Page 20 of The Beachside Rental

It took him a moment to remember that he’d paused to look up what sort of mineral or rock was red.He wanted something like that for his hero’s home world.Because he was a visual writer, and the red rock, especially the exploding red rock, made a spectacular image in his mind.

So, that was where he was in the book.The hero’s world had been neglected and robbed of its nutrients.Now it was imploding.And so, Simon sat there and wrote a couple paragraphs about how everywhere this hero turned, there was red rock being thrown through the sky while the planet burned.

His fingers were moving rapidly over the keyboard when he heard a little squeak of a door being opened.His fingers paused.Without even looking, he instinctively knew it was Jenna.

He told himself he wasn’t going to look up.He was just going to keep his head down and type.He didn’t even care if he typed:Don’t look up—over and over again.That was what the backspace button was for.

But then Gus got to his feet.And of course, being the responsible pet-parent that he was, Simon had to lift his head to see what his dog was up to.Gus was headed straight for Jenna.Before he knew it, Simon’s gaze shifted to Jenna.

Their gazes caught and held.And then his heart was beating faster than normal.And any thoughts of the red planet floated away on the summer breeze.

“Hi.”Jenna’s smile broadened, puffing up her cheeks ever so slightly and making her eyes twinkle.

“Hi.”Did his voice sound strange?Was it a little higher-pitched than normal?

Her gaze moved to his keyboard writer.“Sorry if I disturbed you.”

He swallowed hard, hoping when he spoke his voice sounded normal again.“You didn’t.I needed a break.”

Now what had he gone and said that for?He was just getting into the chapter.Normally there were no breaks permitted until he reached the end of said chapter.Except that he was already taking a break and thoughts of his fictional world were a long way from his mind.

Jenna stepped closer.“Whatcha working on?”

He didn’t know how to answer.If she didn’t know his true identity, he didn’t want to clue her in.And if she did know, he didn’t want her to know that he was working on a new series.So, what did he tell her?

“Nothing interesting.”It was definitely time to change the subject.“Are you headed to the market?”

She didn’t look like she was going to work.She had on a pair of yellow shorts and a white knit top.She wore her dark curls loose around her face.She looked—well, she looked amazing.Not that he was noticing or anything.

She shook her head.“It’s my day off.I was just going to head into town for a bit.”She hesitated as though there was something she wanted to say, but she wasn’t sure whether to say it or not.“Would you like to join me?”

Yes.The answer teetered on the back of his tongue.He most certainly did—at least that was what his heart was saying.

His mind told him to turn her down.He had work to do—important work to finish before his publisher yanked their deal with him.But it was more than that.He knew if he spent more time with Jenna, they’d end up growing closer, and that wasn’t safe for him—for his scarred heart.

It was with the greatest reluctance that he said, “No.I should probably stay here.”

Instead of just accepting his answer and walking away, she asked, “Are you waiting for someone?”

He shook his head.“No.It’s just me and Gus.”

“Have you seen Bluestar yet?”

He nodded.“I saw it when I was transporting my stuff from the harbor to here.”

“That’s not seeing Bluestar.That’s passing through it briefly.”She paused as though thinking out what to say next.“Have you even eaten at the Lighthouse Cafe yet?”

“No.Why?”

“Because it’s the most iconic restaurant on the island.Plus, they have the most delicious food.You have to try it.Trust me.You won’t regret it.”

The way she was going on about the place, well, it couldn’t be that good—no restaurant was that good.“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“No.I mean you have to try it now.”

Surely, he didn’t understand her correctly.“As in right now?”

She smiled at him, and a warm, fuzzy feeling bloomed in his chest.Then she nodded, and he felt as though she’d just cast a spell over him that made it impossible for him to turn her down.