“Should I thank you, or are you trying to say I see and hear too much?” He pulled her closer and kissed her temple.
“I like who you are, Aiden. I like whoever or whatever version of you this person standing beside me is. The guy who gave up everything to allow his sister’s dreams to come true and who jumped right in to help me with mine. But I hope you know that you don’t have to work during your whole vacation. I can handle the restaurant and we can connect in the evenings.”
“Helping you doesn’t feel like work, babes. It’s been a long time since I’ve worked with my hands, and I’m loving it. It takes me back to my roots, to memories of my parents and childhood. Only this is even more enjoyable because I’m with you.”
“You know a lot about my childhood. What were you like as a kid?”
“I don’t know. Weird, probably,” he said as they looked out at the water. “I liked school, and I loved books of any kind. My father had a huge collection of novels, from classics to thrillers, and of nonfiction books on business and finance, which I devoured. I’ve had a knack for numbers since I was a little kid. I used to wake with the creak of his bedroom door and lie in bed until I heard him making coffee, and then I’d race into the bathroom and go as quickly as I could so I wouldn’t miss any time with him. I’d head into the kitchen in my pajamas, and the smell of his favorite coffee was the best thing in the world.”
“Was it the same coffee you drink now?”
“Yeah,” he said. “It was the one thing he splurged on, and every morning he’d make me a really weak cup of it. So weak, it barely tasted like anything more than bitter water. He’d share the newspaper with me, and I’d scour it the way he did. I can still remember the thrill of feeling like a little man—his little man—preparing to take on the day, just as he did. We’d sit with the finance section of the newspaper, and he’d teach me a little more each week and ask my opinion like it mattered, even at seven or eight years old.”
“Is that why you still read the newspaper? To hold on to the memory of your father?”
“Maybe. I never thought about why. I’ve just always done it.”
“What did you dream of being when you were young?”
He cocked his head, meeting her gaze, and said, “My father.”
“We’re quite an original pair, aren’t we?” She leaned her head on his shoulder, wishing she could always be this happy. She had a fleeting thought about protecting her heart and not jumping in too quickly, but she was already in too deep to pretend she wouldn’t miss him when he left.
“My father was the best, most honest man I’ve ever known, and my mother was loving and supportive of everything we did. When my mom found out she was pregnant with Remi, it was a surprise for them. I’ll never forget walking into her bedroom after I got home from school and finding her crying. For a split second I thought something had happened to my dad, but then she pulled me into her arms and told me I was going to have a sister or brother. She was laughing and crying, and when my dad got home, we celebrated. We talked a lot about how things would change with a baby in the house, and I remember thinking that I didn’t care what changed. I was going to have a sibling. My friends all had brothers and sisters, and I was finally going to see what all the hubbub was about.” He held her tighter and said, “I miss them every damn day. We lived such a simple life, and I miss that simplicity more often than not. My mother used to say It takes little more than loving and hopeful hearts to make a happy life.”
“I like that saying. It’s true. But your life with Remi sounded complicated; no wonder you miss the simplicity.”
“It was complicated. But my father made my career possible, and I wanted to make sure Remi had hers. My parents had nothing when they first married. It wasn’t until much later that my father started dabbling in investing with a pittance from their savings. When my grandfather, who had raised my father, passed away, my father invested the life insurance money. It turned out he had a knack for it, and eventually he started the business.”
“Your love of numbers comes naturally.”
“I’m definitely a chip off the old block, and proud of it.”
“What about sports? Did your dad play with you?”
“He wasn’t a sports guy, but he tried. He put up a basketball hoop in the driveway and we’d play, but by the time I was fifteen I could run circles around him.” He smiled, as if he were remembering playing basketball with his dad. “We had great parents, and I hope I make them proud.”
She leaned against him and said, “How could you not?” They gazed out at the water for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts. But hers kept tiptoeing back to the fact that he was on vacation, and no matter how good they felt together, they were only temporary. “Where will you go when your vacation is over?”
“I’ve got business overseas for a couple of weeks.”
“And then?”
“I might have to come back here. I’m getting a bit of island fever.” He kissed the top of her head and said, “Or maybe it’s Abby fever.”
Her heart did a happy dance. “You should find a remedy for that ailment.”
“I have.” He turned her in his arms with a playful expression and said, “It’s more Abby.”
“Workaholic Aiden might have something to say about that.”
“Three more weeks of this and Workaholic Aiden will have to claw his way back up to the surface.”
They hung out at the top of the lighthouse for a little while longer, admiring the view and taking loads of selfies together, half of which were of them kissing. When they headed back down to the beach, they took a long walk. The air was chilly, but with the sun on Abby’s cheeks and Aiden’s arm around her, she was plenty warm. As they collected shells, which Aiden insisted they keep as a reminder of their day, Abby told him that she and Deirdra used to put the shells they’d collected on the porch and fill them with birdseed. They made a sandcastle, which was on his list, and they slipped off their shoes to put their toes in the cold water. Aiden took pictures of their feet in the water for Remi and gathered Abby in his arms for more kissing selfies.
