Sure they could. And by the time they reheated the steaks they’d be overdone and dried out. Not to mention the mood of the evening had definitely gone to pot. He wasn’t feeling so amorous anymore. Instead he was remembering all the dates she’d canceled years ago because of her family obligations. And now it was happening again. It didn’t feel very good taking second place all the time.

He opened the grill’s lid and plated the steaks. “Fine.”

“You don’t have to go. You can stay here and relax, eat your steak. You’ve worked hard this week.”

“You haven’t even driven since your sprain.”

“Only because I haven’t had to. It’ll be fine.”

His eyes blazed with disbelief. “I’m not letting you go off alone to meet some stranger from Craigslist, Sophie.”

She rose, a sheepish look on her face as she checked her watch.

He plated the food, took it inside, and placed it in the refrigerator, trying to quell the sense of injustice. “Jenna has the money for a Jet Ski but not the money to loan your dad?”

“I had no idea she had that kind of cash, and I’m sure Dad didn’t either. He didn’t even ask her for a loan.”

“Because he knew he could count on you to say yes—they all know that.”

She bristled. “So I’m a giving person—is that such a bad thing?”

“And I’m selfish for wanting one quiet evening with you, is that it?”

They made their way silently to Sophie’s vehicle. Aiden beat her to the driver’s side and she didn’t argue. As he started the car she programmed the address into her phone.

Aiden flipped on the windshield wipers as he pulled from the drive. Tension had climbed into the car with them and seemed to multiply by the minute. This issue would be a problem going forward if they didn’t address it.

He turned onto the main road. “Sometimes when it comes to your family, you can be a little unreasonable, Sophie.”

“You haven’t even been around the last seven years.”

“In the past eight days you’ve risked life and limb in a hurricane for Seth, loaned your dad your very last dollar, played travel agent for Seth when you had a full plate of your own, and now this. And that’s just the stuff I know about. Where are their boundaries? Don’t they know how busy you’ve been this week? How important this store is to you? Or do they just not care? Maybe it’s been seven years since I’ve been around, but it’s clear you’re still coddling them—and they’re still taking advantage of you.”

“You don’t understand because you don’t have siblings. We’re family. We help each other out.”