A Story to Kill Read Free Page B

be a research trip for him.”
    Cat nodded thoughtfully. “I hadn’t considered that.” She went back to her list. “The rest of the group is unpublished. We have two sisters writing romance, a graduate student from Covington who is working on her thesis, and a guy who just marked fiction on his questionnaire. Kind of a mixed bag, but maybe Tom will be willing to share his journey during one of the dinners. I’ll have to pull him aside and ask.”
    Shauna picked up her cup and refilled it at the pot. “These muffins aren’t going to make themselves. I’m making a batch with pumpkin and one with cranberries.” She started prepping her workstation with the ingredients for the recipes.
    Cat glanced over the weekly schedule they’d printed out for the guests and made some notes in her calendar to remind her to attend at least some of the events. And Seth on Monday. No good could come of his hanging around. She realized she hadn’t asked Uncle Pete if Seth was married or even dating. She’d been so busy denying her attraction, she’d missed the opportunity to be nosy. Now it would look like she was interested.
    Even though she definitely was not.
    Okay, so the word was more like slightly . Or even probably . Who was she kidding? She wanted the guy. Wanting isn’t needing, she reminded herself. Her body surged in disagreement. She closed her calendar with a snap, refilled her coffee cup, and headed upstairs to work on her book. Two, maybe three, hours of glorious nothing to do but write.
    And think about Seth.
    She turned on her computer and pulled out the file where she kept her working notes.
    * * *
    A knock pulled her out of the story of Kori, and her other-worldly friends. She loved making up the High School for the Special, which could mean the kid was a shapeshifter, werewolf, or even a witch, like Kori. Since her folks had never explained her special powers, Kori saw her new world differently. A feeling Cat could relate to, especially recently.
    Shauna peeked around the door. “Hey, I don’t want to bother you, but you’ve been up here for hours. I have a potato soup on the stove with bread bowls in the oven, warming. I figured some of the guests may be hungry when they arrive.”
    Cat hit the save button and turned around. “Sorry, Kori’s getting ready for the prom. Of course, she’s not sure who she’s attending with yet.”
    â€œOh, the growing pains of high school. I still can’t believe you want to write about that time. I kissed the ground on the day I graduated and never looked back.” Shauna leaned against the door, her jacket on and the keys to the SUV in her hand.
    â€œI guess I want to rewrite the ending. Although I have to admit, for the most part, I loved high school.” Cat turned off the computer and stood and stretched, rubbing a spot on her left shoulder that always burned after a long writing session. “I suppose I should get ready to play the hostess. Do I have time for a shower?”
    â€œIf you promise to eat first.” Shauna checked her watch. “See you in just over an hour. I checked the airline, and the romance sisters’ flight is on time. Sara, the grad student, called earlier, and she will be here at seven to check in. And that leaves the two men to arrive on the six thirty flight coming out of Chicago.”
    Cat walked downstairs with her and stopped at the kitchen. “I’ll see you soon. I’ll be reading something appropriately literary in the living room when you arrive.”
    â€œAs long as it’s not a comic book, I think we’re good.” Shauna waved and disappeared out the back door.
    Pouring the warm soup into a bread bowl, Cat sat at the table and made a quick to-do list for the week. Writing the words meet with Seth made her think about the time they’d all jumped into his Camaro and driven to Denver to take their SATs. Five kids, all