Epilogue
Nora
Five months later
Spring had arrived in Misty Pines. Color was back in the trees, flowers were blooming, and the air was warm instead of crisp.
Today was the grand opening of the inn, and I was excited and nervous. The trust had reimbursed the structural work, leaving me enough savings for furniture and opening costs.
We already had eight reservations and deposits for two fall weddings. For an inn that hadn’t officially opened yet, I was pretty damn happy with that.
Cole drove us to the inn for the ceremony, which would begin in about an hour. I glanced at him as he drove, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on my leg.
I smiled to myself. I still loved the silver in his hair, his closely trimmed beard, and those gray eyes I never got tired of.
I was in my third trimester, and the baby kicked. I pressed a hand to my stomach, and Cole covered it with his.
“She’s awake.”
“She knows it’s opening day.”
He grinned and brought my fingers to his mouth before returning his hand to the wheel.
“Is your mom still coming?” Cole asked just as we turned onto the road to the inn.
Mom wrote to me after I came back to Misty Pines. I didn’t respond right away. Eventually, I called her. We still didn’t talk much, but we were talking enough that I’d invited her. Things between us were still far from okay.
I shook my head. “She decided not to since Dad wasn’t invited.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
I shrugged. “It’s all right. I kinda expected it. I think deep down she wanted to guilt me into inviting Dad, but I wasn’t going to budge on that.”
“Still hurts.”
“Yeah. Still doesn’t change the guest list.”
Finding out Dad had offered Cole a million dollars to stay away from me ended whatever was left between us.
A few days after Cole came to Virginia, he and David Mercer released the engineer’s report, emails, photos, and David’s statement.
The licensing board cleared Cole, and the city paper ran a correction.
The day the correction ran, I watched Cole print a copy, fold it, and tuck it into the metal case with the records he’d kept for seven years.
Dad’s company settled with David and lost a development contract after the evidence came out.
Dad still hadn’t apologized. He wasn’t invited, and that wasn’t changing.
The trust still owned the inn, but Cole had given me first choice to run it, and I’d accepted. We’d signed a partnership agreement too, so we handled the business and expenses together. When the trust ended, the house would become mine and the inn would become his.
On paper, the trust owned it. Day to day, it was ours.
I frowned the moment we turned onto the gravel path to the inn. The OPENING banner sagged slightly above the driveway.
“I’ll get that fixed,” Cole said, as if reading my mind.
“Good. I was about to file a complaint with the contractor.”
“Good luck. He’s difficult.”
I smiled. “Thank you, babe.”
He leaned in to kiss me before we both stepped out of the car. The caterers were already there, setting up under the tents outside.
“Hello, my two favorite people in Misty Pines—soon to be three!” Harper exclaimed as she walked briskly toward us.
I grinned, happy to see her as always. “Hi! Thank you so much for handling everything until we got here. I’m much slower these days,” I said, hugging Harper.
She laughed. “You’re pregnant. You get a pass.”
“How generous.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just excited to get this show on the road. I’ve always loved a good party.”
Harper had planned the opening through her new event business. She’d booked both fall weddings too, making Crestwood Inn her first permanent venue.
“You realize you work here now,” I said.
“I prefer ‘independent events genius with a key.’”
“You still work here.”
She grinned. “Fine. It’s going on the business cards.”
“Do we have to call you that now?”
“Obviously.”
She swung her arm around my shoulders as we made our way to the inn. I glanced back at Sullivan and flashed him a geeky smile. He winked before heading over to fix the banner.
* * *
Cars began pulling in around ten, one by one, mostly locals. Some people slowed down as they passed, curious. I couldn’t stop smiling every time another car turned in. People were actually showing up.
Don arrived with a woman I recognized from the hardware store.
“Congratulations,” he said, introducing her as his date. “The place looks great.”
“Thanks, Don.”
He smiled. “You two did good.”
Then he went inside with her.
Harper and I stepped inside the inn, which smelled like fresh paint and brewed coffee. The front door still had that new-wood shine.
I’d wanted to keep it original and antique—just as Grandma Ellen had left it—with a few modern touches. It didn’t feel trendy. It felt thoughtful, lived-in, and confident, and that was exactly the vibe I was going for.
Vintage furniture sat beside minimalist pieces, with brass accents and polished wood tying everything together. Nothing felt too precious to touch. It was elegant, but still the kind of place where you wanted to kick back, settle in, and stay awhile.
I was proud of myself. Harper and Cole had told me a hundred times how proud they were too, and I loved hearing it. But standing there looking at the finished inn, I knew I’d done good work. I could see it for myself.
“Time for your little speech,” Harper said, rubbing my arm excitedly.
I let out a slow breath. Just then, Cole came in, and Harper hurried outside.
He stood in front of me and cupped my face, smiling proudly, his gaze gentle. My stomach fluttered.
“I love you, and I’m proud of you.”
My cheeks warmed. “I love you too.”
I sighed. “I’m a little nervous,” I admitted.
“You rebuilt this place. You can handle a speech,” he said, brushing a few loose strands of hair away from my face.
I nodded and reached up to kiss him. His lips were warm and soft and calmed me just enough. He held my hand, and we walked to the front, where people had gathered, helping themselves to the food and chatting.
Once they saw Cole and me at the front door of the inn, they turned toward us, waiting.
“Thank you all for being here today. Your support means a lot to Cole and me. This inn belonged to my grandmother and has been in my family for a very long time. It was more than a building. It was a place of warmth, comfort, and open doors. Bringing it back to life has been a labor of love, and sharing it with this community means everything to me. Thank you for being part of this, and cheers to Grandma Ellen. May her soul rest in peace.”
Everyone clapped before going off to enjoy the festivities. Cole hugged me while Harper came over and offered me some apple juice. She had champagne for herself and Cole.
“Thank you.”
I grinned and lifted my apple juice. “To Gran.”
* * *