But in her heart, she carried that wish like a candle flame in the darkness.
That somehow, someway, the Christmas magic would touch her son’s broken heart and remind him how to heal.
11
JACK
Jack sat behind his desk in the small office that doubled as his project planning space and meeting room, watching the people gathered around the worn wooden table. Holly sat to his right, her notepad open and pen ready. Charlie was perched on the edge of her chair across from him, looking professional despite the casual setting. Logan sat beside her, and his mother beside Logan and nearest the window, wearing that knowing smile she wore when she thought things were going according to some master plan only she understood.
“Alright, let’s go through where we are with everything,” Jack said, glancing down at his own notes. “We’ve made good progress over the past four days, but I want to make sure we’re all on the same page.”
Holly flipped through her notebook. “We’ve completed the refinishing work on six of the guest rooms on the second floor.The woodwork looks beautiful, and the furniture restoration is coming along nicely. We still have four more rooms to tackle on that floor, plus the third-floor suites.”
“The structural work is progressing well,” Logan added, his voice carrying the confidence of someone who knew his trade inside and out. “I’ve reinforced the support beams in the east wing, and the roof repairs should be finished by the end of the week. Luckily, the weather’s been cooperating, which helps.”
Jack noticed the way Logan’s gaze drifted to Charlie as he spoke, and the slight softening in Charlie’s expression when she glanced back at him. A secret smile tugged at Jack’s mouth. They weren’t fooling anyone, those two, but it was up to them when they wanted to admit they were in a relationship. He certainly wasn’t going to say anything.
“What about the legal side of things?” Jack asked, turning his attention to Charlie.
Charlie’s expression shifted to something more businesslike, though Jack caught the flicker of frustration in her eyes. “Can you believe we are still waiting for the bank to get back to me about the loan modification options. I’ve been checking in daily, but these things take time, unfortunately.” She paused, tapping her pen against her notepad. “In the meantime, I’ve been doing some digging to find out who the developer is. The one who’s been trying to pressure you into selling.”
“Any luck?” Julie asked, her voice sharp with interest.
“Not yet,” Charlie admitted. “They’re hiding behind shell corporations and legal entities. But I’mworking my way through the paper trail. Whoever they are, they don’t want to be identified, which tells me they know their offer isn’t legitimate or fair.”
Jack’s jaw tightened. He’d been dealing with pressure from this mysterious developer for months now. Letters. Phone calls. Increasingly aggressive offers that felt more like threats than business propositions. The inn had been in his family for generations, and he wasn’t about to let some faceless corporation bully him into selling.
“We’ll figure it out,” Logan said, and Jack noticed how he looked directly at Charlie when he said it. “Between Charlie’s legal expertise and my contacts in the construction world, we’ll track down who’s behind this.”
There was that look again. The one that said volumes about what was developing between them.
“The invitations for the Winter Ball went out yesterday,” Julie announced, her voice brightening with obvious excitement. “And I’ve already had a lot of replies. People are thrilled that we’re reviving the tradition.”
“How many confirmations so far?” Holly asked, making notes.
“Forty-three as of this morning,” Julie said with satisfaction. “And I expect that number to double by the end of the week. Everyone in St. Augustine on Anastasia Island remembers the Christmas Inn’s Winter Ball. It was the event of the season for decades.”
Jack felt warmth spread through his chest. His mother had been heartbroken when they’d had to cancel the ball in previous years due to financial constraints and the inn’s general state of disrepair. Seeing her excitement now, watching her come alive with the planning, reminded him why he was fighting so hard to save this place.
It wasn’t just a building. It was history. It was family. It was home—his family’s home and hopefully future Christmas families for generations to come.
“Jane’s been doing incredible work with the ballroom,” Holly added. “She has such a clear vision for how everything should look. The decorations are coming together beautifully.”
“She’s a talented girl,” Julie said softly, pride evident in her voice. “She’s poured her heart into this place since she came back.”
Jack caught the shadow that passed over his mother’s face, the slight downturn at the corners of her mouth that appeared whenever she thought about Jane’s return. He could still picture his daughter’s hollow-eyed stare that first day, how her wedding ring had hung loose on her finger, how she’d flinched at the sound of car doors slamming. For months after the accident, she’d wake screaming, her hands clutching protectively at a belly no longer swollen with promise. Now she transformed rooms with meticulous precision, working from sunrise until her fingers were raw and blistered, her clothes speckled with paint. She’d collapse into bed only when exhaustion overpowered memory or her backinjury reminded her it had only been two years and four months since she’d learned to walk again.
He recognized the pattern. After Pamela’s perfume had faded from their closets, he’d buried himself in blueprints and lumber orders, sawdust coating his skin like armor.
“I think that covers everything for now,” Jack said, closing his notebook. “Logan, keep me posted on the roof work. Charlie, let me know the moment you hear anything from the bank or make progress on identifying the developer. Mom, you’re doing an amazing job with the ball planning.” His smile softened. “Just don’t overdo things, okay. I don’t want you to collapse again.”
Julie beamed at him, and Jack felt that familiar swell of love for his mother. She’d held this place together when he’d been falling apart. She’d raised Jane practically single-handedly while he’d buried himself in work. She deserved to see the inn restored to its former glory.
Charlie, Logan, and Julie filed out of the office, their voices fading as they headed down the hallway. That left Jack and Holly alone in the suddenly quiet space.
Holly stood and stretched, rolling her shoulders. “So which room are we tackling today?”
“I thought we could get started on some of the dressers we marked as needing TLC,” Jack said, rising from his chair. “There are three in the storage shed that just need refinishing and new hardware. Should be a good day’s work.”
