Sean made a face. “Dad and me have to clean ’em first.”
Thomas didn’t look any more pleased about that than his boy did. “Yes, we do,” he said.
Mick slapped his brother on the back, but grinned at Sean. “Go on, you two. Cleaning fish will make a man of you.”
Thomas scowled at him. “When was the last time you cleaned one?”
“I’ve cleaned more than my share over the years,” Mick claimed, then shrugged. “You and Jeff were always too squeamish.”
“Squeamish?” Thomas echoed indignantly as his son laughed.
“Squeamish,” Mick repeated, then looked at his nephew. “And don’t you let him tell you otherwise.”
“Come on, Sean,” Thomas urged. “Let’s get out of here before my brother completely ruins your idealized vision of me.”
Sean blinked. “Huh?”
“I’ll explain on the way home,” Thomas said, scowling at Mick.
As Mick watched the two of them cross the lawn, his booming laugh trailed after them. Nothing much he liked better than getting under his brother’s skin from time to time. It beat most of those hobbies his wife was always telling him he should try.
10
Even though her planned dinner with Aidan was emphatically not a date, it felt a whole lot as if it was, Liz concluded as she yanked one outfit after another from her closet, then tossed them aside as all wrong. Brady’s wasn’t fancy, but it did seem to require something dressier than her old teaching wardrobe of slacks and tailored blouses, which she also tended to wear at the store because they were comfortable.
Okay, dressier wasn’t exactly right, either, she admitted to herself. She wanted something more feminine and just wanting that scared her because it seemed to prove that this was a date, after all. Otherwise, it wouldn’t matter to her how she looked.
Women always care how they look, she mentally defended herself as she tossed aside a perfectly acceptable dress that she would have worn out with anyone else.
“Oh, just pick something,” she grumbled finally, reaching back into her closet. Her hand landed on a sundress that came with a saucy little midriff-length sweater that was perfect for a night that promised to be a little cool. So what if the dress had a slightly revealing neckline? The bright blue color and sprinkling of daisies across the fabric made it cheerful and feminine. It was meant to be worn on an occasion just like this one. In fact, she’d bought it on impulse on sale last summer on the off chance she’d ever again have a special evening planned. It still had the price tags attached, which probably proved just how dull she’d allowed her social life to become.
Satisfied at last, she was dressed in minutes. She picked up a bottle of her favorite perfume, then found herself debating whether perfume suggested a date. Thoroughly impatient with herself for regressing to the behavior of an unsophisticated teenager with a first boyfriend, she spritzed the light scent into the air and walked through the mist.
When Aidan knocked, Archie went nuts as usual, racing impatiently between her bedroom and the door and back as if to hurry her up.
“Would you please just calm down?” she ordered, laughing, “before I trip and wind up on the floor.”
She was still laughing when she opened the door. Aidan’s eyes widened appreciatively, his gaze never once leaving her as he petted Archie distractedly.
“You look amazing,” he said at last.
Liz smiled. Exactly the effect she’d been going for, even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it. “Thank you.”
“You ready to go?”
Not really, she thought, fearful of the way her pulse seemed to be suddenly scrambling and of the long-missing hum of excitement that had stirred in her blood. “All set,” she forced herself to say.
Even though she argued that Brady’s was close enough to walk there, Aidan insisted on taking his car.
“You’ve been on your feet all day.” He glanced down at the strappy, sexy heels she’d put on at the last minute. “And those shoes don’t look to me as if they’re meant for long strolls.”
“Probably not,” she admitted. They were pretty and very feminine, but not especially practical.
At the restaurant, they found the foyer jammed with people waiting for tables, just as she’d predicted. Aidan slipped through the crowd to claim their reservation, then returned to her side.
“They told me it would be about ten minutes. Want to wait here or in the bar?”
“Here’s fine,” she said.
“So, how was business today?” he asked. “Any letdown after the holiday weekend last week?”
“Maybe a little, but it was still surprisingly busy. More locals came in, I think. I’m discovering they tend to avoid the big holiday crowds. Several mentioned to me that they prefer the quieter weekdays when the tourists have gone home. I can’t say I blame them. That’s when Chesapeake Shores is at its best.”
He studied her, then smiled. “You really love it here, don’t you?”
Liz nodded. “I do, more and more. How about you? You regretting that you didn’t commit to being here longer?”
To her regret, Aidan shook his head.
“One year was the right thing to do. That said, this is starting to feel like home. Or maybe I’ve just found my comfort zone now that I’m working with the team.”
Liz was about to ask how that was going when Porter and Pamela Hobbs walked out of the main dining room and straight toward them. She noticed Aidan tensing at their approach.
“Mitchell,” Porter said tersely.
“Mr. Hobbs,” Aidan said stiffly. “Mrs. Hobbs. How was your dinner?”
“Overcooked,” Pamela said sourly. “I don’t recommend you have the prime rib. I had to send it back twice.”
Liz fought to hide a smile. Little wonder it was overcooked, if the waiter had taken it back to the kitchen twice. It was a wonder he hadn’t thrown it in her face. Brady, however, was known for training his staff to accommodate the customers’ wishes, no matter how unreasonable or demanding.
“I’ll definitely keep that
