Thomas patted his brother’s back, almost too hard. I was glad he didn’t greet me that way, but his brother wasn’t fazed. They let go, and Taylor hit Thomas’s arm, again hard enough that it was audible.

“Damn, Tommy! You’re a fuckin’ diesel!” Taylor made a show of squeezing Thomas’s bicep.

Thomas shook his head, and then they both turned to stare at me with matching grins.

“This,” Thomas said, beaming, “is Liis Lindy.”

There was a reverence in his voice when he spoke, and he regarded me in the same way he’d held Camille on the pier in the picture. I felt precious to him, and I had to push on my toes to keep from leaning forward.

Just a few weeks before, Thomas had said my name as if it were a swear word. Now, when he formed his mouth around it, I melted.

Taylor gave me a bear hug, lifting me off the ground. When he set me down, he smirked. “Sorry about keeping you up the other night. I had a rough week.”

“At work?” I asked.

His face turned red, and I inwardly celebrated at being able to make a Maddox brother blush.

Thomas smirked. “He got dumped.”

The feeling of victory vanished, and guilt jarred me into silence. That didn’t last long when I remembered the yelping and wall-banging. “So, you slept with—” I almost slipped and said Agent Davies. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

Thomas couldn’t hide his relief.

Taylor took a long deep breath and blew it out. “I wasn’t going to bring this up until later, but I was really messed up over it and really drunk. Falyn and I worked it out, and she’ll be in St. Thomas, so I’d appreciate it if…you know…”

“Falyn is your girlfriend?” I asked.

Taylor looked so deeply ashamed. It was hard to judge him.

I shrugged. “I never saw you. Anything I reported would be speculation anyway.” Damn it, Liis. Stop sounding like an agent.

Taylor lifted my tote and slipped it over his shoulder. “Thanks.”

“Could I just…” I reached for the tote.

Taylor leaned down to give me better access. I pulled out my sweater, and Thomas helped me slip it on.

Taylor began walking, and Thomas reached back for my hand. I took his hand, and we followed his brother to the exit.

“I drove around for half an hour before I found a parking spot in the main lot,” Taylor said. “It’s spring break, so everyone is traveling, I guess.”

“When did you get into town? What are you driving?” Thomas asked.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel so bad. Thomas sounded more like FBI than I did.

“I’ve been here since yesterday.”