Page 18 of Healing Hearts at the Christmas Inn
Jack had agreed, even though they could barely afford to feed themselves, let alone a Great Dane. But watching his daughter's face light up for the first time since the accident had been worth every penny.
Movement caught Jack's eye, and he looked up.
The third-floor balcony. Holly and Trinity were standing there, leaning against the railing, their faces turned toward the distant lights of St. Augustine. The city glowed on the horizon, its lights twinkling like a constellation fallen to earth, and even from here Jack could see the wonder on Trinity's face.
His pulse spiked.
Holly's profile was silhouetted against the light, her hair lifting slightly in the breeze. She said something to Trinity, her hand resting on the girl's shoulder, and the two of them stood there together, framed by the glow of the inn and the endless stretch of the ocean beyond.
Jack's chest tightened, that strange, electric feeling surging through him again.
What was it about her? About them?
He didn't know. But standing here, watching them, he felt something shift. Like the inn had been waiting for this. For them.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the spell. Jack pulled it out, frowning at the screen.Logan.
He turned away from the balcony and brought the phone to his ear. "Hey. Where are you? I thought you'd be here by now."
Logan's voice came through, warm and slightly exasperated. "Got tied up in Tampa. Some last-minute issue with a client's order. But I'm on my way now. Should be there in an hour or so."
"Good." Jack glanced back toward the inn, where the lights of the dining room spilled out onto the porch. "I'll keep a plate warm for you. And a cold beer."
Logan laughed. "You're a saint. See you soon."
Jack ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He turned toward the inn, his gaze drifting up to the third-floor balcony.
It was empty now.
He stood there for a moment, Duke panting at his side, and felt the weight of everything pressing down on him again. The bank. The developer. The thick envelope still stuffed in his desk drawer, its red letters screamingNotice of Intent to Collect.
He hadn't told anyone about it yet. Not his mother, not Jane, not even Logan. Pride, maybe. Or fear. Or just the desperate hope that if he ignored it long enough, it would somehow go away.
But it wouldn't. He knew that.
Jack whistled for Duke, and the dog came bounding back, sand clinging to his paws. They walked toward the inn together, the lights growing brighter with each step, and Jack let himself imagine, just for a moment, that everything would be okay.
That this Christmas would bring the miracle they needed.
That the strange, electric feeling humming through his chest meant something good was coming, not just more heartbreak.
The inn's door swung open ahead of them, warm light spilling out onto the porch, and Jack stepped inside with Duke at his heels.
Behind him, the ocean whispered against the shore, relentless and eternal.
And somewhere, deep in the heart of the inn, Jack could have sworn he felt his father smile.
7
CHARLIE
The highway stretched ahead, dark and empty, the white lines disappearing beneath Charlie's tires in a hypnotic rhythm. She'd been driving for hours, her shoulders tight, her eyes burning from staring at the road. But she was close now. The GPS showed less than ten miles to St. Augustine, and despite her exhaustion, a flutter of anticipation stirred in her chest.
St. Augustine. Who hadn't heard of it? One of the oldest cities in the country, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers. Charlie had read about it in history books, seen pictures in travel magazines, but she'd never actually been there. Work had always gotten in the way. Cases that couldn't be rescheduled, clients who needed her, and meetings that stretched late into the evening.
But not this time. This time, she'd put her foot down. Told her assistant to clear her calendar, forwarded her calls to another attorney, and promised herself she wouldn't check her email more than once a day.
This was her vacation. Her first real one in years. And she was going to enjoy every minute of it.
