After she hung up the phone, Kate toyed with the idea of calling Eli back and telling him not to bother, that she would sort things out, but for some reason hesitated. That feeling of weakness, the sense that she needed to rely on someone else at a time in her life when she was trying to find her own feet, bugged her. But it was so nice and so, so seductive to ... what was it Eli had said? Sometimes it's just nice to have someone there. Okay. He was her go-to guy.

When he rolled into the driveway of her beach house some minutes later, she walked out to meet him and spoke before he even shut off the engine. "I'm sorry. This is such bullshit. I shouldn't have dragged you into it." It was only two days since they'd returned from the latest trip to her new home, but she wrapped herself around him as he stepped from the truck and squeezed. "It is so difficult dealing with Otto's kids."

An hour before, the burglar alarm had gone off at the beach house. The service immediately had called the police and then Kate. But when sheriff's deputies arrived, they'd encountered Clancy Cyril, Otto's youngest, who had stacked a number of items near the doorway in preparation for loading them into a small van parked outside. He immediately had informed the responding officers that the property was his, and he even had a driver's license with the correct address and the say-so of several neighbors to back up his claim. Had Kate not arrived at that moment, the deputies likely would have taken him at his word.

But even her arrival hadn't sorted out the matter completely. When Kate had attempted to explain the situation, the deputies had jumped to the conclusion they'd stepped into a domestic dispute and had spent a significant amount of the time before Eli's arrival trying to convince Kate simply to let Clancy leave with his property.

It had taken all of Kate's patience and self-control to convince the officers that she was not Clancy's wife or girlfriend, that he did not own anything in the house, and that he was a thief who had robbed her before. Still, it seemed unlikely they would make an arrest. The deputies had taken Kate's statement and were even now finishing with Clancy's. From where she stood near the road, it appeared to her that the deputies were eating whatever Clancy was feeding them. The youngest Cyril had inherited at least that little dab of his father's charm.

"Butt-fucker," she spat after she'd explained things to Eli. "Nasty little butt-fucker. He's going to walk away and come back here in an hour to finish up."

She wanted to cry. There really wasn't that much left in the beach house, just a few pieces of furniture and some appliances. She'd sold everything of any real value. It was the fucking principle. He was the same Cyril sibling she was convinced had come in and purloined most of Otto's jewelry and watches from her home.

"Butt-fucker," she whispered again. She looked over at Eli where he leaned quietly against the building.

"Like you said," he comforted her, "there isn't much for him to steal. Let's just move everything out."

"The realtor said it was good to keep a few pieces of furniture and the appliances in the place. Besides, if the little butt-fucker doesn't find anything to steal, he's liable to break another window out of spite."

"Lemme just ask the deputies how much longer this is going to take," he said. "We'll sort something out. I promise." Her friend began moving toward where one of the two deputies still spoke with Clancy.

She didn't protest. Getting all this behind her was more important to her now than ever. As she watched Eli chatting with the deputy, she pondered how much it would cost to have someone's legs broken, not that she would do such a thing, but .... Quite out of the blue, Eli glanced over to where Clancy stood, not two feet from the deputy, and when he did, Clancy drew back and punched Eli hard in the jaw.

Kate screamed and began running to her friend but was intercepted by the second deputy before she'd gotten ten feet. The deputy took her arm firmly and led her back to where she'd been standing, with Kate, seized by emotion and tears, struggling and trying desperately to catch sight of Eli over her shoulder.

"Miss ... stay right here," were the deputies only words before he turned and went to assist his partner, who had Clancy on the ground hand-cuffing him.

Eli was still standing in the spot where he'd been struck, and before she could even think to run to his side or call his name, he turned and looked right at her, a playful smile on his handsome face and a look in his eyes of ... something. He winked at her.

It was a few minutes before the deputies allowed Kate to approach. By that time, Clancy was in cuffs in the back of the patrol car, and Eli was giving his statement.

"Of course, I want to file charges," Eli told the officer. "I've never met that man before in my life, and he hauls off and hits me for no reason."

"Are you sure you didn't say anything to provoke him?" The deputy was sincere.

"Deputy, you were standing right there. I scarcely looked at the man. Did you hear me say anything provocative?"

"And there's no history between you?"

"Never saw him before in my life. Kate here knows him. The guy is her late husband's son. I don't know if he has mental health or substance abuse issues or what ...." Eli's threw up his hands. His tone was calm, even sympathetic.

"Okay," the deputy said after a few more questions. "We'll take him in for the assault and will make a report to detectives on the burglary. They'll be in contact, and there'll be a tow truck for his van sometime later today. If you see this guy again, just call us again."

Both Kate and Eli waved to the deputies as they departed, and Kate furtively gave a pale and nervous-looking Clancy the finger through the back window.

"That was classy."

"He's a butt-fucker ... but, yeah, you're right. I shouldn't have." She began to ask him to help her move the stuff Clancy had grabbed back into place but realized he already was walking in that direction. She followed, and twenty minutes later the house was back as it'd been. It took another five minutes to find and firmly latch the window Clancy had jimmied open.

"Okay," she continued. "How did you do that?" She'd already examined his jaw several times. There was no discoloration or bruising.

"Do what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. How'd you get Clancy to take a punch at you ... and don't think for a second I'll buy you didn't plan that."

"Buy me lunch, and I'll tell you."