“I can’t believe how the town’s grown,” she said as she sat across from him at Angelo’s, where they’d scored an outdoor table. “The festivals seem to be the same, but the number of people coming to town has grown. I didn’t think I would be able to book a room for the night.”

The evening was warm. Under other circumstances, it might even be romantic—but not tonight. Not when he wasn’t with Shelby.

The server returned with the bottle of wine Aidan had ordered. When they each had a glass, Aidan turned his attention back to Margaret.

“How are things?”

“Good. Busy. The kids are growing so fast. My oldest is nearly four. The baby’s just two. It’s crazy.”

“But happy.”

“It is. I’ve just gone back to work full-time.” She waved to the sidewalk just beyond the restaurant patio. “There’s some travel, which is hard. I want to be home with my kids. At the same time I also want to be working.”

“A dilemma most working mothers face,” he pointed out. “It often takes both parents working to support a family these days, but leaving every morning is difficult.”

She studied him. “Yes, and why do you know that?”

“It’s not a secret.”

“It’s not something I would expect an unmarried guy with no children to have thought about.” Her gaze narrowed. “What’s different?”

“Are you saying I wasn’t this deep the last time we were together?”

“You were fun and charming and great in bed.” She sipped her wine. “But no. Not deep.”

He wasn’t aware of making any changes in thinking, but he knew that they had taken place. They were inevitable and the point of the experiment with Shelby. He liked who he was now. Not the jackass he’d been, but a good man who respected others’ feelings. Especially when it came to women.

“I had a bad experience a few months back,” he admitted. “It caused me to look at my life and what I’d been doing in my free time.”

“Aside from sleeping with tourists?” she asked, her voice teasing.

“No, pretty much just that. While the reasons were sound, the execution turned out to have some flaws.” He briefly told her about the New Year’s Eve debacle and Shelby’s suggestion that they become friends.

“Actual friends?” Margaret asked.

“We alternate doing boy things and girl things.” He laughed. “Less formally now, but it still happens. Shelby kicks butt at Texas hold ’em and I can go to lunch with a woman and simply talk.” He leaned back in his chair. “Without offering advice.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

“It’s true. I’ve learned the power of listening. Not only do some problems not have a solution, sometimes the point isn’t the solution. It’s sharing the feelings the problem creates. Women bond over shared emotion.”

Margaret shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what to say. I’m a little jealous. That would never happen at my house.”

“Then you’re not expecting enough of your husband. If I can learn to listen, anyone can.”

“I wish that were true. How’s business?”

“Excellent.” He told her about the new tours he would be offering.

“I’ll have to bring the whole family back here,” she said with a laugh. “You’re making me want to move.”

“You’d be welcome.” He thought about her little kids. “You’d need a babysitting service, wouldn’t you? One you could trust.”