Holly looked at him, saw the plea in his eyes, and nodded stiffly. Jack released her wrist and walked around the desk. He bent down and retrieved something from the waste basket behind the reception desk. It was a crumpled envelope.
“Here is the envelope for this note,” Jack said, handing it to Holly. His voice was quiet but steady. “And the note was about having to go get Duke. Again. He went to Detective Bruce’s house to see Brandy.”
Holly looked down at the envelope in her hand. Her name was written on it in Jack’s handwriting, on the same cream-colored stationery as the note.
Reality crashed over her like a wave. The note had been for her. About Duke. About their dinner being delayed.
And she had just accused Jack of planning to break up with her to be with his ex-wife, like some jealous teenager.
“I...” Holly swallowed hard, shame flooding through her. “Oh goodness, Jack. I...”
Jack stood there for a moment, just lookingat her. Then he nodded slowly. “It’s okay. I didn’t act much better when I saw you at the café with Simon.”
Holly suddenly remembered. “Oh. I’ve been trying to tell you something the entire day…”
Jack put a finger gently over her lips, stopping her words. “Can we not do this now?” he suggested softly. “If it has anything to do with your ex or my ex or the inn and all its problems, can we just... leave it for tonight? Can we just be Jack and Holly, two people going to have a romantic dinner?”
Holly felt tears prick her eyes, but this time they were tears of relief and gratitude. She nodded.
“Come,” Jack said, offering her his arm with a smile that made her heart skip.
Holly took his arm, and he led her toward the ballroom. When he opened the doors, Holly gasped.
The ballroom was finished. Completely, beautifully finished. The decorations that Jane, Gabe, Trinity, and Maddy had been working on for weeks were all in place. Evergreen garlands draped along the walls, twinkling lights strung from the ceiling, the painted seashells arranged in elegant patterns. It looked magical.
And off to one side of the room, a table had been set for two. Candles flickered in the center, and soft music played from speakers Holly couldn’t see.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Jack said. “I thought we could test outour children’s hard work. See if the ballroom is really ready for the Winter Ball.”
“I love it,” Holly admitted, her voice thick with emotion. “Jack, this is beautiful.”
The music shifted to a new song, and Jack’s face lit up. “Oh, I love this song. Would you dance with me?”
Holly nodded, and Jack led her onto the dance floor. He pulled her close, one hand on her waist and the other holding hers, and they began to move.
Jack was a fantastic dancer. He led with confidence but gentleness, spinning her smoothly across the polished floor. Holly felt like she was floating, all the stress and worry and doubt melting away until there was only this. The music, the movement, and Jack’s arms around her.
As the song ended, Jack pulled her even closer. His eyes met hers, dark and intense, and then he was kissing her. It was a toe-curling, breathtaking kiss that made Holly’s knees weak and her heart race.
When they finally pulled apart, both breathing hard, Jack rested his forehead against hers.
“I love you, Holly Bennett,” Jack said, his voice rough with emotion. “I think I have from the moment you arrived at my inn like a miracle I didn’t know I needed. You walked into my life when everything was falling apart, and somehow you made me believe that things could be okay again.That I could be happy again. You’re strong and talented and beautiful, and you make me want to be a better man. I love you, and I don’t want to spend another day without telling you that.”
Holly felt tears streaming down her face, but they were happy tears this time. “I love you too, Jack. I love your dedication to your family, your integrity, and the way you see beauty in old things that other people would throw away. You’ve shown me that it’s possible to start over, to build something new from broken pieces. I love you so much it scares me.”
They kissed again, slower this time, savoring the moment.
Eventually, they made their way to the table Jack had prepared. Someone, probably his mother or Isabella, had left covered dishes warming in chafers, and Jack served Holly with a flourish that made her laugh.
As they ate, Holly finally told him what she’d been trying to say all day. “Simon signed the divorce papers this morning. Charlie and I met him at the café, and he signed everything. It’s over. Really, truly over.”
Jack’s face split into a huge smile. “That’s wonderful news, Holly. The best news.” He reached across the table and took her hand, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Because I was a bit wary about falling in love with a married woman.”
Holly laughed through her tears and leaned across the table to kiss him again.
They finished dinner slowly, talking, laughing, and stealingkisses between courses. It was perfect. Everything Holly had dreamed about but hadn’t dared to hope for.
Outside the ballroom windows, hidden in the garden’s shadows, Pamela watched the couple inside. Her beautiful face was twisted with fury, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
