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I survived the family party.

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I didn't breathe a sigh of relief until I was safely tucked into the Kingston Construction truck Dad had insisted I use with my sullen teenager in the passenger seat.

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I'd left home for college and then again when I joined the military. When I'd found out I was going to be a father, I'd stuck it out for the stability. But the years were slipping away, and I wanted to have a relationship with my daughter outside of our too-short visits and emails.

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My plan was to stop in unannounced at Ivy and Cooper's party to meet their new baby, Henry. I counted on it being too difficult for anyone to ask questions about why I left the family business back then. Hopefully, I would be granted a short reprieve to get settled into our cottage rental for the summer.

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Billie insisted I take our daughter, Hayden, for her summer break since we'd missed so much one-on-one time. For years, I wanted to spend more time with her, but now that I was granted the summer alone with her, I was questioning my decision. She'd turned into a teenager during my last deployment, and the Hayden that sat next to me was constantly complaining about the move from Naples to Sanibel, leaving her friends, and missing out on her social life.

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I wasn't sure how to respond to her because anytime I offered to help, she rolled her eyes, huffed, and groaned. I was starting to think silence was the safer option.

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"I can't believe we have to live on this island," Hayden griped.

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She said the word island as if she'd been sentenced to thirty years to life in a maximum-security prison. "Most teenagers would love to spend the summer at the beach."

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Hayden screeched so loud, I was tempted to plug my ears. "What kid wants to spend the summer exiled from their friends?"

I'd gathered that friends were important to teen girls, but I longed for the time when she wanted nothing more than to spend time with me. Things were so easy when she was little. She was always happy to see me and wanted to share everything with me.

I wasn't sure how to connect with this girl. She seemingly took issue with everything and everyone. Billie had assured me she acted like this with her too, but I had a feeling it was worse with me.

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I followed the directions to the house I'd rented for the summer. I'd splurged on a beach cottage that was three bedrooms with a pool and beach access. I figured it was the dream location for a teen girl, but what did I know? "Here we are."

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"It's so tiny." Her nose scrunched as she pulled the door handle and jumped down from the truck.

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I'd thought the cottage offered plenty of space for the two of us. How much room could we possibly need? I hadn't accumulated a lot of things over the years, and this place came fully furnished.

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I grabbed Hayden's suitcases out of the truck's bed and carried them to the porch where I entered the code to open the door. The door opened with a whir, and I gestured for Hayden to precede me into the foyer.

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"There's one bedroom down here, and two upstairs." I hadn't decided which one I'd reserve for myself. "Why don't you pick the one you want?"

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Her eyes lit up for the first time since I'd been back. She immediately disappeared into the master on the first floor. "Can I have this one? The bathroom is attached."

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I didn't need a lot of space, and if it made her happy, then I was all for it. "Sure."

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She popped her head into the hallway. "Seriously?"

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"Of course." I wanted her to be content here with me.

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Hayden squealed and closed the door with a click.

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I didn't mind ceding her the largest bedroom. It was only for a few months, and then she'd move back in with her mother for the school year.

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I wondered if she'd be holed up in there all summer, only coming out for meals. This girl was a virtual stranger from the one I had known. I was struggling to connect with her on any level, and I was worried I'd waited too long to make this move.

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I left her suitcases by her door and carried my duffle upstairs. There were two bedrooms with an adjoining bath. I entered the first bedroom on the right, dropping my duffle on the queen bed that was covered in a blue patchwork quilt. A sliding door showcased the view of the ocean and the second story deck.

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Hayden was going to regret choosing the downstairs bedroom because this level was the only one with an unimpeded view of the water.

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The door to the bathroom was closed, so I opened it, walking into wet and slippery skin. I immediately dropped my hands and stepped backward.

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The woman scrambled to cover herself with a towel. "Did Blaire ask you to check out the leaky faucet?"

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I frowned because she looked and sounded vaguely familiar. "Who's Blaire?"

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"My grandmother. The one who owns this house." Then she paused, looking at me with wide eyes. "Marshall?"

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"Are you—" My one-time fling. We spent a lot of time together when Saylor visited one summer. But then I'd gone to college and hadn't seen her again. I tried to forget about the woman who'd come to define summer for me.

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"Saylor."

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I ran a hand through my hair, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. "I can't believe it's you after all this time."

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She tightened her grip on her towel, which had slipped to reveal the globes of her breasts. "It was a long time ago."

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When I hung out with her, Dad wondered what had me so distracted, correctly concluding it was a girl. But not just any girl. It was Saylor Benedict. She was carefree and easygoing, excited about her future, and ready to tackle the world. What had happened to her?

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She opened her mouth, then closed it. "Grandma said you signed up for the military after you graduated."

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I nodded, my jaw tight. "That's right."

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"Are you still serving?"

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"I left the military to spend more time with my daughter."

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Her eyes flashed with emotion. "Why are you in my grandmother's cottage?"

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"I rented the cottage through the management company."

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Saylor frowned. "Grandma said that I could live here for the summer. That she didn't have any renters booked. I thought it was unusual, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

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I held up my hands. "She said you could stay here for the summer?"

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Saylor gave me a slow nod, her body still tense as if she didn't trust me, and I couldn't blame her. She'd obviously just gotten out of the bath or the shower and encountered a man in her space. Even if she'd known me at one point in her life, I was a stranger to her now.

