Chapter 14

From Griffin’s perspective, he recognizes he is fully committed to Winn after spending the previous night together and noticing her absence during family Fourth of July traditions. Determined to ease her grief, he keeps her close, makes breakfast, and suggests a proper date, signaling a shift from sex-first to a real relationship.

They ride a four-wheeler across the expansive Eden ranch, where Griffin shows Winn its scale. During the ride, Winn reflects on Bozeman, a lost garden, and her eight-year relationship with Skyler—marked by manipulation and unpredictability. She reveals Skyler’s affair with a married woman and how, after her parents’ deaths, their promises unraveled, leaving only the house to sever.

Spotting smoke near Indigo Ridge, they rush to Briggs’s cabin and find a burning slash pile in July. Briggs, confusing Griffin for Harrison and calling Winn “another woman,” shows alarming disorientation. Griffin douses the fire; Harrison arrives after seeing the smoke. Shaken, Griffin admits Briggs’s decline is worsening and that change is necessary.

Back home, Griffin and Winn shower together, the intimacy washing away the stress. He promises to hold her through potential nightmares, and they rest, both acknowledging the deepening commitment and the point of no return in their relationship.