“Yeah, that’s it. Have you thought about going into law enforcement or something? With skills like that, you’d be a real asset. I’d trust you to have my back, that’s for sure.”
“Thanks.”
Jack caught her pleased smile before she reached into the cupboard for two mugs. Although she’d been inside his cabin for less than forty-eight hours, she already seemed to know where he kept everything. And she moved about the space as effortlessly as if she were in her own home—a realization that secretly thrilled him.
“But I’d never leave Hope Hideaway,” she added, instantly deflating his elation. “Fern needs me.”
He slouched on the barstool, his heart sinking. How could he argue with that? He admired her loyalty. And yet, he couldn’t help grasping for straws. “In another life, where would you live? What would you want to do?”
She hesitated as though his line of questioning made her uncomfortable. “In another life?” she repeated slowly.
“Purely hypothetical.”
“Well…” With a contemplative expression, she poured the rich, silky liquid into two stoneware mugs. “I always thought it would be fun to own an inn.”
“Like the Morning Glory Inn?”
“Yes, only with more rooms and enough space to hold workshops and art classes and even have its own restaurant.”
As she spoke, her entire face illuminated from within, and her passion was almost palpable.
“Any idea where you’d want the inn to be located?” he asked, praying she’d say Poppy Creek. Although, he knew his wish was ridiculous.
“Not really. The fantasy never evolved to logistics.”
“When did you first have the idea?”
She settled on the barstool beside him, but faced the living room where Fitz lounged on the couch, chewing his antler. Just like Kat, the pup had made himself at home. And for a brief moment, Jack basked in the glow of what it felt like to have a family again.
“Honestly,” Kat continued, “the thought first came to me during a conversation with my friend Maxine. She’d been staying at Hope Hideaway for a few months, trying to get back on her feet after rehab. She told me the shelter was the closest thing she’d had to a vacation in her entire life.”
“Really?” Jack responded in surprise. “Not even a weekend trip somewhere?”
“She didn’t have the most glamorous life.”
He nodded in understanding, appreciating that she couldn’t go into the details.
She took a long sip before confessing, “It made me realize how many people don’t have the opportunity to stay somewhere nice—to sleep in a luxurious bed, eat delicious food, and spend a few days away from it all.”
His heart melted at the compassion coating her every word.
“I know it wouldn’t change the world or anything, but I’d like to own a place where the best room is reserved for people like Maxine. Which, I realize, might sound frivolous when there are bigger problems to solve.”
“It’s not frivolous,” he said in earnest.
A look passed between them that stopped his heart from beating, but she abruptly shrugged and averted her gaze. “It’s just a silly dream, though. It’ll never happen.”
“Why not?” He leaned forward, suddenly desperate to make her dream come true.
“For starters, I’d never have the means for something like that. And secondly, as I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t leave Fern.”
As Jack let the reality of her words sink in, an idea began to take shape.
While he couldn’t solve the second problem, he might have a solution to the first one.
Chapter 15
“Come in, come in.” Penny held the door open for Kat to slip past her. “I snuffed out the fire as soon as you called, but the bricks inside the hearth are still a little too hot.” She wrapped her beaded shawl tighter around her shoulders. “Can I make you some tea? It’s starting to get chilly in here.”
