Sandy caved in with a sigh. "All right, Julianna. I'll do it."

Sandy agreed to give Julianna's resumé to Richard first thing Monday morning. Julianna spent the entire weekend preparing it, taking as much creative license as she thought she could get away with. She changed her age to twenty-two. She listed her mother's contacts and former lovers as references, hoping Richard wouldn't check them. And finally, she claimed to have been one of Senator William "Billy" Jacobson's campaign assistants.

The people at the copy store had helped her with the format. She had rented time on a computer and printed out the final copy on their laser printer. The end result looked pretty darn good, if she said so herself. She especially liked the part where she had outlined the duties she had been responsible for in her job with the senator. Who would have thought years of listening to her mother's men friends talk and a couple of tours through campaign headquarters would yield such bounty?

Julianna had decided that after she interviewed with Richard, depending on how it went, she would break the silence and call her mother to set everything up with the senator. That way she would be covered if Richard checked her references.

Monday morning Julianna called Sandy to wish her luck. "Hi, it's me."

"Hi."

"Are you ready?"

"I guess."

Julianna frowned. She and Sandy had met the evening before so Julianna could give Sandy the resumé and coach her on what she wanted her to say. Then, the other woman had been upbeat and excited. Now, she sounded nervous and more than a little reluctant to carry through on her promise.

Julianna tightened her grip on the receiver. "Sandy, you're not having second thoughts about helping me, are you?"

"Of course not," she said after a moment, the way she dragged the words out belying their meaning.

If she thought Julianna was going to let her off the hook, she was in for a big surprise. "Good," she said, "because you don't sound too upbeat this morning. And if I'm going to get the job, you have to be enthusiastic. You've have to present me positively."

"I know. It's just that-" Sandy hesitated, then sighed again. "It's just that Mr. Ryan…he's a partner. If this backfired…it could cost me my job."

"What could backfire?" Julianna lowered her voice, softened it. "You know me, Sandy. We're best friends. And I'm telling you, I can do this job and do it well. If Richard Ryan hires me, he'll be so happy you'll probably get a raise and a promotion."

"And we'll be able to have lunch together every day. Right?" "And coffee breaks, too." Julianna smiled, knowing she had won. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, Sandy. If I didn't know I could do the job, I wouldn't ask you this favor. You've got to believe me."

"I do." Sandy made a sound of relief, then giggled as if drawn into Julianna's excitement. "I'm just being a jerk."

"Be sure to mention what good friends we are and that I worked for Senator Jacobson."

"I will."

"You're sure? You won't forget and let me down?"

"Of course not."

"And don't tell him where we met or when. Unless he asks."

"Got it."

"Remember," Julianna said, suddenly so nervous she felt ill, "you're doing him a favor. I'm perfect for this job. If you believe it, he will, too." As Sandy prepared to hang up, Julianna stopped her. "And call me the minute you know something. I won't stray from beside the phone until you do."

Sandy's call came at four-thirty that afternoon. "He's agreed to interview you," she said, sounding excited. "Tomorrow morning at eight sharp."

"Mr. Ryan," Julianna said, stepping into his office and holding out her hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." He took her hand, then indicated the leather chairs facing his desk. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Julianna sat, working to quell her nerves, her runaway heart. Richard Ryan would not be compelled to hire a nervous girl. She had to present herself as a collected, intelligent and savvy woman.

She had to be like Kate.

To that end, she had worn her best "Kate suit," had applied her cosmetics with extra care and stood in front of the mirror for long, precious minutes, practicing Kate's hello, her smile, her gestures.

The transformation had been startling.

Richard cleared his throat, lifting his gaze from her resumé. "It says here that you worked for Senator Jacobson. You seem a bit young to have been on his staff."

She straightened. "Twenty-two. Not that young."

One corner of his mouth lifted. "Wait ten years," he murmured, then returned his attention to the paper before him. "I'm surprised he hired you without a college degree."

Fighting panic, she folded her hands in her lap. "Billy was a family friend. He was kind enough to take a chance on me even though I had no experience." She met Richard's eyes. "I didn't let him down. And if you hire me, I won't let you down either."

Again, Richard's lips lifted in a half smile. "You seem confident. Self-possessed. That's important."

She leaned slightly forward, her heart in her words. "If you hire me, I'll work hard for you. It wouldn't be just a job to me. I believe in your platform. Your policy of being tough on first timers, on using plea bargaining as a last resort, on the three strikes rule."

He smiled, obviously pleased, and she went on, hearing the passion in her own voice, the excitement. "It would be an honor to work with a man like you, Mr. Ryan. A man of integrity and intelligence. It would be a thrill to help you become St. Tammany Parish's next District Attorney."

For a moment he said nothing, simply gazed at her, then he glanced back at her resumé. "I see you performed a variety of tasks for Senator Jacobson. Donation solicitation, mailings, public relations and canvassing." He lifted his eyebrows. "That's quite a broad spectrum of duties."

She scrambled for an explanation, suddenly realizing she might have claimed too much. "I was one of the underlings, no doubt about it. Basically, I filled in where I was needed. One notch above a gofer."

She looked at her clasped hands a moment, then back up at him. "I'll be honest, at the time it was a bit of a pain, but now I realize that having experience in so many areas is one of my assets."

"I agree, Ms. Starr." He cocked his head, studying her. "You look familiar to me. Have we met?"

"No." She shook her head. "At least I don't think so. I haven't been living in Mandeville that long."

He leaned back in his chair. "What brought you all the way down here from D.C.?"

His question surprised her. It was one she hadn't prepared for. She groped around for an answer that would make sense to him. She lowered her eyes a moment, then returned her gaze to his. "My mother passed away last year after a…" she cleared her throat "…after a long battle with cancer. I have no other family and after she died, I just didn't want to stay."

"I'm sorry."

She inclined her head in acknowledgment of his sympathy. "Anyway, I'd always heard about New Orleans, about Mardi Gras and the French Quarter and had always dreamed of visiting." She smiled. "So, here I am."

"But now you're in Mandeville."

She smiled. "New Orleans wasn't quite as I imagined it to be. Then one Saturday, I drove across the lake-and fell in love."

He returned her smile. "I can understand that. I grew up in New Orleans, but now I wouldn't live anywhere but the North Shore." He stood and held out his hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Starr, and I will definitely keep you in mind for the job."

She worked to hide her disappointment. She had fantasized that he'd offer her the position right off. "Do you have any idea when you'll make a decision?"