Noah worried about the serious look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” He hated to ask the question, but he knew it needed to be asked.

“I am afraid of the next question I have for you. It is more serious than the one about asking you to bed with me.”

“I wouldn’t say no.” Noah grinned at him, although in his chest, his heart was beating so fast it was threatening to explode.

“I was just thinking, if I can forgive Bill, there is no reason I can’t look past the way whatever this is between us started. I think everyone makes mistakes for the right reasons, or the best intentions, and you were doing that in your own way too.”

“Thank you.” Noah could hardly believe his ears. He was being forgiven. He never thought this day would come. Ralph had never forgiven him for not being clear on his intentions, but Elijah was, and he knew with his shady past, how difficult that must be for him.

“My question is, what would you say if I invited you for the rest of the harvest season? Kind of like a vacation. To be honest, I’m not ready to let you go yet. I feel like I just found you, and now I have to let you go. And as childish as this sounds, I’m not ready for that yet. I think…I know, I am in love with you, Noah.”

He looked at Noah, and Noah could clearly see the uncertainty in his eyes. He had felt it too, all morning. The apprehension had been eating away at him, and he wondered what would happen. But this? This was like some fairy tale dream come true. Noah knelt on his knees in front of Elijah and pushed him back onto the picnic blanket, working to get his clothes off. Elijah reached up and slowly unbuttoned his shirt and pants, and they took their time caressing each other, knowing they had all the time in the world to explore one another. It had seemed to them like they had to fit everything into that weekend, but that wasn’t the case. Now that they knew there was a budding love for one another, they could sojourn into their relationship relaxed and with the trust that it was okay to take their time.

It was good they were in the back vineyard, where no one was harvesting yet, because when they finally got to the point of being skin to skin, there was a moan of pleasure from them both.

The logistics of the next few months weren’t important. Noah could easily move his home office out here and see how this developed. He pushed into Elijah, having slickened himself with the surprise bottle of lube Elijah had snuck into the basket. He must have been hoping for this. Noah was growling at the tightness of him and basking in the heated kisses they were sharing as he murmured between kisses,

“I love you too, Elijah Montgomery. And I am not going anywhere.”