The Hopeful Bride

Troy

Sneaking back into the lodge and through the lobby in their rumbled attire, Troy laughs as he pulls her into the dining room. "You need to eat women."

"I am hungry," she says, glancing around the dining room looking a little unsure. The dining room is mostly empty, just two of the path guides sitting quietly in the corner gossiping amongst themselves.

Troy didn't let go of her hand, afraid if he did she would run up the stairs to their bedroom and hide. So she'd been right, he had no intentions of showing her the damn horses. In fact, he took great joy in making her come twice, the second time louder than the first. No matter how hard his little minx tried to keep quiet.

Coming into the kitchen he could smell the delicious aroma of breakfast still hot off the stove. "Taylor, what's cooking?"

"Bacon, eggs, toast, and pancakes," she said, turning around and failing to hide a smirk as she gave them a once over. "I'll put on some more coffee, help yourselves."

Gabriella let out a groan. "Great, now she thinks I'm a slut," she mumbled as Taylor disappeared behind into a walk-in pantry.

"She thinks you're about to be my wife." Troy corrected. "It's perfectly natural for two consenting adults to get frisky. How do you think she got that way?" He said playfully, pointing to his belly.

Gabriella shoved him playfully. "You're impossible."

Troy looked down at the bacon and eggs laid out fresh from the stove. "I'm adorable."

"Have you ever played that game, twenty questions?" she asks, snapping a piece of bacon in half and adding it to the pile of food she was shaping into a makeshift sandwich on a piece of toast.

"Maybe, why?"

Her lips pull into a grin. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"What, just start asking each other random questions?"

Gabriella let out a sigh, "We have to get to know each other somehow."

Troy nodded leading them back into the dining room. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two. You?"

"Twenty-seven," he said, finding them a spot off to the side and just as they sat down Taylor appeared with two fresh-filled mugs of coffee. He lifted his own cup of black coffee to his lips, realizing there were a lot of questions he wanted to ask her.

"Question two," Gabriella began, scooping spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her coffee. The sight of it making him cringe a little. "Favorite movie?"

"The Godfather. You?"

"Lilo and Stitch."

That makes him laugh. "A cartoon?"

"It's a movie, it counts."

"Favorite color?" he countered.

"Green," Gabriella smiled.

"Orange."

"That's bright," Gabriella laughed, "I wouldn't have guessed that one."

They were quiet for a bit as they ate.

Then she pointed at him. "Favorite song?"

"Springsteen by Eric Church."

"Hold on by Wilson Phillips."

He nodded, "Here's one, what's something you are passionate about?" He smiled as he watched her navigate the makeshift sandwich to her mouth. Then take a bite. Her hair hung low, and sloppy. A wisp of it hanging low by her cheek as she took a bite.

He chuckled a bit as she motioned for him to wait. "Take all the time you need."

She thought for a moment while she chewed before looking back at him. "Christmas."

"Christmas?"

"I love Christmas. I'm one of those annoying people who listens to Christmas music in November."

Without meaning to, he cringes, and she gives him a playful shove in retaliation.

"Let me guess, huntin and fishin for you?" She says relaxing back in her chair.

At that he paused, a week ago that would have been the answer hands down. But today, right now, he wasn't feeling passionate about anything but the woman sitting at the table beside him. Most people around here backed down from a fight with him, but twice now the petite brunette in front of him had gone toe to toe with him. The way she kept up with him was exciting, he hadn't really expected to feel this way at all. Let alone so soon.

But there it was, a small voice inside him that told him he already knew he loved her. She was his the moment he spotted her sitting on her suitcase at the airport. But was it too soon to voice that out loud? Would a confession like that scare her off? They were getting married today.

"What?" she asked, and he realized he'd been quiet for too long.

"Didn't know I was so transparent." He shook his head, a quick glance at his watch, told him it was almost eight thirty. "The priest is gonna be here soon."

Her smile faded and she looked down at her half eaten sandwich.

"Do you think there's any truth to bad luck when the groom sees the bride before the wedding?"

"That's assuming a wedding is taking place today." He manages to say calmly despite his rising anxiety. "If you can call a witness and priest a wedding."

"So we're not getting married?"

"Up to you," Troy says, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not holding you prisoner here, if you decide to stay you'll be my wife. Yes, there's a prenup as per the terms of the agreement Lisa put in place but the way I see it, everything here gets shared between us right down to the last pebble in the lake."

Gabriella blew out a shaky breath. "It's strange. A week ago I was half convinced I was volunteering to be murdered by some shady dark web agency. Right now, I feel like I'm in love with a man I've barely known for 24 hours."

Relief flooded through him and he reached out and pulled her chair closer to him. She let out a giggle as she came up beside him. Their faces close, and breaths mingling.

"You're not really big on personal space are you?"

"Not really, not where you're concerned." He grinned, he was doing that so often around her his cheeks were starting to hurt. "I haven't smiled this much since I lost my parents. It's like you being here reminded me I'm still alive."

"Well, if we are getting married today I need to go get ready." she pushed away from the table bending down for a moment to place a small kiss on his cheek. "See you in a bit."

He nodded as he watched her disappear up the stairs. The urge to follow her up pulled at him. But he knew damn well if he did that, they wouldn't make it back down to meet the priest and he wanted her to be his. He didn't want any more time to pass between them without her belonging to him 100 percent.