“That’s good. You’re gonna be my ticket to an A in this class. And if you tell anybody about his conversation we’re having, I’ll make sure your cute little sister isn’t so cute anymore. Got it?”

Burke nodded again, and Hannah resisted the urge to run into the scene and slap the bully silly. She was still resisting when the bully swaggered back to his seat.

“Cut,” Lynne called, “and that’s a wrap, folks. You were perfect Burke! I don’t know anyone who could have played it better.”

The high school students started to applaud and so did the cameramen and the rest of the crew. The applause grew and Burke took a bow. “Aw shucks,” he said, still in character and blushing to the roots of his hair. “That’s real nice of you guys.”

Hannah watched the young actor with something approaching awe. He had been magnificent. She’d never dreamed that he was such a fine actor. No wonder Ross hadn’t been worried when they’d cast a relative unknown. Burke had more talent than most of the leading men in Hollywood.

“Wrap party at seven at the Lake Eden Community Center,” Lynne announced. “I expect to see everyone there, because this film is now officially

in the can!”

“Not tonight, Moishe,” Hannah said, giving her famous feline a pat and a handful of triangle-shaped treats that were supposed to taste like fresh tuna. “I’m going to the wrap party and you’re going to watch the animal channel. There’s a great feature on bats, and right after that they’re showing Frogs of North America again.”

Moishe purred and licked her hand. It wasn’t his usual way of saying goodbye and Hannah knew he was glad to be staying home with the creatures behind the glass screen, the full food bowl in the kitchen, the pristine litter box in the laundry room, and Hannah’s best feather pillow in the bedroom.

“Okay. How do I look?” Hannah asked, swirling around for the cat, who was clearly more interested in his triangular tuna treats than in her appearance. He did close one eye in a wink, though, and Hannah interpreted that to mean that he approved of her midnight blue sweater and skirt. She’d even squirted on some of the perfume one of her college roommates had given her for Christmas, and with the hammered gold necklace Michelle had brought back from a college art fair, Hannah figured she could hold her own with anyone in Lake Eden.

Dress coat or parka coat? Hannah pondered that decision for a brief moment, but fate took it out of her hands. Her parka coat was lying on the chair near the door and her dress coat was back in her bedroom closet. Expediency won, Hannah shrugged into her parka coat, and a moment later she was rushing down the stairs to her cookie truck.