Free Bet On Love by Barbara Witek

cast pleading eyes toward Cole as I scratched even harder. The insufferable man smirked.
    “You’ll be fine, GT. Don’t look so scared. It’s like riding a bike, you never forget.”
    “I-I’m not scared,” I scoffed, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say the two of them were in on this together. Something was definitely up. “Bring it on, Captain Wilderness, I can totally handle it.” I hoped.
    “Yes!” Abbey fist-pumped and jogged out of the room cheering.
    ***
    Abbey and I hit up the local market, putting everything in our cart from s’mores ingredients to cereal. We picked fresh vegetables, fruit, and salted peanuts in the shell because they were Cole’s favorite. The perishable items we stocked in the cooler once we got home. Everything else stayed in plastic shopping bags.
    “Well, now that we have our supplies, I guess I’d better get upstairs and pack,” I said, looking at our huge stockpile of food.
    “Me too. I want us to be ready to go when Dad gets home,” Abbey said as she looked toward the clock on the wall.
    “Right.” I eyed her suspiciously. The dancing hairs on the back of my neck warned me something was off. “Abbey,” I said, reaching for her arm. “This camping trip doesn’t change anything. I have to go back to California.” The young version of Cole didn’t bat a lash.
    “I know.” And off she went upstairs without a care in the world.
    I followed a moment later and put my belongings back into my suitcase. So this was it. I’d be leaving for parts unknown then returning to my real home by the weekend. Such a bittersweet feeling, but I knew this was all for the best. I only hoped Abbey truly understood, because even though I’d be all the way across the country, I’d hate for her to hate me.
    And as for Cole, well, I knew he didn’t hate me. The bond we shared was strong enough to last through anything except a relationship. This role-playing exercise was more than enough. In the course of a week, I became a wife and a mother. Not everyone could say that. Memories I would cherish forever.
    “I’m ready, how about you?” Abbey poked her head in the door, a dark green nylon duffle slung over her shoulder and matching sleeping bag cradled in her arms.
    “As ready as I’ll ever be, kiddo,” I patted the top of my bag and rolled it out into the hallway.
    “You’re seriously taking that?”
    “It’s all I’ve got, why?”
    “Because you can’t pull that out in the middle of the woods. It’s never going to work.”
    “Any suggestions?” I shifted my weight to one leg, still holding the handle.
    “Yeah, let’s put your clothes in with Dad’s.” Abbey promptly dropped her stuff outside the door and waltzed in to take my Anne Klein luggage back to the bed. “I suppose we can leave this in the trunk if you insist on bringing it, but for conveniences let’s put everything together.”
    “Remember, I’m going to have to catch the flight--”
    “Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about the flight. You’re going to have so much fun I wouldn’t be surprised if you missed it all together!”
    And there it was.
    I had seen the original Parent Trap movie hundreds of times, and I’d even allowed myself the hidden joy of watching the remake. I knew exactly what was happening here, and I couldn’t help but be impressed at her determination of doing it on her own. While she occupied herself with making space in Cole’s duffle, I discreetly slipped my airline confirmation from the outside pocket of my carryon and into the zippered compartment of my purse. This was one item that was not going to become misplaced during our wilderness adventure.
    “How’s it looking?” I ventured a peek over her shoulder.
    “All we have to do now is wait for Dad to add his things.”
    “Great,” I said and then spied half the contents of my suitcase on the bed. “Wait a minute, I need this stuff.” I picked up my make-up bag and curling iron. “This place has a hairdryer,