Page 47 of Marry Me Tomorrow
I reach for his hand resting on the console, lacing our fingers together. He glances at me, his smile easy and relaxed. He squeezes my hand gently before returning his focus to the road.
Yes, I could get used to a life with Trent—even if it’s only temporary.
Chapter 19
Trent
“What do you mean, there was a mix-up with our reservation?” I ask Sheryl, the receptionist at Whispering Falls Cabins. My voice rises slightly as I struggle to process how something like this could have happened. The words come out sharper than intended. I made our reservation weeks ago, meticulously ensuring every detail was in place.
Sheryl’s eyes flicker with nervousness, and she adjusts her nametag as if searching for answers. “I’m not sure what happened, but someone else checked into your cabin yesterday.”
“It’s okay,” Jenny says softly, her voice a soothing balm as she places a gentle hand on my arm. The warmth of her touch calms me. “Is there another cabin available by chance that we could have instead?”
Sheryl taps at her keyboard for a few moments, her fingers moving quickly but with a quiet desperation. The click of the keys reverberates in the small office, creating an almost unbearable silence. Finally, she looks up, her expression a mixture of apology and resignation. “We do have one available—it’s a bit more secluded, but it’s next to a nice trail that leads to a beautiful waterfall. And it has its own firepit.”
“Great,” Jenny says, her voice steady, though there’s a hint of forced cheer. “See, Trent? Everything is good. Sheryl was able to find us another two-bedroom cabin. It’s fine that it’s not the one we had signed up for, and I love a good waterfall.”
Sheryl’s gaze flits between us, uncertainty deepening the lines on her face. “Well, it’s actually not a two-room cabin.”
“All good,” Jenny says quickly. “More space is perfectly fine with us.”
“No, you misunderstand, Mrs. Hughes,” Sheryl continues, her tone quieter now. “It’s a one-bedroom cabin.”
“It’s a what?” Jenny’s voice rises, the shock apparent in her wide eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Sheryl says, lowering her gaze. “It’s the only one we have left.”
Now it’s my turn to try to ease the tension. “We’ll take it,” I say, giving Jenny’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll make it work,” I tell Jenny. “Don’t worry.”
Jenny’s wide-eyed stare remains fixed on me as I finish checking in, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion. Sheryl hands us free tickets to Anakeesta, an outdoor adventure park and nature experience with beautiful views of the Smoky Mountains, as compensation. I thank Sheryl and lead Jenny back to the truck.
“One bedroom,” she says, as we drive up the winding road toward our cabin. “I can’t believe it.”
If I hadn’t gotten the hint from last night, or from the checkout desk, I definitely do now. Jenny does not want to share a room with me.
“Not a problem,” I reply, keeping my eyes on the road. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
After pulling up to the cabin, we gather our things and the groceries we picked up on our way through town. We set down our luggage, then survey the cabin. The living room feels sparse, almost bare, with only two chairs and a fireplace. It is nothing like the cozy cabin I had originally booked. “Well,” I say, “this is a fun turn of events.”
“Trent, I think your definition of fun and mine are a little different,” Jenny replies, sinking into one of the worn chairs. “There is no couch, Trent.”
“None,” I say. “Nada.”
“Zip and zilch,” Jenny says. “Now what are we going to do?”
I sit down in the other chair and place my feet on the ottoman. “This isn’t uncomfortable. I can just sleep here.”
Jenny sits up straighter, her brows furrowing as if she’s considering the possibilities. “No. You are not sleeping sitting up all weekend. That will not do.”
“I really don’t mind sleeping here, Jenny,” I say, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, even if volunteering to sleep here is more for my sake than hers. I don’t know what will happen if I end up sharing a bed with her.
She looks at me. “I’m guessing by the way you volunteered to sleep out here, there’s no way you’d let me sleep in the chair and you take the bed?”
I shake my head, smiling. “Not a chance.”
“Okay, then. That leaves one choice—we’ll have to share the bed.”
We nod in agreement, though the tension lingers between us. Jenny gets up and puts away the groceries, and I carry our luggage into the bedroom. When I step inside and see the bed, I suck in a tense breath. It’s a queen-sized bed, and with my big frame, it will feel more like a double. This is going to be . . . interesting.
