mounted there. They showed Bel Après as it had been a generation ago, when Barbara had been a young bride. From there, all the way down the long hallway, photographs marked the growth of the winery and the family.
She smiled at a photograph of Rhys with his three sisters. He looked to be about ten or eleven with the girls ranging from nine to maybe five. The girls were all smiling and mugging for the camera, but Rhys looked serious, as if he already knew how much responsibility he had waiting for him.
He’d grown into a good man, she thought. He worked hard, was a fair employer and came home every night. Rhys was her rock—his steadiness freed her to send all her energy into the wines.
Mackenzie’s parents had died when she’d been young, and her grandfather had raised her. He’d been a winemaker up in the Spokane area of the state, and she’d grown up understanding what it was to wrestle magic from the soil.
He’d gotten sick when she was fifteen—a cancer that could be slowed but not cured. Sheer will had kept him alive until she’d graduated from high school. He’d died that summer. Mackenzie still remembered the first day she’d moved into the residence hall, meeting her new roommate. Stephanie had been friendly and upbeat and exactly what Mackenzie had needed.
That first Christmas, Stephanie had brought her home. Mackenzie had been overwhelmed by Bel Après, dazzled by Barbara and swept away by Rhys.
He’d been so steady, she thought, smiling at the memory. Kind and strong, but with a sly sense of humor that made her laugh. Her second night there he’d knocked on her door at two in the morning, telling her to get dressed. He’d taken her outside, where unexpected snow fell from the sky. There, in the cold, dusted by new snow, he’d kissed her. It had been a perfect moment. She might not have fallen in love with him then, but she’d certainly cracked open her heart to the possibility.
She was still smiling at the thought when she walked down the hall, through the open door and into Barbara’s large office. The corner space had huge windows that overlooked the property. The other two walls were covered with maps of the various vineyards owned by the family.
The Barcellona family was a dynasty. If Mackenzie and Rhys had had children, her blood would have blended with theirs, adding to the whole in some way. But they hadn’t, so when she was gone, there would be no legacy. No piece of her to be found anywhere.
Except in the vineyards, she reminded herself. She had made her mark there. The wines of Bel Après owed what they were to her.
“Tell me good news,” Barbara said, motioning to one of the chairs pulled up in front of her desk.
Mackenzie took a seat. “Rhys has been checking the Seven Hills drip system. The weather’s getting hotter and I want to make sure there’s enough water to protect the vines. I’ve spent yesterday and today barrel tasting. I’ll get you my notes by tomorrow.”
“We have that very expensive software system for your tablet,” Barbara told her with a gentle laugh.
“Yes, and maybe one day I’ll want to use it.”
“You can be stubborn, Mackenzie Dienes.”
“I get that from you.”
The teasing between them was familiar—they both often mentioned sharing traits, despite the lack of blood relationship. Even looking at the two, a stranger would assume they were related.
Both were about five six, with dark red hair. They had strong, lean builds and wore an air of confidence. Mackenzie’s eyes were green, while Barbara’s were brown, but otherwise, they could easily pass for mother and daughter.
Stephanie, Lori and Four all took after their father in looks, as did Rhys. They had dark hair and brown eyes. Rhys was tall, but the sisters were on the shorter side, and curvy, with Lori the closest to plus-size.
Mackenzie flipped through her notes. “The ’18 reserve cab is coming along nicely. It’s already lush, with plenty of forward fruit. It’s going to be dense, and it will cellar at least fifteen years. It’s going to be big. We’ll want to put some aside for competitions and at allocations for wine club. I’ll want at least ten percent of the bottles for the library. This wine is going to score high and get snapped up quickly. We can sell the remainder in five years for at least double the original price.”
Barbara leaned back in her oversize chair and