“Are you gonna see him again?”

“As a matter of fact, we’re supposed to have dinner tomorrow night,” Dorie said. “I know it all seems like this is happening pretty fast, but I’m only here for another week. I want to see how this plays out. And so does he. And there’s just one more thing I’ve been thinking about.”

“What’s that?” Ellis asked warily.

“Well,” Dorie said, giving her an exaggerated wink, “I can pretty much do whatever I want right now. You know, romance-wise.”

“How’s that?” Ellis asked.

“’Cuz I’m already knocked up!”

“Incorrigible,” Ellis laughed. “Eudora the incorrigible. Anyway, I really, really hope this thing with Connor will work out.”

“Because?” Dorie gave her a fishy look.

“Because I would just love to see the look on Phyllis’s face the day you introduce her to your gun-totin’, Harley-riding, country-music-loving, bald-headed cop boyfriend. I bet she’d blow a gasket.”

“Definitely,” Dorie agreed. “Plus I forgot to mention he only went to college for two years. And,” she crowed. “Get this: Connor is Baptist.”

“Oh yeah,” Ellis said. “That’d put her in the grave for sure.”

*   *   *

At some point, Ellis dozed off. When she awoke, it was nearly six, and Dorie was also, apparently, rousing herself from a catnap. The tide was coming in, and the languorous waves were lapping perilously close to their base camp.

Ellis stood and began to gather her belongings.

“Where you headed?” Dorie asked.

“Up to the house,” Ellis said. “I’ve had enough beach for one day.”

Dorie reached for her cell phone and checked the time. “Might want to give it another thirty minutes or so.”

“Why’s that?” Ellis asked, stowing her book and towel in her bag.

“I was up at the house for a potty break, around four o’clock, and Booker had just gotten in,” Dorie said. “I think Julia was hoping for some ‘quiet time.’”

“Gotcha,” Ellis said. “I haven’t seen Booker in ages. How is he?”

“He’s okay. Still not what I expected for Julia. But nice. Kinda quiet. I guess I knew he was older, but maybe I forgot. His hair is totally gray, which I personally think is sexy as hell. Julia, for all her blasé attitude, was really, really excited that he was coming. After you guys got back from lunch she even went to that day spa down the street and got a pedicure and a Brazilian wax.”

“Ow,” Ellis said.

“Ditto,” Dorie said. “Makes me glad I’m a natural redhead.” She swung her head around and studied Ellis. “You ever get one of those?”

“Hell, no,” Ellis said emphatically. “I don’t even like to get my eyebrows waxed. I am definitely not letting some strange Vietnamese chick pour boiling wax on my girlie parts. Anyway,” she added, “I really haven’t needed to worry about landscaping that area of the territory until recently, if you get my drift.”

Dorie grinned. “Until very recently, from what I understand.”

“No comment,” Ellis said. “I suppose Julia already spilled the beans?”

“Absolutely. What did you expect? Anyway,” Dorie said primly, “I don’t judge.”

“Ha!”

*   *   *

But when Ellis and Dorie came trudging up the boardwalk towards the house, they were met by the sight of Booker, laying flat on his stomach on the deck, with a long-lensed camera, snapping photographs of the house, with Julia standing beside him, another camera lens in hand.

“Hey, Booker,” Ellis said.

“Hey there,” Booker said, looking up from the camera and giving her a brief smile before turning back to his camera.

“He’s trying to shoot the back of the house before he loses the light,” Julia explained.

“Okay,” Ellis said. “We’re going to head for the house, will we be in the way?”

“Not at all,” Booker said. “In fact, it’d be good to have somebody in a few of the shots. When you get up to the porch, stand at the rail and look back towards me, if you would, please. But not at me, right?”

Dorie and Ellis got up to the porch and stood self-consciously for a moment, looking out at the dunes and the deepening twilight. A slight breeze bent the sea oats, and large dragonflies skimmed just over the waving fronds.

“It’s so beautiful this time of day,” Dorie said, pushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’m really gonna miss this place.”

“Yeah, me too,” Ellis said, feeling the now-familiar pang in her chest.

“I’m gonna miss you guys even more, when I get home,” Dorie said. “I’d forgotten how much fun we always have. I’ve got friends at home, but it’s different with you guys.”

“Same here,” Ellis said. “I really hate to see this month end.”

“You could move back to Savannah,” Dorie said impulsively. “We’ve got tons of banks in Savannah. And Willa’s husband knows everybody in town.”

Ellis smiled, and glanced over at the garage apartment. Ty’s Bronco was gone, but he’d sent her a text telling her he was working at Caddie’s again tonight.

“I think I’m done with banks, Dorie.”

“Really? What are you gonna do for a job, then?”

“Haven’t a clue,” Ellis said. And for the first time in a long time, she realized that it had been many days since she’d clenched her teeth in panic about her future.

*   *   *

The smell of charcoal wafted from the back of the house. Ellis, her hair still wet from the shower, found Booker and Julia in the kitchen. Julia was shucking ears of corn from the farm stand down the beach road, and Booker was shooting pictures of Julia in the unlikely role of domestic goddess.

Ellis helped herself to a slice of tomato from a platter at Julia’s elbow. “Are we shooting some kind of documentary?”

“Better,” Julia said, her eyes shining with excitement. “Booker, the brilliant, brilliant love of my life, has a brilliant, brilliant scheme.”

Booker chuckled. “You heard that, didn’t you? I’m the love of her life? Not to mention brilliant?”

“I’m your witness,” Ellis agreed, sitting at the kitchen table. “So what’s the scheme?”

“What scheme?” Dorie said, wandering into the kitchen. She was dressed in a jade green tank top and matching loose-fitting drawstring pants, and her damp hair fell in a braid down her back. With her sun-speckled breasts spilling from the low-cut top, she looked like a modern mermaid.

Julia finished up the corn and wiped her hand on a dish towel. “You tell ’em, Booker.”

“It’s not really all that brilliant,” he said modestly. “You know that Julia’s been snapping photos of everything, the house, the three of you at the beach, everything she sees, really, since you got here. And she’s been e-mailing them to me. Right?”

“Riiight,” Ellis said.

“She’s really a pretty talented amateur photographer,” Booker said. “Of course, it makes sense, since she learned from the master. I know she’s always had a fabulous eye, but those photos she sent were especially evocative.”

“And I was only shooting with my cell phone,” Julia interjected. “You know, just messing around, trying to show Booker where we were staying.”

“Anyway, I forwarded some of her photos to a friend of mine, who works out in California.”

“He’s a location scout for the movies!” Julia said. “And Booker never told me a thing about him.”

“I hadn’t seen the guy in a couple of years,” Booker said mildly. “We used to do some work together, when I was doing fashion shoots. Anyway, he was intrigued with Julia’s photos.”

“Especially the ones of Ebbtide,” Julia said. “You guys, he thinks this house would be perfect for this movie he’s working on. It’s a chick flick, and I’m not allowed to say who all is in it, but let’s just say Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Miss Congeniality!”

“Julia,” Booker lowered his camera and gave her a reproving look. “They haven’t actually all signed on yet, remember.”

“I didn’t mention any names,” Julia said coyly.

“Anyway, Simon, my friend the location scout, has actually hired me to take scouting shots of the house, and the beach, and some of the nearby houses and businesses and things,” Booker said. “I’ve already e-mailed the shots I did this afternoon, because he’s meeting with the producers tomorrow. They’re on a very tight production schedule because all these, um, unnamed actresses only have a brief window of availability. They were going to shoot at a beach house on the West Coast, but the art director hated all the houses they showed him. Too contemporary, too glitzy.”