“I am. It was wonderful.” Nell did a quick little dance, then grabbed a bun for herself. “Outrageous. He has such . . . stamina.”

“Oh. Mmm.” Mia ran her tongue over her lips. “Don’t stop now.”

“I think we broke several standing records.”

“Now you’re bragging, but that’s all right. You’re among friends.”

“You know the best part?”

“I’m hoping you’ll tell me, and all the other parts as well.”

“He didn’t, doesn’t, treat me like I’m fragile or needy or, I don’t know . . . wounded. So I don’t feel fragile or needy or wounded when I’m with him. The first time, we barely made it into the house, and ended up on the floor tearing at each other’s clothes. It was so normal.”

“We could all use a bit of that kind of normal now and then. He’s a great kisser, isn’t he?”

“Oh, boy, and when he. . .” Trailing off, Nell paled.

“I was fifteen,” Mia explained as she bit into the cinnamon bun again. “He gave me a ride home from a party, and we satisfied our mutual curiosity with a couple of very long, very intense lip-locks. While I won’t insult your intelligence and claim it was like kissing my brother, I will say we didn’t suit and have chosen to be friends. But they were really fine kisses.”

She licked icing off her finger. “So I have some small idea just how delightful your weekend was.”

“I’m glad I didn’t know that before. I might have been intimidated.”

“Aren’t you sweet? So, what are you going to do about Zachariah Todd?”

“Enjoy him.”

“Perfect answer.” For the moment. “He has really good hands, too, doesn’t he?” Mia commented as she strolled away.

“Now you’re going to have to shut up.”

Laughing, Mia started down the steps. “I’m opening the doors.”

And so, she thought, little sister, are you.

It wouldn’t have surprised Mia to know that Zack was undergoing personal interrogation over coffee and buns as well.

“Didn’t see you around much this weekend.”

“Had stuff to do. And didn’t I bring you a present?”

Ripley worked her way enthusiastically through the first bun. “Um. Good,” she managed to slur. “Guess the stuff had to do with the island’s best cook, which I cleverly deduced since you’ve got a bag holding half a dozen buns.”

“Down to four now.” He enjoyed one of his own while he slogged through paperwork at his desk. “John Macey still hasn’t paid these parking tickets. He needs a goose.”

“I’ll goose him. So, you and Nell got down to the mattress rhumba?”

Zack gave her a single withering look. “You’ve got such a mushy, romantic heart, Rip. I don’t know how you get through life with it weighing you down.”