Page 32 of Once upon a Summer Night

“For you, miss?”

“Merlot is fine,” Ellie replied, then caught Colin’s raised brow. “What?”

“Your aunt’s not here. You don’t have to worry about drinking a beer with us.”

The words, an echo from the night they’d first met, washed over Ellie in a pleasurable wave, and despite herself she gave him a soft smile. “Your memory really is impressive.”

“Only when the memories themselves are impressive.”

Gwen looked from one to the other, speculation crossing her features, and Ellie quickly said, “Guinness, please.”

“Excellent.” Aidan, Emma’s husband, had joined them at the airport. He added, “I knew I liked you. I’m happy your employee could take over the bookshop for a few days.”

Ellie let out a pent-up breath. “A month isn’t just a few days. I’m lucky that Norman is such a dedicated employee.”Although he knows a first edition ofJane Eyreis coming in for a customer sometime this month,she added silently,and he could collect a hefty commission from that sale. Added to the fact that he’d be paid overtime…well, suffice to say that her fellow book lover wasn’t as altruistic as he seemed when she called him earlier.

Colin mistook her look of consternation for aggravation. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it turned out this way.”

From the other side of the wide table, Aidan stroked his chin. “What I can’t figure out is, if you’re as against this idea as the media is reporting, then why’d you agree to do this in the first place? Ow!” he exclaimed. He rubbed his shin and shrugged at his wife. “What? A mate’s got a right to ask the obvious question, lass.”

“It’s none of your business,” Emma hissed.

To Ellie, Colin gave an apologetic smile. “He means well.”

Instead of answering, Ellie accepted her pint and the captain’s voice trickled through the speakers. “We’re starting our descent into Dublin. If everyone wouldn’t mind buckling up, that’d be fine by me. O’Malley, you want to take a crack at landing this craft?”

They were flying to Dublin first to drop off Emma, Aidan, Reilly, and Gwen, who decided to stay at Reilly’s as originallyplanned. Colin and Ellie would continue on to Boston, arriving in the early morning hours.

Reilly hopped up with a grin. “The benefits of owning your own plane far outweigh everything else.”

“You don’t own a plane,” Gwen reprimanded him good-naturedly.

“It’s my plane,” Aidan called after him. “Remember that.”

Reilly snorted. “Foolish lout. What good is a beast if it isn’t tamed? This aircraft has but one master…and I daresay it isn’t you.”

Aidan half rose, but Emma put a hand on his arm. “Why do you let him get to you?” she asked, exasperated, as Reilly strode to the cockpit.

“He’ll pay for that,” Aidan growled.

Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m giving up on you two.” To Ellie, she added with a conspiratorial wink, “I believe they love each other as only family can. But their inner toddlers come out much too often.”

“I’m doing it for my aunt,” Ellie said suddenly. She felt the blush rush to her cheeks as Aidan’s eyes snapped to her. “She wants to see me happy, with a family of my own. She doesn’t want me to become a lonely bookseller, invisible to the world.”

“Impossible,” Colin murmured. “You could never be invisible.”

Gwen’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hair, and Ellie quickly changed the subject. “I didn’t know Reilly could fly.”

Gwen shrugged. “He holds his secrets close to his chest, that’s for sure.”

“Well, I hope you have a wonderful time in Boston,” Aidan said, capturing Ellie’s attention. “’Tis a lovely city. A baby insofar as our own cities are concerned, but nice nonetheless.”

“Irish pride,” Emma said apologetically.

“Are you from Boston too?” Ellie asked Emma.

She shook her head, her blonde hair swishing. “Nope. I’m from upstate New York, but spent a long time in New York City.”

“Where I was fortunate enough to have stolen her away from her wretched job,” Aidan added.

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