15. Trent
Chapter 15
Trent
Beginning my rounds at the marina, I’m still shaken from dinner last night—keeping the truth from my family and Jenny’s revelation about sketching me. The dampness of morning dew clings to the grass, and the faint smell of lake water mingles with the earthy aroma of pine. The sun is still low, casting long shadows across the docks. My footsteps echo faintly on the wooden planks as I walk, each creak a reminder of the countless mornings I’ve spent here.
I’m hoping to find Henry. With the wedding only two days away, I feel the need to talk to him about Jenny.
Last night, Jenny had no trouble convincing Grandfather that we were together for the right reasons. Grandfather even seemed to genuinely like Jenny. I could have kissed her for how well she handled everything. It was all a relief, really, not just because I think Grandad will pass the marina on to me when we’re married, but because it truly felt like Jenny is going to fit into our family. For the first time in a long while, I’ll have someone by my side at family dinners.
But on the boat ride home, Jenny was quiet, her usual brightness dimmed. I wanted to say something—anything—to break the silence, but the right words never came.
When we reached the dock, she gave me a quick wave goodbye and headed toward her cabin. By the time I’d fully docked the boat, she was almost to the tree line, her silhouette fading into the shadows. Clearly, something had upset her. I thought about following, but it didn’t feel right. So I let her go.
The memory lingers as I walk down the dock where Henry is fishing. I’m greeted by his voice, rich and welcoming. “Look what the cat dragged in. Come sit down, Trent, and talk for a bit.”
He’s seated on a bench at the edge of the dock, his weathered hands resting on his fishing pole. A thermos of coffee steams beside him, the aroma drifting toward me as I approach.
“I was actually coming to look for you,” I say, taking the seat he pats beside him. The wood is rough beneath my hand as I steady myself.
Henry chuckles, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Didn’t do something I shouldn’t have, did I?”
“No, you could never,” I reply with a small laugh. “It’s about Jenny.”
His expression shifts, his ears practically perking up. “Is everything okay? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” I reassure him quickly. “In fact, I saw her up at the shop this morning.”
He swats me lightly on the arm, a gesture so familiar it makes me grin. Must be where Jenny gets it from. “You can’t say something like that and leave me hanging—you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Sorry. No, definitely not.” I shift in my seat, suddenly feeling the weight of what I want to say. “I just . . . it’s about the wedding.”
Henry studies me for a moment, his gaze sharp but kind. “You’re not going to back out, are you?”
“No, no,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “I just wanted to talk to you and ask for your blessing to marry Jenny. To let you know that I promise to take care of Jenny. To make sure she never wants for anything and that I’ll be a good husband to her.”
Henry lets out a hearty laugh, the sound rumbling like distant thunder. “Oh, is that all? Boy, you had me nervous for nothing. Of course, you have my blessing. And I know you will take care of her. Look at what you’ve already done. You’re a good egg, and I know you and Jenny will be very happy together.” He leans back in his seat, the wood creaking softly. “Did I ever tell you that her grandmother Cora and I knew each other for about a month and a half before we got engaged? Son, when you know, you know. I couldn’t be happier to have you join the family. Did you think I was worried about the timing of all this?”
“Yes . . . no . . . I don’t know,” I admit, pulling off my cap and running a hand through my hair. “It’s just that I never expected to find someone so soon. I always figured I’d want to get married one day, but then Jenny came into my life. Quite literally fell into it. And nothing’s been the same since.”
Henry nods, his smile softening. “Oh yeah, Jenny told me about the day you met. I never properly thanked you for saving her life. I don’t know how I’d go on without my granddaughter. Losing my Cora was the lowest point of my life, and if it wasn’t for Jenny . . . I don’t know where I’d be. I couldn’t be more grateful, son.”
His words hit me like a wave, and I feel a lump rising in my throat. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I look down, blinking quickly to hold them back. Even if this marriage started as an agreement, I realize I want Jenny to feel cared for and valued. Maybe, just maybe, the connection that’s developing between us doesn’t have to end when our agreement does. Maybe we could make it work—like Henry and Cora did—and have a life full of love and happiness.
I rise, placing my cap back on and offering Henry my hand. He takes it firmly, his grip steady and reassuring. “Thank you, Henry, for everything. I won’t let you down.”
His smile deepens, the kind of smile that carries years of wisdom and unshakable faith. “I know you won’t, son. I know you won’t.”
“Alright,” Greg says, flashing a grin as he steps onto the pontoon boat, “let’s do this.” The wood of the dock creaks beneath his weight, and I catch the faint smell of sunscreen and engine oil as the evening breeze picks up.
Greg, Niall, and I pile into the boat, the aluminum hull wobbling slightly under our shifting feet. It’s one of the marina’s trusty pontoons—nothing fancy, but perfect for nights like this. We’ve got a cooler loaded with sodas and snacks, fishing poles leaned up against the railing, and the calm waters of the lake stretching out ahead of us.
The air is fresh, carrying the mingled scents of pine and lake water. Above, the sky is streaked with hues of orange and pink, the last remnants of the sunset casting a golden glow over the rippling surface. It’s peaceful out here, the kind of peace I hadn’t realized I’d missed until now.
