Maybe We Will (Silver Harbor)

by Melissa Foster

  The others agreed, and Abby said, “I’m excited! This is going to be great. I really need to get my marketing in place in case I don’t win.”

  Aiden kissed her temple and said, “You’ve got this, Abs. You’re sure to win.”

  Grant leaned his forearms on the table, leveling a concerned stare on Aiden, and said, “No disrespect, Aiden, but you might want to temper your encouragement and help Abby keep her expectations realistic. Rock Bottom has won that competition for the past few years. Wells has an awesome chef.”

  Aiden’s gaze never wavered from Grant’s as he said, “That’s what I hear, and it’s very impressive. But have you tasted Abby’s cooking?”

  “No,” Grant said.

  Aiden turned to Abby. “Sounds like you need to have a tasting for your friends, sweetheart. If those closest to you don’t know what you’re capable of, how can they help spread the word?”

  “Yes!” Jules exclaimed. “That’s a great idea.”

  “Count us in,” Daphne said. “I love taste testing, and if I want to ask you to cater the winery events, I should know how good the food is.”

  Abby was floored. “You guys would really want to come to a tasting? And, Daphne, you’d consider using me for catering?”

  Her friends exchanged incredulous glances.

  “Are you kidding? Of course!” Daphne exclaimed.

  “Abby, you’re moving back to the island and reopening your family’s restaurant,” Leni said earnestly. “Why wouldn’t we want to support you in every way we can?”

  Abby had lived in the city for so long, working too many hours to have any kind of personal life, she’d forgotten what it was like to have real friends who pitched in without being asked and cared about her like family.

  “I don’t know. Because you have lives,” Abby said, overwhelmed with gratitude.

  Jules began dancing in her chair and singing to the tune of the Friends theme song, “We’ll be there for Abby!”

  “Nooo!” everyone said at once.

  Grant pulled her into his arms. “God, you’re magnificent.”

  “Aw, I love you.” Jules kissed him and quietly sang to the same theme song, “You’re always there for me.”

  “You guys are too cute,” Abby said.

  “Don’t say that. You’ll give Grant a big head,” Brant said, sparking a round of jokes.

  Aiden put his arm around Abby and kissed her cheek, whispering, “Hey, sexy girl. Your friends adore you almost as much as I do.”

  His words coalesced with the hunger in his eyes, making her stomach flip.

  “Okay, where were we? Abby?” Leni said, jerking Abby from the moment.

  “The tasting. What do you think, Cait?”

  “I think it’s a great idea. Taste is subjective. It might be best to get a few opinions before deciding what to serve the judges.”

  “Kind of like dating,” Brant said, earning a glare from Leni. “What?”

  “Dating? Really?” Leni rolled her eyes.

  As Leni and Brant bantered, Aiden leaned closer to Abby and said, “I hope it’s okay that I suggested the tasting. I wouldn’t have if I didn’t think you could blow them away.”

  “I know. Thank you.” His encouragement made her want to live up to his praise. She looked at her friends and said, “Okay, let’s do the tasting.”

  The girls cheered.

  “When are you thinking?” Leni asked.

  “The competition judges are coming two weeks from Tuesday.” Her pulse quickened. She hadn’t realized how fast the deadline was approaching.

  Aiden must have sensed her worry, because he squeezed her thigh and said, “We’ve got this, Abs.”

  “How can you be ready to open the restaurant that soon?” Leni asked.

  “I can’t. The restaurant won’t be open to the public until a month after the competition, so I won’t have to stress about hiring and training staff right away. But it needs to look its best when the judges come through, so I’m slammed getting all of the cosmetic stuff done. I’m having the building inspected, and the floors and the patio are being fixed, and I’m having an ordering window installed on the side of the building.”

  “Who’s doing the work?” Grant asked.

  “Cait got us a great deal with her friends who own Cape Stone and Cape Renovations. They’re starting Monday and said they should be done by Wednesday evening.”

  “Cait, you know the Wickeds?” Daphne asked.

  Cait nodded. “I work for Tank Wicked at Wicked Ink. I do tattoos and piercings.”

