He tossed the sweaters on the hood of the car and embraced her. “Sounds like we both have something to learn.” He looked encouragingly into her eyes and said, “Maybe we can help each other. I know myself, and I’m sure to slip up again and overstep.”
“And I’ll probably go off on you.”
He waggled his brows.
“Thank God you have a sense of humor. I’m sorry if I came off as a bitch back there.”
He lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers. “You weren’t. You were a fierce businesswoman who doesn’t need some old know-it-all stepping on her toes. What do you say, Abs? Do you want to try to navigate this unfamiliar bumpy terrain with me and see if two slightly stubborn people can find a comfortable middle ground?”
“Yes. I’d like that a whole lot.”
He kissed her slow and sweet, and then he grabbed their sweaters and they headed inside for their tour. They were greeted with rich hardwood floors, warm wood and stone walls, and an exuberant, “Abby, Aiden!” from Shelley as she popped out from behind a display of wineglasses.
Shelley wore pretty black slacks and a floral blouse, and she was carrying Hadley, Jock and Daphne’s adorable honey-haired daughter, who was clutching a stuffed owl in her hand. She hurried over to them.
“Hi, Shelley,” Abby said.
Aiden said, “It’s nice to see you again, Shelley.”
“I didn’t realize you two knew each other.” Abby looked at them curiously.
“Aiden came in to schedule your visit,” Shelley explained. “Abby, you remember my beautiful granddaughter, Hadley.”
“Of course,” Abby said. She had met Hadley over the holidays, when Leni had told her how Daphne’s little girl had brought Daphne and Jock together and his love for them had helped him mend a ten-year rift with his twin brother, Archer.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Abby said. “Do you remember me?”
Hadley buried her face in Shelley’s neck.
“She’s had a big day. Jock and Daphne are around here somewhere, probably smooching. You know how newlyweds are.” Shelley caressed Hadley’s cheek and said, “Hadley, can you say hi to Abby’s friend Aiden?”
Hadley looked sleepily at Aiden and said, “Hi.”
“Hi, peanut. That looks like a very special owl,” Aiden said.
“My Owly.” Hadley clutched the stuffed toy against her chest.
Daphne, a curvy blonde, walked out of one of the offices, wiping something from Jock’s mouth, her back to Abby and the others. “Hold still for a sec. You have lipstick on your mouth.”
Jock’s dark eyes shifted to them, and he flashed an amused grin.
“What are you—” Daphne followed his gaze over her shoulder and blushed a red streak. “Crumbs. Muffin crumbs,” she said nervously. “He was eating muffins.”
“I want a muffin!” Hadley thrust her arms toward Jock and said, “Cawwy me, Daddy.”
They all chuckled as Jock took Hadley into his arms, his tall, broad frame making her look even smaller.
“Hi, Abby. It’s good to see you,” Jock said. “And you must be Aiden. I’m Jock, and this is my wife, Daphne, and our little girl, Hadley.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Aiden said.
Jock shifted Hadley so she could rest her head on his shoulder and said, “I heard you two are joining us for dinner Friday night.”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it. I read your book and enjoyed it very much, but that was one heck of a scary ride. I wouldn’t want to live in your head.”
As Jock and Aiden talked about his book, Daphne and Shelley sidled up to Abby, and Daphne whispered, “Where did you find him?”
“He’s scrumptious,” Shelley said.
Now it was Abby’s turn to blush. “I was jogging and saw him sitting on the deck of the Bistro.”
“And he was so taken with Abby, he invited her to breakfast the next day,” Shelley said excitedly. “He’s been helping her at the Bistro ever since.”
Abby stared at her curiously. “How do you know all that?”
“Aiden and I had a nice long chat about my daughter from another mother when he came by to schedule your tour. Oh, honey, he is such a gentleman. A real class act. They don’t make them like that anymore. Except for my boys, of course,” Shelley said.
“You guys seem happy together,” Daphne said.
Abby didn’t need Shelley’s approval, but it sure felt good to have it. She glanced at Aiden, playing peekaboo with Hadley, and it turned her insides to mush. “Our relationship is still new, but he’s all kinds of wonderful.”
“And you deserve nothing less,” Shelley said. “I know your parents are smiling down on you right now. All they ever wanted was for you girls to be happy, and your mom knew she wasn’t strong enough to help you get there. But in some ways, what you went through with her made you the person you are, so maybe that’s the silver lining.”
“That’s a nice way to look at it.” Abby tucked away Shelley’s thoughts to share with Deirdra and Cait another time.
Shelley glanced at the clock and said, “We’d better get a move on if you’re going to get your tour in before sunset.”
“Don’t we have to wait for the rest of the customers?” Abby asked.
“This is a private tour.” Shelley took her arm and said, “I told you your new man was a class act.”
Abby loved that Aiden had requested a private tour.
“Yes, go.” Daphne hugged her and said, “We’ll see you Friday night.”
Abby and Aiden followed Shelley through the winery as Shelley talked about grape cultivation and the winemaking process. Aiden kept his arm around Abby, whispering a mix of romantic and naughty things that made her warm and fuzzy one minute and hot and bothered the next. In between his secret whispers, he had complex conversations with Shelley about the history of winemaking, wine and grape varieties, oak species used for barrels, and a litany of other wine-related topics. Abby was fascinated by his knowledge, though she shouldn’t be surprised. It was clear that Aiden was a man with a thirst for understanding and preparedness. She had a feeling he didn’t jump into anything blindly. In fact, she’d bet her bottom dollar that he’d spent hours researching the history of the lighthouse, the best lunch café in the area, and even where to buy a hammock. That thought gave her pause. Had he chosen that specific outdoor furniture store because they sold Parisian café sets?
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” Aiden asked as they followed Shelley down a corridor.
“A lot. I’m figuring out what makes you tick, putting together the Aiden Aldridge puzzle.”
“When you figure it out, clue me in.” He pressed a kiss to her temple and said, “I thought I knew who I was, but you’re changing that.”
Shelley smiled over her shoulder and said, “Keep up, kids. You’ll want to see the vineyard before the sun goes down.” When they reached the back door to the winery, she said, “Let me grab a few things from the kitchen. Back in a jiffy.”
Shelley disappeared through a door, and Aiden said, “I love her energy.” He put his arms around Abby and added, “Almost as much as I love yours.”