Page 42 of The Beachside Rental

“The thing is that he knows he’s cute so he gets away with a lot.”

“Are you saying that you spoil him?”

“Hmm… Maybe.Just a little.”

She grinned.“A lot.”

He shrugged as Gus ran up to him and dropped the ball at his feet.Simon bent over and picked it up.He threw it a long distance down the beach.Gus took off racing after the ball.

The evening was quickly giving way to the darkness.And then in the distance, she noticed a flash of lightning.It took a moment or two, but then the rumble of thunder reached their ears.

“I guess that’s as far as we go,” Simon said.“Gus!Time to go home.”

The dog headed toward them at a run.The ball was firmly clutched in his mouth.

“So, what are you going to do this evening?”She was honestly curious about what keeps him busy.

“I have some notes from my editor that I’m going to work on.What about you?”

“I was thinking that I’d work on writing some notes for my presentation to my brother.”

Simon’s brows lifted.“You’re that confident that we’re going to win the trivia challenge.”

She shrugged.“I don’t know, but I want to be prepared.”

“Can I ask why he hasn’t heard your idea?”

“I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess I’d say he’s trying to preserve the market the same way that our father left it.I know that he misses our dad.We all do.But if our father was still here, I know he’d at least consider my idea.”

Simon nodded.“So what you’re saying is that it’s complicated.”

“Yes.Exactly.Isn’t it always that way with family?”

Simon nodded.“You’ve got this.You just have to get him to hear you out.”

By then they reached the bottom of the two sets of stairs that led to their homes.She paused, not ready to say goodnight to him.

But before she could say a word, big raindrops started to fall.They pounded down on them.And then the heavens opened up, and it was a deluge.

“Bye.”She ran for her set of stairs.Careful to hold on so she didn’t slip, she ran up to them.

Once she was inside her duplex, she grabbed a paper towel and ran it over her face.If that was an appetizer to the main storm, they were in for a wild ride.

Chapter Twelve

Hewasantsy.

The next day Simon glanced up as Gus paced in the living room.The dog wasn’t used to being cooped up inside all day.Except for a couple runs outdoors between the rain showers, they’d stayed inside.

Simon hadn’t seen Jenna all day.He didn’t even know if she was home.But with it being Sunday, he knew the market was closed so she wasn’t working.Besides, he couldn’t imagine anyone going out in this sloppy weather unless they had to.

The weather report he’d listened to earlier in the day had said now was to be the worst of the storm.He moved to the glass door at the back of the house.Even though it was only a little after six in the evening, it was nearly dark out.

Every now and then, the rain would spray the window.In between he could no longer see the ocean.Too bad because earlier there had been some pretty big waves washing ashore.

“Woof!Woof-woof!”

Simon instantly knew what that bark meant.It was dinner time.He had no idea what to make.He didn’t even know what he was hungry for.He opened the fridge and peered inside.