  “I’m from the Cape,” Daphne explained. “My friend Chloe is married to Justin Wicked.”

  “I know Chloe. Justin is a really nice guy. She’s very lucky,” Cait said.

  “Maybe you can give me a tattoo one day,” Jules said, earning a curious look from Grant. “I’m thinking of getting a pixie throwing happy dust in the air, and I want our names written in the dust.”

  “Ah, Pix. I love that.” Grant leaned over and kissed her.

  “Jules, that’s a really bad idea,” Leni said. “Inking your significant other’s name on your skin is a recipe for disaster. It’s like you’re testing the relationship gods, and it never ends well. Tell her, Cait.”

  “Sorry, Leni, but I know better than to judge anyone else’s ink,” Cait said.

  Jules flashed a cheesy grin. “Besides, I don’t believe in recipes for disaster. I believe in true love conquering all.”

  “You sound like my sister,” Aiden said. “I hope you never lose that outlook.”

  “I won’t,” Jules said cheerily.

  “That sounds like a big tattoo, Jules. I would be too afraid to get one,” Daphne chimed in. “I can barely give blood without feeling queasy.”

  “I’ve got a few tats,” Brant said.

  Grant looked at him like he was crazy and said, “No you don’t.”

  “When’s the last time you saw Brant naked?” Abby asked.

  Grant scowled.

  Jock pointed at Brant and said, “You used to be afraid of needles. Let’s see those tats.”

  “No can do, bro,” Brant said cockily. “I’m pretty sure you don’t want me dropping my pants right here at the table.”

  “On that note, let’s keep your pants up where they belong and figure out the date for Abby’s tasting,” Leni suggested. “I want to see if I can make it.”

  “Oh, right. I got sidetracked,” Abby said. “Let’s see. Thursday, after the Wickeds are done, we’re going to start painting the interior of the restaurant. That will take some time.”

  “We need to power wash the exterior, too,” Cait reminded her.

  “I can help you with that. I’ve got a pressure washer.” Brant looked at Cait and said, “Are you painting, too?”

  “Yeah.”

  Brant grinned. “Good. I’d like to see you in action.”

  Cait blushed again, only this time she smiled and shook her head.

  “I can spare a few hours to help you paint if you’d like,” Grant offered.

  “I wish I could help, but I’m on a deadline for my publisher, and the words are not flowing as well as they could be,” Jock said.

  “And I’m swamped at the winery,” Daphne added. “But I’m excited to help with the marketing tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, you guys.” Abby looked at Grant and Brant and said, “Are you guys sure you don’t mind painting?”

  “I’m happy to help,” Brant said.

  “Your old man took me under his wing the summer I turned ten and taught me everything I could absorb about painting landscapes and portraits,” Grant said. “It meant a lot to me and had a big impact on my love of painting. Spending an afternoon helping you bring that place back to life is the least I can do.”

  “I didn’t know my dad did that,” Abby said.

  Grant took a drink and said, “He was awesome. We were at the Bistro one night when he was out there painting and I was in a crappy mood, pissed off about God knows what. I spent the whole ti
me watching him from my seat, and when we were leaving, he called me over and struck up a conversation about how much he used to hate eating dinner as a kid because it took him away from what he really wanted to be doing, which was painting.”

  “He loved eating,” Abby said with surprise.

  “Yeah,” Grant said. “I found out later it was his way of getting through to me, and it worked. That summer is one of my best childhood memories. He gave me an outlet, and I ran with it.”

  “I love knowing that,” Abby said.

  “Isn’t my Grant wonderful?” Jules said. “So if you’re painting next week, what does that mean for the taste-testing date?”

  Abby looked at Cait and Aiden and said, “What else do we have to finish? We’re working on the menu and logo design. I have to go through recipes and decide which ones hold the most promise. I’ll probably try them out this week and next in case the recipes need to be tweaked. Why don’t we do the tasting two weeks from tomorrow? Oh, wait. Aid, that’s the weekend you leave, isn’t it?” Do we really have only two more weeks together?

