Page 42

He smiled, ate his dessert, watched Jack gravely eat his bonbons.

Jack’s handsome face in the gentle light of the new chandeliers was serious, even preoccupied. His dark lashes threw crescents on his cheekbones. The corner of his mouth was slightly downturned and pensive. Ellery felt a flicker of worry. What was going on with Jack?

Jack raised his lashes, met Ellery’s gaze, and said with what seemed to be total sincerity, “Have I ever told you you’re the perfect boyfriend?”

Okay. Jackhaddrunk too much. Clearly.

Ellery laughed. “Definitely not! I’d have remembered that.”

Jack looked taken aback. “Okay, maybe not perfect, but I had to have told you how much I…” Jack cleared his throat.

“Appreciate a home-cooked meal?” teased Ellery.

Jack insisted, “Appreciateyou.”

Ellery’s face warmed. “Aww.” He gave Jack a quick, uncertain smile. “Thanks. Thank you, Jack.”

Jack was affectionate and complimentary, but he wasn’t prone to what Nora would callromanceifying. This was probably one of the most blatantly flattering things he’d ever said to Ellery.

“I mean it.” Jack sounded sincere. He studied Ellery’s expression, seemed to hesitate, and then said, “You want to go for a walk?”

Ellery smiled. “A walk in the moonlight? I would. That sounds really nice.”

It was a little more complicated than during the summer months when it was still light at eight thirty, but they bundled up, grabbed flashlights, and set off, Watson scampering ahead as they walked across the meadow, holding hands.

That was a first. A really nice first. Ellery was trying to remember the last time he’d held hands with a guy—but really, he didn’t want to think of any guy but Jack.

And Jack? Jack seemed lost in thought.

The countryside was always quiet, but in the autumn the quiet had a different quality. This time of year, most of the second homes and vacation cottages were empty. No distant lights twinkled from far across the fields, no woodsmoke threaded through the clouds. The only sounds were Watson crashing through brush, the pound of their feet on the damp earth, and the distant crash of waves—louder in the evening stillness.

The moon was so large and so bright, their flashlights weren’t even necessary. The entire world seemed bathed in silvery light.

They walked for a minute or two without speaking, and then Ellery remembered he still hadn’t told Jack about Ronny’s phone call.

“Oh my gosh. I meant to tell you. My agent called yesterday.”

“About the new screenplay?”

“Oh. No. Come to think of it, she didn’t even mention that.” Ellery brooded for a moment or two.

Jack prodded, “Your agent called…?”

“I’ve been offered a role in the reboot of the nextHappy Halloween! You’re Deadfilms.”

Jack seemed to check midstride. “You’re kidding.”

“No.”

Jack’s eyes looked black in the hard moonlight. “I thought the series was finished.”

“Me too. Along with my career.” There was no answering smile from Jack. Ellery said, less cheerfully, “This is a reboot. I wouldn’t be the star. I’m playing the same character, I guess, but now the series is abouthisson, Noah Parker Junior.”

“Oh.” Jack started walking again.

Not like Ellery was expecting…well, the truth was, he had no idea what to expect from Jack. He was still working out his own feelings about the unexpected opportunity to return to filmmaking. But he couldn’t help feeling like Jack’s reaction was especially lukewarm. Most people would see this as maybe-sort-of-kind-of a coup of sorts.

Then again, Jack would be the first to admit he knew nothing about the movie industry—and he cared even less.