Chapter 9 Holly
HOLLY
Sleep had abandoned Holly sometime around three in the morning.
She'd lain in the unfamiliar bed, staring at the ceiling while moonlight filtered through the gauzy curtains and painted silver stripes across the walls.
The sound of the ocean was different here.
Louder. More insistent. In Miami, the water had been a distant backdrop, something she noticed only when she specifically listened for it.
But here, on Anastasia Island, the waves were a presence.
They crashed and rolled, whispering, filling the silence with a rhythm that was both soothing and restless.
Eventually, Holly had given up trying to force sleep and climbed out of bed.
Now, as pale pink light began to creep across the horizon, she laced up her running shoes on the small balcony outside her bedroom.
The air was cool and damp, carrying the sharp tang of salt and something green and alive.
December in Florida meant temperatures in the sixties, perfect for a morning run.
She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, tugged her lightweight jacket over her tank top, and slipped quietly through the suite.
Trinity's door was closed, soft snores audible from within. Charlie's door was shut too, and Holly smiled. Her sister had always been able to sleep through anything.
Holly made her way down the stairs, her footsteps light on the polished wood.
The inn was silent at this hour, the lobby dim except for the glow of a single lamp left burning near the front desk.
Through the windows, she could see the sky beginning to lighten, the darkness giving way to shades of lavender and gold.
She pushed through the back door onto the wide wooden deck that overlooked the beach. The boardwalk stretched before her, weathered planks leading down to the sand, and beyond that, the Atlantic spread out like a vast canvas waiting to be painted by the sunrise.
Holly descended the steps and her shoes sank into soft sand.
She paused for a moment, breathing deeply, letting the morning settle into her bones.
Everything felt different here. Cleaner somehow.
Fresher. It was absurd, really. This was the same ocean that touched Miami's shores, the same water, the same salt air.
But standing here, watching the sun peek over the edge of the world, it felt like she'd crossed into another realm entirely.
Holly shook off the thought and started jogging along the hard-packed sand near the waterline.
The beach was deserted, just her and the gulls wheeling overhead.
Her muscles protested at first, stiff from the long drive and the uncomfortable sleep, but after a few minutes, they loosened and she found her rhythm.
The waves rolled in beside her, their foam white and lacy in the growing light.
She'd been running for maybe ten minutes when a blur of brown streaked past her.
Holly stumbled, her heart leaping into her throat, and turned to see an enormous dog bounding back toward her. The Great Dane skidded to a stop, his tail wagging furiously, and launched himself upward in what could only be described as joyful enthusiasm.
Holly laughed, catching his paws before they could land on her chest. "Whoa! Easy there, buddy!"
Duke barked once, his tongue lolling out in a goofy grin, and spun in a circle before jumping at her again.
"Where did you come from?" Holly scratched behind his ears, and the dog practically melted with happiness.
"I'm so sorry." The voice came from behind her, deep and warm with a hint of breathlessness. Holly straightened and turned.
Jack was jogging toward her, his dark hair tousled by the wind, wearing running shorts and a faded gray shirt that clung to his broad shoulders. Even from a distance, she could see the smile on his face, equal parts apologetic and amused.
"He got away from me," Jack said as he reached them. Duke immediately abandoned Holly and bounded over to his owner, circling him with unrestrained joy. "We're usually the only ones out here this early, so I let him run free. I didn't expect anyone else to be up."
Holly found herself smiling back, her pulse doing something strange that had nothing to do with the run. "It's fine. He's sweet."
Jack clipped a leash onto Duke's collar, but the dog was already straining toward Holly again, clearly smitten. "I think he's in love."
"The feeling is mutual." Holly crouched down to give Duke one more scratch, and the dog leaned into her hand with a contented sigh.
When she stood, Jack was watching her with an expression she couldn't quite read. His blue eyes caught the morning light, and for a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Jack cleared his throat and gestured down the beach. "Were you heading this way? I can keep Duke on the leash if you want to continue your run without being ambushed."
