But instead of reveling at the insight, fear seeped into his bloodstream. What if it didn’t work out? What if she didn’t feel the same way? Sophie had always been too good for him; he knew that. What if she figured that out? What if she broke things off? His palms grew sweaty like they did when he leaped from the door of an aircraft.

He set his forehead against hers and forced himself to move on from the disturbing thoughts. “Hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Let’s try that seafood restaurant down on the wharf that you mentioned. I could go for some crab cakes.”

He was just tired, he thought as they locked up the building. Sophie had loved him once before. Surely she could love him again.

*  *  *

The Captain’s Hook was every bit as wonderful as Sophie had heard. She splurged on the seafood platter since they were celebrating the near completion of her store.

She and Aiden talked about everything that had happened today, some of it frustrating, some of it humorous. He complimented her on the window display, and she told him about Haley’s offer to hang out sometime.

When she asked about Extreme Adventures she could tell he was worried about how Ross was faring alone. She felt bad that she’d kept him so long. But when he gave her that warm, inviting look, she couldn’t seem to regret it. This extended stay had given them a second chance.

“Were you able to call Joshua today?” he asked during a lull in the conversation.

“I did, and he took it well.” She didn’t mention that he’d given her an open invitation. “He was kind and gracious.”

Aiden wore an enigmatic expression. “That’s good.”

“What about Tiffany? Have you heard from her since she left?”

“Not a word. But I didn’t expect to with the way we left things.”

“You still have to work together . . .”

“I’m sure we’ll fall back into a professional relationship soon enough.”

There was no point in worrying about Tiffany. Sophie had better get used to trusting Aiden if they were going to make a long-distance relationship work.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call—her grandmother. “I missed Granny’s call earlier.”

“Go ahead and take it.”

“Hi, Granny. What are you up to?”

“The question is, what are you up to? You canceled your date with that nice Joshua Stevens?”

“Now, Granny, I’m a grown-up. You’ll have to let me make these decisions for myself.”

“I know what you’re up to—that boy got his hooks into you again, just like I told you he would. He’s going to drop you like a hot brick, and who’s going to be there to pick up the pieces this time?”