She nodded and they alighted from his vehicle, once more linking fingers as they walked across the parking lot.
Stepping inside the marriage license office, he was pleased to see that it was not busy. Glad that Rita had already taken care of the paperwork, he pulled out the envelope she had given him that morning and handed it to the clerk. Glancing to the side, he was keenly aware of Lynn’s mood. No longer smiling, she appeared ready to bolt. He had to admit that while the mission planning with Nancy made everything seem cut and dry, actually pretending to be a couple making decisions about their upcoming wedding was unnerving.
He wanted to put Lynn at ease but had no idea how to do so. Maybe when we get this all finished, she’ll relax.
“Oh, I see that you have filled out the preregistration online. That’s lovely!” the clerk declared. “That’ll make this process so easy.”
He nodded but said nothing while she tapped on her keyboard after looking over the paperwork. He felt Lynn’s weight move into his body and automatically reached his arm around, tucking her front to his side. They fit perfectly, and it seemed a little of the tension slid from her.
In less than ten minutes, the wide-smiling clerk handed him an envelope. “Here you go, lovebirds. Now, your license has to be used within the next thirty days, and you just give this envelope to the wedding chapel or minister, and they’ll take care of everything.”
He thanked her and tucked the envelope back into his pocket. Still concerned about Lynn’s quiet mood, he guided her out of the office building and into the sunshine. Walking her to the car, he asked, “Hey, are you okay?”
She visibly startled, then nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Um… what’s next?”
“Well, I thought we’d grab some lunch and maybe walk around Gatlinburg a little bit. You said it had been a long time since you’d been here and seemed really excited this morning.” He breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes sparkled. “Guess that was the right suggestion,” he said, assisting her back into her seat.
They drove to one of the parking garages and started walking up the busy sidewalk. Gatlinburg for tourists was mostly the one road that cuts through the little mountain town, each side crowded with shops and attractions. Some of the shops were crammed with tourist items, all sporting black bears and slogans about the Great Smoky Mountains mixed with the bright orange shirts sporting ‘UT’ on the front.
Other shops were filled with handcrafted pottery, woodcarvings, quilts, and framed photographs. They passed two moonshine distilleries, both with tasting counters and boasting every flavor of moonshine imaginable. “We can do a tasting later, but I need food first,” he proclaimed.
He kept his arm around her, guiding her past the throngs of visitors as she stared into the windows. Finally, coming to the sign pointing toward the Mountain Grill, he led her up the steps to the second floor.
Glad that the lunch crowd had passed, they chose seats on the balcony that overlooked the street below. Once their beer had been delivered and the bison burgers ordered, he relaxed seeing Lynn’s smile firmly on her face again. She inhaled deeply and lifted her face toward the sun. “It’s lovely here.”
His gaze stayed planted onto her face, the sight hitting him in the gut as hard as the ruptured appendix. “It certainly is.”
She dropped her gaze from the mountains to his face, a delicate blush moving over her cheeks. Fiddling with her napkins, she said, “So, you said we learned a lot this morning. I’m afraid the only thing I learned was that the office was toward the back near the bathrooms.”
They were seated at a small, square table but sat at right angles instead of across from each other. Her hands were resting on the tabletop, and he fought the urge to reach over and link fingers with her. Instead, scrubbing his hand over his face, he leaned back in his chair and attempted to pull his focus away from her and concentrate on the mission. “We know that Errol goes to lunch every Wednesday with a group of friends, and since tomorrow is Wednesday, that’s why I told Junelle that we wanted a noon wedding. Since we decided on the elopement package, there won’t be anyone else there other than you, me, Junelle, and the Justice of the Peace. Errol’s office will be empty.”
“But how will we get in if he locks his office door?”
Not replying, he simply lifted his eyebrow and stared at her.
A slight giggle slipped from her lips. “I suppose picking a lock for a SEAL is hardly a challenge.”
“I will simply pretend that nerves are getting the best of us and we need to go to the bathroom. I’ll get the door opened and stand guard while you slip in and get what you need from his computer. Then I’ll make sure the door is locked again. Five minutes, in and out, we’re done.”
“What about if the Justice of the Peace needs to go to the bathroom?”
“Men don’t go to the bathroom in packs.”
Her nose scrunched adorably. “Huh?”
“Look, I know that women often go to the bathroom in a group. Safety in numbers or just to gab with their friends. But men don’t do that. So, if the Justice of the Peace knows that I’ve headed to the men’s room, even if he’s about to bust a gut, he’s going to hold it until I come back.”
Lynn opened her mouth then snapped it shut quickly. “That almost sounds ridiculous, but you’re probably right. So, if he stays in the main chapel, we just need to worry about Junelle. What if she tries to come to the ladies' room thinking she needs to calm me down or something?”
“If I hear her coming, I’ll jump in the ladies' room and make it sound like we’re going for a little prenuptial nookie.”
This time, a snort emitted from Lynn and her eyes danced. “Prenuptial nookie? Nolan!”
“Look, babe, if you think those restrooms haven’t seen a little before or after action, then you’d be wrong. If not from the bride and groom, then the bridesmaids and groomsmen pairing off.”
She did not have a chance to respond before the server set down their lunch platters. The bison burgers were delicious and the fresh-cut fries were perfectly seasoned. He had noticed last night that she had no problem eating in front of him and was once again indicating that she enjoyed the food. Petite with curves gave her the perfect body. “I’m glad to see you eat.”
In mid-bite, she halted, her mouth opened around the burger and her eyes wide. She finished her bite, chewed and swallowed, then took a drink of beer to wash it all down. “You like watching me eat?”
Blushing, he said, “Sorry. That didn’t come out right. What I meant was that I noticed you ate last night and you’re having no problem putting away that burger now.”
“Excuse me? Are you trying to insult me?”
“No! I’m just trying to say that I like to see a woman who isn’t afraid to eat. One of the last women I tried to date practically starved herself to stay lean but was in a perpetually grumpy mood. We made it to date three when I decided there was no future in someone who couldn’t enjoy food.”
“Oh, that makes sense. I think you have to be able to enjoy a lot of the same things. I mean, it’s nice to learn new things from a partner, but it’s also good to have things that you enjoy doing together. Of course, I never really thought about eating as something to have in common.”