Cait shook her head. “I wasn’t in any clubs.”
“I was a super nerd,” Aiden said. “Math club, debate club, student council, homecoming king . . .”
Abby nudged him and said, “Homecoming king is not super nerdy.”
“I didn’t say I was only nerdy.”
“That means you were a popular kid who also happened to be smart.” Cait sipped her wine and said, “Whoa, apparently you’re a super-nerdy popular guy who knows wine. This is delicious. What kind is it?”
“Chateau de Meursault, Meursault Charmes Premier Cru,” he said casually, as if he weren’t talking about a couple-hundred-dollar bottle of wine.
“Chateau what?” Cait asked.
He chuckled. “It’s chardonnay from France. I figured it would go well with the meal.”
“So you’re a coffee snob and a wine snob?” Abby teased as she moved the browned chicken to a plate and added leeks and shallots to the pot. She hadn’t cooked for people she cared about, instead of customers, in so long, she’d almost forgotten how good it felt.
“Can’t fault a man for having good taste,” he said.
“Okay, Chair Guy, but that’s a really expensive bottle of wine. Where did you find it?”
He set down his wineglass and said, “I asked around.”
“I bet you asked Margot or Fitz Silver, right? They’re always helping their guests.”
He flashed a dirty smirk, holding her gaze as he said, “A gentleman never tells.”
Abby could get lost deciphering all the naughty, unspoken promises in that smirk. The man was not only good at flirting—he was a master at it. She forced herself not to think about what else he was a master at and said, “Would you mind stirring this while I get the lighter?”
“Sure.” He kissed her temple so innocently, it had the opposite effect.
She dug around in the drawers, so caught up in the heat between them, she momentarily forgot what she was looking for until she saw the long-handled lighter. She snagged it and said, “Thanks, Aid,” as if he hadn’t set her insides on fire. She moved the pot off the burner, added the liquor, and picked up the lighter to flambé the brandy.
“That’s it, baby, light my fire.” He flashed a wicked grin, and in the next breath, as the flame flickered, he put his hand on her back and said, “Careful, babe.”
“I can handle a little flambé,” she said, as the brandy burned blue.
Aiden glanced at Cait, who was intent on whatever she was writing. He brushed his hips along Abby’s back. The feel of his hard body and his tempting rugged scent sparked a flood of desire as he whispered, “I have a feeling nothing’s too hot for you.”
She swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on cooking instead of the dirty images popping up in her head of the two of them tangled up in the sheets.
He dragged his hand along her lower back, his fingers grazing her ass as he stepped beside her and casually sipped his wine, leaving her lonely lady parts begging for more, and said, “I like watching you cook.”
She cleared her throat to try to pull her mind out of the gutter and jumped on the safer subject. “I was just thinking about how much I’m enjoying cooking for you and Cait. I can tell that you’re no stranger to the kitchen.”
“Remi and I lived on mac and cheese for months after my parents were killed, until I got my arms around schooling and parenting and could breathe enough to think straight. I learned to cook from my friend YouTube.”
“Smart thinking. It sounds like you’re one heck of a good brother,” Abby said.
“We got by,” he said humbly, and glanced at Cait, still focused on whatever she was writing. “How about you, Cait? You said you suck at cooking. Is it not your thing?”
Cait looked up and said, “My father wasn’t around much, and when he was, teaching domestic skills wasn’t a priority. I can make a half-decent burger and a few other things. But I’d love to learn how to cook one day.”
“I’ll teach you how to cook. I can show you some of Mom’s favorite recipes,” Abby said. “In fact, why don’t you put down the list and help? I can show you a few things now.”
They watched the flambé until the flames died down. Abby returned it to the stove and had Cait measure and pour the cider into the pot. “We’re going to bring this to a boil, then simmer it until it’s slightly reduced, so just a few minutes.”
Aiden jotted down the things they needed to add to their list for the Bistro as she walked Cait through each step of the rest of the recipe, explaining why they turned the flame up or down and other things that would help her get a grasp on cooking. While dinner was in the oven, Abby changed the record to ABBA, and the three of them finished making the dessert she’d started earlier. When “Dancing Queen” came on, Aiden twirled Abby and pressed a kiss to her lips. He reached for Cait, but when he twirled her, she remained stiff and awkward. The second he let go of her hand, she turned away, blushing furiously.
“I’m sorry, Cait,” Aiden said gently. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“We’re all friends. No need to be embarrassed,” Abby reassured her.
Cait turned, looking embarrassed and amused at once, and said, “I don’t know how to dance.”
“Well, we can help with that,” Aiden said. “My mother taught me to dance from the minute I could tell my left foot from my right. I’ll show you a few steps.”
He reached for Cait’s hand, charming Abby even more with the kind gesture.
Cait backed away, shaking her head. “No thank you.”
“Want me to show you?” Abby asked.
She smiled briefly and said, “Thanks, but not right now.”
“Okay, but don’t be embarrassed. There are a million things I can’t do, like sing or draw or roller-skate.”
Aiden pulled out his phone. “I’m adding roller-skating to our list.”
“You know how to roller-skate?” Abby asked.
“Babes, I raised a young girl. I had to keep up.”
“Would you teach me how?” Abby asked.
“Absolutely.” He glanced at Cait and said, “Want to get in on this game? Learn how to skate with Abs?”
Cait looked at Abby.
“Please, Cait? I’ll do it if you do it,” Abby added encouragingly. “We can skate in the parking lot of the Bistro. Deirdra is a great skater. I bet we have some of her old skates around here somewhere.”
“Okay,” Cait relented.
“Excellent. I need to get skates, which might take a few days. Cait, I know you’re leaving Sunday. When will you be back?” Aiden asked.
“I talked to Tank earlier about my schedule. I think I can come back Friday for a few days.”
“We can skate and spend Mother’s Day together. This is going to be awesome!” Abby said, then quickly realized she was assuming Aiden wanted to spend that day together. “Aiden, I’m sorry. I should have asked you about Mother’s Day before getting too excited. Do you usually spend it with your sister?”
“She has her own family to spend Mother’s Day with. I’d like to be here for you, if that’s okay? Unless you and Cait would rather spend it alone? I’m okay with that, too, of course.”