“Emmitt’s been wanting to get out on the water,” Winnie said. “You gotta remember, he’s only owned the marina for five years. Rowan handled most of the boat maintenance, but he got behind. I had no idea, but it turns out Cam’s the one who taught Rowan everything he knew.” Winnie’s eyes went a little shiny. “He’s a really good guy too.”

Piper suspected that was very true. Which wasn’t the comfort it should’ve been because she didn’t want to fall for him. She just wanted to get naked with him.

Quite badly.

“You guys don’t even live here anymore,” she said. “How do you know more about my neighbors than I do?”

Winnie shrugged. “Because we don’t break out into hives when we have to be social?”

Gavin winced and gave her a small head shake. “Harsh.”

Winnie sighed. “I’m sorry. Piper knows what I mean.” She hopped off the counter. “I’m going to shower. Don’t anyone use hot water. For a few.”

“You mean an hour?” Gavin asked her back. “Cuz that’s how long your showers last.”

“Shut it!” came down the stairs.

Piper looked at her brother, who was now on his laptop, fingers racing across the keyboard. “Weren’t you going to look into the hot-water tank situation for me?”

“Actually, Winnie’s on it. She’s really becoming quite the handyman. Er—handywoman.”

“Okay.” Piper didn’t actually believe this, mostly because Winnie wasn’t big on manual labor. Or any kind of labor. But whatever. “How about the toaster? You get a chance to fix that?”

“No. But later, I promise.”

She waited, but he didn’t say anything more. Or even look up at her. “Gavin, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Something,” she insisted.

He shrugged. “I’m just tired.”

She got that, but this was more. “It’s unlike you to be so . . .”

He looked up. “So what? Useless?”

“Not the word I was going to use.”

“Good, because I’m not useless, at least not completely. For instance, I can be used as a really bad example.” He was trying to lighten the mood. He’d been doing that all his life.

“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not acting like yourself.” Yes, he was still the same laid-back and easygoing “no worries” kid he’d always been, and sharp and funny as usual, but there were haunted shadows in his eyes, and that worried her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

She perched a hip on the kitchen table. “Try again.”