Meant to Marry Me: Nashville Country Dreams Part 1

Trent found a quiet spot out on the boat deck. Like everything else, it had been Monica’s idea to take an evening boat ride for dinner. The sunset was beautiful, and the water was calm and serene, but Trent didn’t feel peace as he looked out at the horizon. He felt like a tempest was brewing under the surface, and he wasn’t sure how to put his finger on exactly why he was feeling that way.

He wanted to ignore the tickle in the back of his brain that said it was Bree. He thought he’d moved on from her years ago, that he’d convinced himself that being with her was a dream he’d never achieve. But the more time he spent around her, the more he wondered if he’d sold himself short and not taken every opportunity he had to see where their relationship could go.

Monica was still in the dining room. He’d asked her to come out on the promenade with him, but she was afraid her hair would get messed up. Most of the rest of the bridal party was out on the deck, drinking and laughing. He was glad they were having fun, but his heart wasn’t in it. Only Monica, Hannah, and Clarice weren’t with them--and Bree. The bride and bridesmaids were sitting inside with a bottle of wine, allegedly talking to some of the other out of town guests, though if Trent had to hazard a guest, it was more like they were talking about themselves.

Where Bree was, he didn’t know, until he heard her light footsteps come around the side of the boat. She kept her distance from him, propping her hands against the railing and said, “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

“It is,” he said, not coming over to her. “Are you having a good time?”

She shrugged, and he knew no matter what she said the answer was no. “I’ve had worse.”

He chuckled, and regardless of whether or not Monica would forget about her hair and come flying out after him, he stepped over by Bree. “I’m sorry about the volleyball match. I’m not sure why… some people were taking it so seriously.”

“Some people are just more competitive than others.”

“I’ve known you to be competitive during certain circumstances as well,” he reminded her with a playful nudge in the arm.

Monopoly game again,

what

hands out in exasperation, but she was smiling, that gorgeous friendly smile that made him melt on the inside like ice

in front of him. “I’m just better at

winked at him, and he had to look

was an under his breath comment,

back through the window at the bride. Monica was still in the conversation, but

getting married, but I wasn’t sure at the time that we were ready. We’d been

because she wants to

that’s part of it. I would never try to talk her out of her dream, but I can’t be moving all over the place and run a company at the same time.

eyes bulged.

without children--someday, not right away, but someday. “I thought we’d keep talking about it, figure it out, you know? But then one day about a year ago, we were at the mall--she

Bree looked stunned. “A ring you

though he wasn’t going to admit the ring had cost far more than he’d ever

never

shook his head,