Action!

"I love you, too," Shay said as she gave her a big hug.

Burke saw Taylor's eyes close during the hug then watched her blinking away tears as it ended.

"Do you want some Fruit Loops?" Shay asked next.

"Oh, well, I haven't had those since...since I was your age!" Taylor told her.

"My daddy can make pancakes," Shay informed her.

"What are you going to have?" Taylor asked as she carried her to the kitchen.

"I'm already eating Fruit Loops. They're almost gone."

"I see. Well, are your daddy's pancakes good?"

"Yes. He cooks them really good," Shay informed her.

"I can whip us up a few in no time," Burke told her. "It's one of a very few things I don't really screw up."

"Do you mind?" she asked as though it was an inconvenience.

"Are you kidding? I'd love to," he answered as he grabbed a mixing bowl.

Half an hour later, Taylor said, "Mmmm. You were so right! Your daddy makes very good pancakes."

"Yes, I know," she said as though it was common knowledge.

"How did you get to be so sweet and precious?" Taylor asked.

Shay thought for a moment then said, "Well, it's just how I was born."

Taylor tried hard not to laugh, but she couldn't keep from hugging her again.

"Come here sweetie!" she said holding her arms out before setting her on her lap and sharing a bite of pancake with her.

"Are you shooting today?" Burke asked after finishing his last bite.

"Yes. Every day until the Friday the 23rd. Then we're taking off for Christmas and New Year's," she replied.

"That'll be nice, huh? I'm sure you're anxious to get back home."

Taylor didn't answer right away. She sat there and thought about the word 'home'. She had a place to sleep in New York and she had friends like Jane. But was it really home?

"Yeah, I suppose so," she finally told him.

"Diamond Rock is an acquired taste. It takes a while to grow on you. But once it does, it's like the Wizard of Oz," Burke told her with a smile.

"Oh? How so?" Taylor asked as she took another sip of the strong, hot, black coffee.

"There's no place like...Diamond Rock," he said still smiling. "You probably don't understand that or maybe even think I'm crazy, but this is a pretty wonderful place to live and raise a family."

After another even longer pause Taylor said with a smile of her own as she looked at the side of Shay's face, "I can see that."

She helped clear the table the told Burke she had to shower and get to the set.

He and Shay walked her to the door where the adults hugged and then after an awkward pause sort of pecked one another goodbye.

Taylor bent down and gave Shay a big, long hug and was pleasantly surprised when the little girl gave her a kiss.

"That was so sweet!" Taylor told her.

"Well, you didn't get a real kiss from my daddy and I didn't want you to be sad," she told her.

"I could just eat you up!" Taylor said before grabbing her and kissing her neck and cheek many times very fast causing Shay to giggle and then laugh loudly.

"Stop!" she finally said.

Taylor stood up and Burke threw the quilt around her shoulders then said, "I wouldn't want you to be sad all day."

"Oh. No. That would be very bad, wouldn't it?" Taylor said as they stood face to face before he leaned down and kissed her.

Taylor let the quilt fall to the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back for a very long time.

"That should hold me. For a while," she whispered.

Only then did they notice Shay smiling and giggling quietly.

"What's so funny, Hunny Bunny?" her father asked.

"You guys!" she said pointing at them while she laughed.

"Oh, so you think kissing is funny, do you?" her father said pretending to be very serious.

"Yes, I do!" she said.

"Oh, really? Well, let me show you funny!" he said as he scooped her up and started kissing her like Taylor had. She joined in and 'blew bubbles' on her tummy until the little girl was shrieking with laughter.

"I...can't...breathe, Daddy!" she called out as he dropped her on the couch.

"So...is kissing still funny to you, young lady?" he asked his nose pressed against her.

"Yes. Just like you and your big nose!" she said before he and Taylor started in again.

After another round of tickling, Taylor and Burke were back by the door, and this time, h was ready to let her go. She turned to leave then said, "You know. I can't ever remember being happier in my entire life."

The smile on her face told him she was serious.

"It's been a long time for me, too," he said in agreement.

"Is there any chance you could drop by the set today? I don't know exactly when we'll break for lunch, but I'd love to see you guys."

"It's Saturday so I suppose we could find a few minutes in our hectic schedule," he teased.

"Stop!" Taylor said before putting her arms around him again.

