But seeing Luke so undone over Sydney earlier had given him pause. Caring that much about someone else was a scary thing, and something he’d gone out of his way to avoid. Soon he would be forty, and he was no closer to settling down than he’d been at twenty.

Regardless of how attracted he was to Erin—and he was incredibly attracted to her—he wasn’t sure the family-man life was for him, and he had no idea at all what she wanted. They hadn’t “gone there” in their many conversations. He might be getting way ahead of himself—and her—by asking questions about home and hearth and family.

A shackle around his ankle would give him hives. No doubt about that. But the idea of spending more time with Erin made him happy and excited for what might be possible. Enjoying a woman didn’t equate to being shackled. Did it?

As the island came into view, he turned his full focus toward landing safely, relying on the runway lights to touch down in the dark. Slim couldn’t wait to get to her, to be with her, to kiss her some more, to… Damn, maybe he was more shackled than he’d thought.

He went through the methodical routine of securing his plane—speaking of shackles—by attaching the clips to the metal rings built into the tarmac to ensure that the gusty winds expected over the weekend wouldn’t damage his livelihood.

The second he was in the cab of his truck, he sent Erin a text to find out where she was.

At Jenny’s. Are you back?

Just now. On my way.

See you soon.

Can’t wait.

He couldn’t wait either. Shackled had never felt so good.

Chapter 7

“Check out that big smile,” Jenny said after Erin stashed her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and resumed chopping red peppers for Jenny’s veggie tray.

“What big smile?”

“The one that stretched across your face when you heard from your sexy pilot.”

“He’s not my sexy pilot,” Erin said, beginning to feel uncomfortable with Jenny’s certainty that something would come of her friendship with Slim.

“Is he or is he not a sexy pilot?”

“He is.”

“Is he or is he not shacking up with you over the holidays?”

“Have you always been this much of an ass pain, or did it start when you were happily married?”

“She’s much more of a pain since she got married,” Alex said as he came into the room, grinning at his wife.

“Listen to him,” Jenny said, scoffing. “I’m the best wife he’s ever had.”

“You know it, baby.” He hooked his arm around her from behind and kissed her neck until she giggled like a schoolgirl.