Page 53 of Sunrise

I think back to when I woke up last night to the thunderstorm. She was the first thing on my mind. She hates thunderstorms, and I wanted to make sure she was okay, even if it meant looking in to see if Brynn was with her and then going back to bed.

I'm glad I checked. Finding her alone led to me being able to hold her all night, and that led to one of the best mornings of my life.

Knowing I'm going to be relaxing all day with her, I slip on sweatpants and a T-shirt. I check my phone, but there isn't anything important, so I put it on silent and head back to Lin.

She's getting off the phone when I get there.

"Everything okay?" I ask with the sudden thought maybe something came up and she has to go.

"Yeah, just checking in with Brynn. She slept through the storm last night and plans to hang out in the kitchen today, so she's good to go."

Lin's room looks like it used to be a suite. While her bed is in its own room, there isn't a door, just a large archway separating it from the living space with a little mini kitchen and a cozy seating area. I sit on the couch, ready to watch TV as she comes over hesitantly, so I grab her hand and pull her down next to me. I wrap my arm over her shoulders and hand her the remote.

"What do you want to watch?" she asks.

"You pick," I tell her.

"Oh no, I don't need you ruining my favorite movies. Pick something," she says.

"Okay." So instead of a movie, I put on a funny TV show, and we snuggle in.

I love her laughing against me and the way she buries her face in my chest when she's embarrassed for the person on TV. Between episodes, we talk, and I find out she didn't get to do the whole clubbing thing because she took over the inn right before her twenty-first birthday. I tell her how I did the clubbing thing and now am perfectly happy to never step foot inside one again. Something in her eyes, though, makes me think she feels like she missed out but won't ever complain about it.

Just before lunch, her phone rings.

"Sorry, it's Brynn. I need to take this," she says before she answers. She walks over to the window and looks out over the water as they talk.

I catch bits of the conversation "...restart it." A long pause then "...call IT?" Another pause with a sigh before she turns to walk over to me. "Okay, I'll be right there."

They hang up, and she looks at me with longing eyes before she speaks.

"The computer at the check-in desk is acting up. She can't get ahold of IT, so I'm going to go take a look. Normally, I can get it going again. I hope this is the push she needs to replace the darn thing."

She disappears into the bathroom, and when she comes out, she's ready to go help Brynn in her shorts and a T-shirt with her hair pulled up.

"I don't know how long I'll be, but maybe we can grab dinner at Sunset?" she asks, hesitating by the door.

"I'll be there," I assure her and walk her out to the lobby.

I watch her head over to the Sunset, and then I have an idea. I find the daytime security guy in the lobby.

"Afternoon, Mr. Markson," he says.

I stop and hold out my hand. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

He looks at my hand like it might bite him.

"Oh, that's just Dale. He's a germaphobe and doesn't like to shake hands," the housekeeper says as she walks by.

"Bertha, right?" I ask.

"Yes, sir," she says and stops next to us.

"Nice to meet you, Dale," I say and drop my hand.

"Nice to meet you too," he says with a large smile.

"Listen, I was wondering if you guys can help me with something. I want to surprise Lin as a thank you, but I'm not sure how to put my idea into action."

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