“What do you want?” Isabella’s voice was low, so no one else could hear her, and her words sounded broken and defeated to her ears.
“I just want to talk, beautiful babe. Just a conversation between oldfriends.I’m staying at the Hampton Inn in St. Augustine. Room 237. Come by tomorrow at noon, and we can sort this all out like civilized people.”
“I’m not meeting you anywhere,” Isabella said, finding a spark of her old strength.
“Oh, I think you will.” His voice hardened, the charm dropping away to reveal the threat beneath. “Because if you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to pursue legal action. And wouldn’t it be a shame if little Maddy had to find out what kind of person her mother really is?”
The line went dead.
5
GABE
Gabe sat across from Trinity in the penthouse suite’s small dining area, nursing his second cup of coffee while his daughter devoured scrambled eggs and toast. Christopher was still in the shower, the sound of running water drifting from the bathroom in their two-bedroom suite. They’d taken the rooms directly across the hall from his mother, Aunt Charlie, and Trinity’s larger four-bedroom suite, making it easy for Trinity to bounce between them.
Which she did. Constantly.
“Dad, you’re not even listening,” Trinity said, waving her fork at him with the dramatic flair only a twelve-year-old could manage.
“I am listening,” Gabe protested, though he’d admittedly zoned out somewhere around her fifth mention of the Winter Ball decorations.
“Then what did I just say?” Trinity challenged with raised brows.
Gabe opened his mouth, closed it, then grinned sheepishly. “Something about the ballroom?”
Trinity rolled her eyes but smiled. “I said Jane is amazing at coordinating everything. She knows all about the inn’s old Christmas traditions, and she’s teaching Maddy and me about them. Julie says the inn used to have the most incredible celebrations, and Maddy and I have convinced Jane to bring them all back.”
There it was again.Jane. Trinity’s face lit up whenever she mentioned the woman’s name, which was about every 30 seconds.
“That’s great, sweetheart,” Gabe said, meaning it. He hadn’t seen Trinity this animated about anything in years, or at least not since before Abigail died. The thought squeezed his chest, but he pushed it aside. His daughter was happy. That was what mattered.
“You should come see what we’re doing,” Trinity said, her tone shifting to that particular pitch that meant she was about to guilt him into something. “Jane could show you around the ballroom. We’ve been working so hard on it.”
“I don’t want to intrude on your project,” Gabe said carefully.
“You won’t be! Please?” Trinity’s eyes widened in that way she’d perfected over the years. “It’s just you and me. Jane won’t mind. I think she’s in there right now, actually.We could go before Christopher’s ready and before we meet up with Maddy.”
Gabe found himself nodding before he’d fully decided. “Alright. Let me finish this coffee.”
Trinity beamed and practically vibrated with excitement as she shoveled the rest of her breakfast into her mouth at record speed.
Ten minutes later, she was dragging him down the stairs toward the ballroom, talking a mile a minute about garlands and lighting and something about luminaries that Gabe couldn’t quite follow. His leg ached from the gruelling travel of the past two days and then last night’s activities, but he’d never admit it. The medical boot was enough of a concession to his injury without adding complaints to the mix.
Trinity pushed open the ballroom doors without knocking, and Gabe followed her into the large space. The room was beautiful even in its half-finished state. High ceilings with crown molding, tall windows letting in morning light, and a small stage at one end. Christmas decorations covered every available surface in various states of organization.
And there, standing on a ladder adjusting a garland that draped across one of the windows, was Jane Christmas.
She turned at the sound of the doors, and her expression shifted when she saw him. Not quite a frown, but definitely not welcoming either. Something shuttered behind her eyes, and her posture stiffened.
“Trinity,” Jane said, her voice warm as she addressed his daughter. “I didn’t expect you this early. I thought you were going exploring with your father?”
“Dad wanted to see what we’ve been working on,” Trinity announced, oblivious to the sudden chill in the air. “Can you show him around?”
Jane climbed down from the ladder with careful movements, and Gabe noticed she favored her left side slightly. Old injury, maybe. Or just the result of too many hours on her feet doing physical work.
“I’m sure your father has better things to do than look at half-finished decorations,” Jane said, her tone polite but distant.
Gabe felt his own defenses snap into place. He straightened despite the discomfort in his leg and matched her formal tone. “I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t want to see Trinity’s work. But if it’s an inconvenience, we can come back another time.”
