Page 63 of Double Booked

She put on her robe and slippers and padded out to the kitchen. He must have been in such a hurry that he hadn’t bothered making coffee. She scanned the counter, thinking he might have left a note, but it was glaringly empty. Heaving a sigh, she made coffee and poured a bowl of cereal. Her emotions fluctuated from anger to disappointment to sadness and back to anger again. If Patrick hadn’t shown up, she and Cole would have woken up in each other’s arms, still riding the high from the night before.

Cole claimed they were just playing house, but she didn’t believe it for a minute. There was so much more between them, and they’d only just scratched the surface. Now they only had a short time left, and she didn’t want to waste it. Where is he?

A while later, after she’d showered and dressed, the doorbell rang. She steeled herself, thinking it might be Patrick again. She wouldn’t be surprised if he’d stayed in a nearby hotel and returned this morning to try to talk to her. She went up on tiptoes and peered out the kitchen window. Seeing the visitor, she sighed with relief, and went and opened the door.

“Good morning,” the leasing agent, Angela, said cheerfully.

Hit with a cold blast of air, Eden waved her inside.

Angela glanced around. “Sorry to bother you, but I have some good news. Is Cole here?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, I guess you can pass it on then.”

“What is it?”

“One of our cabins just opened up. The renter had to return home for a family emergency, so now you or Cole can move into it. Isn’t that great?”

Eden’s heart sunk, and her expression must have given her away.

“Is something wrong?” Angela asked.

“I…um… I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

“I thought you’d be happy.”

Not anymore. “I am.”

Angela cocked her head and eyed her intently. “Are you sure everything is okay?”

“It will be,” Eden replied, although she wasn’t sure of anything.

Angela reached into her coat pocket and took out a key. “The renter left late last night, and the housekeeper is cleaning the cabin right now. It should be ready in about an hour, and then one of you can move in.”

“Thank you,” Eden said, accepting the key.

Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Cole. He looked surprised to see Angela, and then his gaze shifted to the key dangling from Eden’s hand.

“Good morning,” Angela trilled, seemingly oblivious to the discomfort between them.

“Morning,” he said, closing the door behind him. He pointed to the key. “What’s going on?”

“I was just telling Eden the good news. One of our cabins just became available, so one of you can move into it.” Angela was the only one smiling.

Cole shifted his gaze to Eden, and she averted her eyes.

Angela continued talking. “I can hold it for twenty-four hours, so let me know your decision as soon as possible. Otherwise, we’ll have to rent it to someone else.”

“We will,” Eden said, anxious for Angela to leave.

“Thanks for letting us know,” Cole said. He opened the door, marking an end to her visit.

Angela looked at them one more time, and then sailed out the door, leaving a trail of strong-smelling perfume in her wake.

Cole shut the door and faced Eden. She was still standing there, holding the key that felt like a lead weight in her hand.

“Good news, huh?” he said.