“Sounds perfect,” Holly agreed, gathering her things.
They both moved toward the door at the same time, neither paying attention to the other’s trajectory. Holly bounced off his chest with a small “oof” and nearly lost her balance.
Jack’s hand shot out instinctively, catching her arm and steadying her. “Careful.”
Their eyes met and held. Holly’s eyes were wide with surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly pink. Jack was acutely aware of how close they were standing, how his hand still rested on her arm, how he could smell the subtle floral scent of her shampoo.
The world seemed to fade around them. The inn’s usual sounds disappeared. All Jack could hear was his own heartbeat thundering in his ears.
Their heads started moving toward each other, almost unconsciously. Drawn together by something neither of them had named but both of them felt.
A loud crash from somewhere in the hallway shattered the moment. They jerked apart, both slightly shaken by what had almost happened.
“Sorry,” Holly said quickly, her voice a little breathless. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“No, that was my fault,” Jack said, stepping back to give her space. His heart was racing wildly, and he could feel heat creeping up hisneck. “After you.”
Holly slipped past him through the doorway, and Jack followed, trying to steady his breathing. As he watched her walk ahead of him down the hallway, the realization hit him with startling clarity.
He really was falling for her.
Not just attracted to her, though that was certainly true. Not just enjoying her company, though he looked forward to their morning runs more than anything else in his day. He was actually, genuinely falling for Holly Bennett.
The thought should have terrified him. After Pamela’s betrayal, after the years of bitterness and the slow process of rebuilding his life, he’d convinced himself he was better off alone. Safer that way. Less risk of being hurt again.
But Holly made him want to risk it anyway.
Before he could examine that thought too closely, his mother’s voice cut through his contemplation. “Jack, there’s a viper on the phone for you.”
Holly stopped walking and turned to look at him, confusion creasing her brow. Jack felt his entire body go tense, and he frowned, shaking his head with annoyance. He rolled his eyes, though the gesture did nothing to ease the sudden knot in his stomach.
“What does she want?” Jack said in a hushed tone, walking toward the front desk, where his mother held the phone receiver as if it might bite her.
“I have no idea,” Julie said, not bothering to put her hand over the receiver. “I didn’t want to talk to the viper for longer than I had to.” She shuddered. “You don’t know what you’re going to pick up from that witch.”
She thrust the phone at him, and Jack sighed deeply. Holly caught his eye and indicated that she’d go to the shed and get started on the dresser. He nodded gratefully, appreciating that she was giving him privacy for what was sure to be an unpleasant conversation.
Jack took the receiver and brought it to his ear, his tone clipped as he braced himself for a voice he’d hoped he’d never hear again. “Hello.”
“Hello, Jack,” Pamela’s voice seemed to ooze through the receiver, smooth and practiced. “I see your mother hasn’t lost her sense of humor.”
“I don’t think that was humor,” Jack said bluntly. “What do you want, Pamela?”
There was a pause on the other end, and when Pamela spoke again, her voice carried a note he didn’t recognize. Hesitation, maybe. “I was hoping to speak to Jane.”
Jack went very still. His protective instincts surged to the surface immediately. “Why?”
“Can’t I just want to talk to my daughter?” Pamela’s tone turned indignant, as if he were being unreasonable.
“I’d say you’re about thirty years too late for that,” Jack told her,his voice hard.
Another pause. Longer this time. “Look, I really need to talk to her.” Pamela’s voice shifted again, becoming quieter. “This is embarrassing, but I need to ask her something important.”
Jack’s grip tightened on the receiver. Every instinct he had was screaming at him to protect his daughter from whatever game Pamela was playing. “What could you possibly need to ask her that’s so important after thirty years of silence?”
“I have a medical condition,” Pamela said, and for the first time since he’d known her, she sounded genuinely vulnerable. “A genetic one. And I need Jane to get tested to see if she carries the marker.”
Jack felt the floor shift beneath him. His mind raced through possibilities, none of them good. “How bad is it?”
