Linnea knew that about him. The fact that Gordon had opened up to her made their relationship feel all the more intimate. “Okay. But do you like him?”

“I don’t know.” He sidestepped.

“It’s a yes-or-no question.”

“Okay, no,” Cooper said plainly. “Like I said, he’s a decent guy. But I don’t like him.”

Linnea puffed out air. “Okay. Thanks.” Her head was spinning. She hadn’t expected that last answer. Her brother’s opinion mattered to her and this deeply unnerved her. To change the subject, she asked, “Hey, I made some cookies. Want some?”

“Chocolate chip?”

“Is there another kind?”

COOPER LOST NO time moving in. Anna was settled in Palmer’s room, so she apologetically gave Cooper Cara’s old room. He’d laughed and said a real man felt confident in pink. The following morning his big black pickup truck pulled into the driveway filled with suitcases, his bicycle and his surfboard.

She’d also received several terse e-mails from her mother.

Linnea. Why on earth would you agree to letting Cooper move in with you without discussing it with us? You know how much we were looking forward to his return.

Linnea. How are you all going to squeeze into that little cottage? And with another girl living there. Across the hall!

I give up. Do what you want. You always do, anyway.

As usual, Linnea thought, it was her getting that flak, not Cooper. She sent her mother one e-mail in reply.

It will be fine. We love you.

The next few days Linnea felt she was walking on eggs. Everyone was trying his or her best to be cool about the living arrangement, but it was going to take time for her to get used to seeing her brother and Anna as a couple.

Linnea made her way to the kitchen, eager for a cup of coffee. She found the Melitta coffee carafe in the sink, the cone still filled with cold coffee grounds. Linnea grumbled to herself as she pulled out the used filter and dumped it in the trash. The pair of them were slobs, there was no other word for it. Their rooms both looked like a hurricane had struck. Baskets filled with clean laundry were topped with dirty items carelessly tossed in. Clothes were discarded and left on the floor where they fell, eventually forming a mountain of shirts, pants, bras, and socks, all wrinkled and interspersed with shoes, books, and papers.

And the bathroom! It gave her anxiety just to think of that room.

Linnea washed the carafe, dried it, and put in a crisp white filter. She didn’t want to lose her temper and needed a bracing cup of hot coffee. She went through the motions in the galley kitchen to prepare the drip coffee. This was her favorite morning ritual. Very calming. She’d been teased about her love of coffee, but she couldn’t argue. It was true. And she was very particular about her coffee.

Linnea settled on Charleston Coffee Roasters Beach House Blend. She’d tried it for the name, but stayed with it for the flavor. The kettle whistled shrilly, to her, a morning song. It made the kitchen sound like home. She poured the boiling water into the filter and breathed in the breaking scent of coffee as it filled the room. She closed her eyes, relishing the heady smell. While she waited for the coffee to brew, she filled the dog dish with kibble and served it to a patiently waiting Luna.