Chapter 6 Holly
HOLLY
Holly sat across from Charlie and Trinity at the small breakfast table in their suite, her coffee growing cold in her hands.
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room, but Holly barely noticed.
She was still tense from the strain that had been rippling through her and Jack’s interactions over the past two days.
She knew she was being a coward. This was the second morning in a row she had avoided breakfast with Jack, choosing instead to hide in her family’s suite. But facing him across a table, pretending everything was fine when it clearly was not, felt like more than she could manage right now.
“So how is the ballroom coming along?” Charlie asked, breaking into Holly’s thoughts.
Trinity’s face lit up with enthusiasm. “It’s coming along beautifully! Jane is doing incredible work with the decorations. You should see what she’s done with the coastal theme—seashells and driftwood mixed with traditional Christmas ornaments. It’s magical.”
Holly managed a smile at her granddaughter’s excitement. “The renovations are progressing well too. We have four guest rooms ready and renovated.”
“That’s wonderful,” Charlie said encouragingly.
“We’re hoping to have at least six more finished before the week of Christmas,” Holly continued. “Bookings are starting to come in from people out of town who heard the Winter Ball is back on.”
“That’s good news,” Charlie observed. “It means people believe in the inn again. They believe the Winter Ball will actually happen.”
Small victories, Holly thought. In the midst of everything falling apart, at least there were small victories.
Trinity glanced at the clock on the wall and sat up straighter. “Maddy should be here by now. We have to go collect more seashells for more decorations Jane wants.”
“I’ll go with you to the beach,” Charlie said immediately, her voice taking on that protective tone Holly recognized.
Trinity sighed but smiled. “I know, Aunt Charlie. We won’t go without an adult after what happened with Maddy’s father.” She stood up and looked at Holly. “Gran, can I go meet Maddy in the kitchen?”
“Sure,” Holly said, grateful for the chance to speak with Charlie alone about everything weighing on her mind.
Trinity kissed both her grandmother’s and great-aunt’s cheeks, then was gone in a flash of pre-teen energy, the door closing softly behind her.
The moment they were alone, Charlie wasted no time. “Has Simon contacted you since his appearance here two nights ago?”
“No,” Holly said, grateful for that at least. Two days without Simon’s interference felt like a small mercy.
“Don’t speak to him,” Charlie said firmly, her lawyer voice emerging. “If he messages or phones, let me know right away. Just tell him you’ll call him back when you have me present.”
“I will,” Holly promised. She meant it. She did not want to deal with Simon alone. She didn’t trust herself not to say something she would regret, not to let him manipulate her the way he always had.
Charlie’s expression softened slightly, and she leaned back in her chair. “Now, how was your first date with Jack the other night?”
Holly felt her eyes fill with emotion before she could stop them. The worry and disappointment she had been carrying for two days rose up in her throat.
Charlie immediately went back on high alert. “Holly?”
“Not great,” Holly replied quietly, her voice thick with disappointment and confusion.
“What happened?”
Holly set down her coffee cup, her hands trembling slightly. “What was supposed to be an exciting evening turned into a strained one. I felt like I was on a blind date. It was awkward, and we were both preoccupied with Simon and Terry’s thing.”
“Oh, Holly,” Charlie’s voice filled with outrage. “How dare Simon ruin our holiday like this?”
“With what’s going on with the inn,” Holly pointed out, trying to be fair even though fairness was the last thing she felt like extending to Simon, “someone was going to ruin it. I just didn’t think the doom and gloom would come from my side.”
Charlie’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I hope you told Jack that you knew nothing about Simon and Terry’s dealings? Or did you know?”
Holly felt shock flash through her, followed immediately by hurt. “Of course not. I would never have come here if I’d known Simon or Terry were in any way involved with this place.”
Charlie nodded immediately. “I believe you.” She said it firmly, then her expression shifted to sympathy. “But I’m guessing Jack isn’t as convinced as I am?”
“Good guess,” Holly replied bitterly. “Things are winding so tightly between us and not in a good way.”
“That Simon...” Charlie actually growled with frustration, a sound so uncharacteristic of her polished sister that Holly almost smiled. “Don’t worry, big sister. I’ll get to the bottom of all this and keep that man and your ex-best friend away.”
“Thank you,” Holly said with a sad smile. “But even if you manage to find out who’s behind this and we somehow work a miracle to save the inn...” She swallowed hard, her heart heavy in her chest. “I think a wedge has already been driven between Jack and me. I’m not sure if we can remove it.”
Charlie shook her head firmly. “I don’t believe that for one minute. I’m convinced you and Jack are meant for each other. Why else would fate have drawn you here at the exact time when he needed you most?”
“Fate has a sick sense of humor, then,” Holly told her, her voice breaking slightly. “Because it handed me paradise with a chance at happiness again, only to dangle it in front of me before slapping Simon’s betrayal in both mine and Jack’s faces.”
“Jack is a reasonable man,” Charlie pointed out gently. “Just be open and honest with him. Keep that line of communication open between you, and you’ll see. The two of you will weather this storm.”
