Ribbon Ridge, April, One Year Later

“Wow, that really does look just like the picture,” Crystal said, shading her eyes as she stood in front of the Bird’s Nest Ranch farmhouse being built for the film.

Jamie stared at her profile, thinking she grew more beautiful every day. “It does.” He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close. “Think it’ll be ready to start filming on Monday?”

“It will. Movie schedules are always behind—or so it seems.” She turned in his arms, the breeze blowing her hair against his face.

He tucked it behind her ears and kissed her, his lips lingering on hers. “You ready for our surprise?”

“I better be, right?”

He frowned, but his eyes still sparkled, so she could tell he wasn’t really worried. “Uh-oh, you aren’t getting cold feet, are you?”

She curled her hand around his neck. “Never. Especially not with the effort it took to pull this off without anyone knowing.”

“We had a little bit of help.”

“True, but if I’ve learned anything about living in Ribbon Ridge, it’s that the Archers can make things happen.”

Jamie laughed. “Amen.”

“There you are,” Cam said, hiking up the slight incline, his hand in Brooke’s. “Dinner’s going to be ready soon.”

Brooke and Crystal exchanged a brief hug.

Brooke shook her head. “Wow, it’s so crazy to see this for real. Like a dream come true. I can hardly wait to put together the museum.”

Once the filming was done, Crystal and her friends planned to transform the farmhouse into the official Ribbon Ridge museum. Kelsey and Crystal were going to run it together—in their spare time, which made Jamie laugh. His fiancée was the busiest woman he knew. And her life was about to get even busier with production starting.

“Me too,” Crystal said, beaming.

“Oh! Before I forget.” Brooke whipped out her phone and showed Crystal a picture. “Thirty weeks.”

Crystal took the phone and looked at it with Jamie. The image showed a petite brunette with a rounded belly. “Wow! She looks great,” Crystal said.

Brooke and Cam were expecting their first child via a surrogate, and Jamie was thrilled to have another niece or nephew—they didn’t know the sex of the baby.

“Thanks,” Brooke said, taking the phone back. “It’s a dream come true.” She looked over at Cam, who lifted her hand to his mouth so he could press a kiss to the back.

“Should we head down for a glass of wine?” Cam said.

Jamie nodded, taking Crystal’s hand in his. “Definitely.”

“When will we be able to drink the Dorinda varietal?” Crystal asked as they headed down the hill toward the massive tents that had been set up. They’d be used for production crews, but tonight were the location for a preproduction dinner attended by a couple of hundred Ribbon Ridgers, plus all of Crystal’s family from Blueville.

“Next spring, we’ll sample from the barrel,” Cam said. Luke had planted the new vineyard block this winter.

“I just love that you guys named a vineyard after her,” Crystal said.

“Dorinda is a part of that land. It was important to us to commemorate her legacy. And Hiram’s.” They’d renamed their chardonnay block after him.

Jamie and Crystal walked into the tent where people were gathered. Luke and Kelsey greeted them, and Cam and Brooke started to veer off.

“Hey, don’t go too far,” Jamie said to Cam.

Cam looked confused. “Why?”

“Just don’t.” Jamie took pleasure in being enigmatic. “All will be revealed soon.”

Cam shook his head. “You’re weird.”

Crystal tugged on Jamie’s hand. “Is it time?”

Jamie looked at his phone. “Just about. You go find Alaina, and I’ll do my thing.”

Crystal nodded. “I love you.” She gave him a quick kiss.

He held her fast for a moment, hating to let her go, but knowing that in a few minutes, she’d be his forever. “I love you.”

With a saucy wink, she took off toward Alaina. Jamie watched as she whispered in Alaina’s ear. The color drained from Alaina’s face, and she spun so fast to hug her friend, she nearly toppled them both to the ground.

Jamie chuckled as he made his way to the middle of the tent on the outer edge where a PA system was set up. Rob Archer stood nearby and gave Jamie a knowing nod. He and Emily, and several of their children were in on the secret. Jamie and Crystal couldn’t have pulled it off without them.

As Jamie picked up the microphone, Rob turned on the power. “Good evening, everyone,” Jamie said, looking out over the sea of round tables set up for the dinner. Some folks were already sitting while others milled about with wine or beer in their hands.

“We want to welcome you to our party tonight. We’re here to celebrate the movie that will start filming Monday—I’m sure you’re all excited to be playing extras.”

This was met with cheers and applause.

“We’re also going to celebrate something else—Crystal and I are getting married.”

Cam had stayed nearby as asked and grinned, holding up his wineglass in toast.

“Right now,” Jamie added.

Cam’s eyes rounded, and a dull roar started around the tent.

“We’ve got it all set up. I just need Cam to join me as my best man—it’s his turn since Luke was his, and I was Luke’s a couple months ago.”

Blinking, Cam came forward and said, “I can’t believe you kept this a secret.”

Jamie lifted a shoulder, feeling quite pleased with himself. “I’ll also need my parents—and Luke, as well as Crystal’s family. Except Chuck. Chuck, I need you to step outside the tent so you can walk my beautiful bride down the aisle. Let’s get this party started!”

Ten minutes later, dressed in a simple, but elegant white gown and preceded by her matron of honor, Alaina, Crystal came toward him down the aisle that no one had noticed cutting through the middle of the tables, her hands clutching a bouquet of pink peonies. When she arrived with her dad, she kissed his cheek and whispered, “I love you,” as he transferred her hand to Jamie’s.

There were tears in Chuck’s eyes as he said, “Take care of my girl. I know you will.”

“With every breath I take,” Jamie promised.

He turned with his bride, and they exchanged the vows they’d written in front of Kyle Archer, who’d become an officiant.

Later, after the excitement had dimmed—just a little since Jamie was pretty sure this party would last well into the night—Jamie danced with his new wife under the stars outside the tent.

“That went perfectly,” Crystal said, her eyes sparkling with laughter and love.

“I hope the rest of our lives goes just as well.”

“It won’t,” she said. “But that’s okay. Together, we can manage anything.”

“That we can.” He held her close and brushed his lips against her temple. “Do you think Dorinda’s watching over us?”

“I do. I just hope she’s at peace.”

“I’m sure she is—she’s had you as a guardian angel.”

Crystal shook her head. “No, she’s been mine. How else could she have helped me find my way home?”

Jamie kissed her and knew he was home too.

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