Vikki met them at the door to Letty’s unit. “Shh,” she cautioned, pointing toward the bedroom. She gave Letty a mock salute. “I have newfound respect for moms. That kid of yours wore me out. In a good way, but still.”

Letty peeked into the bedroom and found Maya curled up in her pillow fort in the corner of the room. She pulled the door shut.

“Any signs of our prowler?” Vikki asked Joe.

“None. But I’m not taking any chances. I asked the night watch supervisor to send patrol units on the regular tonight. And I’ll hang around too.”

“I can patrol the premises too, you know,” Vikki pointed out. “I actually am a sworn law enforcement professional.”

“Nah. If it was Rooney, and I’m not convinced it was, he’s long gone by now, spooked by the blue lights and all the bingo players tromping around the place. Get some sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“I’m kinda keyed up now,” Vikki said. “I might just walk down to Gianni’s and get a slice of pizza and a glass of decent wine.”

“This late?” Letty checked her phone and gave a sheepish laugh. “Wow. Almost ten o’clock—which is actually two A.M. in Florida time.”

Letty opened the sliding glass doors and stepped out onto the patio. A quarter-moon spilled milky light onto the calm surface of the Gulf, and a slight breeze stirred the palm fronds. She touched the waxy blossoms of the fragrant confederate jasmine clambering over the garden fence.

“Nice night.” Joe’s arm encircled her waist.

She muffled a startled yip.

He gave her a questioning look.

“Sorry, I guess, like Vikki, I’m keyed up too,” Letty said.

“You know what I find helps when I’m keyed up?”

She laughed and rolled her eyes, but after a moment’s hesitation, allowed herself to give in to her longing for comfort and to lean against him for a moment. His chest felt warm and solid against her bare back. She closed her eyes. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. And then her neck. His cheek brushed hers. Slowly, she turned to face him, encircling her arms around his neck. She lifted the cheap plastic leis and threw them aside. He smiled, then removed the ones around her neck.

His kiss was slow and tender at first, and she responded in kind, melting into his embrace as his hands slid over the curve of her hips, cupping her buttocks as he pulled her closer.

Letty held his face between the palms of her hands, exploring his mouth with her tongue, while his hands wandered upward, working his fingers beneath the band of her bikini top, brushing her nipples with his thumbs.

The grass skirt rustled slightly as he worked his knee between her legs.