Ethan blinked, felt his head go light, filled with thoughts thin as strands of cotton. ‘‘What?’’ He pushed a hand up his forehead, into his hair, knocking his cap back. ‘‘What?’’

‘‘Man, you look weird.’’ Seth cocked his head, fascinated. ‘‘How come you’re standing here talking to yourself?’’

‘‘I was . . .’’ Asleep on my feet? he wondered. ‘‘ Thinking,’’ he said. ‘‘Just thinking out loud.’’ Suddenly the noise and smells seemed to roar into his dizzy brain. ‘‘I need some air,’’ he muttered and hurried out through the cargo doors.

‘‘Weird,’’ Seth said again. He started to say something to Phillip, then was distracted as Anna came through the front door carrying an enormous hamper.

‘‘Anybody interested in lunch?’’

‘‘Yeah!’’ Always interested, Seth made a beeline. ‘‘Did you bring the chicken?’’

‘‘What’s left of it,’’ she told him. ‘‘And ham sand-wiches thick as bricks. There’s a cooler of iced tea in the car. Why don’t you go haul it in?’’

‘‘My hero,’’ Phillip said, wiping his hands on his jeans before relieving her of the hamper. ‘‘Hey, Cam! There’s a gorgeous woman out here with food.’’

The hammering stopped instantly. Seconds later, Cam’s head popped up through the cabin roof. ‘‘My woman. I get first dibs on the food.’’

‘‘There’s plenty to go around. Grace isn’t the only one who can put meals together for a bunch of hungry men. Though her fried chicken’s a gift from the gods.’’

‘‘She’s got a way with it.’’ Phillip agreed. He set the hamper down on a makeshift table fashioned of a sheet of plywood laid over two sawhorses. ‘‘She cooked for Ethan regularly when you two were away.’’ He dug out a ham sandwich. ‘‘I get the feeling something’s happening there.’’

‘‘Happening where?’’ Cam wanted to know as he jumped down to explore the hamper.

‘‘With Ethan and Grace.’’

‘‘No shit?’’

‘‘Mmm.’’ The first bite made Phillip close his eyes in pleasure. He might have preferred French cuisine served on fine china, but he could appreciate a well-built sand-wich balanced on a paper plate. ‘‘My deathless observation skills have homed in on certain signs. He watches her when she’s not looking. She watches him when he’s not looking. And I got some interesting gossip from Marsha Tuttle. She works down at the pub with Grace,’’ he explained to Anna. ‘‘Shiney’s adding a security system and has a new policy that none of the waitresses are to close up alone.’’

‘‘Did something happen?’’ Anna asked.

‘‘Yeah.’’ He looked over to be certain Seth hadn’t come back in. ‘‘A few nights ago some bastard came in after closing. Grace was alone. He put his hands on her and, according to Marsha, would have done more. But it just so happened Ethan was outside. Interesting coincidence if you ask me, when we’re talking of our early-to-bed, early-to-rise brother. Anyway, he put some dents in the guy.’’ He took another healthy bite.