After dinner, Nesbit settled in to watch Esmerelda and tinker with the Mind-I so it could do more while the captain kept flipping through his photo album. I cleared the table as Mase strode into the kitchen. He was waiting for me by the sink when I entered.
I grinned when I saw him. I couldn't help it. "Nesbit's in there looking for tiny mouths on his leftovers because of you."
He chuckled and I quickly stifled it with the sound of rushing water.
"Relax," he said, taking me by the elbow. "Esmerelda has Nesbit in a tit trance."
"A tit trance? Really?"
"Excuse me. A breast trance."
"Did you know all that about the captain?" I asked.
"I'm his daughter's godfather." He gave a curt nod, his jaw muscles pulsing. "So yeah, I know."
"You are? Why is his family in a hospital?" I asked, but the cords popping out on his tightened neck clued me in to change the subject. I cleared my throat and tipped my mouth into a smile. "Aren't you going to eat your cookie?"