Page 91 of Buried Roots

“I am. In fact, I’m more sure than I’ve ever been about anything in my entire life.” This should be the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but somehow, it’s the easiest.

“Welcome to the family, Willow Dawson.” Emotion breaks around Owen’s words.

I run a finger across his cheek, then I march over to the tree and yank that godforsaken cross from the ground.

Epilogue

Ispentthethreeweeks in New York listing my apartment, getting moved out, and doing all the final prep work for selling RevitaHome to the Klein Brothers. They needed my team for the restoration division of their home-building business—and buying me out was a great way to expand. In the contract Roy drew up, Natanya’s stated as the head of the restoration division.

She’s thrilled.

And I’m thrilled because with the money I got, I’m able to pay back the loan on Bo’s Châteauandhave enough to build it all over again.

This time, since the place is no longer historic, it’s going to be just for me. However, I’m dedicating my job and my life to restoring the other historic sites of Violet Moon. This way, I can still bring the town something they all want so very much. I do, too.

So, I’m back here for good, and right now, I’m blindfolded as Owen ushers me somewhere. I don’t know where, but I can tell by the sounds and the terrain that we’re on my property. Aren’t we? I must be confused because we step on something that feels like a grate. “This is getting creepy,” I tease, making a scared face.

“Don’t worry. But do hang on.” Owen directs my hand to a bar. Then we’re moving upward with the wind blowing on my face, and I’m trying not to getactuallyscared.

Then we step off the grate onto a wooden floor. Or a plank? We’re clearly higher up because the wind is stronger on my cheeks. And up here, the sounds of birds chirping, waves lapping, and frogs croaking are pure and clear.

“Wherearewe?“ I say.

“You’re about to find out.” He ushers me further into whatever we’re standing on before he finally says, “Ready?”

“Yep.”

He slips the blindfold off and I’m standing at a railing with a view of the lake below. We’re at our lookout spot, except I’m on some sort of roof.

It hits me.

“This is the barn I designed.” My eyes pan around, scanning the railing, the woodwork, and the structure below me with the accordion glass doors on two sides. “It’s my dream barn—and we’re standing on it!”

“Is it as nice as you hoped?”

“Way,waynicer.“ I can’t believe how majestic the view is from up here. Shock numbs me as joy overwhelms me. “Thank you, Owen!” I pull him into a hug before planting a big kiss on his cheek. When I step away, I ask, “How did you do it?”

“You can get a lot done quickly when a whole town comes together to finish something.” He points at the boom lift that got us up here.

I put a hand over my mouth. “Amazing.”

“Yup. Come with me.” He guides me to a railing that leads to a spiral staircase.

“There are my stairs. No way!”

“Yup. Premade. Just like you said.”

Before I step down, I take in the view.Myview. “I still can’t believe you did this. It’s something out of a dream.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

Once I’ve stepped into the barn’s open loft, I hear a jumble of voices from below yell, “Surprise!”

I turn and blink, not trusting my own eyes. I’m inside the barn, and there’s a zillion people here—Owen’s family, Dakota, Jeb, Sissy, Gertie, Roy, Owen’s nurses, work crews, and every other person from Violet Moon who’s touched my life.

“Happy birthday, Willow.” Owen’s smile glows.

I shoot him a puzzled look. “It’s not my birthday.”

---