“I suspect it was swordpoint, maybe musketpoint,” said Dylan.
“Held them at gunpoint,” Lindsay stressed. “And took things that didn’t belong to him.”
Kaitlin gave Zach a smirk and tapped her index finger against her chest. Dylan didn’t know who he was up against.
But Lindsay wasn’t finished yet. “He sank their ships. He killed people. You don’t need to be a lawyer to know he was a thief and a murderer.”
“Oh, hand it over,” Kaitlin demanded.
Dylan suddenly smacked Lindsay smartly on the rear.
She jumped. “Hey!”
“You crossed the line,” he told her.
Kaitlin’s jaw dropped. She sucked in a breath, waiting for Lindsay to react.
This was going to be bad.
Oh, it was going to be very, very bad.
Dylan said something else, but Kaitlin didn’t hear the words.
In response, Lindsay leaned closer. It looked as if she was answering.
Kaitlin stayed still and waited. But the shouting didn’t start, and the insults didn’t fly.
Instead, Dylan reached out and stroked Lindsay’s cheek. Then he butted his shoulder against hers and left it resting there.
For some reason, she didn’t pull away.
Suddenly, Zach grasped Kaitlin’s arm and turned her away.
“Huh?” was all she could manage to say.
“They don’t need an audience,” said Zach.
“But…” She couldn’t help but glance once more over her shoulder. “I don’t…” She turned back to stare at Zach. “Why didn’t she kill him?”
“Because they’re flirting, not fighting.” Zach leaned on the rail, gazing into the setting sun. “Just like you and me.”
The breath whooshed out of Kaitlin’s chest. “We are not—”
“Oh, we so are.”
“So far, so good?” asked Dylan, parking himself next to Zach at the rail of the deck after dinner. Lights shone from the windows of the Gilby house. The pool was illuminated in the yard below. And the twinkle of lights from Zach’s house was visible in the distance.
“I think so.” Zach motioned to the three women inside, where Ginny was playing right into his plan. “She’s showing them photographs from when she and Sadie were girls.”
“I dropped a hint to Lindsay,” said Dylan, taking credit. “She immediately asked Ginny if there were any pictures.”
“Good thought,” Zach acknowledged. Ginny and Sadie had grown up together on Serenity Island. And though Ginny’s short-term memory was spotty, she seemed to remember plenty of stories from decades back. She was in a perfect position to give Kaitlin some insight into his grandmother. And it had the added advantage of coming from a third party. Kaitlin couldn’t accuse Zach of trying to manipulate her.
The thought that Zach could execute a master plan through the eccentric Aunt Ginny was laughable. Though, he supposed, that was exactly what they were doing.
“Lindsay’s a fairly easy mark,” Dylan added. “Mention a pirate, and off she goes like a heat-seeking missile.”
“I notice you’re protesting a bit too much about the pirates,” Zach pointed out. Sure, Dylan was sensitive about his background, but Zach had never seen him pushed to anger over it.
“It sure makes her mad,” Dylan mused.
“Our ancestors were not Boy Scouts,” Zach felt compelled to restate.
“And the British monarchy was not a corrupt regime.”
“There were a lot of beheadings.”
Dylan shrugged. “Different time, different place.”
“Yeah? Well, good luck getting Lindsay into bed with that argument.”
Dylan’s expression turned thoughtful. “Don’t you worry about me. Lindsay likes a challenge. And I’m a challenge.”
“That’s your grand scheme?”
Dylan quirked his brows in self-confidence. “That’s my grand scheme.”
Zach had to admit, it was ingenious.
“Now let’s talk about yours.”
“Zachary?” came Ginny’s imperious voice as she appeared in the doorway.
Zach glanced up.
“Over here,” she commanded.
Dylan snickered as Zach pushed back to cross the deck.
Ginny beckoned him closer with a crooked finger.
“I need your help,” she whispered, glancing into the great room.
“Sure.” He bent his head to listen.
“We’re going downstairs for some dancing.” Ginny had always been a huge music fan, particularly of the big bands. And dancing had always been an important part of social functions on the island.
“No problem.” He nodded.
“You ask the redhead, Miss Kaitlin.” She gave Zach a conspiratorial nod. “I have a good feeling about the other one and Dylan.”