Jack must have sensed her train of thought, because he jumped back in. “So Christi came here to start over. Like you did.”

Hannah regarded her, face solemn. “It’s hard, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Very.” Christi covered the girl’s hand with her own. “But you and I are strong. We’ll be okay. Especially since we have people who care about us. That makes all the difference.”

“I have Aunt Erica—and him.” She slid a peek toward Jack. “But who do you have?”

“A very dear friend named Tasha. She lives in Dallas. And I have you now too.” She forced up the corners of her lips.

“He can be your friend again too, can’t he?” She indicated Jack.

Before she could respond Jack spoke. “Yes.”

At the warmth in his eyes, her breath hitched.

Maybe they’d made progress after all.

“Oh, goody! Harpo’s here.” Hannah pushed her chair back and jumped to her feet.

“Who?” Jack’s head swiveled to the window that overlooked the lawn and offered a view of the sea.

“The resident pelican.” Christi inspected the large white bird with the oversized orange beak. “Marci lives down the road, and she introduced me to him one day while I was at her house dropping off festival material. He’s been hanging out here the past few days, and he and Hannah have struck up an acquaintance.”

“Can I go out and see him?” Hannah bounced from one foot to the other.

“Fine by me, as long as Christi approves.” Jack deferred to her.

“No objection.” This would give her an opportunity to ask for his decision about the masterclass—and do her best to convince him to change his mind if he said no.

Hannah dashed toward the kitchen door, clattered down the steps on the deck, and approached the pelican.

“Won’t he fly away?” Jack watched the bird.

“Only if he feels threatened.” She exhaled. “Too bad humans don’t have such reliable instincts.”

He refocused on her. “If they did, I would never have gotten to know you.”

Ouch—but fair.

Thank goodness she’d changed.

“The same is true for me, with Wes.” She swirled the dregs in her mug.

“My instincts are better now.” Jack’s expression was impossible to interpret.

Curious as she was about what that meant in terms of the two of them, tonight wasn’t the time to launch into such a personal discussion. Not when Hannah could come in at any moment. Not when she had to face the chamber of commerce and the town merchants tomorrow and present her plan. A plan that still had a hole in the programming she wanted to fill.

She finished off the last of her cooling coffee and set the mug on the table in front of her. “Can we switch subjects? I know you said you’d get back to me this weekend about the masterclass, but the meeting is—”