She stared into his eyes for a while then told him, "You are so in my head, Mister."

Hearing the very phrase he'd been thinking he smiled.

"Why is that funny?" she asked feeling vulnerable and silly.

Burked sensed her discomfort at having shared something so deeply personal and told her the truth.

"I was thinking the very same thing all night. Or rather...all morning. I kept saying to myself, 'She is so inside your head'."

He smiled at her and said, "And the truth is, you are."

"I'm glad it isn't just me," she said sweetly.

"Me, too," he told her before finally kissing her goodbye.

A little after noon Burke asked Shay if she'd like to go watch Taylor make a movie.

"Really?" she asked as though it was too good to be true.

"Yes, really," he told her. "And we'll have lunch while we're out."

Ten minutes later they were on their way to the movie set which was using a good chunk of main street as the movie's primary setting. Taylor was playing the girl who'd stayed in her small town while the love of her life went off to make his way in the world only to discover that true happiness was waiting for him right back there all along.

They barely got inside before the next scene began filming, and Shay knew she had to be very quiet. She was doing great until Taylor's character was required to kiss someone who wasn't her father. It wasn't even the male lead. It was a local guy who'd had a crush on her all his life. Having given up on the man she loved a year after he left town, she'd agreed to go on a date with him. She'd had a nice time, but the chemistry just wasn't there, and the kiss that did nothing for her proved it.

"Daddy? Why is she kissing that other man? I thought she loved you?"

Shay said that loudly enough that the director hollered, "Cut!" before turning around and glowering at Burke.

Taylor squinted and was able to make out his silhouette. She waved happily as she smiled causing the director to just shake his head.

The director said very loudly, "Okay, people. If we can manage to have QUIET ON THE SET, let's try this again!"

He shot Burke a death look then hollered, "All right everyone, standby and...ACTION!"

When the scene was over, Taylor excused herself and walked back to her two favorite new people.

Burke was taken aback when he saw her in full makeup with her hair done, too.

"My, oh, my!" he said. "I didn't think you could look any more beautiful."

"It's the pros doing their thing," she said modestly. "But thank you just the same."

"Why were you kissing that other man? Don't you love my daddy?" Shay just had to ask.

Taylor bent down again then said, "You know what, sweetheart? Every time you ask me that I have to wonder if maybe I do."

She glanced up at Burke as she said it and when he smiled she returned the gesture.

"Then you should kiss my daddy again," Shay informed her.

"Well, if it's okay with him, I guess I could," Taylor said as Burke offered her a hand to stand back up.

"Her daddy most definitely doesn't mind, but he doesn't want to get the makeup people mad at him."

"They'll live," she said with a smile as she leaned over for a kiss.

No sooner had their lips met than cameras began snapping pictures.

"I was going to ask you where the paparazzi where," Burke said as two of them closed in.

"I don't get much attention from them anymore," Taylor said. "There's just not much money in exposing what I do. I've become passé. I'm yesterday's news. In a word, I'm...boring so..."

Before she finished her sentence one of them said, Taylor? Are the rumors true? Are you and the mayor a couple? Would you consider staying here in Diamond Rock?"

Taylor handled their inquiries very graciously by telling them, "I don't know. Besides, I haven't been asked," before thanking them and pulling Burke away.

Her words weren't lost on him, but before he could say anything she was pulling him away while taking Shay's hand and leading her along with them.

"So...how about lunch?" she said.

Predictably, both of the photographers followed them to the diner and went inside.

"That's unnerving," Burke said as one of them took a table nearby.

"You get used to it," she told him. "When I was in my 20s they hounded me incessantly. In my 30s the hounding stopped and it became sporadic. Now they rarely show up. I think you may have more to do with this than me."

"Me? Why would they care about me?" Burke asked.

"Oh, I don't know. It could have something to do with a tabloid headline like, 'Handsome young mayor of a small town seen with an aging actress'. That would be my guess," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

They chatted about the movie and life in Diamond Rock as they ate then on the way back to the set Burke asked, "Were you kidding about staying here? You know, when you said you haven't been asked?"

Taylor took his hand then said again rather playfully, "I don't know. No one's asked me to stay here."

"So, hypothetically, were someone to ask you to stay here, would that hypothetically change your mind?"

"Well, I would say that all depends on who's doing the asking. I mean, I wouldn't even consider it if just anyone were to ask me. However, if a certain very handsome, much-younger mayor were to pose that question to me, I might give it serious thought."