After a while they flopped down on the sand. Aiden lay back, pulling Abby down with him, nestling her head on the crook of his arm and chest, and said, “I think this is what Remi was talking about, what I was missing out on. And what you were, too.”
“What’s that?”
“Carefree happiness. Just being in the moment, not worrying about the sister I was raising, or in your case, the mother you were taking care of.”
“I haven’t played hooky all day since before my dad died, and that wasn’t playing hooky. That was being a kid.”
“Exactly.” He kissed her head and said, “I could get used to this, Abs.”
She draped an arm over his stomach and said, “Well, look at that. Aiden does know how to relax.”
“That’s all your doing, babe. You make me want to seize every moment, to experience it with you, not from behind a desk. No one who knows me will believe that, so . . .” He whipped out his phone and took a picture of them lying on the sand, with her draped over him. “You sure do make us look good.”
He showed her the picture, and she had the goofiest grin on her face. She had a feeling it would be there for the next few weeks.
They lay staring up at the crisp blue sky, serenaded by the waves crashing along the shore and the seagulls soaring overhead, talking about silly things like if they had superpowers what would they be.
“Teleportation,” he said. “Then I could be anywhere you or Remi need me in the blink of an eye.”
“Oh, I like that. You could teleport into my bedroom.”
“I might never leave.” He hugged her against her side. “What would your superpower be?”
“The power to heal.”
“Damn, babes, you’re more generous than I am. Your superpower kicked mine’s butt.”
“You’re just as generous,” she countered. “Your first thought was for your sister an
d me.” She tipped her face up. He looked so blissful, she had the strange thought that this was what dreams were made of.
“Nice save.” He kissed her and said, “Would you rather spend a day exploring a charming small town or lying on the beach?”
“Mm, that’s a hard one. Probably the beach, since I never get to do it. You?”
“Both, because every beach town has cute shops.”
“Wait. I want to change my answer to both. I didn’t know that was an option.”
“That makes you a copycat.” He moved over her with a wicked glint in his eyes and said, “There’s a penalty for that crime.”
Yesss. “There’s a penalty for that crime,” she parroted in a high-pitched, mocking tone.
He tickled her ribs. “You’re in big trouble, Runner Girl. You’re paying double for that!”
After she suffered through a panty-melting make-out session that left them both high, they headed into town to grab some lunch and knock window-shopping off Aiden’s list. They had lunch at Trista’s café, sharing their sandwiches and a macadamia nut cookie for dessert, taking finger foodie pictures for Remi, and meandered through the shops on Main Street, holding hands and basking in the effortlessness of their coupledom. Aiden surprised her by buying birdseed to put in the shells they’d collected. He showed her things in various shops that he thought she might like for the Bistro, and his suggestions were perfectly aligned with everything she’d said as they’d cleaned the restaurant and she’d rambled on about her hopes of bringing her father’s old-world charm and beachy chic together. The Bistro wasn’t ready to be decorated, but she took mental notes about the items so she could buy them in the future.
Abby glanced at Aiden across the touristy shop they were exploring. He was looking through racks of T-shirts and tank tops. His linen shirt was wrinkled and dirty from lying in the sand. His hair was windblown, curling at the ends. He looked so relaxed, like a different guy than the clean-shaven, loafer-wearing man she’d met last week. She knew his finance-oriented mind never really shut off. He’d been making suggestions here and there about budgets and expenditures. She liked his serious, business-oriented side, which was always hovering, because she had that side, too.
Aiden looked up, catching her staring, and blew her a kiss. He said he could get used to this. She had a feeling she’d never get used to it. Aiden’s affection was like a drug. Would she crave it? Yes. Appreciate it? Absolutely. But how could she get used to unconditional affection when it’d been so long since she’d experienced it?
He turned back to the shirts, and she went back to searching for something for him. She found the perfect navy-blue hat, with a picture of a lighthouse and I CHILLED ON SILVER ISLAND embroidered across the front in white. She snuck up to the register and paid.
Aiden sauntered up with one hand behind his back and said, “Are you done, ma’am? Because I have a purchase for a special lady in my life, and I’m afraid I need privacy to pay for it.”
“You have a special lady in your life? Lucky lady.”
“I’m the lucky one,” he said as she walked away.
He came up behind her a few minutes later, speaking huskily into her ear. “Hey, sexy lady. You free tonight?”
“Sorry, but I’m taken,” she said as they left the store.
“Damn. Then I guess I should return this.” He pulled a pink tank top out of the bag and held it up. I RUN FOR GOODIES was written across the chest in white, with candy wrappers scattered below it.
“I love that! Thank you.”
“I need to find a Sharpie so I can put a little caret before goodies and write Aiden’s.”
“I like that even more! I got something for you, too.” She took out the hat and handed it to him, earning one of his hearty laughs and a delicious thank-you kiss, which led to several more kisses.
“Abby!”
They startled apart, and Aiden put on his hat as Jules, Leni’s younger sister, hurried toward them. Her sun-kissed-brown hair hung to the middle of her back, the top layer pinned up in her signature water fountain on top of her head.
