I walked out of my grandmother's beach cottage feeling shaky. I hadn't expected to see my teenage summer fling standing in the bathroom when I got out of the shower.
Why had the property management company double-booked the cottage? Unless Grandma forgot to tell them she'd already offered the cottage to me for the summer.
That was a distinct possibility. Grandma was known for being fun, but details like paperwork tended to fall by the wayside.
I drove to her condo and knocked on the door.
She opened the door in crisp white slacks, a hot pink flowing top, and sandals. Her eyes brightened when she saw me. "What a nice surprise. What brings you here?"
"I wanted to see you." I stepped inside her condo. It was bright and new with all the amenities. We'd talked about her moving into a community meant for fifty-five plus, but she'd insisted that being around all ages of people kept her young.
I wasn't sure about the science behind her theory, but she was energetic and healthy.
"Would you like some sweet tea on the lanai?" Grandma asked, already pulling down glasses and filling them with ice.
"I'd love some." I needed a jolt of caffeine after getting out of the shower and finding Marshall Kingston in my bathroom. What were the odds of that?
Over the years, Grandma had mentioned that Marshall rarely visited home, preferring to spend his leave with his daughter in Naples where she lived with her mother.
I waited for her to fill the glasses, then took mine outside to her screened-in porch. She was on the garden floor apartment and there was foliage planted all around, giving it a private feel, and she'd hung several wind chimes that tinkled prettily.
Grandma got settled in her chair, the ice clinking in her glass. "Now tell me, to what do I owe this surprise?"
I drank the sweet tea to soothe my dry throat. I still hadn't recovered from Marshall touching me when I was naked. My skin was tingly and tight.
I looked different than I had at eighteen. I'd filled out in ways he probably didn't recognize, and I wasn't sure he'd like. "Imagine my surprise when I got out of the shower and ran into Marshall Kingston."
Grandma's eyes widened, and she set her drink on the table between us. "What on earth was Marshall Kingston doing in the beach cottage?"
I narrowed my gaze on her. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me? I thought you'd advised the property management company that I'd be staying there for the summer."
"I did." Her eyes slid from mine, going slightly unfocused. "I think I did."
I bit off a groan. "Marshall claims the cottage was double-booked and he should get it because he's renting it."
"I don't know about that. Isn't there plenty of room for you both to stay there together? There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Sounds cozy."
I leaned back in my chair, watching a bird settle on a nearby birdbath. "I was looking for peace and solitude. A break from everything."
Grandma nodded. "I know, and that's what you'll get at the beach cottage. Marshall won't spoil that."
"He's living there with his daughter." Then I remembered that his military-issued duffle had been on the guest bed. "I think his daughter is staying in the primary room downstairs, and he's in the one next to mine."
"The rooms with the adjoining bathroom. That's how you ran into him." Grandma leaned in. "Had you just gotten out of the shower naked?"
Grandma loved gossip, and I knew this would get around her group of friends at the senior center in no time. "The details don't matter."
Grandma leaned back with a knowing glint in her eye. "I think they very much do matter."
I sighed. "The point is I wasn't expecting a man to be in my bathroom."
Her forehead creased. "Didn't you two date that one summer after high school? Before you went off to college."
"Yes." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I fail to see why that matters."
"You already know each other, so you aren't strangers."
"We can't be roommates." There was no way I could share a house with him, much less a bathroom. The cottage was small and cozy, and Marshall filled up all the space with his bulk and his attitude.