"I see," Burke replied. "Then perhaps you might entertain another question first along the lines of, 'Would you like to join us for dinner' tonight'?"

"I would love to," she told him immediately. "But we can't be staying up all night again. A woman my age needs her beauty sleep, you know."

He stopped her, along with Shay who was holding Taylor's other hand and said, "I can assure you the last thing you need is beauty sleep."

"Ha! You haven't seen me first thing in the morning without my makeup," she said trying to be modest.

"This morning was pretty close," he reminded her.

"Um...I never took my makeup off from yesterday. When I do...watch out. It gets a little scary."

"I'm not from Missouri, but you're gonna have to show me before I believe that," Burke told her with a smile.

Taylor happily smiled back and said, "I'm actually a little paranoid about you seeing me like that."

"You know, you remind me of a friend of mine from high school," Burke told her.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, he went to a community college for two years then applied to Iowa State."

"Um...I didn't go to Iowa State," she reminded him.

"You didn't let me finish."

"Okay. Sorry. Please continue."

"So he calls the admissions office two weeks after applying and the person who answered the phone started laughing when she pulled up his application and transcripts."

"What was so funny about that?" Taylor asked.

"He had a 4.0GPA and was worried about getting in. The nice lady on the other end told him it's always the smartest kids who worry the most."

Taylor smiled then said, "I wasn't the smartest kid by any stretch so this has nothing to do with my intelligence, does it?"

"No, just your looks," he said smiling back. "You really may be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and yet you still worry about your looks. Newsflash. You're gorgeous, so relax, okay?"

Taylor said to Shay, "Yes, indeed. I find myself liking your daddy more with every passing minute."

"Well, he is the best daddy in the whole world!"

"And you are the best daughter—ever!" Taylor told her as they arrived at the set.

"I have to say I may be just a little bit scared."

"Oh? How so?" Burke asked her.

"Well, I've lived my current reality some 30 times in movies, but never really believed it could happen to me."

"I see. Famous actress falls for small-town mayor?"

"Maybe," she said coyly.

"I'm just as scared as you are, Taylor. I haven't even dated anyone since Rebecca was taken from us."

"Maybe you need more time," she said trying to hide her growing disappointment.

"Maybe. But...I don't think so," he told her as he put his hands on her shoulders. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't."

"Well, if you do, you'll let me know, right?" she said as she put her arms around his neck.

"I will. But...I won't," he told her before kissing her goodbye.

"Me, too, please!" Shay said holding her arms out to Taylor.

"Of course! she said as she gave her a big, long hug and a kiss. "I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

"Okay!" Shay said happily as her father took her hand.

"Break a leg?" Burke said.

"I'm having trouble concentrating and I blame you for that. I just wanted you to know that," Taylor told him.

"Wait. You're blaming me?" he asked pointing to himself.

"Um...yeah! Who kept me up all night talking?" she asked trying to sound edgy.

"Oh, right. I do remember twisting your arm and forcing you to keep talking. Sorry. That won't happen again," he promised.

"It better keep happening," she teased again with a warm smile. "Bye, Burke. See you tonight."

"Yes, you will," he told her as he watched go back inside.

Taylor hadn't checked her phone in almost two days and nearly laughed when she saw she had a dozen messages from Jane. None of them were serious although they got more strident as she listened to each one in order. All of them were inquiries on how she was doing and when she'd be coming home.

Taylor didn't have time for a lengthy reply so she texted:

"Everything's good. One thing may be great. My flight is for the 23rd. Not sure if I'm taking it, though. Will call later today. Love you, Taylor."

She knew that would result in an immediate call so she put her ringer on silent then went back to work. The moment she was done for the day, she checked her phone and laughed when she was three missed phone calls, three voicemails and another half dozen texts.

She hit 'call' and on the first ring Jane answered.

"What in the world is going on? What do you mean you might not be coming home? Is everything really okay? Have you lost your mind?"

Taylor was laughing by the second question and knew she'd have to wait for Jane to take a breath.

"I'm fine, really."

"Then what in God's name could keep you in hell over the holidays? Am I gonna have to fly out there and drag you home?" Jane demanded.

Taylor didn't answer for a few seconds and Jane panicked.

