Page 69 of Love is a Game

He stepped out from between the trees, and she ran into his arms, wrapping her own tightly around his chest.

“We did it!” she cried. “We booked a wedding!”

“Really? That’s great. Which couple was it?” They had both taken a bride and groom on a tour of the hotel and had a wager going as to which of them would book first.

She smirked. “Mine.”

He snapped his finger in mock disappointment. “You win.”

“Obviously.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly. “Oh, you’re freezing! Come inside and take a break. I’ll make you some cocoa.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said, resting a hand on her waist and leading her back to the doors.

As they started up the steps, she reached out to the stone lion that sat on the bottom of the stair rail and patted it on the head. He smiled. He was pretty sure she did it every time, this simple gesture of affection. Showing her around the hotel had felt a bit like introducing her to his family, and she had quickly grown to love the place as much as he did.

Fortunately, though, she saw it through a much less sentimental lens and had suggested a number of painful but necessary updates. She insisted on replacing the faded wallpaper in the lobby, but she’d searched for a design that nearly matched the original. The tiny kitchenette where Carol Gregson had prepared a simple breakfast for guests was being renovated into a modest restaurant kitchen that would open in a few months.

He appreciated the way she pushed him when he needed it, and he wasn’t afraid to push back if need be. The one thing they always agreed on, though, was doing what was right for Briar Cove.

Sadie had clearly been busy decorating the lobby while he was outside. Garland hung along the front desk and delicate silver snowflakes danced overhead. The Christmas tree he had dragged inside the day before was now wrapped in white lights. There was even a three-foot-tall Santa figure holding a bowl of mints by the door.

“It looks really great in here,” he told her, kissing the top of her head.

She leaned into him. “Thanks. I found a box of Christmas tree ornaments in the basement. I thought we could decorate that tonight.”

“That sounds great.”

Sadie pulled away from him and moved toward the coffee station. “You can go sit. I’ll be right there with the cocoa.”

He appreciated the excuse to go in the office alone. Before she could join him, he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out the little box that had been hiding inside for the last week. He’d planned on saving it until Christmas, but there was something about the decorations and Sadie’s excitement that felt right. He slipped it into his pocket as she came through the door.

“Thank you,” he said when she handed him the warm cup.

They sat next to each other by the office window. Sadie pulled back the curtain and watched the waves crash into the sand down at the beach below them. Andrew watched her.

“So when is this wedding?” he asked.

“Hm?” She looked at him. “Oh. End of July.”

“Should be good weather for it then.”

“I hope so. They’re from Forks, so they know there’s always a chance of rain. Either way, I’m sure it will be beautiful. Our first wedding.” Her face glowed with the victory. She’d been trying to book a wedding since their doors first opened. “They reserved the whole place for three days!”

“That’s amazing. Might be the first time we ever sell out.”

She shook her head. “Once the tourist season starts, we’ll fill up. I’m sure of it.”

“I hope so. And who knows, maybe my couple will call and schedule their wedding too.”

“Maybe, but—she grinned—“let the record show that I booked the first.”

“Noted. You should be very proud.”

“Oh, I am,” she assured him.

“And you’re okay with being second?” he asked.

She furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”