“No.” Pen waved an annoyed hand, dismissing that topic. “How did you know you liked her?”

Luke jerked his head up, bemused. He’d not been expecting that question. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking.”

“I saw you kissing her,” Pen admitted. “On the beach.”

“When?”

She shot him a look. “There was more than once?”

Luke sidestepped the question. “Was it during the sandcastle competition?” he asked, gut clenching. If she’d caught what they’d been doing yesterday, she would have seen a bit more than kissing …

Pen shook her head. “That was Wednesday. I’m talking about Tuesday. After the paintball game. Jay and I walked down to get some ice cream and, well…”

“Ah.” Julia had smiled up at him as he’d reached for her, his shoes getting soaked by the waves. But he hadn’t cared; he was too busy kissing her sweet mouth, savoring the lingering taste of chocolate. Luke shook himself. Was he about to get a lecture from his baby sister? He probably deserved it. When he met her eyes, however, it wasn’t censure he saw in her face but curiosity.

“How did you know?” she asked again.

“How did I know what?”

“How did you know the time was right? To kiss her.”

Now he was flushing for a different reason. His sister was in her midtwenties, a college graduate, for heaven’s sake. As much as he didn’t want to think about it (and he really, really didn’t want to think about it), surely she had been kissed before …

As if reading his mind, Penelope blurted, “I’ve kissed plenty of guys.”

Plenty?

“But none of them meant anything to me. It was just for fun.”

Luke’s throat constricted, but he tried to play it cool. “There’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun.” He almost managed to avoid emphasizing the words little bit. Almost.

“I know.” Her tone told him she didn’t need and wasn’t looking for his approval. “But Julia’s different. You’ve only known her a few days, but I can tell she means something to you.”

“Yeah, her friend’s review could really help boost the success of this resort.”

Penelope narrowed her gaze, lips pursed. “My concerns about that statement aside, we’ve already established the flimsiness of that excuse. You like her, Luke.”

“Yes. I like her. I admit it.”

“No, you like her like her.”

“What is this, the third grade?”

“Ha. I don’t think you knew what a girl was in third grade, let alone liked one.”

“I knew you. And I even liked you.”

“I don’t count. When you were in third grade, I was like three years old. Besides, we’ve been over this. You’re my brother. You have to like me.”

“I have to love you. I don’t always have to like you.”