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young man with Gloria Kimball started to swing up his camera. Reed Hayes took a quick step to block him and put a hand on the camera, forcing it back down. The young man jerked back and looked like he was about to throw a punch at Hayes, but a large, burly figure loomed up behind him. Phyllis recognized the cameraman called Hank who worked on
The Joye of Cooking
. Joye often joked with him about various things. One of his hands came down on the shoulder of the younger, smaller cameraman, who appeared to think twice about starting a fight.
    The audience continued to applaud for Joye, who waved and bestowed one of her dazzling smiles on them. “Thank you, thank you, everyone,” she said, her voice carrying clearly despite the fact that she wasn’t wearing a microphone. “My, what a wonderful welcome to Texas!”
    Gloria Kimball said something to her. As Joye turned toward the blonde, she was still smiling. Nothing seemed to shake that. Instead of joining in the argument, Joye put her arms around Gloria and gave her a friendly hug. Gloria was stiff at first, but she seemed to relax after a moment.
    Keeping an arm around Gloria, Joye looked at the audience in the bleachers and said, “Let’s hear it for Gloria Kimball, people! Without her I wouldn’t be here today!”
    More applause welled up, punctuated by occasional cheers. Gloria actually smiled a little. She glanced over and said something to Reed Hayes, who shrugged, nodded, and motioned to the bearded cameraman, who, it was now obvious, had arrived with Gloria and probably worked for Channel 44. He brought his camera to his shoulder and started recording the reunion of the two cooking show stars.
    â€œIsn’t that sweet?” Peggy said dryly.
    â€œIt looks like Joye put a stop to that argument, whatever it was about,” Carolyn said. “I’m not surprised. Who could stay angry with her?”
    Gloria had been holding a small microphone. She lifted it now and launched into an impromptu interview with Joye that lasted a couple of minutes. Phyllis couldn’t make out any of it except that Joye was glad to be here in Texas and looked forward to getting together with Gloria and trading new recipes and tips. While that was going on, Hayes kept checking his watch, and the producer finally said something to Joye, who nodded. She hugged Gloria again and moved toward the door through which she had come a few minutes earlier. While the camera was still on her, Gloria turned and said a few more words into the microphone, then lowered it at the same time the cameraman lowered his equipment. Phyllis assumed they had been recording a segment for the local channel’s newscast or morning show. Hayes hadn’t wanted to allow it at first, but Joye had overruled him. Now things could get back on schedule.
    â€œWell, that was exciting,” Peggy said as Gloria and her cameraman left the set and moved off into the crowd. “Even if nobody threw a punch.”
    Carolyn said, “Joye Jameson would never stoop to brawl- ing.”
    Maybe not, Phyllis thought, but only the presence of the burly cameraman, Hank, had stopped a fight from breaking out between Hayes and Gloria’s cameraman.
    She noticed the security guard, Chet Murdock, standing near the set. He had probably been ready to break up any struggle that had started.
    With Gloria Kimball gone, the danger of that was past now. The time for the broadcast to start was rapidly drawing closer. Technicians scurried around the set. Hank and the other cameramen took their positions. Reed Hayes consulted something on his smartphone, swiping a fingertip across the display in swift, curt motions. He put on a headset, probably to allow him to communicate with the director outside in the network’s satellite truck. After talking to someone for a moment, Hayes pointed to Bailey Broderick and nodded.
    Bailey set her clipboard aside, removed her headset, and picked up a wireless