Silver Linings

and what you call a sophisticated lifestyle. What's more, she wants to marry a man who works for a corporation, drinks white wine, and drives a BMW.”
    “So now you're an expert on the modern woman?”
    “A wise man learns by observation,” Silk informed him loftily. “I watched you screw up last year. I ain't looking forward to watching you shoot yourself in the foot again. It's embarrassing.”
    “Mattie's different,” Hugh insisted stubbornly. “Once she's sure of me, she'll stop fussing about where she lives.”
    “Sure.”
    “Hey, you want to come over to dinner tonight?”
    Silk's bushy brows climbed. “You making another batch of that godawful chili?”
    “No. Mattie's going to be doing the cooking.” Hugh could not help feeling smug. It was curiously pleasant to be able to extend an invitation for a home-cooked dinner to a friend. He liked the idea of entertaining in his own home. Just like a real married man. “She's a great cook. I told her to pick up some nice thick steaks and stuff for a salad. Maybe dessert. What do you say?”
    Silk considered that. “Sounds good. I haven't had a real home-cooked meal since that little blond tourist lady made me scrambled eggs when she stayed overnight on the Griffin .”
    “That was damn near a year ago.”
    “Yeah. I'm drooling already. Don't mind telling you. But I doubt if Miss Mattie Sharpe will want me coming to dinner. I didn't exactly get off on my best foot with her yesterday.”
    “I explained all that,” Hugh said.
    Silk put a dark blue wash in over the area that would be the sea. “Well, if you're sure she won't poison me, I'd be mighty pleased to join you.”
    “Good. Six o'clock.” Hugh glanced up and saw Mattie approaching along the quay. She was wearing the new jeans she had bought yesterday and a flower-splashed top. She had complained that the jeans were too tight and that the bright, short-sleeved camp shirt was rather garish, but he thought she looked terrific. Which only went to show how low-class his tastes were, Hugh supposed. He got to his feet. “One more thing,” he said to Silk. “Don't stop off at the Hellfire first.”
    Silk contrived to look offended. “I got manners when I need 'em, Abbott. Don't worry, I won't embarrass you by showing up three sheets to the wind. You hear anything yet from Purgatory?”
    “No. It might take a little time. But the word is out. Bound to hear something sooner or later.” Hugh vaulted onto the dock. “We'll get whoever did it.”
    “I get first crack at the bastard who blew Cormier away when we do find him,” Silk muttered.
    “You're going to have to get in line. I'm first. Whoever it was came too close to getting Mattie, too, remember?”
    Silk frowned thoughtfully at Mattie, who was making her way down the harbor steps, two large sacks of groceries in her arms. “You know, I still say she's going to lead you around like a bull with a ring through its nose and then dump you, but I got to admit she's got some sass and spirit. Handled me real good yesterday when I got out of line. Threw a glass of whiskey right in my face. Saw her punch out another guy who tried to grab her on the way out of the bar.”
    Hugh grinned with expansive pride as he recalled Mattie holding a gun on Gibbs. “Yeah. She's definitely my kind of woman. Now all I've got to do is convince her of that.”
    “I think it's going to be a little tougher than that, boss. What you got to do is convince her you're her kind of man. Again.”

    As far as Hugh was concerned, dinner was a roaring success. This was part of what a real home was all about, he decided in deep satisfaction. This was the way it was supposed to be, a man and a woman creating a warm and happy little world where friends were welcome. It had never been this way for Hugh in the past, but he was determined that it would be in the future.
    He admitted to himself he'd had a few qualms when Mattie had calmly announced she had not bought the steaks as instructed but was going to make a fancy pasta dish instead.
    Hugh had not been at all certain of how Silk would react to trendy health food. But after the first bite, he knew he need not have worried. After one curious glance, Silk had immediately begun putting away the pasta by the truckload.
    Taggert had appeared a bit anxious when Hugh opened the door of the small, wooden framed beach cottage earlier. But once Mattie broke the ice by asking questions about his paintings, he'd mellowed