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Her smile was wry. “You’re a guest.”

I crossed my arms. “Doesn’t matter. Eat.”

Zach was halfway through his dinner by the time I took the last chair at the table, a heaping pile of spaghetti on my plate. I’d also snagged the last of the garlic bread.

“This is great, Anya,” Zach mumbled around a full mouth.

I glared. “Manners, little brother.”

Zach rolled his eyes at me but turned an apologetic smile on Anya. “Excuse me, Anya. It really is delicious.”

Everyone around the table echoed his compliments, adding their own. She beamed at me, setting a low heat brewing in my belly. “Thanks for helping.”

Zach redeemed himself by jumping up to start on the dishes as we finished dinner. By unspoken agreement, we’d avoided any talk of the morning’s adventures while we ate, decamping to the living room after we finished cleaning up. Anya chose a spot next to me on the couch, her thigh a hairsbreadth from mine.

Lee leaned forward, his hands dangling between his knees, a frown darkening his features. “Does anyone else find Jordan’s death suspicious?”

Everyone in the room froze as if caught in a strobe flash.

A second too late, Zach laughed. “Trust the thriller writer to see a plot. Jordan was a good guy, but he also had a tendency to go out on the bluffs and sneak a drink when things got to be a bit much at home. He wouldn’t be the first islander to lose his footing on the cliffs.”

Rae frowned. “But he wasn’t careless. He knew the dangers. I spoke to Jia. She’s distraught. Says he told her he needed to do some maintenance on the boat and would be out late, but he never came home.”

“Is the boat in the harbor?” I asked.

Rae nodded. “It was in its usual slip when I got back toSailor Swiftthis afternoon.”

“Was Brandon around?” Jordan and his second mate helped us with SAR operations sometimes. Their boat came in handy.

“No. I haven’t seen him.” She shrugged. “But I’ve also barely been home. I spent the rest of my morning at Harbor Brews and then had to head directly to the shipyard afterward.”

“I’m sure the Sheriff’s Office will investigate,” Clay piped up.

The big man had been mostly quiet, in the affable way of someone new to a group of people. He’d joined us this morning on behalf of the park service, helping us cart Jordan’s body back up the hill. He had the kind of solid presence that people found reassuring.

“True,” Lee said, frowning.

Anya yawned, and I glanced at my watch. “It’s getting late. I have to be up early tomorrow to make up for the time I missed today.”

Zach clapped me on the back. “Do what you need to do, old man.”

I glared. “I’m going to help Anya put away the table and chairs. Why don’t you make yourself useful and come help me?”

Zach followed me into the kitchen. He half-heartedly folded a chair, pausing with one clutched beneath his arm. “I think I’m going to stick around tonight. Get to know Anya better.”

“Don’t you have a coffee shop to open in the morning?”

Something flared in Zach’s eyes, the competitive light I’d struggled against most of my life. “So, it’s like that, huh?” He cast a quick look at Anya, who was occupied with Lee and Violet, oblivious to our quiet battle.

Zach used his charm like a weapon. My hands clenched.

“Violet deserves better from us than hitting on her roommate,” I bit out.

Zach snorted, shaking his head. He all but laughed in my face. “That’s where you’rewrong. You had the green light, and you missed the signal. It’s not my fault I’m not too proud to try where you failed.”

“What are you talking about?” I whispered furiously.

“Ididn’t get a yoga gift certificate from Vi for my birthday.”