“Hi, Jules.” Abby hugged her and said, “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too. I’ve wanted to stop by, but I’m so busy getting the shop ready for summer, and Grant has been monopolizing my every free moment.” She lowered her voice and said, “Not that I’m complaining.” Jules was engaged to Grant Silver.
“I bet. Jules, this is Aiden. Aiden, this is my friend Jules.”
Jules checked him out with a rascally look in her eyes and said, “I heard there was a hot guy buying pretty girls breakfast on the island, but from the looks of the kisses I witnessed, maybe that gossip should be revised to buying a certain pretty girl breakfast.”
Aiden put his arm around Abby and said, “It’s nice to meet you, and it’s most definitely a certain pretty girl.”
“Well, in case Abby’s ever busy, I own the Happy End gift shop, down there.” She pointed to the end of the block and said, “The shop with the red door and the giraffes out front. I’m usually there by seven thirty, and I like my eggs over easy and my pastries as sugary as possible.”
“I’ll remember that,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure Grant would take issue with a handsome guy bringing you breakfast.” Abby looked at Aiden and said, “Jules is engaged to Wells’s brother Grant.”
“Since Wells is a self-proclaimed Best of king, does that make Grant a prince?” Aiden joked.
“God no,” Jules said. “Grant is totally my prince, but if I were you, I would not call him that to his face. He’s nothing like Wells. Wells is a shameless flirt and loves to talk about himself, but his heart is always in the right place. Grant is an ex–covert ops specialist, and much broodier than Wells.”
“Why did Grant get out of that line of work?” Aiden asked.
“He lost his leg during a mission,” Jules explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry. That must have been rough,” Aiden said.
“It was,” Jules said. “He had a hard time transitioning back to civilian life.”
“Until Jules came along,” Abby said, bumping shoulders with Jules.
Jules grinned. “That is true. I love my man so much, and now he’s gone back to his artistic roots and rediscovered his love of painting and woodworking. Thanks to a little creative outreach, he’s already made a name for himself. Hey, I have a great idea! We’re going out to dinner Friday night with Jock and Daphne. You should join us so Aiden can meet them.”
“Jock is an unusual name. Are you talking about Jack Steele, the author of It Lies?”
“Yes,” Jules said. “He’s my oldest brother, and Daphne is his wife. You’ll love them.”
He looked at Abby and said, “If you’re okay with it, it sounds like a good time.”
“Great, then we’re in,” Abby said, and then she remembered that Cait was coming back on Friday. “Jules, I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but Deirdra and I just found out that we have a half sister, Cait Weatherby.”
“I did hear that. What a surprise, huh? What’s she like?”
Abby told her all about Cait and about how much she liked her. “Would you mind if she came along? I’d love for her to meet everyone, too.”
“Any sister of yours is a sister of ours,” Jules said.
Abby’s mind was three steps ahead, and she said, “Leni said she was coming in for Mother’s Day weekend. She offered to help me with marketing for the restaurant. Do you know if she’ll be here Friday night? It would be fun if she joined us, too.”
“I think she said she’s coming Saturday, but let me find out if she can come Friday instead.” Jules whipped out her phone and said, “One group text coming up!”
They made plans to meet at Rock Bottom Bar and Grill Friday evening, and then Jules hugged them both and went on her way.
“She seems chipper,” Aiden said.
“I love Jules. She beat cancer when she was little, and I swear she can find the silver lin
ing in any situation. She’s so happy that sometimes she just breaks out in song. She never gets the lyrics right. It’s hilarious.”
“I’m glad I had the chance to meet her.”
“Me too.” Abby’s phone vibrated with a text. “This is probably her. She loves group texts.” She pulled her phone from her pocket, saw Leni’s name on the screen, and opened the message. Why am I hearing about a new guy from Jules!? Of course I can come Friday night!
“I’m sorry. This will only take a sec,” Abby said as she thumbed out a response. I swear Jules IS the island grapevine. He’s awesome! Can’t chat. We’re on a date! Will text when free. She sent the message and shoved her phone into her pocket. If she had it her way, she and Aiden would be too busy getting their groove on to text her later, but she’d fit a text in when she could. She smiled at Aiden and said, “What’s next on our agenda?”
“Buying a hammock. It’s on Remi’s list.”
“I’m pretty sure the Silvers won’t let you hang that in your room at the resort.”
He chuckled. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I hung it in your yard.”
“That’ll cost you,” she said flirtatiously.
“Mm. That’s one debt I’ll enjoy paying back right after our six o’clock winery tour and tasting.”
“You planned our whole day. I don’t think you needed any help learning to relax.”
He slid his arm around her waist and said, “But I needed a reason to want to.”
They drove to the outdoor furniture store and headed into the showroom, which was bursting with colorful umbrellas, chairs, and tables in every style known to man, in fabric, wood, iron, and plastic. A middle-aged salesman directed them to the hammocks in the rear of the store.
As they made their way through the showroom, Abby said, “I have to start thinking about outdoor furniture for the Bistro. The furniture my mom was using was so ratty, Shelley had it hauled away for us.” She pointed to a semicircular wicker couch with green cushions around a decorative metal firepit. “I’ve always wanted one of those conversation pits.”
Maybe We Will (Silver Harbor) Page 15