“Yes, William’s family has been in St. Augustine for generations,” David managed. “You can’t live here and not know him.”
“How do you know him?” Dan asked Eve, his eyes silently assessing her.
“Oh, I met him through Lila’s grandmother,” Eve told them, making alarm bells go off in David’s head. “We’ve been friends with him for a good few decades.” She laughed.
“Uncle William is the one who invited us here,” Lila said with the innocence of youth. “My mother and Aunt Eve desperately needed a break from work.”
David’s mind raced.Uncle William?Lila called him Uncle? A cold chill crept up David’s spine at that, and the fact that William had invited them here. To the Christmas Inn, no less.
“Well, thank you so much for taking me on the rides,” Lila said politely to Milly and Dan. Pulling him from his thoughts as Lila glanced at Eve. “Aunt Eve, maybe we can go for a barbecue another night?” She looked at Milly and Dan again. “I’d really like to see the woods. I love hiking.”
Eve sighed. “She really does.” Her eyes landed on Milly. “Maybe another night if you have the time.”
“Of course,” Milly said, pulling out her phone. “Let’s exchange numbers.”
David stood dead still as he watched the women exchanging numbers.
“Brian,” an elderly lady called from the tent entrance.
“Here, Grandma,” Brian waved, then looked at them. “Sorry, I have to run.” He turned to Lila. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the Inn?”
“Yeah,” Lila said with a shy smile that for some reason brought out protective instincts in David. He quickly dismissed them, telling himself it was because she reminded him so much of his daughter. “I’m looking forward to seeing the cove.”
Brian said his thank-yous and then disappeared.
“What a nice young man,” Milly stated, smiling at Lila. “So intelligent too.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lila said, blushing a little more. “Not many people can crack that puzzle I gave him.”
Milly laughed. “I know someone who could.” Her eyes landed on David knowingly before turning back to Lila. “When you come for a barbecue, remind me to show you some of the puzzles I’ve found.”
“I’d love that,” Lila said.
They all parted ways, promising that Milly would contact Eve the next day to make arrangements.
“Well, that was interesting,” Milly said, breaking the silence that had fallen as they walked back to Milly’s SUV.
“Is it just me, or does Lila remind you of—” Dan started.
“Yes,” David cut him off. “But only because of her eyes and how intelligent she is.”
“Uh-huh,” Dan said, climbing into the driver’s seat as David slipped into the back and Milly into the front passenger seat.
“What I want to know,” Milly said, buckling her seatbelt as Dan started the engine, “is how Lila’s grandmother knows William.”
“Or why he’d risk bringing ‘close family friends’ to St. Augustine,” Dan added. “Especially now.”
That was the exact question buzzing around in David’s head and one he intended to find out.
9
JULIE
Julie stood at the entrance of the Christmas Inn, her arm linked through Jack’s, watching as the shuttle van pulled away from the curb.
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the driveway, and she could see faces pressed against the windows. Holly waving. Jane blowing a kiss. Trinity and Maddy waved from the back seat in excited anticipation of the trip.
Logan sat in the driver’s seat, his hands steady on the wheel, while Charlie occupied the passenger seat beside him. Behind them, Holly sat beside her son, Gabe, who had Jane on the other side of him. In the row behind them, Maddy and Trinity flanked Christopher, all three of them already laughing about something Julie couldn’t hear through the closed windows.
