“About Holly,” Logan finished for him. It was not a question but a statement. His friend knew him too well.
Jack nodded, setting down his fork. “She was different this morning. Distant. Preoccupied. Making me wonder what she is thinking.”
“Her ex-husband showed up trying to take away the place that has become her refuge,” Logan pointed out reasonably. “That would make anyone preoccupied, Jack.” He sipped his coffee, swallowed, and continued. “But here’s something. Why don’t you ask her?”
Jack said nothing, just nodded. “I know not much time has passed since then and now, but have you or Charlie been able to uncoveranything?”
“Don’t worry. Charlie and I will find out who is behind this,” Logan assured him, his voice firm and confident. “We are digging into every corporate filing, every connection Simon and Terry have. If there is a paper trail, we will find it.”
“I’m sure you will,” Jack said, and he meant it. Logan and Charlie were thorough and determined. If anyone could uncover the truth, it was those two working together.
But the worry still sat heavy in his chest. The inn had been in his family for generations. His great-great-grandfather had built it with his own hands. Generations of Christmas men after him had maintained it with love and dedication. Jack could not lose it. Would not lose it. Not to some faceless developer who saw it as nothing more than prime real estate.
They finished breakfast in companionable silence, though Jack’s mind was already moving ahead to the renovation work waiting for him. And to the conversation he needed to have with Jane about Pamela.
Across the dining room, Jane and Gabe finished their breakfast and stood to leave. Jane was still smiling, still had that light in her eyes that had been missing for so long.
“I need to talk to her today,” Jack said, standing up from the table. “I want to catch her before she gets too busy with the inn.”
“Is everything alright?”
Jack filled Logan in.
Logan’s expression filled with sympathy. “That is going to be a hard conversation.”
“Everything with Pamela is hard,” Jack said, the bitter truth of it settling in his mouth like ash. “But it needs to be done.”
He needed to meet Holly on the first floor to go over the renovation plans for the day. The work would not do itself, and keeping busy would help keep his mind from spinning in circles.
“I will be in the workshop if you need me,” Logan said, standing as well. “Working on the crown molding for the ballroom.”
They walked out of the dining room together, Jack’s mind already shifting gears to the work ahead and everything he needed to do today. A lot of unpleasantness.
It was going to be a busy day. On the bright side, Jane had laughed this morning. Really, truly laughed. After three years of silence and grief and barely existing, his daughter had laughed with pure joy.
That was something. That was hope.
Jack held onto that thought as he headed toward the first floor to meet Holly.
As he walked to the first floor, he reasoned with himself that he needed to trust. Trust Holly when she said she didn’t know that it was her ex-husband and ex-best friend who were coming after his inn for their client. Trust that Logan and Charlie would find the answers they needed. Trust that Jane was strong enough to handle whatever Pamela was about to drop on her.
Trust felt like the hardest thing in the world right now, but Jack was determined to try.
For Jane. For the inn. For whatever was growing between him and Holly.
He would find a way to trust, even when everything in him wanted to hold on tighter and protect everyone he loved from the threats he could see coming but could not yet name.
4
JANE
Jane finished breakfast with Gabe, feeling lighter than she had in years. Their conversation had been easy and comfortable, filled with the kind of companionship that did not require constant words. Sometimes they had just sat in peaceful silence, eating and watching the morning light filter through the dining room windows.
As they left the dining room together, Gabe paused in the hallway. “I’ll go get Trinity and meet you in the ballroom. We can work on sorting through that last box of ornaments you mentioned yesterday.”
Jane felt a flutter of concern. “Are you sure? Your leg...”
“I promise to sit,” Gabe assured her with a smile that made her chest feel warm. “Trinity and I will finish sorting through the leftover ornaments, rooting out the broken ones, the ugly ones,and setting aside what can be used. Nothing strenuous, I promise.”
