Page 22 of Stone Coast

Grayson looked astonished and hopeful. "Did you get in?"

I nodded.

"You remembered?"

"Sort of."

He smiled. "That's fantastic!”

It was a start.

"Look, it's late,” he said. “You don't have any food here. I know you want to regain your independence, and I want that for you. But you're not superwoman. You can't do this alone. Why don’t you come back to my house? I'll cook you dinner. There's a guest room where you can stay. If you're not comfortable, I'll take you to Olivia's, or if you insist, back here. Just ease back into the strong independent woman thing."

I hesitated for a moment. A million thoughts ran through my head.

12

"I'll order your favorite. Lasagna from Anthony's," Grayson said as we stepped into the foyer of his house. The grin on his face just couldn't be contained.

"I thought you said you were going to cook for me?" I couldn't help but harass him a little.

"I'll cook for you if you want, but… I'm kinda hungry, and you’re not really gonna pass up Anthony's, are you?"

I shrugged. "If you say it's my favorite, then it can't be half bad."

"Anthony’s is the best Italian on the island. Trust me. You'll love it."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and made the call as we stepped into the living room.

I soaked in the space for the first time. "This is a nice house."

Grayson smiled, and just as he was about to speak, someone answered at the restaurant. "Yeah, I'd like to place a delivery order."

His place was in the exclusive neighborhood of Sapphire Shores. It backed up to a private man-made beach. Floor-to-ceiling window walls offered a view of the pool and the teal waves beyond. The sun had dipped over the horizon, and the pinkish-purple of sunset faded to gray.

The home was a masterpiece of modern architecture—clean lines and cantilevered spaces. Modern yet cozy. It looked like a combination of Frank Lloyd Wright and John Lautner. Large windows, skylights, and bespoke wood-paneled accents. The furniture was mid-century modern, and bleached reclaimed plank flooring lined the home. A large 77-inch flatscreen occupied a wall in the living room, and a state-of-the-art surround sound system gave a theater experience. The place was sleek and stylish. I figured the doctor business was good. A place like this didn’t come cheap.

It was a far cry from my little boat, and nobody in their right mind would opt for theIntrepidover this. This was spectacular. Of course, nothing beats living right on the water if you can deal with everything that goes along with it and the lack of space. It forces you to simplify your life. Choose what's essential. A place like this, you could start collecting a lot of things you don't need.

Something deep within me liked the idea of minimalism. I was unrestrained. I could pick up and go. If I didn't like the scenery, I could change it.

A place like this was putting down roots. Not always a bad thing. But in a way, it was an anchor. In the short time I'd been conscious, and given what I knew about my past, it made sense that I was hesitant to settle down. It just didn’t seem appealing.

"Make yourself at home," Grayson said in between dealing with the restaurant. His attention returned to the phone. "Are you ready for the card number?"

He gave them the credit card, then ended the call.

"It will be here within 45 minutes," Grayson said. "Would you like a glass of wine? You know I’ve got your favorite Merlot."

"Why not? I should try all of my favorites, shouldn't I?"

Grayson smiled. "I just want to take this opportunity to remind you that I'm your favorite."

I laughed.

"You'll see. I'm irresistible. Give it time."

I gave him a skeptical glance just to give him a hard time. I had to admit, he’d been growing on me over the past week, and he was trying really hard.