“Yes.” I turn the iPad toward them. “You did book the honeymoon suite.” The couple looks at each other triumphantly. “Unfortunately, you didn’t book the one facing the lake and the hills, but the one facing the inn’s gardens.” I click the picture next to their booking.

The smile on Mr. Hardy’s face slips away, and he places his drink back on the table. “How is that possible? I was careful, Carly. I knew you wanted the honeymoon suite with a view of the lake.” He turns to his wife, and I hate the despair on their faces.

I quickly check for any available lake-facing room, but as expected, we’re fully booked.

“It’s an honest mistake, Mr. Hardy. We have several honeymoon suites, so I can understand how you’d have gotten confused. Unfortunately, we have no lakeside rooms available.”

I rack my brain, trying to come up with something that will erase the disappointed look from my guests’ faces.

My mother’s words ring in my ears all the while.

“We make memories at this inn, Autumn. Always make sure we give our guests the best ones so they want to come again and again to relive those days.”

I look out the window, hoping to get some inspiration, when one of the construction workers crosses the lawn, and an idea strikes.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, would you be up for something…unconventional?” Excitement crackles inside me, and Chiara raises an eyebrow.

But Mr. Hardy doesn’t look fully convinced. “What do you mean by unconventional?”

I close the booking system and open the photos folder on the iPad. Once I’ve found what I’m looking for, I turn the screen toward our guests. I consider their gasp and the way Mrs. Hardy clutches her chest to be a good sign.

“This is not open to our guests yet,” I whisper and even curl my hand around my mouth, as if telling some secret, which is partly true.

Mrs. Hardy’s eyes gleam as she leans forward, and Mr. Hardy chuckles.

“It’s actually a secret.” I smile. “This is an extension of the inn. We’re building these private cottages for honeymooners like you who’d rather spend time in the serenity of Cherrywood, enjoying the lakeside view.”

I point toward the wooden cottage that was my brain child. “This is the only one that is fully operational. My parents did a dry run last weekend and spent the night, but because we still have construction happening on the other cottages, we haven’t opened it yet. But…like I said, it’s perfectly ready for use.”