“Of course,” Gabe replied, and their eyes met.
The moment stretched between them, filled with something Jane could not quite name but could definitely feel. The air seemed charged, intimate, and Jane found she could not look away from Gabe’s eyes.
The sound of running feet and excited voices broke the spell. Duke’s barking echoed through the hallway, followed by Charlie’s voice complaining good-naturedly.
“I’m too old to keep up with you two,” Charlie was saying, slightly out of breath. “Slow down before I have a heart attack.”
Trinity, Maddy, Duke, and Charlie all burst into the ballroom together. The girls were carrying a large bucket filled with seashells, their faces flushed with excitement and exercise. Duke bounded over to Gabe, tail wagging enthusiastically.
“Charlie was with them,” Gabe said softly to Jane, answering the question she had half-asked before toppling off the ladder.
Jane took a moment to compose herself, then went to examine the bucket of shells the girls had collected. “This is wonderful work. You two found some beautiful shells.”
Trinity beamed with pride. “Maddy found the best ones. She has a really good eye for this stuff.”
Maddy ducked her head, pleased with the praise. “Trinity found a lot, too. And Charlie helped us reach the ones in the tide pools.”
Charlie, still catching her breath, waved a hand. “I’m going to get a coffee and a sticky bun and get back to my work. Logan is probably wondering where I disappeared to.”
“Thank you, Aunt Charlie,” Gabe said quietly as she passed his chair.
Charlie paused and squeezed his hand, her expression fond. “Any time, sweetheart.”
The rest of the morning passed in comfortable productivity. Isabella brought them a picnic-style lunch served right there in the ballroom so they would not have to stop working. Sandwiches, fruit, cookies, and lemonade spread out on a blanket on the floor made it feel festive and fun.
Trinity and Maddy chattered about their shell-hunting adventure while Duke begged shamelessly for sandwich scraps. Jane found herself laughing at their stories, at Duke’s antics, and at Gabe’s dry commentary, which made everything funnier.
After a few more hours of work, the ballroom was really taking shape. The chandelier sparkled with its new bulb, garlands were elegantly draped along the walls, and the tables were set and ready for the final touches.
Gabe stretched carefully, mindful of his leg. “We’re going dress shopping tonight. The girls want to find the perfect dresses for the Winter Ball.”
“And we are grabbing some good old junk food for dinner,” Trinity added with a grin. “Dad promised we could get burgers and fries and milkshakes.”
Both girls immediately turned to Jane, their pleading expressions melting stone.
“Please come with us,” Maddy begged.
“Please, Jane,” Trinity added. “It will be so much more fun with you there.”
Gabe caught Jane’s eye. “I could use the adult support. Two twelve-year-olds in dress shops can be overwhelming.”
Jane felt warmth spread through her chest at being included, at being wanted. “I could use a new dress too,” she admitted. “I haven’t bought anything nice in years.”
The girls cheered, and plans were quickly made. They would all meet in the foyer at six o’clock and head into St. Augustine for shopping and a junk food dinner.
They left the ballroom together, Jane making sure everything was properly locked up. The girls ran ahead with Duke, their voices echoing down the hallway as they made plans for what kind of dresses they wanted to find.
As they reached the foyer where the front desk was located, the inn’s front door swept open. A woman stepped inside, and Jane’s heart stopped.
She froze in place, her entire body going rigid with shock and recognition.
The woman was impeccably dressed in an expensive outfit that probably cost more than Jane made in a month. Her blonde hair was styled in a perfect French twist, and her makeup was flawless. She was, Jane knew, in her mid-fifties, tall and slender, and she carried herself with the kind of confidence that came from money and privilege.
Expensive perfume wafted ahead of her like a weapon, and Jane’s hands clenched into fists at her sides.
The woman’s eyes locked onto Jane, and her face transformed into an expression of shocked disbelief that Jane recognized as completely false.
“Jane?” The woman’s voice gushed with exaggerated emotion. “Oh, my baby girl. You are gorgeous.”
