Epilogue
Voss & Blackwell Winery, Shadow Falls
Nine months later
The waterfall hums behind us, a steady rhythm that’s become the heartbeat of this valley. The vines shimmer with late-spring green, every row alive again. The tasting room is filled with laughter, light, and the scent of wine and rain.
I never thought this place would feel like home again.
And yet, here I am—standing barefoot in the grass, veil brushing my shoulders, my hand wrapped in Tristan’s, on our wedding day.
He looks devastatingly handsome in his dark suit, his gray eyes soft for once. The same man who once haunted me now stands before me, waiting to say his vows, binding us forever.
His eyes shine with emotion as he promises to love me for a lifetime. The moment feels surreal—the man who was once my enemy has become my best friend, my business partner, my home.
I barely register my own vows, too caught up in the magic floating in the air and the love burning in his eyes.
“You may now kiss the bride,” the officiant says.
Thunder rolls low across the mountains—our version of an amen.
Tristan’s hand slides to my waist, drawing me close. His lips brush mine as the crowd cheers, the waterfall roars, and the valley exhales.
“One day down... a lifetime to go,” he whispers before kissing me again.
Later, the reception spills into the new tasting hall. The Voss & Blackwell crest gleams over the doorway. Glasses clink. Laughter drifts through the music.
Calder leans against the bar, his tie loose, a drink in hand. He’s smiling—until a woman walks past carrying a tray of champagne flutes. Her hair catches the light, a shimmer of amber and copper, and Calder goes still.
He watches her laugh at something the server says, and I catch the flicker of jealousy that tightens his jaw.
I glance at Tristan, who smirks. The look he gives me says everything: Cal is smitten.
My husband is right.
Cal doesn’t move. Doesn’t breathe. Just watches her weave through the crowd like she’s always belonged here.
“Who’s that?” I hear him ask the bartender.
“New hire,” the man says. “Moved here last week. Name’s Ember.”
Cal’s grin curves slow and wicked, but there’s something softer beneath it—a spark of curiosity he can’t quite hide.
“Guess Shadow Falls just got a little brighter.”
He watches her go, amber light glinting in his glass as he murmurs, “Wonder what’s beneath the amber veil?”
Coming Soon — Beneath the Amber Veil
He carries the guilt of his family’s past.
She carries the secrets of her own.
When Calder Blackwell offers to help Ember Hollis restore her family’s inn, old wounds reopen—and buried truths rise to the surface.
But in Shadow Falls, some ghosts don’t stay buried.
And the deeper they dig, the more they’ll have to decide what’s worth saving:
Their legacy… or each other.