“Beer.”

Cady opened the car door just as Pete walked around to open it for her. “I’m supposed to do that,” he chastised.

“You can do it next time. I’m used to doing things for myself.” This might be a good time to sashay, she thought as she stepped ahead of Pete on the narrow walk leading to the entrance of the restaurant.

“Wait a minute, Cady. What’s wrong? Why are you walking like that? Did you hurt yourself getting out of the car?”

Cady turned around and burst out laughing. “I was practicing sashaying.” At his dumbfounded look, she said, “For the movie.”

“Oh. Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s required. I have to learn how to strut, too.”

“Oh. Is that for the movie, too?”

“Uh-huh,” Cady said, trying to hide her smile.

Inside the restaurant, with bottles of beer in front of them, Cady relaxed as the chef proceeded to put on his fire-and-knife show for their benefit. Only when he got down to the serious business of cooking did they resume their conversation.

“How’s your grandmother doing, Cady?”

“Actually, she’s doing really well. Mandy said she’s better than she’s been in over a year. Before I got here, she was just muddling through the days. Now, with me getting ready to do her memoirs, and the movie, not to mention me being here, it’s like she has a reason to join the living again. She’s really a funny lady, with a wicked sense of humor. Did you like her?”

“Very much so. I inherited your grandmother’s account from an old friend who gave up on the law. The yearly retainer is more than I earn in a year here in Indigo Valley. I didn’t solicit her business. I have to tell you, Cady, I was stunned at the size of her estate. It’s rare today to find a person so well-off with such a well-managed portfolio. I won’t be doing any of that, just overseeing the legal end of things,” he added hastily.

Cady looked over at Pete and thought she saw dollar signs in his reading glasses, which were still perched on his nose. She blinked the vision away just as Pete removed the glasses and slipped them into his jacket pocket. Always go with your first instincts. It was one of Lola’s rules.

She ran with it. “Guess you like money, huh?”

“Love it, love it, love it!” Pete laughed. “Your grandmother had me review her will and, as you know, she’s leaving everything to you. I’m not breaking a confidence here. She told me she’d already informed you that you are her beneficiary.”

“I really don’t want to talk about that. I hope Lola lives to be a hundred and more if she has a good quality of life. The money isn’t important to me.”

Pete leaned across the table. “How can you say money isn’t important?”

“I can say it because it isn’t important to me. I’m young and healthy. I can work. I can take care of myself. Money is nice. Actually, it’s very nice, but it doesn’t make my world go ’round. I get my satisfaction out of earning my way.”