Chapter 19

On Sunday morning, Will arrives with groceries, wears Margaret’s apple apron, and he and Fern spend the day immersed in sex, omelets, and brief social obligations before retreating to his cabin. It is Fern’s happiest day—until Monday brings crisis.

After lunch Monday, Fern publicly declares she will stay on as owner. A housekeeper questions her qualifications, and soon AC units fail, driving one family away and prompting a scathing one-star review. The next day, Jamie flags a feature on The Daisy, a hip, amenity-rich competitor poised to siphon Brookbanks’ market.

On Thursday, Will leads a call with Baxter-Lee colleagues, presenting a three-year turnaround and marketing plan for a grand reopening next May, giving Fern hope—until the head of reservations immediately resigns to join The Daisy. In a punishing heat wave, Fern and Will swim at dusk; Will cooks nightly but slips away for cryptic phone alerts, feeding Fern’s doubts.

Peter pulls Fern into the pastry kitchen to taste breads, proposing soft dinner rolls to match her less-formal vision, retiring Maggie’s beloved sourdough from service. He reassures Fern he isn’t quitting and then reveals he and Margaret were longtime best friends and occasional partners, a relationship he’d hoped would become marriage. The confession reframes Fern’s view of her mother and Peter.

That night, Will cooks stir-fry and opens up: his ex, Jessica, ended things, calling him unable to commit; he admits he’s a poor boyfriend because caring for his sister Annabel and niece Sofia leaves little space. Fern, wanting more but wary of repeating Peter and Margaret’s imbalance, swallows her growing feelings and keeps the peace.