Wishing for the Girl Next Door (Piney Brook Wishes Book 3)

12. Evan

“Did you say two rooms?” she asks.

“Yes,” Karlee says slowly. “We were supposed to have two rooms reserved for Friday and Saturday nights.”

She looks up at us, a frown marring her perfectly made-up face. “I apologize. We only have one room under that name.”

Sensing Karlee is about to lose it, I step forward. “Maybe the other room is under my name. Evan Thompson?”

We wait while she looks at her computer.

“No, I’m sorry. We don’t have that name down at all. And there are no other rooms available this weekend. There’s a big wedding in town, so we’ve had a higher than usual booking.”

Karlee groans. “I know. It’s my sister’s wedding.”

The front desk clerk gives her a half smile. “I’m sorry this happened, but it does have double beds, and a separate living room. Does that help? It’s a suite.”

“I’ll call my mom. There must have been a mix up when she was reserving rooms,” Karlee says, already reaching for her phone.

“Does the living room have a pull-out?” I ask calmly.

“Yes, it does.” She nods, looking back and forth between the two of us, clearly wondering why having one room would be a problem.

“Great, we’ll take it.” I can sleep on a pull-out for a few nights. “Thanks.”

After finishing the paperwork, the clerk hands me an envelope with the room keys. “You ready?” I ask Karlee, turning to face her. She is staring into space, clearly overthinking.

“Karlee, shall we go?” I try again.

She shakes her head. “Sorry, I got lost in my own head there.”

I smile. Her tendency to get lost in her thoughts is cute. “Are you ready to go check out the room? If it doesn’t work, I’ll find a room somewhere else.”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “The next closest hotel is more than forty minutes away. If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to squeeze into my mom’s. She was relieved when I said we could stay at the hotel. She’s already over capacity with my sister and her friends staying there.”

“Well, we’ll just have to hope this works then, won’t we?” I bump her shoulder with mine.

Thankfully, she packs light, so I’m able to get both suitcases at the same time. We step inside the elevator and I push the button to take us up to the third floor.

“Thanks for doing this,” she says when the doors slide closed.

“What, sharing a suite? I’m sure there’s plenty of room.”

“No, coming with me this weekend.” She smiles a half smile from across the small space. “It’s nice to have you here.”

“I’m happy to be here with you, Karlee.”

The elevator dings, and we get off. Pulling the luggage behind me, I walk down the long hallway until I find the room and swipe the key. The door clicks and I swing it open.

Inside is a ?large living space. A pull-out sofa lines one wall, with end tables on either side. A small round dining table and two chairs sit off in a corner near a mini fridge, microwave, and coffee pot. I can’t say I’m a fan of the floral wallpaper, but it could be worse.

A large bathroom with a soaker tub is to the left, and through a separate door is the bedroom. Two plush double beds take up most of the space, with a nightstand in between. Thick white comforters and several pillows make the beds look inviting. An armoire stands across the room from the double beds, and a small desk sits beside it.

“What do you think?” I ask after she’s inspected the room. “Think we can make it work?”

She nods. “Yes, but you get the bedroom. You’re my guest.”

I shake my head and plant my hands on my hips. “No way. You take the bedroom. You’re the sister of the bride.”

She lets out a sarcastic laugh. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know. It sounded better in my head. Seriously, take the bedroom. I’ll be fine out here.”

Karlee finally caves and agrees to take the bedroom, so I send her in to take a nap. She has to be exhausted after working last night and only getting a short nap before we left. I told her to nap in the truck, but she refused.

Quietly, I set my bag on the luggage rack I pulled out of the armoire. Opening it up, I pull out the khaki slacks and light blue dress shirt I packed for tonight. Thank goodness for wrinkle-resistant fabric. It doesn’t actually look too bad.

I drape it across the back of one of the chairs and grab the room key. May as well make myself useful and find some water and more snacks for the room. I quietly close the door behind me and head down to the lobby.

“Where’s the closest store?” I ask the front desk clerk.

“It’s about half a mile down the road on the right. You can’t miss it,” she says, leaning a bit too far forward and being a little too friendly.

“Thanks.” I turn on my heel without a backwards glance. That was just rude—she’d seen me come in with Karlee.

An hour later, I open the door to the hotel room, arms loaded with bags—bottled water, coffee pods for the machine, and lots of prepackaged grab-and-go items. I quietly close the door behind me and unload the water and fruit into the fridge.

I check the time. Better wake Karlee up so she has time to get ready. Softly I knock on the door that separates the living room from the bedroom. “Karlee,” I call through the door. “It’s time to wake up.”

I hear her groan. “A few more minutes,” she calls.

“Okay, but we have to leave for the rehearsal dinner in an hour.”

I hear a loud thunk come from the other side of the door. “You okay?”

My hand goes to the handle, and I debate busting in and checking on her.

“I’m fine,” she grouches. “I fell out of the bed.”

I laugh. I can’t help it.

“Don’t laugh, it’s not funny,” she calls before bursting into laughter herself. “Okay, it’s a little funny.”

“I’m sorry for laughing,” I say, trying to get it together. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, but I might have a bruise,” she says. She swings open the door, rubbing her hand on her backside. “The floor is hard.”

I chuckle. “I bet. Take a warm shower—that might help.” I steer her into the bathroom. “Wait,” I call, moving to the mini fridge. “Take this bottle of water with you.”

“When did we get water?” she asks, looking around. “And all the food?”

I look at the pile of items laid out on the little table. “I went shopping,” I say nonchalantly.

“I see that.” She shakes her head. “Thank you.”

