Ben clocked out of work an hour after he’d usually be in bed. He sauntered from his home office over to the bedroom to find his wife already fast asleep. He couldn’t blame her. A project for work was launching in a week and Ben’s manager had emailed a list of changes to be made first thing in the morning. He got as much as he could done in order to make sure he’d be free for the weekend.
He crawled into bed alongside his wife Alissa and was asleep almost immediately. His dream was about work.
Alissa woke up to find Ben snoring beside her. She rolled out of bed and made her way downstairs. Their coffee maker could make a pot in under five minutes. She grabbed a mug and added some sugar.
Outside, the sunrise was beginning to peek over the trees. She walked out into the backyard and sat down on a wicker chair as she sipped from her mug. Before going outside she’d checked the time on the clock in the kitchen. At 8:00 am Ben had another two hours to sleep before they’d risk being late.
At 9:30 am, Ben rubbed his eyes. His body felt numb but his fingers felt as if they were still racing against the keyboard. He got out of bed and opened the blinds.
By the time he made it downstairs, he was freshly showered and dressed for their outing; it was almost 10:00 am.
“Happy birthday,” said Alissa. “Did you sleep well?”
“Not really,” he replied. “I dreamt of work. Not the most relaxing thing.”
“Think you’ve gotten enough sleep for today’s adventures?”
“I hope so. I’ve been looking forward to it for so long now. I’m dressed for hiking. What do you think?”
“I think we’re ready to roll,” she replied.
The drive to the state park took a little over an hour. It was Alissa’s hope they’d get there around 11 and have time to hike a bit before getting to their actual destination within the park.
“Time for our first hike,” she said as she got out of the car. “Are you ready?”
“I don’t recognize this spot,” he said, getting out. “Why’d you pick it, exactly?”
“It’s a half hour trail and I need to get moving before we eat. The place we’re having lunch is about a five-minute drive from here. We can do the trail almost to the end and turn around so we can get to our lunch spot by noon.”
“Sounds technical, but makes sense.” He laughed. “Lead the way.”
On the way back from their first hike, Ben could feel his stomach grumble. He thought back to his meager breakfast before they left — coffee, an apple, and a granola bar. Their picnic was waiting in the car. They’d each made a sub sandwich the night before, his being a turkey and provolone. Along with their subs, they brought soda pop and water.
Ben got into the passenger seat.
“I can’t wait for some grub,” he said, patting his stomach.
“You and me both,” said Alissa. “I just wish we’d brought a cake. That’d hit the spot right about now.”
“You’ve activated my sweet tooth. We may have to stop for dessert on the way home.”
“We’ll see how hungry you still are after we eat.”
The drive to the lunch tables took five minutes. Ben took the cooler from the back of the car and began walking to one of the empty tables.
“How about we eat in that shelter over there?” asked Alissa.
Ben looked to where she was pointing. From their perspective, they could see the back of the shelter.
“We won’t need all that space,” he replied. “How about we pick a table over here?”
“I like the view better over here.”
“Fair enough.”
Ben walked the cooler over to the shelter and nearly dropped it at the sound of “Happy birthday” being shouted at him from a dozen friends. He placed it on a table and tried to hide his blushing cheeks.
“Did we get you?” asked Alissa.
“You sure did. Can’t say I was expecting this at all. Hey, everyone.”
“And the best part,” said Alissa, walking over to the table surrounded by their friends. “Is we have cake!”
Thank you for reading this week’s entry of Friday Romance. I hope you enjoyed! Please share with friends and family if you wish, this helps my newsletter grow and reach more readers.
If you’re looking for more reading options, I have a book available on Kindle as well as various serials on Kindle Vella.
The Centennial Courtship on Kindle. Please leave a review on Amazon if you’ve read it. You can either write a review or just rate it out of 5 stars.
Abigail Bloom's life is thrown into a sweeping romance when a new deputy rolls into the small town of Brooks Landing, but when her ex-husband enters back into her life, she's unsure if she can hold onto her new chance at true love. A break-in in the small town causes Abigail's ex to suspect the new deputy - Can she trust her new love interest or is he using her as an alibi?
How about some serial fiction? “One Town Over” on Kindle Vella offers up another small town romance, this time set in Peek Creak (which may sound familiar if you’ve read “The Centennial Courtship”). Follow along as a new romance blooms! You can read on your phone/tablet/computer. (contemporary romance, office romance, romantic comedy)
(First 3 episodes FREE) John Prince's life in Peak Creek seems perfect. He's been seeing Cassandra Queen for six months and hopes to move in together. However, Cassandra resists the change, putting John's romantic future into question. When an opportunity to advance at work opens up, John feels his luck turning around. Katie Young, a recent transfer at the firm, has other plans. Their rivalry collides when they have to co-present during a company retreat.
Story collection serials:
The Fantasy of Love: A Romance Story Collection
The Mystery of Love: A Romance Story Collection
The Science of Love: A Romance Story Collection
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