Page 20

NINETEEN

Tate

“Where are you sleeping tonight?” I ask Lauren after unloading all the groceries from her trunk at the Bear Creek Lodge. We managed to survive the checkout line at Harold’s Market without running into anyone else, probably because we were the last customers to leave the store.

“I was supposed to room with Patty. I think Granny put my suitcase in there,” she says, picking up two grocery bags. “I guess nothing says ‘welcome to the family’ like sharing a bed with your dad’s girlfriend and her CPAP machine.”

I laugh. “At least you’re only sleeping there. You don’t have to be her best friend.”

She gives me a look. “Tate, women don’t just sleep. They have sleepovers that involve sharing your innermost feelings. Believe me, I don’t want to know how Patty feels about my dad. I’m not ready for that level of vulnerability yet.” She grabs a blanket from the trunk and tucks it under her arm.

I take the rest of the grocery bags as we head toward the lodge. “So, are there any extra rooms available?”

“No, but I’ll figure something out,” she says, shrugging. “Maybe one of the couches in the game room. The sectional is actually pretty comfortable. ”

“You’re going to sleep on a couch in a common area?” I ask, frowning. “That doesn’t seem very private.”

“It’s just for tonight. I’ll work something out tomorrow. Or there’s always the screened-in porch if the weather stays warm.” She’s trying to sound casual, but I notice the tension on her face.

“I have a cabin,” I point out. “With a fold-out bed. You’re welcome to stay there.”

Lauren’s eyes meet mine briefly before she shakes her head. “I appreciate the offer, Tate, I really do. But I think that might complicate things more than they already are.” She gives me a grimace. “I should probably stay in the main lodge.”

“Fair enough,” I say, even though I don’t like the idea of her trying to sleep on a couch where anyone could walk in.

We enter the house, greeted by the sounds of conversation and laughter coming from multiple rooms. The main entryway opens into a grand living area to the right that’s bustling with activity—clearly no space for privacy. The bedrooms must be located upstairs, out of the way of all this noise.

“Do you want help unpacking the groceries?” I offer as we make a left toward the kitchen and dining room.

The kitchen is spacious but crowded, cluttered with snacks, drinks, and serving dishes.

A large island stands in the center, and beyond it, french doors lead to what must be the screened porch she mentioned.

“I can manage,” she says. “But thanks for the groceries assist. I’ll see you in the morning for the water balloon toss.”

I head toward the living room and pass a stairwell to the basement where I glimpse a pool table and what looks like an entertainment center.

Several kids run up and down the stairs, while others argue about what movie to watch, confirming what I suspected—there’s no privacy sleeping in the middle of that kind of pandemonium.

When I reach the living room, I find Annie curled up on Olivia’s lap. “You’re not taking this sweetie pie from me, are you?” she asks, wrapping her arms around the dog like it’s a hostage situation .

I grin. “How about if I promise to bring her back tomorrow?”

“Okay, fine. As long as I get first dibs,” Olivia says, handing her off to me.

“Me second,” Aunt Tammy calls from the card game she’s playing.

“I thought I got to hold her next,” Aunt Karen says.

“You can all fight over her tomorrow,” I say as Annie yawns in my arms. “It’s past her bedtime.”

I lead Annie outside for one last walk before heading to the cabin. We take our time, scouting out the grounds around the lodge, eventually finding the path that leads into the woods where my cabin waits.

And that’s when I see someone from the lodge coming toward me, rolling a suitcase.

“Lauren? Is everything okay?”

She shakes her head, then stops in front of me. “I’m fine.”

“Really? Because I’ve noticed you only say that when you’re not fine.”

Instead of reacting to my comment, she looks off toward the house and shifts on her feet. Something is very wrong.

“I was just wondering…if your offer still stands?” she asks.

“Did you finally decide the game room was too loud? Because I couldn’t agree more.”

“It’s not that.” She bites her lip, then straightens her shoulders. “I need to be an adult about this. My dad deserves happiness, but I need some space to adjust. And honestly, I can’t face either of them tonight.”

I frown. “What happened?”

She sighs. “When I went upstairs to get my suitcase from the bedroom, I heard Patty on the other side of the door. And when I opened it, she was…” She stills like she can’t say it.

“She was what?” I ask slowly. There’s only one thing that could make her this upset.

“Kissing my dad,” she finally says.

“In your room?”

She barely nods.

“Like, a quick goodnight kiss?” I ask.

“No, a real kiss, Tate. And I just froze until they both looked up and saw me.” She tips her head back and closes her eyes. “What is wrong with me? I should be happy for my dad.”

“Nothing is wrong with you,” I say, shaking my head. “And two things can be true at the same time. You can feel awkward about the Patty situation and happy for your dad. One doesn’t negate the other.”

“Then why am I reacting like this?” She looks at me sadly, and all I want to do is make it better.

“Because your mom mattered,” I say quietly. “And seeing your dad with someone else makes it feel like maybe she didn’t. But we both know that’s not true.”

She blinks back the tears I know she’s trying to hold in.

“Come here,” I say, then pull her toward me, wrapping my arms around her, smelling the faint scent of her perfume.

She doesn’t resist. Instead, she just falls into them, like she needs this more than I realized.

I stand there, holding her for a few seconds before she says something. “It’s just hard to accept so fast. Seeing my dad with someone who isn’t my mom. I mean, I knew this would happen eventually, but I wasn’t ready for it to happen here… now .”

“I get it,” I say quietly, resting my chin on her head.

She exhales. “Thank you for the offer of staying with you. I don’t know what I’d do otherwise.

But I can’t stay in that house.” Another pause.

“And since the cabin is technically on the property, it’s one less thing I have to deal with.

” I can feel her breathing slow down, the way her shoulders relax in my arms.

This arrangement solves everything. Her awkwardness around Patty. The donation to the shelter.

“I understand. You need space to process this,” I say. “I’m happy to help.”

She pulls away from me. “That’s good, because I texted Patty as soon as I got outside and told her she could have the room all week. I think she was actually relieved after what just happened.”

My brain grinds to a halt. “Wait—did you say all week? ” I step back, panicking inside. “I thought you meant tonight?”

“Well…” She frowns slightly. “I don’t have to stay all week. I could still sleep in the game room.”

I shake my head. The game room is a terrible option. It’s only a week . With Lauren. Alone. Nothing to freak out about, right?

“Of course you can stay all week. It’s just…” I rub the back of my neck. “You’ve actually seen the cabin, right?”

“Not exactly. Why?” She looks at me, worried.

“There’s only one room.”

She shrugs. “I know. One bedroom, one fold-out couch in the living room—standard arrangement for a cabin.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head as clearly as possible. “One room total . A fold-out couch, no separate bedroom. There is a bathroom, but it’s basically one step above camping.”

Lauren blinks as she processes this information. “Wait, you mean we’ll be sharing the same sleeping space all week?”

I nod. Her mouth opens and closes before she accepts this. “You know what? It’s fine. I can handle this. We’ll set boundaries.”

“Boundaries,” I repeat, trying not to think about how small the cabin actually is.

“Exactly.” She nods, then looks away. “You stay on your half of the cabin. I’ll stay on mine. Problem solved.”

We both know this isn’t a solution—it’s a complication with a capital C.

One room. One week. Two people pretending they don’t notice each other.

Some problems can’t be solved with careful planning. For once in my life, I don’t know how to solve this one.