I struggle to open my eyes; my pounding in my head making it next to impossible. I swear I must have wandered out into the street in the middle of the night and a truck hit me. My body is fatigued and begging me to roll over and go back to sleep, but my brain is awake and recalling the events from last night. A bottle of wine, homemade Limoncello, Kade at the table in his room and me across from him. He carried me to his bed, called me Ari, and kissed me on the forehead. I creep my hand across the sheet until I reach the other side of the mattress. Thank God, there's no way I'd be able to tell Asher if I slept in the same bed as Kade, and I couldn't keep it from him either.

A gentle snore grabs my attention. Prying my eyes open, I roll to the side of the bed and look at the floor. Kade's head is resting on a pillow and his body covered by a blanket too small for him. I rest my head upon my arms and admire him while I have the chance. His full lips are pouty and his dark hair clings to his forehead, making him look younger than his early twenties.

He could have climbed in the bed with me last night and blamed it on too much wine. Instead, he was a gentleman and slept on the hard floor. It's just another gesture to add to the mountain of reasons why I like him.

The more time we spend together, the more I find myself fascinated with him. At first, it was the challenge of trying to figure out why he didn't like me. Now, I have an overwhelming desire to understand the man who only two days ago I wanted nothing to do with.

Kade's eyes flutter and he opens them. I give him a small smile, and he returns it with one of his own.

"Good morning, Ari," he says. Something flutters in my chest, hearing him say my mother's nickname for me with a morning rasp. This might be one of my new favorite sounds.

"Morning, Kade."

I find myself drawn to him even though I know I shouldn't. He's becoming a dangerous territory. I will put a little space between us when we are on the road, but for now, I just want to bask in the way things are.

He rolls onto his side, mirroring my position. "How's your head feeling?"

"Like hell."

He chuckles. "I figured it would; you drank a lot last night, but I'm proud of you, you held it down." He reaches on the nightstand for a bottle of pills and a glass of water and passes them to me. I swallow them down and hand the cup back to him, and he does the same.

"Is Nonna going to kill us for being hungover?" he asks.

I shake my head. "Kade is a good boy," I say in my best imitation of my grandmother.

He laughs and sits up. With a few sweeps of his fingers, he tries to brush down his hair, but it's a lost cause. He lifts his phone from the floor and checks it. "We don't have much time; our plane leaves in four hours," he says, grabbing the discarded t-shirt next to him and pulling it over his head. The way the muscles on his back flex is hypnotic, stretching cords that vanish under the tight cotton.

Kade looks over his shoulder and smiles. "You're staring."

I sit up and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. "You're right in front of me, and there's nothing else to look at." I slip on my shoes, hiding my reddening cheeks behind my hair.

"Well, now you're just damaging my ego," he says, pulling on his socks and shoes.

I smile and say, "Impossible. It would take an act of God to deflate your ego."

"Or one smart-mouthed girl."

"Sure, or that."

We walk to the house for breakfast, and Nonna doesn't seem upset that I wasn't around to help with the food preparations. If I had to guess, she looks absolutely thrilled that I'm accompanied by Kade this morning. I wonder what she thinks happened last night. Hopefully, it's that we drank ourselves silly and slept it off because any other notion would be ridiculous.

The hours we have left on the vineyard rush by, and before I know it, we're standing in front of the house with our luggage, loading it into the two SUVs taking us to the airport. The Remnants's next concert is tonight, so we are cutting it short. But the last three days have been worth it.

Nonna makes her way to each member of the band, giving them hugs and praise for looking a little healthier because she fed them well. They return her affection by kissing her on the cheek and thanking her for her hospitality.

Nicky and I stand off to the side watching. He leans in and whispers, "They're going to be so sluggish with all that food in their stomachs tonight."

With a smirk, I reply, "Their bodies will go into shock when they are put back on their healthy touring diet."

My grandmother saves Kade for last, pulling him into a tight hug. He bends down as she says something into his ear, and his face holds a serious expression as he listens and nods. He leans back, looking her in the eyes, and I swear he says the words "I promise." Drawing her into another hug, he kisses her on the cheek.

Seeing Kade show such affection toward Nonna melts my heart. No matter what happens once we leave, I'll always hold a special place for him.

After saying goodbye to Nicky, it's my turn. I wrap my arms around Nonna and grip her slim waist. I've missed her hugs and her soft hands on my cheeks. Why did I push pushed her away yesterday? She's my constant life support—my rock. Life is a little lonely when she's not part of my every day.

Nonna pulls back and places her hands on each side of my face. I smile, happy I get a second chance.

"Mia nipote." She does not whisper to me but talks to me in Italian. "I am sorry if I upset you yesterday. I love you so much, and your happiness brings me happiness. You are on a great journey, and I want you to enjoy it to the fullest. Do not live this experience with blinders on, only seeing what is in front of you. You must look at everything and learn and grow from it. Do you understand?"

"Si," I choke, my eyes brimming with tears.

"Do not cry, Ariella. I love you. No matter what, I will always love you, my beautiful girl." With her thumbs, she wipes away the moisture streaking down my face.

I pull her to me in another hug.

"Ti amo, Nonna." I do, I love my grandmother more than any words could adequately express.