Page 23 of The Beachside Rental

She turned to look at him and saw he was focused on the menu—with his sunglasses on.“Aren’t you going to take those off?”

“What?”

“Those sunglasses.It’s not that bright in here.”

He glanced around, as though to see if anyone was staring at him.Then he slid the glasses from his face.

She looked at his hat.She didn’t say anything, but he got the unspoken message.Once more he glanced around to see if anyone was looking in their direction.Was he worried that someone had overheard her?Maybe she had overstepped, but she just wanted him to relax.

He took off his cap and put it on the seat next to him.“So, what’s good here?”

“It might be easier to ask what isn’t any good here?”

He leaned back in his seat, looking a little more relaxed.“Okay.What isn’t any good?”

“Well,” she whispered, “I would skip the meatloaf.It can be dry.Other than that everything is delicious.”

“Thanks.I’ll remember that.”

After they ordered a chicken burger and sweet potato fries for her and a fish sandwich with fries for him, Jenna’s attention was drawn back to the jar of gumballs.“How many gumballs are you going to guess are in there?”

“I’m not.”

Her brows scrunched together.“Not what?”

“Going to enter the contest.”

“Why not?It’s for a good cause.And it’s a really nice prize.”

He shook his head.“I’m not entering.”

“But you have to.”When he arched a brow, she continued.“I mean you don’t have to.It’s just when there’s a need on the island, everyone pulls together to fill that need.Like last year a friend of mine was in the hospital, and the town pulled together to make sure that her and her family were taken care of.Now the lighthouse may not be a friend, but it is an iconic landmark of the island.It has been here longer than me, and hopefully, it’ll be around long after me.In fact, I’ll probably make a few guesses.”

“In that case,” he said, “I’m going to guess two thousand three hundred and fifty-one gumballs.”

“Seriously?”She still didn’t have any idea what to guess.

“No.Well, maybe.I’ll have to think about it.”

As they continued to debate the number of gumballs, their food was delivered.Jenna enjoyed lunch, but she didn’t taste what she was eating.Instead, her focus was on the handsome man across the table from her.

She noticed that he would talk, but he never revealed much about himself.Every time she asked him a question, he would give a brief answer that didn’t say much, and then he would turn the conversation around to her.

When lunch ended, it was time to make her best guess about the gumballs—or her best three guesses.Simon got into the spirit and entered three guesses too.She knew the chances of either of them winning were slim to none, but that wasn’t the point.They were helping the community—that was the point.

Once they were out on the sidewalk, she turned to him.“Now what would you like to do?”

He had his cap and sunglasses back on so she wasn’t able to see his eyes.“I really need to get home.I have some stuff I need to take care of.”

She nodded.“Do you mind if we make a quick stop on the way home?”

He shrugged.“Sure.”

She smiled.“Good.It won’t take long.I promise.”

She liked the thought of them spending a little more time together.Simon had so many layers that she felt as though she’d barely pulled back his outer layer.

And then there was that almost-kiss on the beach.It was always there at the edge of her thoughts, teasing and taunting her.What if he had kissed her?Would they still be spending time together?Or would he have regretted his action and stayed clear of her?