Erin chewed on the end of a pen as she puzzled over her dilemma and Beth’s. The sex was stupendous, life-changing, mind-blowing. Every superlative she could think of applied to sex with Slim Jackson. The more they did it, the more she wanted. He was like a drug, the best kind of drug, and she was quickly becoming addicted. Which led her right back to what would happen when he left to finish out the winter in Florida.

She’d be a hot mess. That’s what would happen. Sighing, she dropped her head into her hands. In just a few days, he’d turned her world upside down, and she liked the view from down here. She’d had more fun, more laughs and more sex than at any other time in her life.

It would be so easy to get hooked on a guy who made it so easy to like him, which was why she needed to tread carefully. Her free and unencumbered life had worked well for her and made it so she could do things like pick up and move to Gansett Island to be the lighthouse keeper without a hassle. She rented rather than owned. She dated rather than committing. She took jobs she could walk away from when they stopped being fun or beneficial. She had friends who didn’t require daily care and feeding to stay in her life. She liked her life the way it was, and sexy Slim Jackson was the first significant threat to her freewheeling way of life.

Returning her focus to Beth’s letter, Erin tried to separate her own situation from Beth’s.

Dear Beth,

Congratulations on finding a prince in a sea of frogs. Sometimes people are exactly what they seem, but you’re wise to be cautious and to protect yourself from being hurt. What has he told you about his past dating history? Has he made a habit of commitment or is he a serial dater? What do his friends say about him when he’s not around? What does his mother, sister, daughter say? How he treats the other women in his life says a lot about how he’ll treat you when the blush wears off the rose—as it always does.

By all means, do your due diligence, but don’t make the mistake of projecting the actions of other men onto your new guy. Not all guys are the same, and it isn’t fair to expect him to do the same things another guy did just because they have the same plumbing. It sounds to me like you’ve found a gem. When you’ve done all your research and the time comes to stop being cynical, I hope you’ll open your heart to the possibility that he could be your happily ever after. Do let me know how things work out.

Hugs,

Erin