Despite the trauma of last night, Jazz dances beautifully, the best I’ve seen from her to date. She knows she performed well and talks excitedly about it on the way home. But the minute we arrive at the cottage, she goes silent.
I put the Jeep in park and turn around to look at her in the back seat. “I don’t feel like working today. Why don’t we go for a drive in the mountains? Maybe we’ll come across a quaint little place to have lunch.”
She gives me a small smile. Not exactly what I was hoping. But it’s something.
I’m backing out of the parking space, when Jack appears in my rearview mirror. I roll down my window, and he sticks his head inside. “Where are you two lovelies headed?”
“For a drive in the mountains,” I say. “Wanna come?”
Jazz claps her hands. “Please, Uncle Jack!”
A broad smile lights up his face. “You bet.” He opens my door. “But move over. I’m driving. I’m not riding on winding mountain roads with a novice driver.”
Scrambling over the center console, I buckle my seat belt as he takes off around the main building. Jazz falls asleep before we reach the town limits.
“Did you watch Billy’s video?” I ask as we begin our first ascent.
Jack glances over at me, but I can’t read his expression. “I did.”
“And? What do you think?”
He returns his eyes to the road. “I think Billy went to extreme measures to protect Jazz. He had good reason to suspect trouble ahead with Naomi. He makes it clear how much he missed having you in his life. He obviously had faith in you.”
“How could he, when he never really knew me? He only had reports from private investigators to go on.”
“Maybe so, but you’re his daughter. His and Hannah’s.”
“True.” I brace myself against the dashboard as Jack takes a hairpin curve too fast for my liking. I wait until my heart stops pounding to ask, “Do you think Brian’s been testing me? I have a hunch Billy authorized Brian to use the renovation project as a gauge, to see whether I measure up to Jameson standards.”
“Can you blame him? You’re awfully young for such an enormous responsibility. But you passed with flying colors. You’re doing a remarkable job with the renovations, and you’re taking excellent care of Jazz, much better than her mother.”
When we come to a steep incline, Jack steps on the gas, and we ride for a while, each of us lost in our thoughts.
We’re cruising along a straight stretch of highway when Jack breaks the silence. “I love you, Stella. Whether today or next week or a year from now, I’m gonna marry you.”
Despite the fluttering in my belly, I pretend to be insulted. “You’re awfully confident.”
“Damn right, I’m confident. We have something special. You know that as well as I do.”
I smile. “I do know that. There’s nothing I want more than to be with you.” My smile fades. “But how does Jazz fit into your vision of our happily ever after?”
“However she fits into your life, she fits into mine. I love that kid.” He flashes me a grin. “And she loves me too. Did you hear her call me Uncle Jack earlier?”
I laugh. “I did hear that.”
“If you want to try for custody, I’ll raise her as my own,” Jack says.
Warmth radiates throughout my body. “You’re too good to me, Jack.”
He takes my hand. “I’m just getting started,” he says, bringing my fingers to his lips.
Craning my neck, I watch Jazz sleeping peacefully in her car seat. “I’m not ready to give up on Naomi just yet. For Jazz’s sake, I feel compelled to give her one more chance to straighten out her life. As we work through the issues, though, Jazz will continue to live with me. It’s not ideal, I know. I’d much rather be sharing my bed with you than a six-year-old.”
“The two of you could live with me. I have enough empty bedrooms for all three of us to have our own.” Jack winks at me. “Then we can sneak around at night after Jazz goes to bed.”
The arrangement could work. His house is close enough to the farm. But I want to do what’s best for my little sister. “As much as I relish the thought of living in your beautiful home, we need to remain at the cottage. Jazz feels safe there. The location is ideal. I only wish there was more than one bedroom.”
“At some point you’ll have to address that issue.”
“How do you suggest we go about doing that?”
“Raise the roof. You could easily add a second floor with three bedrooms. You’d need an architect, of course.”
“As it happens, I’m meeting with an architect next week about the summer house.” I play-punch his arm. “You’re full of good ideas. Having a builder boyfriend comes in handy.”
“I want to be more than your boyfriend, Stella. I want to be your fiancé. I won’t pressure you to get married until you’re ready. But I need a commitment from you now.” He unbuckles his seat belt and digs into his pocket. He produces a gray silicon wedding band. “This is the best I could do on short notice. We’ll shop for a diamond together later.”
I stare at the ring and back at him. “Are you seriously proposing right now, while you’re driving on the highway?”
He grins. “At least it’s a scenic route. What do you say, Stella? When the time is right, will you marry me?”
I take the plastic band from him and slip it on my ring finger. “Oh look!” I say with mock surprise. “It’s a perfect fit!”
