Page 37 of Taken Away

To the right, the tasting room spread beneath a suspended bar that seemed to float under iron light fixtures. Behind it, a wall of glass rose nearly two stories, overlooking terraced vineyards marching down the mountain in perfect green rows.

The entire valley lay beyond.

Blue ridges stacked in the distance.

Aubrey turned slowly.

“Oh my God.”

Bennett watched her for a second. He'd forgotten what it was like to see Blackwood for the first time.

Above the tasting room, a black steel catwalk ringed the upper level. Glass-walled offices lined the mezzanine, sleek against the reclaimed beams.

Right in the center, overlooking everything⁠—

Mabel’s office.

Larger than the others.

Double glass doors framed in black steel.

Every office looked down on the operation.

Everything visible.

“This is insane,” Aubrey said.

Bennett shut the door behind them.

“It’s functional.”

“No,” she said quietly. “It’s Architectural Digest.”

One corner of his mouth twitched.

At the sound, the tasting room staff looked up.

A brunette stepped around the suspended bar with an iPad and a stack of reservation folders tucked against one hip—mid-to-late twenties, dark ponytail, cream silk blouse, black tailored pants. She looked like she belonged in Charlotte or Atlanta, not a mountain winery.

“Morning,” she said to Bennett, then glanced at Aubrey.

A brief pause.

Then the smooth professional smile snapped back into place.

“So,” she said, “the mystery niece finally arrived.”

Bennett took the folders. “Savannah Cole. Hospitality director.”

Savannah offered her hand. “Which means I manage events, reservations, guest relations, wine club complaints, and occasionally Bennett’s personality.”

“That’s impossible to manage,” another voice called from behind the bar.

A blonde woman appeared with a wine crate on her hip. Mid-twenties, soft curls in a messy knot, sage blouse with rolled sleeves, dark jeans and ankle boots. Where Savannah was polished, this one was pure warm chaos.

“Chloe Bennett,” she said, setting the crate down and reaching for Aubrey’s hand. “No relation. And yes, we’ve heard every joke.”

“She handles branding, wine club marketing, social, merch, and creative,” Bennett said.