She’d been hit or miss while caring for her mother. And even afterward. Come to think of it, her prayer life hadn’t been anything to write home about lately either. Maybe once her shop was up and running, it would be time to get back to some good habits.

“It’s nice to have a church family when your real family lives far away. You already know the mayor?”

“She came by the store the day I took possession of it.” She and Alanda had hit it off right away. Besides being the mayor, she owned several buildings on the boardwalk.

Sophie bit into the sandwich, noting the crispy crust and rich, buttery flavor. She remembered Aiden’s pathetic attempts in the kitchen when they’d been dating.

“Your cooking skills have improved.” She instantly regretted the reference to the past.

“It was either learn to cook or starve to death. My specialty is steak on the grill, but that’s not really an option at the moment.”

He probably cooked for his girlfriends. According to Grant there’d been a revolving carousel of women. Aiden probably added a baked potato to the menu, set a nice table with flowers, and treated them to that crooked grin of his from across the table.

She didn’t even want to think about what might happen afterward. Though he and Sophie had played with fire for months, they’d never gone all the way. But she still remembered those bold, confident kisses, his steady fingers plowing through her hair, his weight pressed against her.

Enough of that, Sophie.

When they finished the meal Sophie stood. “I’ll do the dishes.”

“Thanks.” He brought his plate to the sink and paused. “Want me to dry?”

She could feel his warmth at her back. “That’s okay. I’ve got it.”

“Okay. Well . . . I have some phone calls to make.”

She deflated at the quiet sound of his retreating footsteps. She wasn’t disappointed he’d fled to his room. She’d practically told him it was what she expected after all.

But as she settled back on the sofa with her laptop, she couldn’t help feeling a little lonely, even with Pippa curled up in the crook of her knees.

What was wrong with her? It had been years since she’d had the luxury of spare time and privacy. She was just feeling claustrophobic with the windows all boarded up.

She went back to Seth’s document, making corrections. Once she finished she’d curl up with the new Kristin Hannah novel she’d snagged from her inventory.

She hadn’t gotten far on the document when a text came in from Jenna. She’d sent pictures of two strappy dresses, asking which one she should wear to tonight’s beach party. Sophie chose the red one and also offered her opinion on shoes, then returned to the document.