“Jasmine and Jordan’s wedding?” she guessed.
“No, no,” Gael said. “That’s episode twenty. Episode seven is the proposal. They decided to get engaged to make Jasmine’s grandmother happy, and to save the peach orchard.”
“But it wasn’t real,” Jenny remembered out loud.
“It’s a classic fake fiancée scenario,” Gael said excitedly. “They’re the most fun, and the endings are always really exciting.”
“Gael,” Jenny said carefully. “That’s on TV. This is real life.”
“But what about the soldiers?” Gael asked with a plaintive note in his voice. “They were so happy to see you. Can’t we do this to help them?”
Jenny turned to Erik, hoping he would see from her eyes that she was sorry to have dragged him into this mess. She expected him to be angry, or at least frustrated with them for making things more complicated for him.
But there was a thoughtful expression on his handsome face instead.
“The holidays can be a hard time,” he said simply.
His words hit home, and she instinctively turned back to Gael, remembering how hard last Christmas had been for her sweet boy.
“Knock, knock,” Trudy called out as she slowly pushed the door open. “I’ve got strawberries and freshly whipped cream here for my weary travelers.”
“Yes,”Gael said happily, hurrying over to the small dining table where Trudy placed a tray with a glass bowl of strawberries, a dish of whipped cream, and three plates and forks.
“I assume you won’t be needing your other room,” Trudy said quietly to Jenny.
So she knows who we really are.
That made sense. When she booked the stay, she’dexplained how she would be here with her nine-year-old son.
“I… I’m not sure what’s happening,” Jenny admitted.
“My fiancée won’t be coming after all,” Erik said. “And these rooms are already paid for.”
“I see,” Trudy said.
Jenny winced inwardly.
“Why don’t you stay put, dear?” Trudy offered. “You may as well take advantage of a nicer space while you figure out what you’re going to do.”
“That’s… that’s so nice,” Jenny said, suddenly feeling like she was on the verge of tears.
“Captain Anderson takes awfully good care of the veterans in this town,” Trudy said fondly. “And he certainly keeps the inn busy with his generosity. It’s my pleasure to help in any way I can.”
“Thank you,” Jenny said, feeling curious about Erik’s generosity. She had assumed he was simply running a non-profit, but the way Trudy was talking, it almost sounded like he was funding some of its work himself.
“As far as anyone needs to know, you’re his fiancée,”Trudy said, her eyes twinkling in a way that almost reminded Jenny of how delighted Gael had been at the idea of a fake engagement. “I’m going to bring you three up the special dinner he arranged. I’ll be right back.”
Jenny watched her go, still feeling too overwhelmed to object to any of this.
“Jenny, I don’t want to ask you to do something you’re not comfortable with,” Erik began, then stopped.
He actually wanted her to do it.
Erik Anderson was one of the most honest and ethical people she had ever known, but he wanted them to fake an engagement.
And even more strangely, she really,reallywanted to agree.
“I’ll think about it,” she allowed, hoping she’d make a better decision with a full stomach and a little rest.
