mistaking the distinctive dimple in his left cheek. “Ross Bartonovich?”
“It’s Barton, now. Makes it easier for me to spell.” He swept Hannah up in his arms and whirled her around in a circle. “You look even better than you did back then.”
“I don’t,” Hannah quickly denied it, but she started to laugh as Ross lifted her in a giant bear hug and her feet came up off the floor. And she laughed harder still as she saw the expression of total disbelief on her sister’s face.
“You…you two know each other?” Michelle asked.
“We’re a blast from the past. Twenty-two forty-seven Muskrat Lane, second floor in the rear. Right, Hannah?”
“Right. And we should have knocked a hole in the wall because we were always together. Is Linda here?”
“She’s here, but it’s not Linda anymore. Now it’s Lynne, Lynne Larchmont.”
“Larchmont? But I thought you two were getting marri…” Hannah stopped speaking and the color crept up her cheeks. She’d never been very good at small talk, and she was especially handicapped now with her foot stuck firmly in her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said at last. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“That’s okay. It just didn’t work out, that’s all. A lot of things changed when you left school and we weren’t the Three Muskrateers anymore.”
“So you went to college together?” Michelle asked, saving Hannah from replying.
Ross turned to her and nodded. “That’s right. I should have told you, but I wanted to surprise Hannah.”
“Well…you did!” Hannah managed.
“I interrupted your brunch,” Ross said, glancing at Hannah’s barely touched plate. “How about if I get another cup of coffee and join you while you eat? We can talk about old times.”
“I’ll get it, Mr. Barton,” Michelle offered quickly. “Just sit down and I’ll bring it right over.”
Ross held out Hannah’s chair and then he grabbed another from a nearby table and slid in next to her. Hannah glanced quickly at Mike and Norman. They’d been talking to each other, but now they were silent. Both of her suitors looked wary as they stared at Ross Barton, almost as if they’d been taking a leisurely stroll through the woods and were suddenly face-to-face with a bobcat.
Hannah tried to think of something to say, anything to get everyone talking. But Ross didn’t seem at all disconcerted by Norman’s and Mike’s wary gazes. He held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill to Mike.
“Ross Barton. I’m the writer–producer. And you’re…?”
Mike had no choice. He reached out to shake Ross’s hand. “Mike Kingston. Acting sheriff of Winnetka County.”
“Glad to meet you,” Ross stared hard at Mike, and Hannah knew he was sizing him up. “Ever done any acting?”
“Me?” Mike looked surprised. “Nope, never have.”
“I’ve got a walk-on part that would be perfect for you.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“As a matter of fact, it’s right up your alley. We need to cast a small-town sheriff. He’s a professional, but he knows everyone in town and he’s got a heart. He comes in right after the suicide scene, and he’s got a few lines. Are you interested?”
“Maybe.” Mike was noncommittal, but Hannah knew him well enough to see that he was intrigued.
“You could do some security work for us, too. After hours, of course, so it wouldn’t interfere with your regular duties. We’re a small company and the pay’s not all that great, but you’d get screen credit.”
“Well…I guess I could give it a whirl.”
Hannah glanced over at Norman and thought she detected a bit of envy in his demeanor. Was everyone in town with the exception of Winnie Henderson and yours truly being seduced by the bright klieg lights of movie fame? she wondered.
“I’d like you on the crew, too.” Ross held out his hand to Norman.
“Me?” Norman gulped slightly. “But I’m not in law enforcement.”
“I know that. Michelle told me that you’re the town dentist and we
“It’s Barton, now. Makes it easier for me to spell.” He swept Hannah up in his arms and whirled her around in a circle. “You look even better than you did back then.”
“I don’t,” Hannah quickly denied it, but she started to laugh as Ross lifted her in a giant bear hug and her feet came up off the floor. And she laughed harder still as she saw the expression of total disbelief on her sister’s face.
“You…you two know each other?” Michelle asked.
“We’re a blast from the past. Twenty-two forty-seven Muskrat Lane, second floor in the rear. Right, Hannah?”
“Right. And we should have knocked a hole in the wall because we were always together. Is Linda here?”
“She’s here, but it’s not Linda anymore. Now it’s Lynne, Lynne Larchmont.”
“Larchmont? But I thought you two were getting marri…” Hannah stopped speaking and the color crept up her cheeks. She’d never been very good at small talk, and she was especially handicapped now with her foot stuck firmly in her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said at last. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“That’s okay. It just didn’t work out, that’s all. A lot of things changed when you left school and we weren’t the Three Muskrateers anymore.”
“So you went to college together?” Michelle asked, saving Hannah from replying.
Ross turned to her and nodded. “That’s right. I should have told you, but I wanted to surprise Hannah.”
“Well…you did!” Hannah managed.
“I interrupted your brunch,” Ross said, glancing at Hannah’s barely touched plate. “How about if I get another cup of coffee and join you while you eat? We can talk about old times.”
“I’ll get it, Mr. Barton,” Michelle offered quickly. “Just sit down and I’ll bring it right over.”
Ross held out Hannah’s chair and then he grabbed another from a nearby table and slid in next to her. Hannah glanced quickly at Mike and Norman. They’d been talking to each other, but now they were silent. Both of her suitors looked wary as they stared at Ross Barton, almost as if they’d been taking a leisurely stroll through the woods and were suddenly face-to-face with a bobcat.
Hannah tried to think of something to say, anything to get everyone talking. But Ross didn’t seem at all disconcerted by Norman’s and Mike’s wary gazes. He held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill to Mike.
“Ross Barton. I’m the writer–producer. And you’re…?”
Mike had no choice. He reached out to shake Ross’s hand. “Mike Kingston. Acting sheriff of Winnetka County.”
“Glad to meet you,” Ross stared hard at Mike, and Hannah knew he was sizing him up. “Ever done any acting?”
“Me?” Mike looked surprised. “Nope, never have.”
“I’ve got a walk-on part that would be perfect for you.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“As a matter of fact, it’s right up your alley. We need to cast a small-town sheriff. He’s a professional, but he knows everyone in town and he’s got a heart. He comes in right after the suicide scene, and he’s got a few lines. Are you interested?”
“Maybe.” Mike was noncommittal, but Hannah knew him well enough to see that he was intrigued.
“You could do some security work for us, too. After hours, of course, so it wouldn’t interfere with your regular duties. We’re a small company and the pay’s not all that great, but you’d get screen credit.”
“Well…I guess I could give it a whirl.”
Hannah glanced over at Norman and thought she detected a bit of envy in his demeanor. Was everyone in town with the exception of Winnie Henderson and yours truly being seduced by the bright klieg lights of movie fame? she wondered.
“I’d like you on the crew, too.” Ross held out his hand to Norman.
“Me?” Norman gulped slightly. “But I’m not in law enforcement.”
“I know that. Michelle told me that you’re the town dentist and we
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