By tomorrow, he’d be on a flight back to London. By next week, he’d have forgotten about this job. Or so he told himself as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only the echo of his footsteps and the lingering question of what exactly he’d just set in motion.
2
ISABELLA
Isabella was aware of Jack watching her intently as she quietly gathered dishes from the dining room table, her movements efficient despite the late hour, and her mind was on getting herself and Maddy home. The reunion celebration had wound down, but the warmth of family still filled the room like the lingering scent of her homemade cookies. Trinity had finally released her death grip on Gabe, though she stayed within arm’s reach, as if afraid he might disappear if she let him get too far away.
“Isabella,” Jack said, startling her as he suddenly stood behind her, his voice gentle but firm. “Leave those. You and Maddy should stay here tonight, as it’s too late to drive.”
She looked up from the stack of plates in her hands, surprise flickering across her features. “Oh, that’s very kind, but we live just fifteen minutes away. I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense.” Jack moved closer, taking the dishes from her hands and setting them back on the table. “It’s past eleven, you’ve been working all evening to help with this surprise, and look at those girls.” He nodded toward where Maddy and Trinity sat cross-legged on the floor near the Christmas tree, Duke sprawled between them like a furry mountain, both girls still chattering away as if they hadn’t been talking for hours already. “Maddy, do you want to stay at the inn tonight?” He gave her a big grin. “I’m trying to convince your mother to take one of the finished rooms and stay instead of driving home.”
“Please, Mom?” Maddy’s voice piped up, excitement instantly radiating from her. “Can we stay?”
Trinity bounced up from the floor with the energy only children could muster at this hour. “Yes, please! Maddy can stay with us in our suite. I have an extra bed in my room. We even have an extra bedroom right next to mine if Maddy would prefer to stay there.” The words tumbled out in an excited rush.
Holly rose from her chair. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. Isabella, you’ve done so much for us tonight, helping orchestrate this surprise. Please stay and let Maddy stay with us so you can take some time for yourself and relax.”
Logan nodded his agreement from where he leaned against the doorframe. “Besides, the forecast mentioned possible fog rolling in from the ocean tonight. These coastal roads can get tricky.”
Isabella’s gaze moved between them all, and she could feel her defensessoftening.
“Mom, please?” Maddy had materialized at her mother’s side, those expressive eyes wide with hope.
Isabella’s shoulders relaxed in surrender. “Alright, but we don’t have any overnight things with us.”
“Jane can lend you something to sleep in,” Jack offered for his daughter, who didn’t disguise her glare she shot at him. “You’re both the same size.” He turned and challenged Jane. “You wouldn’t mind, would you, Jane?”
“Sure!” Jane uttered and stood. “I’ll go find you something. Do you need some clothes for the morning?”
Isabella shook her head with a small laugh. “Thank you, but I actually always keep a change of clothes in my car. Kitchen accidents happen more often than you’d think.”
“Yay!” Trinity and Maddy jumped up and down. “Dad, you must come see our suite.” She stopped and looked at her father. “Where are you and Uncle Christopher staying?”
“We have the suite across the hall from you,” Gabe told her. “The two-bedroom one.”
“Oh, honey, that’s great,” Holly said, her eyes still shining with unshed tears as she stared at her son adoringly. “But isn’t climbing the stairs going to be a problem with your foot?”
“No, Mom. It’s fine,” Gabe assured her, smiling lovingly back at his mother.
Isabella smiled at the exchange between this tight-knit family,and suddenly her heart ached for her parents and grandmother, suddenly feeling so alone as all she had was Maddy.
“Girls, let’s get Maddy settled in,” Holly said, ushering Trinity and Maddy toward the stairs.
“Isabella, you can take room 12 on the first floor, it’s one of the renovated ones,” Jack told her. “You know where the keys are.”
As the group dispersed, Jack caught Isabella’s arm gently. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For tonight. For keeping the secret and making it special. That kind of surprise, that joy on Trinity’s face, on Holly’s... that’s what the holidays are supposed to be about.”
Isabella’s smile was soft, almost vulnerable. “It was my pleasure. It’s nice to see families together like this.” Something flickered in her eyes, there and gone before Jack could identify it.
Twenty minutes later, Isabella stood in the doorway of the guest room Jack had mentioned, her small overnight bag in hand. Soft cream walls met white wainscoting, and a four-poster bed dominated the room, dressed in navy and gold bedding that somehow managed to look both elegant and inviting. Garlands of artificial pine wrapped around the posts, tiny white lights twinkling like stars. A small Christmas tree sat on the dresser, decorated with miniature seashells painted gold and silver.
The bathroom was indeed spectacular. A clawfoot tub sat beneath a window that would look out over the ocean in daylight, though now it only reflected her tiredface back at her. She ran the water hot, adding some of the lavender bath salts thoughtfully provided in a glass jar on the shelf.
As she sank into the steaming water, Isabella let out a sigh that seemed to come from her very bones. The day had been long, emotional, and more overwhelming than she’d expected. The surprise reunion had touched something deep within her, watching that family come together, seeing the pure joy on Trinity’s face when her father appeared.
She stayed in the bath until the water began to cool, then wrapped herself in the plush robe hanging on the back of the door. The bed was as comfortable as it looked, the sheets soft and smelling faintly of lavender. She picked up the remote, flipping through channels without really seeing them. A cooking show, a Christmas movie she’d seen a dozen times, a late-night talk show with jokes that didn’t land.