Holly hesitated. The sensible thing would be to thank him and continue alone. She'd come out here for solitude, for space to think. But standing in the soft glow of sunrise with this man and his ridiculous dog, solitude suddenly felt less appealing.
"I don't mind the company," she heard herself say. "If you're heading the same direction."
Jack's smile widened, and something warm unfurled in Holly's chest. "I am."
They started jogging together, Duke trotting happily between them. For a while, neither spoke. The silence was comfortable, filled only with the sound of their breathing, the rhythmic thud of their shoes on packed sand, and the constant rush of the waves.
It was Jack who broke the quiet first. "So what are your plans while you're here? Just taking it easy, or are you planning to do some sightseeing?"
Holly glanced at him, surprised by how natural the question felt.
As if they were old friends catching up, rather than having just met the night before.
"A bit of both, I think. Trinity is so excited about everything.
The lights in St. Augustine, the beach, just being somewhere new. I want to make sure she has fun."
"She seems like a great kid," Jack said with a warm smile. "The way she lit up when she met Duke last night."
Holly laughed. "She's always loved animals. Begged for a dog for years, but with our schedules..." She trailed off, not wanting to get into the complicated reality of her household.
They jogged in silence for another moment before Jack spoke again. "What about her parents? Are they joining you later for the holidays?"
The question was innocent, conversational, but it landed like a stone in Holly's chest. She should deflect, should offer some vague answer that didn't reveal too much.
But something about the morning, about the way Jack's voice held genuine interest rather than idle curiosity, made the truth spill out before she could stop it.
"Trinity's mother passed away six years ago." The words felt heavy on her tongue, weighted with grief that time had softened but never erased. "She was a medic in the army. Abigail. There was an attack on her base, and she didn't make it home."
Jack's footsteps faltered. "I'm so sorry."
Holly nodded, her throat tight. "Abigail was wonderful. Kind, brave, and everything you'd want in a daughter. Trinity was only six when it happened. She's had to grow up without a mother."
"And her father?"
"My son, Gabe." Holly's voice softened speaking his name. "He's still deployed. We haven't seen him in two years. He was supposed to come home for Christmas, but his leave got cancelled. Again. This is the third year in a row."
She heard Jack make a sound, a mix of sympathy and understanding. "That must be hard. For both of you."
"It is." Holly blinked against the sudden sting in her eyes. "Trinity tries to be brave about it. She's so much like her mother that way. But I see it in her eyes sometimes. The longing. She misses him so much."
They'd slowed to a walk without Holly realizing it. Duke had stopped to investigate a piece of driftwood, and they stood there on the sand, the sunrise painting everything in shades of rose and amber.
"Is that why you came here?" Jack asked gently. "To give her a happy Christmas even without her dad?"
Holly nodded. "I found a brochure for the inn in my.
.." She hesitated, then pushed forward. "In my ex-husband's study.
I was cleaning it out after our separation, and there it was.
The Christmas Inn. It looked magical in the photos.
Like exactly the kind of place where someone could forget their troubles for a while. "
Jack was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was low and certain. "Then it's meant to be. You being here."
The words hit Holly with unexpected force. She turned to look at him fully and found that he was already watching her. His expression was open, earnest, with something in his eyes that made her breath catch.
"Meant to be," she repeated softly.
"Yes." Jack held her gaze. "Sometimes I think the inn has a way of bringing people exactly when they need to be here. My mother believes it. She says the place has a soul."
Holly felt something flutter in her stomach, a warm, electric sensation. "Do you believe it?"
Jack's mouth curved into a small smile. "I'm starting to."
The moment stretched between them, filled with possibility and the sound of waves. Duke barked, breaking the spell, and they both laughed.
"We should probably head back," Jack said, but he didn't move.
"Probably," Holly agreed, but she didn't either.
Finally, Jack cleared his throat and turned back the way they'd come. "Come on. Let's head back to the inn."
They started jogging again, this time at a slower pace, and the conversation flowed more easily. Jack's expression had softened, thoughtful in a way that made Holly think he was still processing what she'd shared about Trinity.