Erin was taken by surprise when her heart began to ache. By now, she ought to be used to seeing Jenny in love with someone else. But until she’d come to the island over the summer, Alex had existed in the abstract for her, the new guy Jenny was seeing. Now he was a flesh-and-blood man who was obviously crazy about Jenny. Toby’s Jenny…

“Er?”

Erin looked up from the pulverized peppers to realize Jenny had been talking to her. “Sorry, I was spacing.”

Jenny sent her a dirty smile.

She thought Erin was thinking about Slim. That was for the best. The last thing Erin would ever want to do was crap on the happiness Jenny had waited so long to find. Toby, who’d been madly in love with Jenny, would tell Erin to get over herself and get on board, especially while she was a guest in Jenny and Alex’s beautiful new home.

Paul and Hope came in a few minutes later with Hope’s son, Ethan, who was full of pre-Christmas excitement.

“I set you up with the Xbox in the bedroom,” Alex said to Ethan.

“Nice!”

“One hour and then it’s bedtime,” Hope called after her son.

“Mac and Maddie’s kids are sick, so they’re out tonight,” Jenny said. “But they invited everyone to their house on the twenty-sixth.”

“Sure, sounds fun,” Hope said.

“You guys never quit with the partying,” Erin said.

“That’s all there is to do around here this time of year,” Hope said.

“Need me to give you some pointers for passing the time, bro?” Alex asked, a cocky grin making his eyes gleam with mischief.

“Oh, sorry, honey,” Hope said, wincing. “I tossed him a softball, didn’t I?”

“And he hit it right out of the park.” Paul smiled at Hope and put his arm around her. “You should know better by now.”

“I really should.”

“Alex’s dirty mind and mouth are the thing of legend,” Jenny said for Erin’s edification.

“You love my dirty mind, and you positively adore my dirty mouth.”

Jenny stuffed a roll in his mouth, making everyone laugh hysterically.

“I love you so much, Jenny.” Paul wiped laughter tears from his eyes. “So, so much.”

“You love that I manage him for you,” Jenny said to her brother-in-law.

“Yes, I do.”

“Manage me, my ass,” Alex said around a mouthful of bread.

“Your ass is one of the best parts of you,” Jenny said to groans.

Jared and Lizzie James arrived with another man Erin hadn’t met before. They introduced him as Jared’s brother, Quinn. Like Jared, he was blond, but unlike his brother, Quinn didn’t smile easily and was polite but quiet. Lizzie more than compensated, telling them how Quinn had come to see the building she and Jared had bought to house a rest home for the island’s elderly.