“Oh no,” Holly’s hand instantly reached out and touched his arm, her anger forgotten in the face of his worry for his daughter. “I’m sorry, Jack. That must be terrifying for both of you.”
“Gabe has been a rock for her,” Jack admitted, and Holly could hear the gratitude in his voice. “I’m so grateful he’s here. That Jane has someone who understands what she’s going through.”
“Oh,” Holly said, her brows knitting together as pieces clicked into place. “Yes, I saw them together a few times.”
She felt a rush of guilt wash over her. She had been so preoccupied with Simon and her own problems that she hadn’t even realized what was happening with Jane. Hadn’t noticed that Jack’s daughter was going through something serious. Hadn’t offered support or asked if there was anything she could do to help.
“When will she get the results?” Holly asked.
“A few days,” Jack said. “Maybe sooner. The waiting is the hardest part.”
They stood there in the middle of the half-finished room, close enough to touch but not quite touching, both processingeverything that had just happened. The fight. The kiss. The confessions.
“What did Simon want?” Jack asked finally, his voice quieter now. “When you met with him?”
Holly took a breath, gathering her thoughts. “He wanted me to spy on you. To find out who’s been helping your family fight the sale of the inn. He offered to sign the divorce papers immediately if I would tell him who’s been holding things up.”
Jack’s jaw clenched. “And what did you say?”
“I told him no,” Holly said firmly. “I told him there was no deal. That I wasn’t going to betray you or your family for his convenience.” She met Jack’s eyes directly. “And then I told him that you were ten times the man he could ever hope to be.”
Something in Jack’s expression softened. “You said that?”
“I said that and more,” Holly admitted. “I might have torn into him a bit about how you’re honest and honorable and actually care about people instead of just using them. If Charlie wasn’t there and we weren’t in a crowded cafe, I’m not sure what I would’ve done. All I wanted to do was slap his arrogant smile off his face.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of Jack’s mouth. “I would have liked to see that.”
“It was not my finest moment,” Holly said with a slight laugh. “But it felt good. Really good. To finally tell Simon exactly what I thought of him and his manipulations.”
“Good,” Jack said. He reached out and took Holly’s hand, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on her palm. “I’m sorry I doubted you. Sorry, I saw you with Simon and immediately assumed the worst instead of trusting what I know about you.”
“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away,” Holly said. “I thought I was protecting you, not adding to your stress. But I see now that keeping it from you just made things worse.”
They stood there holding hands in the middle of the paint-splattered room, the air between them slowly clearing of the tension and mistrust that had been building for two days.
“We’re not very good at this, are we?” Jack said with a rueful smile. “The communication thing.”
“We’re both carrying a lot of baggage,” Holly said. “Both scared of being hurt again. It makes us do stupid things like keep secrets and jump to conclusions.”
“We need to do better,” Jack said firmly. “If this—” he gestured between them, “—is going to work, we need to actually talk to each other. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable.”
“Agreed,” Holly said. “No more secrets. No more assumptions. We talk, even if it’s hard.”
Jack pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. Holly leaned into his embrace, feeling the solid warmth of him, breathing in the scent of sawdust and paint and something that was just Jack.
“I really like you, Holly Bennett,” Jack murmured into her hair. “More than I’ve liked anyone in a very long time. And it scares me how much.”
“I really like you, too, Jack Christmas,” Holly admitted. “And it terrifies me.”
They stood there holding each other, both acknowledging their fear while also choosing to move forward despite it. It was not a grand romantic gesture. It was not a declaration of love or a promise of forever. But it was real and honest, and right now, that was enough.
“We should probably eat something,” Jack said eventually, though he made no move to let her go. “Logan was right about being more creative on full stomachs.”
“Probably,” Holly agreed, but she did not pull away either.
They stayed there for another moment, just holding each other in the quiet room, both grateful that they had finally been honest. That they had fought and kissed and apologized and chosen to trust each other despite their fears.
It was not perfect. They still had a long way to go. But it was a start.
