They drove in silence for another few minutes before Charlie reached over and squeezed his hand. The gesture was gentle and sisterly, and it made Christopher’s chest tighten with emotion.
“I’m glad she has you here to look after her,” Charlie said softly.
The words hit Christopher harder than he’d expected. He nodded and managed a small smile, but something overwhelming washed over him. The weight of responsibility. The realization of how much Isabella and Maddy had come to mean to him in such a short time. The terrifying knowledge that he’d do anything tokeep them safe.
He fell into deep reflection as Charlie continued driving, hardly noticing the Christmas lights beginning to turn on as the afternoon dipped toward evening. The historic streets of the island glowed with warm illumination, families walking along the sidewalks, children pointing at decorated windows.
A week ago, he’d been preparing for another assignment overseas. Another temporary posting where he’d stay just long enough to do the job and then move on to the next place. No roots. No attachments. No complications.
Now everything felt different. Complicated in the best possible way.
He thought about Isabella’s face when she’d walked out of that diner, the way she’d been shaking but had held herself together. Her strength. Her courage. The fierce way she protected her daughter. He thought about Maddy’s easy laughter and the trust in her eyes when she’d asked him to paint his nails with sparkly polish. The way both of them had somehow worked their way past every defense he’d built over the years.
“You okay over there?” Charlie’s voice pulled him back to the present.
“Yeah,” Christopher said, though his voice sounded distant even to his own ears. “Just thinking.”
“About Isabella?”
Christopher glanced at her and saw the knowing smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “That obvious?”
“Only to everyone who has eyes,” Charlie said, her tone warm with affection. “You look at her the way I’ve never seen you look at anyone. Like she hung the moon and you’re just grateful to be in orbit.”
Christopher felt heat creep up his neck, but didn’t deny it. What would be the point? “It’s fast,” he said quietly. “Too fast, probably.”
“Sometimes fast is exactly the right speed,” Charlie said. “Sometimes you meet someone and you just know. All the logical reasons why it shouldn’t work don’t matter because something deeper recognizes something essential.”
They pulled into the inn’s parking lot, and Christopher could see lights glowing in the windows. Home. When had he started thinking of this place as home? He’d been here less than a week.
“Go get ready for dinner,” Charlie said, putting the car in park. “And Christopher? Don’t overthink this. Isabella needs someone steady and strong in her corner. You’re exactly that for her.”
Christopher climbed out of the car and headed up to his suite, Charlie’s words echoing in his mind. In his room, he showered and changed into clean jeans and a dark green Henley shirt that Holly had once told him brought out his eyes. He checked his phone and found a text from Gabe saying he and Trinity would meet them at Isabella’s cottage at six.
The evening at Isabella’s house turned into something Christopher hadn’t expected. The tension fromthe afternoon melted away as they gathered around her small dining table. Isabella had prepared a simple but delicious meal of roasted chicken, vegetables, and her grandmother’s garlic bread recipe, which made everyone groan with appreciation.
Maddy and Trinity dominated the conversation, their energy infectious as they recounted their afternoon in St. Augustine with Jane. Jane herself seemed more relaxed than Christopher had seen her, laughing at the girls’ dramatic retelling of their adventures.
Gabe sat beside his daughter, his expression softer than usual as he watched Trinity’s animation. Every so often, Christopher caught his friend’s gaze drifting to Jane, something unguarded flickering across his face before he caught himself and looked away.
After dinner, they cleared the dishes together and gathered in the small living room. Maddy had declared they needed to play Christmas games, and she’d come prepared with a collection that would have made any holiday enthusiast proud.
They played Christmas charades first, with teams of two competing against each other. Christopher and Isabella discovered they had an almost uncanny ability to read each other. When Christopher acted out “reindeer,” Isabella guessed it in three seconds. When Isabella pantomimed “wrapping presents,” Christopher knew it before she’d finished the motion.
“That’s not fair,” Trinity complained good-naturedly. “You two have telepathy or something.”
“Just good chemistry,” Jane said with a small smile, and Christopher caught the knowing look she exchanged with Gabe.
Next came Christmas trivia, where Jane proved to be surprisingly competitive. She knew obscure facts about holiday traditions from around the world and the history of various Christmas carols. Gabe watched her with barely concealed admiration as she rattled off answers.
They finished the evening with a white elephant gift exchange using small items they’d found around the house. It was silly, chaotic, and filled with laughter. Christopher ended up with a ceramic reindeer figurine that Maddy had wrapped, and he declared it his new most prized possession, which made her beam with delight.
By nine o’clock, Trinity and Maddy were starting to fade despite their protests that they weren’t tired. Gabe and Jane said their goodbyes, and Trinity hugged everyone before leaving. Charlie and Logan, who’d arrived halfway through the evening, departed soon after.
That left Christopher alone with Isabella and Maddy in the cottage that had started to feel remarkably like home.
“I should probably head back to the inn,” Christopher said, though he was reluctant to leave Isabella alone after the day’s events.
“Actually,” Isabella said quickly, and he heard the relief in her voice, “I have an early morning catering job tomorrow. It’s for a breakfast meeting at one of the hotelsdowntown. I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me prep tonight and then assist with setup in the morning?”