I nod. “You’re welcome. Now, I need you to either vacate the area or shut your eyes, because I’m going to change clothes to go to a fancy dinner tonight.”

She squeaks, grabs a muffin, and ducks into the bathroom.

I find myself still smiling even after the door clicks shut.

The rehearsal dinner is being held at an Italian Bistro. Opening the heavy wooden door, I step back to let Karlee enter first. The aroma of freshly baked bread and tomato sauce fills the air, making my mouth water.

Karlee moves to the host stand, and I take the opportunity to stand close to her, placing my hand on the small of her back.

“Hi there. Two?”

“No, we’re here for the rehearsal dinner,” Karlee says. She looks beautiful tonight. She’s done some sort of twist with her hair, pulling it off her neck and bringing the focus to the light pink pants suit she is wearing. She radiates confidence.

The hostess motions for us to follow her. We step into the dining area, and I’m impressed. Strands of lights strung throughout the space cast a warm glow on the room, making it more romantic than I expected. Small tables adorned with white tablecloths sit in the center of the room. Larger tables line the walls, each with a flameless candle as a centerpiece.

We’re led to a room off of the main dining room, and the atmosphere is much the same. The centerpieces in here are bright yellow and orange flowers, and twinkle lights line the room, giving it the same soft glow.

The chatter dies as we step through the doorway. All eyes land on Karlee. She steps closer to me, and I reach down and lace our fingers together, offering her my support.

“Karlee!” a young woman shouts. She looks so much like Karlee I do a double take. “You made it!” She wraps her arms around Karlee and squeezes. I loosen my fingers to let go, but Karlee holds tight.

“Keeley, I told you I’d be here,” Karlee says, stepping back and taking her sister in. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Keeley blushes. A young man with dark red hair steps to her side.

“Hey, Scott, you look nice,” Karlee says.

“Are you going to introduce us?” Scott asks.

“Oh, of course. I’m sorry. Evan, this is my sister Keeley, and her fiancé Scott. This is my friend, Evan.”

We say our hellos and are about to find our seats when another woman joins us.

“Hello there, you must be Karlee’s new boyfriend.” She leans in and gives me an awkward hug.

“Hi, Mom,” Karlee says, accepting the hug from her mother. “This is my friend Evan. Evan, my mom, Katherine.” I don’t miss the emphasis she puts on my friend.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Richards.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you as well,” she says. “Let’s find you a seat. They’ll be bringing out the food soon. We opted for a family style meal tonight.”

She ushers us to a small table in the corner already occupied by an older couple. Karlee beams as she takes the seat I pulled out for her.

“Grandma, Grandpa, I’m so glad you could make it. I’ve missed you.”

Her grandma reaches across the table and pats her hand. “It’s nice to see you too, dear. It seems a lot has changed since we were here last.” She smiles and tilts her head in my direction.

Karlee nods. “Yes, changed for the good. I’d like you to meet my friend, Evan. Evan, this is my grandma and grandpa, Mr. and Mrs. G.”

I raise an eyebrow quizzically as I reach across to shake each of their hands. “Nice to meet you both.”

Her grandpa laughs. “She has called us Grandma and Grandpa G since she was little. Apparently, Gregorio was too hard for her to say when she was young.” He smiles at Karlee. “It stuck.”

Laughing, I bump her shoulder with mine. “I see. That’s cute.”

The server comes and sets a tray piled with food on a stand beside the table. He places the house salad, bread plate, spaghetti with marinara sauce, a bowl of meatballs, and a dish of chicken parmesan on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”

We all shake our heads no, and he leaves us to our dinner.

The conversation flows easily, and I find myself really enjoying getting to know her grandparents. I can see where she picked up her sense of humor. Her grandpa is a hoot.

After the servers clear away the dinner dishes, Scott stands and thanks everyone for coming. The bride and groom exchange small gifts, and hand gifts out to their parents and the best man and maid of honor as the servers bring out the tiramisu for dessert.

All in all, I’d say the evening was a success.

“Are you ready?” Karlee leans over and whispers, her plate of tiramisu long gone.

“Ready when you are,” I say, not wanting to rush her.

She pushes her chair out, and walks around the table, placing a kiss on each grandparent’s cheek. “We will see you tomorrow,” she says. “It’s been a long day, and I’m beat.”

I follow her as she says her goodbyes, shaking hands and trying to memorize each new name I’m told. Finally, we step out into the balmy night air, and I take a deep breath.

“Sorry,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I know that was a lot.”

“It was a great night. I enjoyed getting to know your grandparents. They seem like lovely people.”

“They really are,” she says, a smile lighting her face.

Back at the hotel, Karlee insists I get the bathroom first. After a quick hot shower, I change into my pajama pants and throw on a t-shirt. “Your turn,” I say, opening the door. I drop my dirty clothes on the floor near my suitcase and rub the towel across my hair again before draping it over the chair to dry.

“Thanks,” Karlee calls from the bedroom. She steps out, carrying her pajamas in her arms, and smiles. “You were quick.”

I laugh. “Take your time.”

“I think I’m going to take a bath if you won’t need the bathroom for a while.”

“It’s all yours,” I say, turning to the pull-out sofa. I remove the cushions and yank on the mattress to pull it free. It groans, but doesn’t budge. I try again, and it finally pops free. I extend the bed and pull out the sheets I found on the top shelf of the armoire in the bedroom. After making the bed, I gently sit down, testing the springs. Not the worst thing I’ve ever slept on.

I grab my book from the suitcase and settle in to read for a while.

The next thing I know, I’m startled awake by my alarm blaring in my ear.