Life has been a whirlwind, and while we don’t need an excuse to hang out, tonight’s “bachelor party” finally gave us the chance. It feels like forever since we’ve done this—just the three of us.
The three amigos.
The three musketeers.
There’s nothing we can’t figure out together, no secrets we can’t share.
Which is why, as the boat slows in the middle of the lake, I feel like I have to say it now. The engine’s gentle hum fades, leaving only the soft lapping of water against the hull. The lake stretches out around us, dark and endless under a sky now sprinkled with the first stars of night.
“I have to tell you something, Niall,” I say, breaking the silence. My voice sounds steadier than I feel.
“Alright, mate,” Niall replies, his attention on baiting his hook, “out with it.”
I take a deep breath, staring down at my hands. “Jenny and I are only getting married because of some rule my grandfather made about owning the marina.”
“What?” Niall stops, his fishing pole forgotten as he turns to face me.
“We’re only getting—”
“No,” Niall holds up a hand. “What are you talking about? I thought you and Jenny fell in love while she was working at the marina.”
“Well, we like each other, that’s for sure,” I admit. “But it didn’t start off that way.”
Greg leans back, crossing his arms. “You’d better explain it all to him, starting from the beginning.”
I grip the brim of my cap, twisting it nervously. “You know how my grandfather’s been on my case about settling down?”
Niall nods.
“There’s a reason for that. He’s ready to pass on the marina to me, but when he wrote up the stipulations for handing over the marina, he included a rule that the new owner has to be married.”
Niall lets out a low whistle. “That’s . . . an interesting requirement to run a marina.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter, then continue. “Anyway, my extended family knows that my grandfather is itching to pass on ownership. And they know that I’m not married, so they want to know if the marina can go to one of them instead.”
“You’d be heartbroken,” Niall says, “if you lost the marina. This place is everything to you.”
“It is,” I say. “So all this has been weighing on me for a while, and Jenny noticed I was acting a bit off, and she asked me about it. I ended up opening up to her about my frustration with the whole situation. And apparently, she’d been thinking about what I’d said. Because not too long after, my mom came into the shop talking to me about finding someone to be in a relationship with, and Jenny told her she and I were engaged.”
“She what?!” Niall sits forward, nearly knocking over the cooler.
“Yeah, it threw me too,” I admit, letting out a dry laugh. “I eventually wanted to get married, but I’d been so focused on improving things at the marina and lodge that I hadn’t taken the time to look for someone. This proclamation from Jenny completely shocked me. Later that day, Jenny and I had a heartfelt conversation and I found out Jenny had her own reasons for wanting to get married. So, we came up with the agreement and decided to, you know, get married.”
“So this whole engagement,” Niall says, eyebrows raised, “is all fake?”
“Kind of,” I say. “It’s fake in the sense that we didn’t date and then fall in love in the traditional way. But it’s real in the sense that we’re getting married in two days.”
“That’s a lot.” Niall says.
I place my head in my hands. “Am I making a huge mistake? I feel like I’m dragging Jenny into something she doesn’t deserve.”
Greg shakes his head slowly. “First off, you’re not dragging her into anything.”
Niall asks, “She offered to get married first, right?”
“Yeah,” I say, “she did.”
“So,” Niall says, “what’s she getting out of it?”
“Job security and a place to live forever,” I say.
Niall’s brows knit together, his head nodding in understanding, while Greg claps me on the shoulder. The weight of my secret feels lighter now, the tension easing with their silent support.
“And” Greg says, “how are you feeling about the arrangement now?”
“I still want to go forward with it, but there’s something else there too.” My voice raises as I finish, almost like I’m asking if there is.
“What?” Niall asks.
“I think I’m falling for her.”
Niall lets out a laugh. “That’s only good news, mate. And for most marriages, what you would expect.”
I smile too. “I know. It’s a bit ironic.” I shift to a more serious tone, “I’m just worried that if I fall for her and she doesn’t fall for me, this deal or marriage or whatever you want to call it is going to be a lot harder than I thought.”
Niall nods, and Greg says, “You two will figure this out. I know it.”
We cast our lines into the water, the quiet punctuated by the occasional splash of fish or creak of the boat.
As the evening wears on, the stars grow brighter, their reflections shimmering on the dark surface of the lake. We laugh, tell stories, and tease each other like old times.
On the way back to the dock, the boat hums softly, the marina lights glowing faintly in the distance. As we pass my house, I glance up and see Jenny’s silhouette in the great room window. I hope she and the girls are having just as much fun at their bachelorette party. Her figure is backlit by the warm glow of the lamp inside, and for a moment, the world feels still.
“Oh crap,” I mutter, sitting up straight.
“What now, mate?” Niall asks.
“I haven’t officially asked her to marry me yet. I mean, we agreed to this whole thing, but I never actually said the words.”
Greg bursts into laughter, shaking his head. “You’d better get on that, man. You marry the girl in less than forty hours.”
As the boat glides past my house, her silhouette lingers in my vision, her presence calm and steady. I smile to myself.
The guys are right. Jenny and I are going to figure this out. And while I don’t know how she feels, I can’t deny what’s been growing in my own heart.
I’m falling for her.