Page 7 of #Resort Romance
“None taken and I get what you’re saying. Hell, it makes me sad thinking about it because…yeah. We have so many great memories of our time here. I made a lot of friends here. Friends I still keep in touch with.”
“And you met Kelsey here,” his mother reminded him. “There was a time when I thought the two of you were going to be more than childhood sweethearts. I thought you’d end up going to college together and eventually getting married.”
His eyes went wide. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “We all did.”
Looking around, everyone was nodding their heads. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“What was the point? You were very adamant about going to Japan that summer and I asked you a few times about what Kelsey was going to think, but you just brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal.” She shrugged. “I never expected you to never come back here for another vacation, you know, until now.”
“Yeah, well…” His words were cut off by someone knocking at the door. “I’ll bet that’s someone with my key.” When he opened the door, that’s exactly who was there. Turning back to his family, he grabbed his suitcase. “I’m going to go and unpack and settle in. How about I meet you back here in an hour and then we’ll go for a walk down to the lake or just hang out until dinner? How does that sound?”
Everyone agreed it sounded great, and he practically sagged with relief when he joined the clerk out on the porch.
“Here’s your key, Mr. Nash. I’m Ken and if there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
“Hey, Ken. Thanks for meeting me down here.”
“I already inspected the cabin and it’s been freshly stocked. If you’ll just sign the receipt, we’ll be all set.”
It was almost comical to be physically signing a hotel registration form instead of doing it digitally, but he signed and smiled. “Thanks, Ken. I’m sure it will all be great.”
“You’re very welcome. Have a nice stay!”
He took a quick glance at Kelsey’s cabin before turning his attention to the one he was going to occupy. “Thanks! I’m sure I will!”
What in the world was Jayce doing? Kelsey wondered. She had just happened to look out her window and saw him going into the cabin across the way. Was there something wrong with the one his family was staying in? Were they all going to move across the path? After peeking out from behind the curtains, she didn’t see anyone else follow and that just made her even more curious. He said he was staying with them, so why leave less than an hour later?
“Okay, I seriously need to find something to do other than stalking the neighbors,” she murmured.
So, she finished unpacking and was going to sit and read, but it was far too quiet in the cabin—like almost eerily quiet. Grabbing her hat, sunglasses, and key, she opted to go out and explore the property and see if anything had changed. Everything she’d seen so far hadn’t, but maybe if she went down toward the lake there would be something new.
Just as she stepped outside, she spotted Jayce coming out of his cabin. He waved and she waved back.
“Hey!” he said, jogging over. “Where are you off to?”
“I was just going to get some fresh air and stroll down to the lake. I’m super curious if maybe they updated anything down there by the docks.”
“Would you like some company?”
God yes…
“Sure,” she said casually. “That would be great.” Climbing down the steps, she motioned to cabin fourteen. “What happened? It looks like you moved in across the way.”
They began slowly walking down the path toward the lake. “Between our conversation on the walk over and then stepping inside and seeing things hadn’t changed one bit, I knew there was no way I was going to fit on the sleeper sofa. If it were only for a night or two, it would be one thing, but ten days?” He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
“And your family was okay with you staying in another cabin?”
“My mother is the queen of the guilt trip and she immediately began to lay it on thick, but she couldn’t argue with the fact that I’m a grown man and that sofa wasn’t going to cut it. I called the front desk and could have stayed up at the lodge, but when they said fifteen was available, I figured it would appease everyone.”
She nodded. “And very convenient.”
“That too.” They walked along quietly for a few moments. “How’s your cabin? Does it feel smaller than you remember?”
“Definitely. Especially the bathroom! I don’t know how families with more than one kid do it. It was tight when there were three of us in there. After my parents divorced, it was kind of nice having it just be me and my mom.”
Now it was Jayce’s turn to nod. “How’s your dad? Do you see him often?”
