Penelope gestured for him to take a seat and moved to join Jay on the sofa in the suite’s sitting area. Luke settled into the chair across from them, acutely aware of how the position made him feel like he was facing off against them. They were supposed to be a team. Three peas together in a pod.

Maybe his rage earlier had been more than the reaction of a protective older brother, more than a bubbling-over of his frustrations with Julia. Maybe he was scared of losing them, that if Pen and Jay were together, things would change. Peas were meant to come two in a pod, after all.

Luke realized he wasn’t worried just about Pen getting hurt. He also was afraid of how this change in her relationship with Jay would change her relationship with him. He wouldn’t be as important to her anymore, wouldn’t be the one she went to for help. But even if all that were true, he couldn’t let his fear get in the way of his sister’s happiness. He wouldn’t. “I was taken by surprise,” he admitted. “And I reacted poorly.”

“Jay and I owe you an apology, too. We shouldn’t have hidden…” Penelope paused, reaching out to clasp hands with Jay. “Us from you.” She took a breath. “But based on your reaction, can you understand why we were hesitant to let you know?”

“Pen, I—”

She cut him off. “It might be hard for you to accept, Luke. But I’m more than your little sister. More than that sick little girl in the hospital.”

“I’m well aware of that.” He scowled.

“Are you?” She stared at him, gray eyes steely with challenge. “Sometimes I’m not so sure. I haven’t been that sick little girl in more than a dozen years. I’ve graduated college, helped you build this project, and now I’m even running it, and I think I’m doing a pretty good job—”

“You’re doing a great job,” he rushed to assure her.

“Let me finish.”

Luke flushed, but he shut his mouth and waited for his sister to continue.

“What I’m trying to say is, I’m doing okay by myself. More than okay. That big secret I’ve been working on with Mrs. W…” She bit her lip. “It wasn’t the talent show.”

“Oh?” Luke felt like he was standing in an open field, waiting for the next chunk of sky to fall on him.

“We’ve been discussing the possibility of expanding the experience. Developing new events, like a holiday-themed one for the winter season.”

He held himself in check. “Any particular reason I was excluded from this discussion?”