Page 75 of The Beachside Rental

“You fired your agent?”

He nodded.“We couldn’t go back to the way things had been.”

“So, why didn’t you tell me this before now?”She sensed there was more to this story.

He raked his fingers through his hair.“That’s because I, uh, might have thought you sold the story to the tabloid.”

She pressed a hand to her chest as the words hit her.“Me?”

He lowered his head as he nodded.“I realize now how far off the mark I was, but at the time, the tabloid had the information that I’d only shared with you.The pieces fit together.”

“But I didn’t—I wouldn’t.”

His gaze lifted to meet hers.“I know.It took me a while to figure things out.In the end, it was a visitor at the hospital who had overheard our conversation.”

“Oh.”She hadn’t expected that.“I’m sorry, but I can’t believe you would think so little of me.”

“I guess we both jumped to the wrong conclusions.”

Her mouth opened to argue the point, but then she gave it some thought.She supposed she could see how he might jump to the conclusion that she’d sold him out.It was what his ex had done to him.She wordlessly closed her mouth.It still hurt that he thought that of her.

But where did that leave them?She couldn’t imagine that they could go back to the fun and flirty stage of a newfound relationship.She felt as though they’d moved far beyond that.

The most logical thing was to just let it all go.She had to accept that it just wasn’t meant to be.It wasn’t like he was in love with her or anything.

She nodded.“Well, thank you for telling me that.”She turned back to her door and opened it.“I’ll, uh, talk to you later.”

“Jenna, wait.There’s something else.”

She turned back to him and waited for whatever it was that he wanted to say.He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.His gaze met hers and then shifted away.What was he up to?

“Maybe it’s better that I show you.”

“Show me what?”She had no idea what he was talking about.

“May I?”He gestured as though he wanted to enter her house.

She hesitated, but curiosity had her nodding.

He stepped past her.Gus followed him.She followed them to the sliding glass door at the back.Simon stepped aside and pulled Gus out of the way.

She stepped up to the glass door and found candles and rose petals on the deck.“What did you do?”

Simon smiled.“Follow the candles and you’ll see.”

Her heart was thumping.Did this mean he felt something for her?After all, he went to a lot of trouble for the rose petals and candles.

She noticed that they led down the steps of the deck.She opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside.She followed the candles to the edge of the deck.

She let her gaze follow the trail of candles and rose petals.And then there in the sand, spelled out in candles were the words:I love you!

She gasped.Her gaze remained on the glowing proclamation.With her heart pounding, she read it over and over again.

Simon stepped over to her and softly said, “You can’t be shocked.”

When she turned to him, she was surprised at how close he was standing.She stumbled.Her hand reached out, pressing against his chest to keep herself from falling into him.When she regained her balance, she found herself staring into his eyes as her breath hitched in the back of her throat.

His hand covered hers, holding it over his heart.“Jenna, I love you.I think I started falling for you that very first day—when you yelled at me for having my stuff on your side of the porch.”