“You can find them anywhere,” he said. “One of my favorites. Hot or cold?”
“Cold,” she said. “If I want hot lobster, I’ll sit down with a bib on.”
He laughed. “That I’d like to see.”
“You’re not going to,” she said. “Because I make a mess and end up flinging food everywhere trying to get it out of the shell.”
He moved them through the crowds. They got in line, ordered their rolls, got some chips on the side, then walked a few minutes to find a seat outside with their drinks.
“Having fun?” he asked.
“I am. Thank you for this. I’m sure you’ve done it more times than you can count.”
“Not like this. When we were younger, I’d come down with friends or my brothers. We’d walk for hours, maybe act like idiots, get food and go back home.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“Beacon Hill,” he said.
She lifted her eyebrows. “Not surprising.”
“My father’s brother has a house there too. Actually, my Uncle Scott is older and he got the family house. Or they agreed that is what would happen. I don’t know the details and never asked. It’s a big old Victorian. Over a hundred years old. My father bought another house not far away.”
“I can only imagine what that had to be like. There aren’t many actual standalone homes in Boston, are there?”
“Not like other cities. Or they’ve been converted. Normally you have to go to the outskirts. It’s only about two miles from my parents’ house to the office, but my father drives. We laugh it takes him thirty minutes most times when on the island it’s less than five and that’s hitting a few lights. Without lights even less.”
“That’s how it was in Vermont. I like I can walk faster than drive, but it still takes longer than before.”
“I’m not used to anything else.”
“You didn’t want to live on the island?” she asked. “Like your brothers?”
“No. Eli always knew what he wanted to do and where the casino was going, so of course he’d live there. Egan could have gone either way. He’s got a condo in Boston near the docks. Takes him about fifteen minutes driving to get there. He and Lincoln used it a lot when they were both single.”
“Lincoln?”
“Egan’s best friend and another pilot. But both of them live on the island full time. Two helicopters are kept there, two at the docks now. He’s got three full-time pilots and two part-time ones. Between tours and private charters to New York City, Philly, and DC, they are running around the clock it seems now.”
His brother had turned that business into more than he’d thought would happen. Ethan got his tiny percentage of ownership the same as Eli, but not much.
Pretty soon he’d have his first business to himself. Sort of. His father and brothers would be part of it because that was how they operated.
Still in the works and something he’d have to talk to Nora about.
Not today though.
“I’ve never been on a helicopter before.”
“You will,” he said. “And our private jet.”
“I will?” she asked, turning her head. She had mayo on the corner of her mouth.
The urge to run his thumb over it to wipe it away wasn’t as strong as leaning his mouth to hers to lick it off.
Yep, mind out of the gutter.
“Blair told you there could be travel with the job, right?”
