The Wine family were more than hospitable to me. They treated me friendlier than Arden did. It took him longer than normal to invite me out of the foyer and into their garden. Their home was gloriously spacious. It had bright light and windows bringing in the natural rays. It felt lightweight when I stepped through their living room, which had plenty of memorabilia of the Wine’s association with hard-work and tending to the upkeep of their lands.

They often kept their acreage nutritious and profitable for crop growth and cultivating their vineyards and various berries. They had been doing this for years, I heard. The history of the Wine family was full of prosperity. Arden was blessed into a good family.

We started in the foyer first. “Why did you leave me like that?”

Before he could answer, his little sister popped up from the side of him. “Yes, Arden. Why did you leave him like that?”

Arden flushed a pinkish red and his father chuckled at Fiona’s directness.

“You should have said goodbye.”

“She’s right.” Flynn chuckled.

The pair finally gave Arden the chance to answer, but he pulled my sleeve and hurriedly barked, “Come outside, so we can get away from my family and their nosiness.”

We moved out into the garden: me burning with questions and Arden finding it hard to keep eye contact with me. Finding that he could be quite shy was endearing for me as we stood near a couple of his father’s apple trees. I started the conversation, finding him to be too tongue-tied. “Surprised to see me?”

“Very.” His voice quiet.

“I needed to find you.”

“And Steven must’ve been the one to give you my address.”

“Under the condition that I came to talk to you.”

“And what did you have in mind to talk about?”

“Why a great night ended up as a terrible morning?”

Arden could see that there was no lying in what I said. It was magnificent. A bonding that shouldn’t be broken. And all this was conveyed through a sexual encounter of both our minds and bodies. I wanted him to be honest with me.

“Tell me the truth. I can handle it.”

“The truth is, I needed a baby, Samson. And in order to do that, I needed to find a mate to keep both the manor and town under the Wine name. You see this big house, it’s up to me to secure it with the birth of this one.” Arden rubbed his stomach and I couldn’t help but stare at what we had created. “It’s part of the inheritance clause.” His hand sluggishly dropped. “So, that’s the truth of it.”

“You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“And what makes you think I don’t want anything to do with that kid?”

“I never assumed…”

“Well ask me…ask me what part I want to play.”

“You want to be involved?”

I held out my palm to him in a gesture. “If it would be alright with you?”

“Of course…”

–his father interrupted a binding contract between me and Arden. I was about to seal that part of the deal.

“I hope I’m not interrupting your little talk?”

Neither of us could tell him yes. He offered me a glass of water which I drank and then handed back to him.

“Thank you.”

“My son should be hospitable,” he apologized on behalf of a diffident Arden. “I had a thought, and I’m sure Arden would agree, that you should stay for a few weeks.”

“I…uh…” I turned to Arden, who looked like an exploding huff-a-potamus.

He was complacent and unable to show me that he didn’t want me here. I brushed it off as a problem that I needed to be patient with, but his aroma was pleasing me again. I loved my cookies and he was the sweetest flavour.

But soon enough he ran back inside with an indifferent air about him. And me and Flynn stood with no explanation for that. I suppose that gave me a chance to measure his father who was a man with broad shoulders and a strong chin. He had features of a wealthy legality, but had the trendiness of a younger man with his large hands who worked fields and attended to picking. I found him to be much harder on the eyes than Arden, but the pair were related no doubt.

“I can never understand that boy.”

“Has he always been…flighty?”

“I would put it down to shyness. Arden seems to keep everything to himself until he finds the courage to speak up. He never got that from me. I have no qualms with finding the right words.” He gave me a resolute grin. “You seem pretty sturdy yourself.”

“I would like to think that. I try to say-it-as-it-is. And it works for me.”

“I like you already.” A nod that sealed the deal of Arden’s father’s acceptance. “Right. Well, I should show you to your room.”

We went back inside. Flynn offered me meat. I wasn’t hungry at the moment, so I refused. Then we headed to their grand stairway with the tiny pattering of feet that rushed down, and soon after, a small pair of arms flung themselves upon me and I had to support her from falling.

“Fiona, leave the man alone.”

I laughed at how strong she was. It was impressive at her age: the grip she had. She let go and started to bounce up and down on the stair before me. “Well, aren’t you adorable?” She truly was.

Fiona smiled brightly and caused me to do the same. “I think you’re perfect for Arden. So, I want to help you out.”

“That would be awesome.” Family could sometimes be a wonderful thing.

“I think the way to his heart is with gifts.”

“Fiona—”

Flynn sounded uncomfortable with Fiona saying that, but I chortled. She was a right bundle of cheekiness. “She has a good point.”

“See, Father?”

Flynn simple sighed-a-sigh that sang a very notable tune for Fiona. She was a handful for him to deal with.

“What does he like?”

“He has a thing for smelling good. So…I would put soaps on your list.”

I said, “Soap, check. Anything else that can help me out?”

“He also likes bodies of water.” She started to bounce down the stairs and I moved for her to jump onto the lower carpet. “Hope that helps.”

“I’m sure it will.” Flynna started up the stairs and I followed after him until we reached the spare room that was right next to Arden’s. It was a nice room with natural light piercing through the cracks. A nice double bed, side drawers with lamps upon them in the shape of Siberian tigers holding the lightbulb in their middle.

The décor they had was orange and a dull white for the wallpaper, and a black carpet that made me think of space and the white glitter that seemed like a childish addition. Maybe Fiona had a part to play there? It was too nice to only be a spare room. And I would be more than happy to stay.

Flynn could tell. “I can see you like the room.”

“It’s real nice. I have to thank you, Mr. Wine.” I held out my hand to give him a mutual handshake on his kindness.

He shook my hand, and it was the attachment of two powerful hands shaking. When he let go, we both snorted and let the blood rush back. He left me to familiarize myself with the bedroom. I did for a bit as I touched the Siberian tigers, rested upon the bed, peered out the window, and then found myself distracted by the soundlessness of next door.

Arden was in there. I could smell him. I wanted him. Desired to be close to his body. And him with child only enhanced his tang-a-lang more. I pumped myself up into knocking on that room door as I found myself knocking and waiting for him to answer.

It took only the one time. I went for the second, but Arden opened it up and moved out the way for me to enter. I walked into a room full of love for great aromas from a defuser that was shooting out sweat glands of scents from lavender, to rosewood, to lemon and ginger, and it confused my nose.

There was a piano against his wall; stacks of boxes which had jigsaw puzzles and a game of checkers. A tv and stand, and a box with a whole load of cd’s. He sat upon his bed trying to crumble up pieces of paper and chucked them into the small bin across from him. I took one into my grasp and took the shot. I missed. He wasn’t impressed, so I tried another…and miss again. It was no use. He took a shot: aimed, and scored.

“I need to work on that.”

“You’ll have plenty of time when you leave.”

“That won’t be for the next few weeks, though.”

He chucked a paper-ball up and down like a yoyo. “It won’t change anything.”

“You want to bet?”

“Samson, you won’t be my mate.”

“Oh?” I caught the paper-ball that he kept chucking into the air and aimed for the bin: I scored. “You’ll see.”