They were up early the next morning and worked throughout the day. The Sanchez family arrived at 9:00 sharp, and Kate realized through the course of the day that Daisy kept looking at her, first with suspicion and then with a mischievous smile.

"'Just a friend,' my ass," she whispered about an hour after lunch.

As it so often had been lately, Kate's reaction was to turn red. The truth was that she and Eli had passed another chaste night. But there must have been something in her smile or in her step, because Daisy Sanchez saw right through her. You're lucky you've got a perfect butt, Kate's little voice chided her, because you are the worst actress ever.

"Don't worry about Jan," a smiling Daisy said as she walked away, "she'll get over it in a day or two. She always does."

The fencing went swiftly, and the only real tragedy of the day was when the dog fell headfirst into a post hole during one of its inspections. The poor beast staggered around disgruntled and indignant for a few seconds after being rescued, before wandering into the high grass to snap at bugs, not a flea out of place.

Still, the work took longer than Kate had hoped, and the crew finished with the second fence at just past 4:00. Afterward, since there was little room in her stable apartment, Kate laid a hasty spread on an impromptu picnic table Al and Eli flung together. After they ate, the men and kids played ball and wrestled, with Daisy on the sidelines as referee.

While Kate watched the spectacle before her, she couldn't help but ponder how odd life was. So much had happened to her in the past year. It was November, almost December, Otto had been gone for nearly a year, and her old life had given way to a new.

She knew Eli would be an important part of that new life, central to it even, but the abrupt and startling realization the night before that Eli was just as lost and as battered by life as Kate had left her at a loss. All the facts had been there—she'd always known he'd had his rough patches—but that perfect façade of his hid everything. He was the very picture of cool confidence, which made it easy to forget he was human like everyone else.

So, for the time being at least, stolen kisses and late-night leg humps were off the menu. Her poor friend simply was too wary of being with someone, too frightened of hurting and being hurt. But wasn't Kate in the very same boat? Her emotions were like a rollercoaster around Eli. Her heart had never been like that before.

Why couldn't she be more like Jan Sanchez, she wondered, a girl less than half her age? Glancing over, she saw the kid fleeing breakneck from her brothers, a rolled-up-canvas-bag football under her arm and a gaping smile spread across her lovely face. Jan was a sweet and loving kid, emotionally limber and strong, care-free and heedless in ways that Kate had never been.

Jesus, was all she could think.

Dark once again approached when the Sanchez family departed to Kate's hugs and grateful thanks. It'd been a wonderful day, a blessed day, and she and Eli were again alone. After they finished cleaning up, Eli grabbed his laptop to do a bit of work on a proposal he intended to submit for a project in Las Vegas, and Kate decided after all to give Julien a call to congratulate and thank him.

Calling him reminded her of something.

Over recent weeks, she'd taken a rollcall of sorts of the of the people she'd met in the business before Otto and with whom she'd fallen out of touch. There were any number still working in various parts of the entertainment industry, a few of them thriving. The thought of approaching any of them after nearly fifteen years felt awkward, but she reminded herself that it was business. Her relationship with Julien had helped show her that.

The director took her call without delay, but they only spoke briefly. Production was in chaos—one of the stars had been hurt on set—but, to her surprise, it was Julien who thanked her. There was a genuine tone of apology in his voice when he mentioned what great "eye candy" she'd been for the film. She'd always been aware that was the reason he'd offered her the job and didn't fret. But she jumped with delight when he also informed her they'd decided to go with the title for the film that she'd suggested. There were other bits of news, one of them breathtaking, before he thanked her and hung up.

She was astonished and delighted by the call, and maybe just a little frightened ... no, not frightened. But it was enough for her to pace her tiny kitchen for a while before going into the apartment and sitting on her hands on the couch. Eli was at the desk a few feet away, and after several minutes closed his laptop, turned to her, and smiled.

"I think you have good news." He had been reading her mood again.

"Yes,' she said, near ready to burst. "Julien thanked me and said the producers were pleased with the trailer. He only put it out this early because they were feeling antsy ...."

"Antsy?"

"Oh, producing movies in complicated. Financing for this one almost didn't go through, and it was still early in filming. Julien and the producers were a little worried their creditors might back out, but the trailer got a lot of buzz, and the creditors and producers are happy. So, I'm queen for a second day."

"Bravo," he applauded.

"And," she cleared her throat, "they hadn't settled on a title yet. The top choice was simply 'Spy,' which Julien thought was silly." She looked around the room uncomfortably. "I ... um, I suggested 'The Collector.'" The word was another piece of intelligence jargon she'd picked up from Eli. "Julien loved it ... and he still wants to meet you ... and, um, if you could look over a few pages of script? Julien will pay you for your time," she added hastily.

Eli lifted his head from where he'd buried his face in his hands. "I'll do anything for you, Dove," he said with a cautious smile.

"Eli ... I know that's not your cup of tea, but it would mean a lot to me. I want this film to be great and for you to see what I do, up close."

"Okay," he said, his smile now serene.

"And there's even better news. Julien wants me to read for a new picture he's working on next year. He's just writing the screenplay for this one, so it's not a shoo-in, but as the script reads now, I'd have about twenty minutes screen time. Best of all, the role's not so," she bounced her head back and forth lightly, "you know, cougar-ish.

"Bravo, again," he said sincerely. "A hot commodity like you will be turning down work soon."

"I don't know if that's ever going to happen, but I'm giddy," she said. The mood had caught her, and she stood and began dancing her jig around the small room. She wanted to say something else but hesitated.

"So ...," drawled Eli, "I understand there was an accident on set. The fellow you did the scene with got hurt?"

He read her like a book. It was exactly what she'd been thinking and had hesitated to say. She dropped on the couch with a deflated sigh. "How did you know that?"

"I read it online."

"Rubbish. You knew that's what I was thinking, Mr. 'I don't watch movies and TV.'"

"I stalk you online," he replied with a wink, "so I've been following your movie."

"And, yet, you still knew that's what I was thinking. Every time you open your mouth, I believe less and less that crap about you not being able to read people."

"Oh, anyone can sense another person's moods, especially someone they know. Reading motives, intentions, character ... that's the complex stuff. Can't you tell when I'm happy to see you?"

She got up, stepped over, and sat in his lap but resisted the urge to kiss him. Instead, she cradled his head. "I can tell," she whispered. "What I can't do is resist thinking about that ... stuff. That whole thing just won't let go."

"The paranormal thing?"

"Yeah. I just can't stop thinking about it. If it's not Flying Guys, it's Bigfoot and Chupacabra, or flying saucers, or ... grrrrr ...."

"I've been doing the same. You know that." He put his arms around her. "So, how badly did I hurt your castmate?"

"Oh, stop. I know you didn't have anything to do with that."

"But when you heard, tell me it wasn't the first thing to pop into your head?"

"Crap," she whispered, "... but for just split second. And you did threaten the guy ... and, yes, I know you were only kidding."

"But?"

She grumbled under her breath before answering. "I know, always a 'but' ... but I don't know what. I know it's silly, but I can't shake that notion."

"Kate, nobody can control their every stray thought."

"Even strange ones like this?"

"Did I ever tell you I once taught a course in pattern analysis at the Army War College?"

"Is this another story?" she asked breathlessly. Kate jumped from his lap when he nodded and dashed into the kitchen. Emerging some minutes later with two beers and an enormous bowl of popcorn, she joined him on the tiny couch.