Finally, they reached Room Nine.
Jack held his breath as Abe entered and began his inspection. The inspector knelt down and examined the new floorboards, running his hand over the smooth surface. He checked where the new wood met the old, looking for gaps or unevenness. He tested each board for give or creaking. He examined the window frames, checking the seals and the operation of the sashes.
Minutes felt like hours as Abe worked in silence, his expression giving nothing away.
Then he moved to Room Ten. The same thorough inspection. Testing the new window frames, inspecting the floor repairs near the windows, and examining every detail.
Then Room Eleven.
Jack’s chest felt tight. This was it. This was the moment that would determine everything.
“These three rooms had significant damage?” Abe asked, straightening up from examining the baseboards.
“Yes,” Jack admitted. “From an old flood six years ago. The damage was never properly repaired. We discovered the extent of it just a few days ago when we pulled up the carpet in Room Nine.”
“And you had all this work done in less than a week?” Abe asked, looking around Room Eleven with what might have been admiration.
“We had help,” Jack said. “A lot of help. The community came together.”
Abe nodded slowly, making more notes. “The workmanship is excellent. Whoever did this knew what they were doing.”
“Rupert Bright and his crew,” Jack said. “They’re local contractors.”
“I know Rupert,” Abe said with a small smile. “Good man. Does quality work.”
The second floor was also beautifully done and finished. Abe made a few more notes, then looked at Jack. “Let’s see the third floor.”
The third floor. With his worry over Rooms Nine, Ten, and Eleven, Jack had completely forgotten that the two rooms up there were in need of some more repairs. They had done a lot before Holly and her family had arrived; the rest was cosmetic until after the season, but not meant to pass an inspectionof this kind.
They climbed the narrow stairs to the third floor, where the two guest suites were located.
Abe checked the guest suite where Holly, Charlie, and Trinity were staying.
Jack stopped short in the doorway, his breath catching.
The suite had been transformed.
When Holly and her family first arrived, this suite was tired and worn. The furniture was old, the paint was fading, and the overall feel was of a space that had been well-loved. Now it glowed.
The walls had been freshly painted in a warm cream color. The old, sagging furniture had been replaced or reupholstered. New curtains hung at the windows, letting in the morning light. The hardwood floors had been refinished and gleamed. Even the light fixtures had been updated.
Jack’s heart filled with emotion so powerful he almost choked on it.
Holly had done this. While working on all the other rooms, helping with Rooms Nine, Ten, and Eleven, dealing with her divorce, and supporting him through the crisis with Victor and Pamela, Holly had been secretly fixing up this suite.
Jack had to turn away for a moment, pretending to look at something in the hallway, while he got his emotions under control. He blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.
When he turned back, Abe was examining the electrical outlets, completely unaware of the emotional moment Jack was having.
“Recent work?” Abe asked.
“Yes,” Jack managed to say, his voice slightly rough. “Very recent.”
They moved to the smaller two-bedroom suite where Gabe and Christopher were currently staying. The same transformation. Fresh paint, refinished floors, updated fixtures. Holly’s touch was evident everywhere.
Jack made a mental note to talk to Holly about this. To thank her. To tell her what it meant that she cared enough about the inn to do this work without being asked.
She’d done it because she loved the place and him.
