As Lilly headed up the path toward the house, Molly saw that her eyes were an unusually vibrant shade of green, even more vivid than on television. A faint web of lines fishtailed from the corners, but she looked barely forty. The large diamond on her left hand sparkled as she bent down to greet Roo. It took Molly a few moments to accept the fact that her poodle’s stomach was being rubbed by Lilly Sherman.

“This place is a bitch to get to.” Lilly’s voice had the same husky quality Molly remembered from her days as Ginger Hill, but now it was a shade more sultry.

“It’s a little isolated.”

Lilly straightened and came closer, regarding Molly with the neutral politeness celebrities adopted to keep people at a distance. Then her attention sharpened, and her eyes frosted. “I’m Lilly Sherman. Would you have someone bring in my suitcases?”

Uh-oh. She’d recognized Molly from the People article. This woman wasn’t her friend.

Molly stepped aside as Lilly climbed the steps to the porch. “We’re sort of reorganizing at the moment. Do you happen to have a reservation?”

“I’d hardly come all this way without one. I spoke with Mrs. Long two days ago, and she said you had a room.”

“Yes, we probably do. I’m just not exactly sure where. I’m a big fan, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Her reply was so cool that Molly wished she hadn’t mentioned it.

Lilly gazed at Roo, who was trying to impress her with his Bruce Willis sneer. “My cat’s in the car. Mrs. Long said it wouldn’t be a problem to bring her, but your dog seems a little fierce.”

“It’s all show. Roo might not like having a cat around, but he won’t hurt her. Introduce them if you like while I go inside to check on your room.”

Lilly Sherman’s star might have faded, but she was still a star, and Molly expected her to object to being kept waiting, but she said nothing.

As Molly headed inside, she wondered if Kevin knew about this. Had they been lovers? Lilly seemed too intelligent, not to mention that she spoke flawless English. Still …

Molly hurried upstairs and found Amy bent over one of the tubs, her tight black shorts forming a world-class wedgie.

“A guest just arrived, and I don’t know where to put her. Is anybody leaving?”

Amy straightened and gazed at Molly strangely. “No, but there’s the attic. No one’s stayed up there this season.”

“The attic?”

“It’s pretty nice.”

Molly couldn’t imagine sticking Lilly Sherman in an attic.

Amy settled back on her heels. “Uh, Molly, if you ever want to talk about, you know, things with me, you can …”

“Things?”

“I mean, I noticed when I cleaned Kevin’s room that you didn’t sleep there last night.”