Aloha Fantasy. Devon Vaughn Archer

entirely at home in this palace that Ashlyn had turned over to her for a month.

      * * *

       Boyd wasted little time calling Ashlyn once inside his car.

       She answered after two rings. “Do you know what time it is?” she asked sleepily.

       “Sure do,” he said. At least in Hawaii. He figured he’d woken her up, but couldn’t wait to say this. “Sorry for disturbing your beauty sleep. Just thought you’d want to know that I’m cool with your friend being here.”

       “Is that so?” Ashlyn’s voice perked up. “So you two have hit it off, just as I suspected you would.”

       “I wouldn’t jump to the wrong conclusions,” Boyd told her, even though he was hoping the same thing. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t still intent on protecting that valuable piece of real estate they owned, seeing it as a big investment that would one day fetch a high price should Ashlyn ever decide to sell her share to him. “Let’s just say she seems like a nice woman, aside from also being gorgeous, from what I can tell so far.”

       Ashlyn laughed. “Maybe next time you’ll listen to your little sister and not try to ruin things that are in your own best interest.”

       He grinned. “I thought this was about you and Danica switching lives—not trying to play matchmaker.”

       “Hey, whatever happens between you two is a fringe benefit,” she explained. “Just like I hope will be the case when I get together with Danica’s friend Hunter.”

       “Hunter, huh?” Boyd was not so sure he wanted this dude to hunt after his sister, but he realized she was an adult and he had to trust her judgment just as she clearly trusted his.

       “Yes, Hunter. We’re meeting tomorrow for lunch. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

       “Spare me the details,” he said.

       “So long as you do the same, should you and Danica decide to hook up.”

       Boyd pondered the possibility. “My lips will be sealed, if things head in that direction.”

       “Okay, now that it’s settled, mind if I go back to sleep?” Ashlyn yawned for effect.

       “Go right ahead. Hope you have a good time tomorrow with Hunter.”

       “I could say the same for you and Danica. I assume you’ve already made plans?”

       He grinned crookedly. “I’m going to show her around a bit, per your suggestion. Other than that, there’s nothing special in the works.”

       “If you say so,” she said. “Aloha.”

       Boyd disconnected, laughing to himself at his sister’s overactive imagination when it came to his love life. In fact, he didn’t really have a love life at the moment. But then neither did Ashlyn. Did that make them two sorry siblings, or what?