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"I rented the house. I can show you the paperwork." I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my emails until I found the rental agreement.

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Saylor moved closer, the scent of her body wash invading my nostrils. "I can't believe she did this."

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Then she walked into the other bedroom, holding the towel in place with one hand while grabbing clothes from her open suitcase with the other. Her bed was identical to mine except with a red quilt instead of a blue one.

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I tried to keep my gaze on her face and not the way her towel crept up her legs. When she bent over to get a pair of shorts from the lowest drawer, I had to squeeze my eyes shut.

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The towel didn't cover nearly enough, and I was trying to be a gentleman. My daughter was downstairs. I shouldn't be lusting after this woman after so many years.

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"I cannot believe this is happening." Saylor grabbed a scrap of yellow lace, and pulled them up her legs, wiggling until she got them into place.

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"Are you talking about your grandmother?" I tried not to think about whether Saylor still shaved herself bare. It wasn't any of my business. I needed to get Saylor out of my house so that I could get back to planning how I was going to connect with my daughter this summer. This wasn't any different than any of my other missions. Even if Saylor's naked body was an enticing distraction.

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Saylor screamed in frustration, and I wondered if Hayden could hear her. Surely she'd put her ear buds in and was listening to music or talking to her friends about how unfair her life was. "I can't believe she double booked the cottage."

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"I'm a paying renter, so I should get precedence."

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Saylor paused, the strap of a yellow bra hanging from her fingers. "This is my grandmother's house."

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"Are you paying rent to stay here?" I asked trying to remain calm.

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Her eyes widened. "What does that matter? I'm family. Obviously I get the cottage."

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I held my hands up again as if trying to calm a feral animal. “When I booked this place, there wasn't anything else available."

Her chin lifted. "That's not my problem."

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"This was supposed to be the summer that I got to know my daughter. I've served in the military all her life, and I recently left so that I could spend more time with her. My family would like to get to know her too." I had to figure out what Saylor wanted and give it to her before showing her the door.

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Her expression softened. "How old is your daughter?"

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"Thirteen."

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Her shoulders lowered. "It's sweet that you brought her here to reconnect with her and for her to know your family."

I nodded. "Now you understand why I need this place."

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"I'm here because—" She blew out a breath, before she continued, "I need an escape from my life."

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I waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. Instead, she pulled on a pair of cut-off jean shorts and turned away from me, letting her towel drop to the floor. I fisted my hands, thinking I should have walked out when she was pulling on her panties. What if my daughter came upstairs?

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Surely, I'd hear her tread on the wooden stairs. And since when did my daughter seek me out anymore? I was the source of all her frustrations as far as she was concerned. I was taking her away from her mother and her friends. I was obviously trying to ruin her life. She'd told me that often enough on the drive here.

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But I couldn't look away from Saylor,. Her wet hair fell down her back as she put on her bra and drew a white T over her head. When she turned around, she piled her wet hair on top of her head and wrapped a band around it, her shirt lifting slightly so I could see her belly-button piercing, the one I was by her side for.

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I wondered why she'd gotten dressed while I stood in her bedroom doorway, and why I was still standing here. It was part curiosity about how the cottage had been double booked and whether the towel would slip. She'd certainly filled out since she was eighteen.

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She placed her hands on her hips, and I drew my gaze up to her face. "We can't both live here."

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"Why don't you move in with your grandmother?" I asked, curious about where her grandmother was living now, if not in her house.

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Saylor rolled her eyes, and I wondered if my daughter was destined to use this move for life too. "She lives in a one-bedroom condo. There's no room."

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"There's no room for you here."

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She raised a brow. "There are three bedrooms, and I didn't even take the biggest one."

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I figured she'd done that because of the view from this room, or maybe it had been one she stayed in as a child, and it held memories for her. "I have an impressionable young daughter downstairs."

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"Are you saying that I'm not a good influence?"

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I sighed, running a hand over the back of my neck. I wasn't handling this well. "I'm saying you're a stranger to my daughter, and I don't know who you are now."

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"You could get to know me."

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"That's not a good idea." It had been a long time since I was with a woman, and I didn't intend to get close to one when it was my summer to bond with my daughter. I should be focused on Hayden. Saylor living in my house was a distraction. One I wouldn't be able to ignore.

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"You can bet I'll be talking to my grandmother," Saylor said as she moved past me.

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"You should start looking for an alternative place to stay." Surely, she could stay with her grandmother. She was the one who’d made the mistake.

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"I'm confident that Grandma will want me to stay here," but her tone wasn't as sure as it had been before. Maybe she doubted her grandmother would want to kick out a paying renter who was here to spend time with his daughter.

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That was the only play I had. I knew all too well that family was supposed to come first. I'd betrayed that basic tenant when I signed onto the military, and I was prepared to deal with the fallout with my family at some point.

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My father and Hudson had assumed I'd stay on and help them manage the business and eventually take it over with Hudson. I'd let them down.

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"I'll call the management company," I said as she jogged down the stairs.

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A few seconds later, I heard the front door close. What are the odds that I'd rented the same beach cottage as my former fling?

Technically we could both stay here. There was plenty of room. Then I remembered what Saylor looked like in that towel, how it had barely covered her curves and how her skin glistened from the water. That summer we turned eighteen, we couldn't keep our hands off each other, and it was clear the attraction hadn't dissipated.

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I should be focused on Hayden and not my new roommate.