“I take that as a yes.”
Leaning across the console, I lay my head on his shoulder. “Yes, Jack, I’d be honored to be your wife. When the time is right.”
We drive for another twenty miles as we make plans for the future. We agree to keep our engagement a secret for now, to put some distance between last night’s traumatic event and our happy announcement. We’ve known each other only a little over two months, and we want to take our time in getting to know each other better.
When Jazz finally wakes up, we grab sandwiches from a gourmet market in the next small town and have a picnic at an overlook park on our way back to Hope Springs. As we’re pulling into the farm, I say, “I have something I need to take care of, Jack. Any chance you could watch Jazz for a few minutes?”
“Of course.” He searches for Jazz in the rearview mirror. “Hey, kiddo, wanna walk through the main building with me? I’m pretty sure I can find a hard hat to fit over all that hair of yours.”
She sticks her tongue out at him. “Funny, Uncle Jack.”
He parks the Jeep beside the cottage and drops the key in my palm. “Cecily wanted me to tell you she’s preparing a tasting menu for us to sample later this afternoon. She’s even including some kid-friendly dishes for Jazz.”
“Sounds like dinner to me,” I say. “Maybe afterward, we can take Jazz for a swim in the lake.” I say this for Jazz’s benefit, and out of the corner of my eye, I watch for her reaction. She appears visibly relieved that, for the foreseeable future, she’ll be with me.
Jack says, “I’ll have to run home for my swim trunks, but count me in.”
When Jack and Jazz head off toward the main building, I cut across the lawn to the carriage house. Naomi doesn’t answer when I knock on the door of her suite, but I find Cecily sautéing mushrooms on the stove in the kitchen.
“Have you seen Naomi? Her car’s out front, but she’s not in her room.”
Rolling out biscuit dough on the counter, Cecily says, “She left about an hour ago, but she didn’t say where she was going.”
I talk to Cecily for a minute about her plans for this afternoon’s tasting before continuing my search for Naomi. I don’t have to go far. I find her sitting on the ground, leaning back against Opal’s tree. When I approach, she springs to her feet.
“Where’s Jazz?” she asks, looking past me. “I’ve been waiting for you for hours. I thought you’d bring her back after her ballet lesson.”
“She’s up at the main building with Jack. I asked him to keep an eye on her while we talk. We’re playing by my rules now, Naomi.”
She rolls her eyes. “And what rules are those, Stella?”
“Jazz is going to continue living with me for the foreseeable future. She doesn’t feel safe with you. Who can blame her after everything that’s happened?”
Naomi looks down at her feet. “Can I visit her?”
“Of course. On Jazz’s terms. It’s up to you to earn back her trust. You’ll have to find somewhere else to live, though. Jack will be starting renovations on the carriage house soon. As for your job, you can head up our marketing department. On a trial basis. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll have to find a job somewhere else. You have issues you need to work through, Naomi. Take this time for yourself, to sort out your life.”
She glares at me. “And what if I don’t play by your rules?”
“I’ll sue you for custody of Jazz. Brian thinks I have a good chance of winning.”
Naomi grunts. “I highly doubt that,” she says, but I hear skepticism in her tone.
I hold up a finger. “There’s one more rule. The most important one. In order to work at the inn and be allowed visitation with Jazz, you’ll have to attend regular meetings at Alcoholics Anonymous. I’m happy to help you find a sponsor.”
She spins around and stalks off.
I call after her, “If it were up to me, I’d kick you off my property right now and never let you come back. I’m giving you one more chance, Naomi. But only because you’re Jazz’s mother.”
I don’t wait for her response. I stroll off in the opposite direction toward the cottage. For the first time since coming to Hope Springs, I feel in control. I’m behind the wheel, and Billy is riding alongside me in the passenger seat. While I’m in charge of my own destiny, I trust Billy and Brian and Jack not to let me go off course.
In the bedroom at the cottage, I remove the photograph of Mom and Billy from the Bible in the nightstand and study it closely. I am the product of these two people, each talented in his and her own way. Managing the renovation project has enabled me to discover some of my own hidden talents. And I have a sneaking suspicion I’m just getting started. With my newly acquired confidence, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. I have a vision for the future of the inn, and thanks to the Jameson fortune, I can make that dream a reality. Billy has entrusted me with his family’s heritage and his beloved daughter. Regardless of the terms of the will, my little sister is the rightful co-owner of Hope Springs Farm. I will rebuild the inn bigger and better than before, not only for me but also for Jazz. During my first days in Virginia, my Uncle Brian encouraged me to dream big. And I aim to do just that.
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