Jack checked his watch. Six fifty-five. Time to go.
He was halfway to the door when his phone rang. Jack glanced at the screen and groaned when he saw Detective Bruce’s name.
“Please don’t tell me,” Jack said in lieu of a greeting.
“Sorry, Jack,” Detective Bruce said, sounding genuinely apologetic. “Duke’s back at my house. I don’t know how he keeps getting out, but he’s here with Brandy again.”
Jack closed his eyes and counted to ten. He loved his dog. He really did. But Duke’s timing was absolutely terrible.
“I’ll be right there,” Jack said with a sigh.
He hung up and looked at himself in the mirror one more time. So much for his perfectly planned romantic evening.
Jack went to look for Jane, thinking she could help him retrieve Duke, but she wasn’t in her room or the ballroom. He pulled out his phone to call Holly, then remembered she’d misplaced her phone and hadn’t found it yet.
Think, Jack told himself. He needed to let Holly know he’d be late without ruining the surprise he had planned.
An idea struck him. Jack hurried to his office and pulled out a piece of his personal stationery, it was cream-colored paper with his initials embossed at the top. He wrote quickly:
Sorry, I’m running late. Have to deal with something quickly. It shouldn’t take long to fix the problem, and then we’ll have the entire night together. I’ve missed you so much. Jack.
He folded the note, slipped it into a matching envelope, and wrote “Holly” on the front in his neat handwriting. Then he grabbed one of the long-stemmed red roses from the arrangement in his office. Jack had been planning to give it to Holly at dinner and headed to the front desk.
Jack positioned the note and raised it carefully on the front desk, where Holly would be sure to see it when she camedown.Perfect.
Then he grabbed his keys and headed out to retrieve his lovestruck Great Dane from Detective Bruce’s house.Again.
A shadow detached itself from the hallway leading to the guest rooms. The figure moved silently across the lobby, eyes fixed on the note and rose sitting on the reception desk.
Long, lean fingers picked up the envelope as they read the name on the front.Holly. Of course.
The person opened the envelope and pulled out the note, reading Jack’s words with growing satisfaction.This was too perfect. Too easy.
They read:Sorry, I’m running late. Have to deal with something quickly. It shouldn’t take long to fix the problem, and then we’ll have the entire night together. I’ve missed you so much. Jack
The words were vague enough to be interpreted in multiple ways. And with the right setup… these words could be interpreted in a completely different way.
A smile split their lips. This would work beautifully. They crumpled up the envelope and shot it into the wastebasket on the side of the desk.
The person heard footsteps on the stairs.
Perfect timing.
The figure quickly positioned themselves near the desk, therose in one hand and the note conspicuously visible in the other.
Holly
Holly descended the stairs feeling nervous and excited in equal measure. She’d changed into a soft burgundy dress that fell just below her knees, paired with low heels and the delicate necklace Trinity had given her for her birthday last year. Her hair was down and loosely curled, and she’d taken more care with her makeup than she had in months.
She felt beautiful. And more than that, she felt happy.
Before Holly reached the lobby, she saw a person standing at the front desk. Her heart lurched, and she faltered for an instant before stepping forward.
“Excuse me?” Holly called out, moving closer to the desk. “The inn is closed for new check-ins, and we’re full if you haven’t made a reservation.”
The figure turned from where they’d been standing near the desk, and Holly’s words died in her throat.
The last person she expected to see stood there, looking like a deer caught in headlights. In their hand was a beautiful, long-stemmed red rose, and in the other hand was a piece of paper that lookedlike a note.
