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 ...