  “I’ll be around if you do it Saturday. I leave Sunday morning,” he said.

  She tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach and said, “Oh, good. With all the effort you’re putting into this, I didn’t want you to miss it.”

  Aiden held her gaze, the reality of their situation hovering between them like an intruder. “You’re going to kick ass in the competition.” He looked at the others and said, “I hope someone will take a video when they announce her as the winner so I can see it.”

  “You bet,” Cait said.

  “So we’re all set, then?” Abby said far more casually than she felt. “Maybe we can have a bonfire afterward.”

  “A bonfire, huh?” he whispered as her friends chatted about the bonfire and whipped out their phones to check their schedules.

  “It’s on your list.”

  “You’re on my list, Abs, and taking off that sexy little dress is, too.” He brushed his lips over her cheek and said, “I’m so proud of you for giving the Bistro your all.”

  “You make me feel like I can do anything.”

  “Because you can, sweetheart. But you know that. It’s one of the things I find so appealing about you,” he said as the waiter brought their meals.

  And your encouragement is one of the reasons I’m falling for you.

  The thought came with a side of shock. She braced herself for fear to chase that shock uphill until she couldn’t breathe. But as her friends dug into their dinners, chatting animatedly and teasing her about having tough competition with Wells, she felt happy. The kind of happy she hadn’t felt since she was young, when she’d looked forward to every day and hadn’t had the need to construct virtual life rafts to keep from drowning in the realities of life.

  She thought about how easily Aiden fit in with her friends. His laughter sounded carefree, not forced, his conversations effortless. Yet he was so engaged, it was clear that he cared about what her friends had to say when he asked about Grant’s artwork, Jock’s writing, and how they felt about moving back to the island after being away for so long. He and Brant talked about boats, and he asked Jules about how she got started with her business. He didn’t leave anyone out, chatting with Cait and Daphne about the Cape and Leni about the city, where he apparently did a lot of work. Through it all, Aiden held Abby’s hand, touched her shoulder or leg, kissed her cheek, and whispered sweet things, like how beautiful she looked and how much he was enjoying spending time with her friends.

  It was as if he’d always been by her side, and she was completely and utterly swept up in him. How had that happened so fast? It was a little scary to realize those feelings came with expectations, but it felt right to trust Aiden, and it felt good to be happy and to accept the wooing he so expertly lavished on her. It felt good to have a stake in them.

  “Excuse me, babe. I’ll be right back.” Aiden kissed her cheek, snapping her from her reverie.

  She watched him disappear around a corner and wondered how it was possible that she already missed him. As if she’d summoned them, her friends all leaned in, looking at her expectantly.

  “I love him,” Jules said in a hushed voice, as if Aiden could hear her.

  “He’s a cool guy, Abby,” Grant agreed. “You’ve got my approval.”

  “And he’s a gentleman, like Jock,” Daphne said.

  “Agreed.” Jock nuzzled against Daphne’s neck and said, “Love you, baby.”

  “I like him, Abby,” Brant chimed in. “He treats you like you’re special, which is how a woman should be treated, and he seems genuinely interested in helping you succeed. I like that in a man.”

  “Maybe you should date him, Brant.” Grant snickered.

  Brant smirked and said, “Hey, if I batted for the other team, Abby would have some stiff competition.”

  “You’re a dork.” Leni threw her napkin at Brant. “I agree with everyone else, Abby. He’s head and shoulders above the single guys I know.”

  Abby’s heart was racing as she said, “He sure is. He’s in a league all his own.”

  After taking care of the bill, Aiden went in search of Wells. He’d seen him come in earlier and stop by a few tables to chat with patrons before heading across the room. He spotted Wells chatting up a pretty brunette near the bar and took a moment to study the guy who, as a teenager, had possessed the arrogance and stupidity to two-time girls who had not only been best friends but also his friends. Wells had many reasons to be arrogant, from his good looks and wealthy roots to his restaurant’s standing as the Best of the Island. But after seeing what he’d done for Abby’s mother, Aiden knew there was more to Wells Silver than met the eye. Aiden knew establishments like the Rock Bottom Bar and Grill couldn’t thrive without a smart businessperson behind the wheel. He knew plenty of smart businessmen who were jerks to women. Had Wells outgrown the womanizing habits that could take a man down? Or was he still an ass in that regard?