“More like a tsunami,” Holly muttered darkly.
Before Charlie could respond, Trinity and Maddy suddenly appeared in the doorway, ready for their beach adventure. Duke was probably already waiting by the door, his tail wagging with anticipation.
Charlie stood up, giving Holly’s hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving to fulfill her beach escort duty.
Holly finished her coffee slowly, trying to gather herself and prepare for the day ahead with Jack. The morning felt like it was already slipping away from her, and she had not even started the renovation work yet.
She sorted out the breakfast dishes and brought them to the kitchen, grateful for the mindless tasks that helped settle her nerves. As she was heading toward the first-floor renovation area, she ran into Gabe coming down the hallway.
“Have you seen Trinity?” he asked.
“She and Maddy went to the beach with Charlie,” Holly told him. “And presumably Duke, who loves going with them. They’re collecting more shells for decorations Jane wants.”
Gabe nodded, relief visible on his face. “Thanks. I’ll go tell Jane.”
Holly could see the worry in his expression, and she realized he was clearly concerned about Jane after yesterday’s bombshell from Pamela. The entire inn seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the next crisis.
Holly took a deep breath before approaching the first floor where she was supposed to meet Jack. She pushed all her uncertainty away and tried to bring back the normalcy and ease that had been between them just days ago. A light tone. A warm smile. Pretending everything was fine.
She saw Jack already there, trying to do the same. They were both working hard at pretending. Both were failing slightly, but at least they were appreciating the effort.
Soon they were into the swing of things, mapping out the next few days of work. They needed to finish this floor. Six more rooms needed to be ready before Christmas week. The timeline was tight, but it was doable if they stayed focused.
They worked together like they always had. Measuring, planning, and discussing materials. The familiar rhythm helped ease some of the tension between them, and Holly found herself relaxing slightly into the work.
Jack made suggestions about the crown molding, and Holly agreed, adding her own ideas about paint colors. They were finding middle ground, the way they always did when it came to the inn.
There were moments where it felt easy again. Where they laughed at a shared joke. Where their hands brushed as they both reached for the same tool at the same time. Moments where Holly could almost forget about Simon and Terry and the threat hanging over the inn.
But the underlying tension was still there, sitting beneath the surface like a fault line waiting to crack through.
They were about to break for lunch when Holly’s phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Then she froze completely.
It was Simon. “We need to talk urgently.”
Holly’s jaw clenched. Anger and frustration warred with anxiety in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
“Do you need to go?” Jack asked. His voice was carefully neutral, but Holly heard the undertone. “We don’t have to have lunch together.”
Holly heard the catch in his voice, the hurt hidden beneath the casual words.
“I just have to see Charlie quickly,” Holly said, trying to sound casual even though her heart was pounding. “You grab us a table and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Jack gave her a tight smile that did not quite reach his eyes. “Sure. Take your time.”
Holly watched him walk away, and she could feel their fragile relationship cracking a bit more with each step he took. The distance was growing, and she did not know how to stop it.
She went to find Charlie, needing advice and backup. She couldn’t deal with Simon alone.
Holly found Charlie in the library. Logan had gone to get them lunch, and Charlie was surrounded by papers and her laptop, deep in research mode.
“Charlie,” Holly said in a low voice, urgent but quiet. She pushed her phone toward her sister with Simon’s message still open on the screen. “What do I do?”
Charlie picked up the phone and read the message. Her expression hardened. Then she started typing without asking permission.
“Meet me at Corner Café in St. Augustine at noon tomorrow.”
The dots appeared almost immediately. Simon was typing his response. Then the message popped up: “I’ll be there.”
Holly looked at her sister, confused and slightly panicked. “What did you do that for?” Her eyes searched Charlie’s face. “I thought you didn’t want me speaking to him alone.”
“You won’t be,” Charlie told her firmly, meeting Holly’s eyes with steady confidence. “I’ll be there with you.”
Relief flooded through Holly. She would not have to face Simon alone. Charlie would be there, her lawyer sister as armor and protection.
But worry remained. Meeting Simon at all felt dangerous, like opening a door she had worked so hard to close.
“We need to find out what he really wants,” Charlie said, reading Holly’s expression with the accuracy that came from a lifetime of being sisters. “And I need to see his face when we ask certain questions. Body language tells the truth even when words don’t.”
It made sense. It was logical. But Holly’s stomach was still churning with anxiety.
Tomorrow at noon. Corner Café. With Charlie as witness and protection.
Holly told herself she could handle this. She could face Simon with her sister by her side. She could get the answers they needed.
But what about Jack? Should she tell him? Would it make things worse if she did not?
Holly decided not to mention it yet. She would tell him after, once she knew what Simon really wanted. She did not want to worry him unnecessarily.
She thanked Charlie, tucked her phone back in her pocket, and headed toward the dining room, wondering if Jack would actually be waiting for her.
Holly stopped just outside the library door and took a few deep breaths, pushing her phone into her pocket.
“Keep calm. Push your uncertainty away. I will find out what Simon’s client is up to for Jack. ”
With that she moved toward the dining room.