“I still think she should’ve gone with the strippers,” Andie said. “I suppose I can show off some of my ball handling skills.” She paused, adding, “I’m talking about soccer balls, in case you were wondering.”

Kat primly wiped flour off her apron. “Some of our brains don’t default to ‘pervert.’”

“Says the girl who just rolled out a tray full of dough dildos.”

“I’ve been known to enjoy the benefits of a personal massager,” Kat said. “However, I wouldn’t recommend using these for that.”

“Point to Kat.” Julia laughed. “She got you that time, Andie.”

“That was good,” Andie agreed. “But you’re going to have to come up with something better than witty comebacks for the talent show.”

“Actually, I have an idea,” Kat began, voice a shade nervous as she continued. “If this is supposed to be the place we get to live out our romantic-comedy fantasies…”

Andie gasped. “I know what you’re going to do!”

“You do?” Julia asked. She turned to Kat, confused. “She does?”

“I do,” Andie said, grabbing Kat by the arms. “Dirty Dancing. The lift. Am I right?”

Kat’s smile was almost shy. “I’ve always wanted to perform that dance for an audience.”

“Do you think you can pull it off in two days?” Julia wondered. “Less than two days, really.”

“She knows the whole routine by heart,” Andie assured her. “What I want to know is if you think your boy Zach has the arm strength to do it?”

“You managed just fine,” Kat reminded Andie.

“Wait, what?” Julia asked.

“We spent a summer obsessed with learning how to do that dance,” Kat explained.

“I was Patrick Swayze,” Andie clarified. “And I only dropped her once,” she added proudly.

“Wow,” Julia murmured. “That is quite the mental image.”

“It would have blown you away,” Andie assured her.

“We’ve got our plans figured out,” Kat said, redirecting the conversation. “Which leaves you. What will you do for the talent show?”

“Is ‘Be a good audience member’ an option?” Julia wondered. Her friends’ unamused stares were answer enough. “Fine,” she yielded. “I’ll talk to Luke. Maybe he’ll have some hidden talent up his sleeve.”

CHAPTER 23

LUKE

Luke rolled up his sleeves, grinding his teeth in frustration. Was it too much to ask that one thing fit right? One piece of clothing that didn’t make him look like he’d had a mutant growth spurt overnight? Wanting to look nice for Julia, he’d chosen to wear another shirt from what he’d dubbed the Pen and Jay Makeover Collection, but it was still too short in the arms. He tugged at the cuffs, acknowledging that this wasn’t the real reason he was annoyed right now. In his current mood, everything seemed more irritating.

Of all the harebrained last-minute ideas … A talent show? Really? Luke stomped through the hotel, searching for his sister. She wasn’t in any of her usual spots. As he marched across the lobby, he thought he caught the sound of her voice on the terrace, but it was hard to tell, as it was muffled within a cacophony of barking. Barking that seemed familiar, but much louder.