Chapter 51

Feeling the need for another shot of caffeine, she popped a single serve cup into the shiny modern brewer the owners had thoughtfully placed in the kitchen and pressed Brew.
"What kind of funny thing?" Grace asked. "You haven't been there twenty-four hours. Are you in trouble already?"
"Yes. No." She raked her fingers through her hair. "I don't know."
"Well, spill it, sister. Give me all the deets."
Choosing her words carefully, she explained about the mix-up on the lease and her unexpected roommate.
"Wait just a minute," Grace interrupted. "Are you telling me that, after all the shit that happened to you, you're sharing a cottage with a sex god?"
"Did I say sex god?" Peyton demanded. "Did I even intimate he was, um, anyone like that?"
"You didn't have to." Grace snorted. "You said he's a Navy SEAL. I've seen the movies and read the articles. They're all sex gods."
"I hadn't noticed."
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." Grace laughed. "Sorry, Peyton, but this could only happen to you."
"You mean, more of my rotten luck?"
"Well," Grace drawled, "I wouldn't usually say sharing a cottage with a Navy SEAL is rotten luck, but yes. The last thing you need is a man in your life right now. You're still recovering from the last one."
Peyton sighed. "Isn't that the truth? Although, I'm still trying to figure out which is more damaged, my heart or my ego."
"Let me just say that Chase Mulrow isn't worth having either of them damaged. He's an ass, pure and simple."
"How come I never find out these things until after I've gone all in on a relationship?" Peyton asked. "I feel like such an idiot."
"At least you feel like an idiot now instead of being heartbroken." Grace paused. "That is the truth, right?"
"Mmm, maybe still a bit of both. I really thought I was in love with Chase."
"Okay, maybe the key word here is 'thought.'" Grace's voice took on a sympathetic tone. "Oh, honey, I know Chase really hurt you, in the worst possible way. Worse than either Doug or Willis. Let's just say you weren't quite ready for any of them and look forward from here."
Peyton wished she had an answer. Leaping feet first into the dating pool with limited experience had put her at the mercy of men who were selfish and ego-centered. She wasn't yet ready to explore other options. She wasn't sure she believed in romance anymore, never mind love.
"And I don't think I'm ready now," she told her friend. "I just don't trust the situation. I think I've lost my belief in the possibilities of relationships."
"Don't say that. Not yet. This vacation was supposed to be a chance for you to get over Chase and the others, center yourself again, and focus on writing."
"How can I write about romance when I'm not sure I believe in it anymore?"
"I think you just need a change of environment. A fresh look at things." Grace chuckled. "And sharing a place with a hunky SEAL isn't too bad, either."
"And that's all we're sharing," she insisted.
"You know, it wouldn't do you any harm to have a fling with this guy," Grace pointed out.
"Good-bye, Grace," Peyton said.
"But - "
"Hanging up now. Talk to you tomorrow."
She disconnected the call and stood at the window, sipping her coffee. Grace's words kept replaying in her head. A fling? No, no flings. She'd barely been able to handle a bad relationship. Emotionally, she didn't think she was geared for flings. In fact, right now, she didn't think she was geared for much of anything, including writing another hot romance novel.
Crap. She had to put Dix Amendola out of her mind, or she'd never get back to writing again. Maybe a swim would do her some good, followed by relaxing outside. When Dix got back, she'd ask him to get the lawn furniture out. After all, he'd be using it, too. Right?
She dumped what was left of the coffee, grabbed a beach towel, and headed out to the dock. The water was pretty shallow where it ended but, when she was a kid, she'd learned to do a flat dive that sliced into the water. Using the scrunchie she'd slipped around her wrist, she pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail, dropped her towel, and stripped off the T-shirt. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she dove into the water and breast-stroked her way out to where it was deeper. Then she turned over and floated on her back, wishing she could wash away all her problems the way the water slid off her skin.