Dr Greyson (Brothers Paradise #1)

Trinity

G rapevines roll out in neat rows before me, coating the hillsides in shades of green against the backdrop of Black Bear Lake. Greyson’s boots crunch on the gravel as he leads us into the world beyond the visitor’s center. I inhale deeply—the barely sweet tang of the tiny, ripening fruit mingling with earthy undertones—and exchange a glance with Liz, who mirrors my wide-eyed wonder.

“Right here,” Greyson says, stopping beside a row of pinot grigio vines, “is where it all began for my family.” He gestures to the gnarled trunks, their roots deep and intricate. “Eight generations back, my ancestors settled here as gold miners and fur trappers, and they built this ranch and farm to sustain them. And farm they did, for three generations.”

I trail a hand over the leaves, feeling the sun-warmed skin of a grape between my fingers. It’s as if I can touch the past, the struggles and triumphs soaked into the soil beneath my feet.