He pressed a kiss to that spot on her neck that always made her shiver. “Know what I’d like to do?”

Another shiver ran through her at the question. “Hmmm?”

“I’d like to grab a couple steaks from the store and grill out for you.”

She laughed. “That wasn’t quite what I was expecting you to say.”

“That’s high on my list too,” he whispered into her ear as he nuzzled it. “But my girl’s hungry, and I can’t believe I’ve been here for over a week and haven’t yet made her my famous filet mignon dinner.”

“Famous, huh?” She smiled as he kissed the ticklish spot near her ear and tried not to think about all his satisfied customers.

“Fresh asparagus, grilled with my own special blend of seasonings, and steaks brushed with a butter and garlic sauce. There’s one other ingredient . . .” He lowered his voice. “But it’s a secret.”

“You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.”

“I’ll think about it.” He turned her in his arms and gave her a lingering kiss.

By the time he let her go, her knees had gone weak.

“I’m so proud of you, Jelly Bean. You’ve worked really hard to make this store happen.”

The beaming gleam in his eyes warmed her through. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Aiden.”

He gave her one more kiss. “I was kind of glad when Ellie and Amber bailed on supper. I wanted to have a nice evening together, just the two of us.”

Tomorrow would be madness, and the party didn’t end until nine o’clock, after which there’d still be cleanup. This would be their chance to spend time together.

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” she said.

chapter thirty-four

Sophie stepped onto the cottage deck, inhaling the delicious aroma of grilled steaks. “Yum, those smell good.”

“Shouldn’t be much longer. This grill is top-of-the-line. Makes me want an upgrade.”

“I wish we’d been able to put it to better use. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?”

He gave her that charming half smile. “You can sit down and prop up your foot. You’ve been on your feet way too much this week.”

She’d definitely felt it. Even now it was aching. “Aye, aye, Cap’n.”

She sank onto the Adirondack chair, propping her foot on the stool, and leaned back. A heavy bank of clouds hung low on the horizon, and even though the sun hadn’t quite set, it was as dark as twilight.

The repetitious sound of the surf was soothing, but her mind whirled. She was excited about tomorrow. But the opening also signaled Aiden’s last day in Piper’s Cove. It was hard to prevent that thought from crowding out the optimism surrounding her opening. What would a long-distance relationship with him look like?