She was making light of herself now, but Keegan could sense he’d drawn out something serious—something true in her she kept from others. He didn’t want to slight her with what he said next, but he also didn’t want to shrug off the heady ease he was feeling in her company. He chose his words carefully. “You’re young yet,” he told her. “Nobody your age has really known love. It’ll happen.”

“Oh, it happened,” she said. “Once…” Her words trailed off. Then—like a poorly edited movie scene—her mood changed abruptly. Some spell was broken. She dropped her feet to the floor and sat upright in her chair, smiling playfully. “And this is where that particular line of conversation comes to an end.” She stood and swept past him towards the kitchen. “And where our next round of Bordeaux begins.”

EVE WAS CLOSE by as they headed down the hill towards Ormsby’s back gate. He could feel her body lean into him as they walked. When they passed through the gate into the darkly scented garden, she took his arm and rested her head against his shoulder. Keegan wanted that to mean something, but they’d both had a half-bottle of wine and that was as good a reason for the closeness as any other. But, God, that lavender smell of her hair—it belonged in this garden on this balmy August night. Moonlight played upon the groomed hedges and shimmered on the surface of the swimming pool. Far behind them, up in the cottage, the radio was playing ‘Stardust’, and the tinny sound of it carried down to them. Beside a garden wall…

Keegan stood in the brickwork front entryway while Eve found her key in the back pocket of her capri slacks. A moth circled and bumped one of the coachman lamps. She unlocked the deadbolt and pushed the door open a crack.

“Shall I bring Italian wine tomorrow?” she said. “Or is there something else you’d prefer?” She must have caught some unintended reaction in his expression because she said, “I hope you don’t mind me coming by again. He won’t be back until Friday.”

“Italian is good,” Keegan said. “Maybe I can run by the Farmers’ Market and we can make some—” but before he could finish the sentence, she stepped forward, kissed him on the lips and rushed inside, closing the door behind her.

KEEGAN WOKE WITH a start even before the dog began barking. He had no idea what had jolted him from sleep.