"What? What in the world is going on? Tell me, Taylor or I swear I'll..."

"I kind of met someone," she said rather innocently.

"What? You did what?" Jane said with the sound of shock in her voice clear and obvious.

"Yeah. I...I met someone. Someone really...amazing," she said as she got onto her bus for the ride back to Burke's place.

"In Diamond what-the-hell? Seriously? Who is this guy and what corporation does he own? No. What studio does he own? Oh, wait! Your leading man, right?"

Taylor laughed then said, "It's not like that, Jane. He's the mayor of the town and he has the most beautiful little girl."

"Okay. I am definitely getting on a plane right now because you've clearly lost your mind!"

"Jane? Please listen to me, okay?" Taylor asked as she pulled her coat off and sat down.

"Okay. But this better be good," Jane warned her. "And if it is, I want details. LOTS and lots of details!"

Taylor spent the next several minutes trying to explain what was going on and how she felt while answering one question after the other from her dear friend.

"Are you in love with this...kid?" Jane finally asked.

"I don't know. Maybe," Taylor told me. "I just know I haven't felt like this since before I started acting."

"Oh, my God! Taylor, this is...this is crazy! If you fall in love with some local-yokel, he's never gonna move to New York, and if he did, he'd hate it! You need to come home, get back to the real world, and get your head on straight!"

"Actually, I'm wondering if I haven't maybe found the real world or possibly even real love. I mean, I know he's very young, but he's so...wise beyond his years. And he's loving and caring and did I mention how handsome he is?"

"Um, only four or five times...so far," Jane told her.

"And Shay is the sweetest girl ever. She is so totally adorable!"

"Taylor? This sounds serious," Jane said finally admitting this could be real.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" her friend replied.

"So are you really staying there for the holidays?"

"If Burke asks me to, then yes. I'll be staying here."

There was a very long pause before Jane said, "I'm happy for you, Taylor. I'm sad for myself, but I really am happy for you."

"Thank you, Jane. And I'm happy, too. I mean, for the first time in so long, I'm really happy. You know, just like in one of my movies."

"I'm tempted to start whining about how sad I'll be without you, but I'm going to try and put your needs ahead of mine. But just this once!"

There was another pause before Jane added, "Bitch!"

Taylor laughed then almost cried not knowing whether she should be happy for herself or sad for her best friend.

"You owe me pictures. I have to see Mayor Hottie and his precious little girl. Can you at least do that for me?"

The bus was pulling into the driveway and Taylor said, "Hold on. I'm switching to Face Time."

She turned the camera around and showed Jane the house as it came into view.

"Oh...how...um...modest," she finally said.

"It's...quaint," Taylor told her.

Just then she saw Shay fling open the front door and come running to the bus.

"Oh, my gosh! Is that the little sweetie pie?" Jane said with real excitement as her image grew larger on her phone.

"Yes, it is. Hold on again. She's coming onto the bus."

"Hi, sweetie!" Taylor said as Shay hurried toward her. She held the phone up so Jane could see her walk toward her and give her a hug.

"I'm talking to my best friend in New York. Can you say 'hi' to her?"

Taylor held the phone if front of Shay who suddenly got shy and only said a very quiet, "Hi."

"Oh, my gosh! She really is adorable! Look at that beautiful blonde hair!"

"My friend says you're very pretty," Taylor told Shay.

"Thank you," she said without smiling.

"Shay? Where'd you go?" they all heard a male voice say.

"Is that him? Is that Mayor Hottie? Show me! Show me!" Jane said.

Taylor held the phone up as Burke walked toward them and when he got close, Jane said, "Oh, my freaking God! He's gorgeous!"

"Who? Me?" Burke said once he realized Taylor was Face-timing with someone who's image he could barely see.

He bent down and looked into the phone and said, "Hello there!"

"Hello to you!" Jane said. "And be still my beating heart!"

"I told you he was handsome," Taylor said to Jane while looking at Burke.

Taylor quickly explained who Jane was and what they were talking about. Generically, that is.

"Taylor? I should let you go. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and I have to admit you seem to be doing very okay, so..."

"I am, but thank you for worrying about me, Jane. I miss you."

"I miss you, too," she said wanting to say more about how she wasn't sure she could go on without Taylor's friendship and regular visits but didn't want to rain on her parade. If her best friend really was happy she would try and be happy for her, too.