“Sure,” Hannah said, hoping Ross would be content to spend most of that time sitting at her kitchen table drinking coffee. Now that he was a big-time movie producer, he might have different ideas about what behavior was appropriate between two friends who hadn’t seen each other for years, but he was a guest in her home and that meant she defined the terms.

By the time Hannah came back with two mugs of coffee, Ross was sitting on the couch and Moishe was on his lap. “He must know it’s a casting couch,” she quipped, and then wished she hadn’t when Ross gave her a devilish smile.

“Well, he’s got the part so he doesn’t have to extend himself any further. His owner, however, could

”

Right on cue, Moishe yowled, interrupting what Hannah was fairly certain had been an opening gambit from her old college chum. Then her overprotective feline undraped himself and settled down on the couch between them, discouraging any possible intimacy.

“Does he do this with everyone?” Ross asked, just as the phone rang.

“Only men,” Hannah answered, reaching out to pick up the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hi, Hannah.” Hannah frowned as she recognized Mike’s voice. “I just wanted to tell you that someone drove through the wooden arm on your entrance gate again.”

“I know. It was broken when we came in. It happens almost every weekend. People put their gate cards next to their credit cards and the little magnetic strip gets corrupted. And then, when it won’t open the gate, they get mad and drive right through.”

“You’re probably right, but you don’t know for sure,” Mike sounded very serious. “Someone could have broken in and I thought I should warn you.”

“Okay, I’m warned. Thanks for calling, Mike.”

“Don’t hang up, Hannah! I was just thinking that maybe I should come over so you’re not alone. I mean, you shouldn’t be alone when someone could be out there roaming around with an eye to a possible breakin.”

And the only thing you’re concerned about is my safety, Hannah thought, but instead of saying that, she said, “That’s okay, Mike. I’m not alone.”

“You’re not? But it’s almost ten o’clock and you always go to bed at ten on work nights. I mean, you have to get up early to open the shop tomorrow, don’t you?”

“Not really. Ross just told me that I don’t have to open until ten,” Hannah said, not mentioning that she still had a cheesecake to bake. “Isn’t that just great?”

“Great,” Mike repeated, sounding massively insincere. “So

maybe I’ll take a run out there and do a little patrolling on foot. You know

just to make sure and all. That broken gate has been nagging at me ever since I saw it.”