JACK
It was just after two in the afternoon, and the Christmas Inn was buzzing with activity. Guests had started arriving, and everyone was pitching in to make sure check-in went smoothly.
Logan and Christopher had been taking luggage up to the rooms for the past hour. Jane and Holly were working the front desk, checking guests in with warm smiles despite their exhaustion. Marco was outside with one of the young waiters, directing traffic and ensuring cars were parked properly in the lot.
Maddy and Trinity had been tasked with keeping Duke and Brandy under control in the Christmas family’s private residence. The dogs were excited by all the new people and activity, and it was taking both girls’ full attention to keep them from escaping to greet every arriving guest.
Jack moved through the inn like a conductor orchestrating a symphony. He checked in with the kitchen staff to make sure dinner preparations were on track. He verified that Room Seven had the extra pillows a guest had requested. He made sure the heating system on the second floor was working properly. Every small detail that needed handling, Jack was there to handle it.
They were all exhausted. No one had slept the night before, working frantically to get the last three rooms finished for the inspection. And they still had hours to go before they could rest.
The lamp decorating event had been moved forward to four o’clock instead of seven, with an early dinner to follow. So far, none of the guests had minded the change. In fact, most seemed charmed by the idea of an afternoon craft activity followed by a cozy early meal.
Jack couldn’t believe how well everything was going. After months of crisis after crisis, things were finally falling into place.
But a nagging worry gnawed at the back of his mind. He hadn’t heard from his mother since she’d left that morning to go into town. He was sure it was nothing, but he’d tried to call her a few times and she wasn’t answering.
Holly kept glancing at the door, clearly worried about where Charlie was. Even Logan was starting to look concerned. Neither Julie nor Charlie were answeringtheir phones.
Jack had even tried calling William, but there was no answer there either.
His gut clenched with familiar anxiety, but he forced himself to push it aside. No. He wasn’t going to let another bad thought in. Not today.
Yes, the inn wasn’t completely out of the woods yet. They still had a lot of money to raise. They still needed to figure out who the mysterious benefactor paying off their bills was. And they still had to deal with whatever Victor and Pamela’s next move would be.
But he wasn’t going to think about any of that right now.
If they didn’t manage to keep the inn in the end, at least it wouldn’t be because Victor and Pamela had played dirty and gotten away with it. At least it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. They would go down fighting if they had to go down at all.
And regardless of what happened, this would be one of the best Christmases ever.
“Why don’t you go check on the girls?” Jane suggested to Holly during a lull in guest arrivals. “It’s quiet now. I can handle the desk for a bit.”
“Are you sure?” Holly asked, her face lighting up with gratitude.
“Absolutely,” Jane assured her. “Just send Isabella back with one of her lattes when you get a chance.”
“Sure,” Holly said.
Jane said with a smile, “Ask her to make it her peppermint Christmas tree one.”
“Needing a sugar rush, love?” Jack asked, walking over to them with a grin.
“Yup,” Jane said unapologetically.
“I’ll walk with you,” Jack said to Holly, wanting some time alone with her. They’d barely had a moment to themselves all day.
As they stepped into the passage that connected the inn to the family’s private residence, Jack pulled Holly into his arms and kissed her.
“I just realized it’s been hours and hours since I told you how much I love you,” Jack murmured against her lips.
“It has been,” Holly smiled, her eyes soft with affection.
They kissed again, and a loud crash from inside the house drew them apart.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Holly said.
“Nope. With Duke around, it never is,” Jack laughed, grabbing her hand as they hurried inside.
