Chapter 5 - Rebuilding from the Ashes
For the next three weeks, Jolene and Mabel stayed at the Sheridan estate—a secure, breathtaking mansion overlooking the Mississippi River.
It was a world away from Lamar Street. There were manicured lawns, private chefs, and endless rooms. But Knox didn't eat the food his chefs prepared. Every night, he sat at the grand dining table, waiting for Jolene to bring out a simple plate of corn cake, red beans, or smoked greens.
Slowly, the tension in the house began to melt away.
Mabel treated the massive mansion like her personal playground, arranging the silk napkins on the grand dining table with her usual serious precision. Knox, the man who had spent his life avoiding attachments, found himself kneeling on the Persian rugs, helping her build towers out of wooden blocks.
"You're good with her," Jolene said one evening, walking into the library with two cups of hot tea.
Knox looked up from the floor, where Mabel had fallen asleep with her head on his knee. "She has her grandmother’s spirit. She doesn't let anyone tell her she's too small to make a difference."
Jolene sat on the sofa beside him, her heart skipping a beat as she looked at his rugged, handsome face. "The contractors said the restaurant will be ready next week. The city cleared the permits. You... you really rebuilt the whole block."
"It's a modern kitchen now," Knox smiled. "Fireproof. Bulletproof. And you own the building, Jolene. Officially."
"I don't know how I'll ever repay you, Knox," she whispered, her eyes shining with emotion.
"You don't have to," Knox said, reaching out to take her hand. His hand was warm, his grip steady. "Just promise me one thing."
"What?"
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"Let me have a table in the corner. The one nobody else can reserve."
Jolene laughed softly, her hand tightening around his. "You already have the best seat in the house, Knox. You always did."