  Wells kissed the brunette on the cheek, and Aiden watched him expertly work the room. He put a hand on the shoulder of a man eating by himself and talked with him for a few minutes. He chatted with couples and crouched by the chair of a woman who looked to be at least eighty, holding her hand and nodding with a compassionate expression. Wells spotted Aiden and headed for him with an affable smile.

  “Good to see you, Aiden.” Wells shook his hand and said, “I heard that Abby entered the restaurant competition. That’s ballsy of her.”

  There was no doubt that the chef there knew his or her way around a kitchen, but Aiden had eaten enough of Abby’s cooking to know she was head and shoulders above whatever Wells’s chef cooked up.

  “Abby is a confident woman, and she has every reason to be. Although I have to say, if the meal we just enjoyed is typical of your establishment, then the competition will be tough.”

  Wells inhaled deeply, puffing out his chest like a peacock. “Thank you. I pride myself on hiring the best.”

  Aiden wanted to say that the best was opening her own restaurant, but he wasn’t there to verbally spar with Wells, so he said, “It’ll be an interesting competition.”

  “Yes, but I’m betting you didn’t seek me out to talk about the competition, did you?”

  “No. I wanted to thank you for taking care of Abby’s mother over the last few years.”

  “I don’t know what you—”

  Aiden held his hand up, liking him even more for his chivalrous efforts. “I’m a numbers guy, Wells. You can’t have more than about seventy employees here, and even if I’m wrong and you have a hundred, I know what catering costs, and it’s a hell of a lot less than what you spent each year for your holiday party.”

  Wells shifted his gaze away, looking contemplatively over the room before finally returning a thoughtful, humble expression to Aiden. “Please tell me Abby doesn’t know.”

  “I’m sorry, but she does.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want her to feel funny a
bout this. I don’t know how much she’s told you about her family—”

  “We’ve shared a great deal. I’m aware of the issues with her mother.”

  “Then you know her mother didn’t just fall on hard times. She dove into them headfirst, and Dee and Abby did what they could to make ends meet. They were smart to get off the island when they did. Abby would have stuck around forever if Shelley hadn’t pushed her to leave. We take care of our own here, Aiden. I have good memories of going to the Bistro as a kid and being treated like family by Abby’s parents. Her father was the reason I wanted to open a restaurant. I wanted to be like him, the guy who got to know people, who brought something good into their lives and didn’t snub his nose at them.”

  When Aiden had met Wells’s parents, Alexander and Margot Silver, they hadn’t seemed particularly snobby. But whether Wells had issues with his parents or had simply taken a liking to Olivier wasn’t Aiden’s concern. Abby was.

  “Is that why you wanted to buy the Bistro?” Aiden asked. “Because you admired her father?”

  “No. I wanted to buy it because I knew Dee wouldn’t lift a finger to help with her mother’s things, and I didn’t want Abby to get stuck trying to fix it up just to get rid of it. I had no idea Abby was serious about reopening the Bistro.”

  Aiden was glad to see there was even more to Wells Silver than he’d thought. “Thanks for watching out for her.”

  “No worries, man. Abby and Dee are good people. As I said, we watch out for our own.” He crossed his arms and lowered his chin, setting a serious stare on Aiden. “What’s the deal with you two? You’re not going to leave her brokenhearted, are you? Because we don’t take messing with our women lightly.”

  He and Deirdra would make a good pair. “Something tells me that you’ve caused your fair share of broken hearts.”

  Wells looked in the direction of their table with a regretful expression.

  “Rest assured, Wells, whatever Abby and I decide will be for the best.”

  He met Aiden’s gaze. “For her? Or for you?”

  “The fact that you’re asking me that means you don’t know me well enough to ask that. I sincerely hope we have a chance to rectify that before I leave the island.”