Page 68 of Game Over

“Wow, this is… this is something else. Your mom went all out, didn’t she?” He was turning in circles, taking it all in. He was right, though. I thought the outside was stunning, but so was the inside. The owners had updated it with modern features, but still had that outdoorsy and rustic feel to it. The main part of the first floor was an open concept with dark, beautiful exposed beams running along the ceilings. The kitchen had all new appliances, and the sofa was so plush and comfortable. Perfect for napping after a day out on the town.

We made our way to the master bedroom on the first floor, and it was just as immaculate. It was a large room with an entire wall of windows, which the bed faced, overlooking the mountains. The view was nothing short of jaw-dropping as trees rolled for miles in all the gorgeous shades of fall.

It had a four-poster king-sized bed with white gauzy curtains around each side. Each piece of furniture was handcrafted from wood and had unique little carvings in them. The bathroom was equally as elegant, with a claw-foot tub and a walk-in shower big enough for two people, with a small bench as well. It also had a his and hers vanity, so we’d have plenty of room, which was nice. I was still sad I couldn’t be here with my mom and sister, but I was determined to show Spencer the best damn time.

Spencer set both of our suitcases on the bed so we could unpack a few clothing items while Dolly walked around sniffing and exploring. I was again so thankful for how well she behaved, so I didn’t have to worry about her. I grabbed my bathing suit and laid it on top of the dresser because soaking in the hot tub would be one of the things I’d for sure do this evening.

“Okay, lover boy,” I broke the easy silence we had as I pulled my phone out to go over what my plan was for the day. “Game plan time. Since it’s our first day here, I figured we could start with lunch, then move on to the outlet stores for some shopping, and then, depending on the time left, we can make our way to Gatlinburg for dinner and walking around. Maybe even the aquarium or some of the other attractions. What do you think?”

“I think that I want you to show me whatever you want and I’ll gladly follow your orders, ma’am.” He saluted me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

What I loved most was that most places were pet-friendly or had patios that you could sit at with your fur babies. Dolly also loved it because she was an attention hog. Not sure where she got that from. I knew the perfect grill we could go to for lunch that was close to the shops I wanted to go to. Traffic had started to build, and with that came people who didn’t know how to drive. I tried my best to keep it from bothering me, but that familiar heat and itching started to creep up my neck. There was no set reservation time or anything, but I felt like we were late, and traffic wasn’t fun to sit in.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!” I screeched as I threw my hands in the air at the douchebag Cybertruck that cut me off and slammed on his brakes.

“Hey, it’s okay, no need to get upset.” Spencer patted my thigh, and I knew he was trying to calm me down, but it was having the opposite effect on me. My eye started twitching.

“I just wish people weren’t fucking idiots,” I grumbled, and it accidentally came out more like a yell.

“I know it’s frustrating, but it’ll be okay. We have all the time to get to where we need to go.” I took a deep breath, trying to rein in my frustration so I didn’t accidentally lash out at the wrong person. My anger wasn’t at Spencer. I was overwhelmed with traffic and this made-up schedule in my head. I took another deep breath, letting the fall air and Spencer's clean eucalyptus and white birch scent soothe me.

“I know we do. I know that, but sometimes it doesn’t matter. I…” I trailed off, trying to find my words to properly explain this. “There’s no real schedule, no specific time frames or anything, but in my head, there is. I have this all planned and mapped out, and when things throw a wrench in it, paired with this annoying traffic, it becomes overwhelming to me and makes me extremely anxious. I try my best to go with the flow, but unfortunately, I didn’t inherit that gene from good ole Donna. So here we are.” Both of my hands were gripped so tightly on the wheel that my knuckles were white. Spencer reached over and turned the music down some.

“You put a lot of pressure on yourself for things to be perfect for, well, for everything, don’t you?” He asked in a tone you’d use on a cornered animal.

“You have no idea.” I gritted out.

“It’s okay if things don’t always go according to plan. That’s just part of life. We can have every detail planned out perfectly for every aspect, but things happen. I’m just happy to be here with you.” He placed his warm hand against my cheek, gently wiping the tear away that I hadn’t realized had fallen. “The fact that you thought of all the best places, or your favorite ones, or ones you’d think I’d like. It means more to me than anything else.” I took in a shuddering breath to calm my nerves some more.

“I’m sorry if I snapped at you. I didn’t mean to, and I have no valid excuse.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Let's just have a good time, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” I smiled over at him, and we headed to the restaurant. There

was only a short wait, and they even brought out an extra glass of cold water for Dolly too. We ate, and people watched, making up wild stories about why they were traveling here, and laughed the entire time.

After we finished, we meandered through all the shops, fingers intertwined, and Dolly leading the way. Both of us loaded up on more than we probably needed, but it was so hard to pass up on the sales they all had. Thankfully, we had some time between now and dinner, so we headed back to the cabin to rest and explore it a little more.

CHAPTER 29

The Real Test

They say the real test of a relationship is if you can successfully build furniture together or if you take a trip together. I believe both of those statements are true, especially after seeing Allie prepare, pack, and make a schedule for a weekend trip.

I knew she couldn’t help it, though, and it helped her keep a sense of control, so I rolled along with it. The most important thing to me was being with her, and if she needed a detailed list and schedules to have fun, then list and schedules it would be.

Pulling back up to the cabin, we gathered all the bags and headed inside. This place was beyond stunning, and I still couldn’t believe we were here on this little weekend trip together. Instead of resting, we set off on exploring the cabin some more, starting with the basement.

“Normally, going into a strange basement is how a horror movie starts out.” Allie was walking behind me and had a death grip on my shirt.

“Is that why you made me go first?”

“Oh, hell yes. That way I can push you toward the killer and make a run for it.”

“Glad to see where I lie with your priorities, love.”

“Everyone for themselves, champ.” She patted my shoulder in false condolences.