Annika raised her hand in surrender. “It’s okay. I know what you meant. It’s okay to say it. My judgment sucks. Plain and simple.”

“Maybe you’re still getting over Steven.” Naya was backtracking, trying to spare her feelings.

Annika examined her injured hand. “I doubt that. This is what happens when Steven’s around.” She shook her head at her hand, trying not to recall Daniel’s gentle touch or how it had made her feel. Or how he had made her feel. Light. Happy. Naya was right. Let it go. He’d lied to her, and she had been fool enough to believe him.

Annika inhaled and focused on her cousin. “Did you say something about a date?”

Naya flushed. “I did.”

“With who?” Annika suspected she already knew.

“Ravi Shah.” Naya tried and failed to suppress her giddy smile.

“Another guy your mom set you up with?” Annika grinned. Naya was the “good” one. She was the one who was in law school and loved cooking and met the boys her parents suggested for her. Naya was well on her way to marriage, career, children—all the things that shouted “My parents did a fabulous job raising me!” Forget the fact that she hated law school (and the law, for that matter). What she really wanted to do was join the Peace Corps. She was attending law school to attain her law degree, fulfilling her parents’ requirements, and then she intended to join the Peace Corps. She had said as much to her parents.

They were ignoring her.

To say the setups were less than successful was an understatement. But Naya dutifully met them all.

Annika walked to the door, with Naya following her. This was perfect. She could concentrate on Naya’s latest disaster to take her mind off Daniel.

“Let me guess. He’s a doctor who still lets his mother dress him?”

Naya shook her head. “No, that was two months ago.”

Annika locked up and handed her car keys to Naya. “A lawyer who expects you to work and do all the housework.”

“Anish, three months ago.” Naya smiled. “But he is a lawyer.”

Annika mock groaned as Naya opened the car door and sat in the driver’s seat. Annika got into the car and studied her cousin. There was something different about her. The smile. It was...real. Plus, she was biting her bottom lip. Annika narrowed her eyes. It was hard to say in the darkness, but she could have sworn that Naya was blushing.

“You like him!” It came out as more of an accusation than anything else, really.

“He’s...nice.” Even if Naya hadn’t giggled in that moment, her huge smile and definite flush would have given her away.

“You like him,” Annika repeated, smiling at her cousin. “He’s more than nice. You know he’s Urmila-auntie’s son?”

“Yes, I know.”