“She mentioned it, yeah. I didn’t ask for details. She didn’t seem to want to talk about it.”
Jorie crossed her arms. “That’s not surprising. I try to draw her out sometimes. To talk about it, especially when she gets quiet. Hilary was in a very dark place for a long time, understandably. She’s always dealt with things internally.”
He nodded.
“She’s finally coming back though,” Jorie said.
Dane nodded again, folding his hands together on the table. Between the person he’d met last Sunday at the airport and the woman who’d spent the morning with him, well, there was no comparison between Hilary then and now. Maybe being away from Jorie drew her out. Granted, he’d only met Hilary’s sister-in-law two days ago, but Jorie’s domineering nature had to overwhelm someone like Hilary, especially at a vulnerable time in her life.
“That’s why I think getting back to the farm with this new business mindset will be good for her,” Jorie continued. “I’m surprised at how engaged she seems now.”
Funny, hadn’t Hilary told him Jorie blamed her for not taking advantage of the conference? That Hilary seemed distracted?
“I have no way of knowing how she was before, so I’ll have to trust you on that.”
Jorie’s expression shifted. It wasn’t exactly displeasure, but Dane noticed the smile drop from her eyes.
“She seems to act differently whenyou’rearound. You two got off on the right foot, I’d say,” Jorie said. Her voice took on an extra chipper note, but there was still an iciness to the statement.
What could he say? That night in the kitchen changed things. Whatever walls she’d put up had been breached. He got to know the woman with the kind heart, sense of humor, and a passion for something she believed in. He also thought she’d found the courage to stand up to Jorie, to tell her that Jorie’s dream wasn’t necessarily her dream anymore. He regretted that he wouldn’t be around for THAT conversation.
“Like I said before, Hilary is a lot of fun. Bright, funny.” He stifled a smile. “And she likes Northwoods sunrises almost as much as I do.”
Jorie’s head snapped up. “What?”
A chuckle escaped him. “Oh, nothing. Private joke.”
She picked at a nail and was quiet for a few moments. “Listen, Dane. I’m not going to mince words. She’s still very fragile. So if something”—Jorie bobbled her head slightly while she looked upward as if trying to find the right word—“started between you two, it’s probably a good idea for a clean break.”
Dane bristled. Who was she to direct his love life? Poor Hilary lived under this woman’s thumb whether or not she realized it.
“Hilary is a grown woman. I think you should leave it up to her if she wants a ‘clean break’ as you say. I certainly don’t.”
“Fair enough.” She gave him another humorless smile.
Standing, she gathered her plate and cup. “Anyway, I’m happy to have had this little chat. Hilary mentioned you helped a lot with marketing ideas,” she said. “Not my strong suit. I can balance the books, but the whole social media thing? Not me at all.”
She waved her hand in the air like a limp flag, a parting, carefree gesture like they hadn’t just talked about late husbands and calling it quits on Hilary, the first woman he dared open his heart to since someone shattered it.
Dane leaned back, crossing his arms. “I told her to put my number on speed dial. She can call me anytime with questions.”
“Speed dial,” she mused as she pushed in her chair. “How nice.”
Hilary spenta half hour sprawled across her bed, sobbing into her pillow for twenty minutes and ten getting her game face on again. She didn’t want Jorie to find her in the midst of a crying fit, so she combed her hair, picked the mascara clumps from her eyelashes, and slipped into her shoes again. She spent a minute in front of the mirror smiling at her reflection, but all the practice in the world wouldn’t take the sadness from the lines around her eyes.
She hated leaving Dane like she did moments after she and Jorie came down for dinner. Of course he knew something was wrong right away. These days she had trouble keeping her emotions in check. They seemed to flood her thoughts and spill out in the form of tears, sharp words, or laughter that lasted a little too long. Maybe she was going crazy. So far she’d saved the outbursts for Jorie. But she was on the verge of crying when she recounted her fight with her sister-in-law to Dane. And his comment about Jorie always being nearby pushed her over the brink. That it was the last night with Dane didn’t help either.Boohooingin the middle of the conference wrap-up event would have been bad form. So she left.
She waited until the rosy bands across the sky faded and darkness fell across the lawn of Blueberry Point Lodge to come outside again. Lucy came over to talk with her and give her a hug, wishing her luck with the inn before Lucy left to join the dance party. Yandi and Meg wandered over to say goodbye, too, before they went upstairs.
“Our bus leaves at four in the morning for the airport. Mom isn’t an early bird,” Meg said, hooking her thumb at her mother behind her. “Come visit our alpacas sometime.”
From her spot on the patio, Hilary watched the congregation under the tent. The catering staff cleared the tables of empty bottles and discarded napkins and moved the tables to the perimeter of the tent. Now with room for dancing, the band kicked up their tempo. That prompted some of the restless guests to drag partners into the center of the makeshift dance floor right away. The overhead string lights cast an inviting glow on the surroundings, something Hilary couldn’t deny even though she wasn’t feeling very festive. She walked toward the tent for the second time that night.
Dane spotted her right away and left his stool at the bar.
He was so good-looking it nearly took her breath away. His moppish head of hair was combed into some semblance of control. That smoky look she loved about him was enhanced by the low lighting of the tent. All day she’d dreamed of kissing him again. Then as the hours progressed and Jorie’s stony silence carried into the afternoon, Hilary’s mood tanked. Guilt over betraying Jorie overshadowed her daydreams about Dane.
Dane reached for her hand as she came near.
