Slay in Character
Page 22
“Hey, Seth? Can you turn the music up a little?” Connie leaned against the window. “This was my husband’s favorite song.”
The group was quiet on the ride back. The ride mirrored the trips home from camp. You went up loud and excited, and back home tired and thoughtful. This was the time everyone was tired and cranky and ready to be home. Cat turned to look at Seth. “You did amazing back there.”
“I was stupid. I could have gotten you or Jessi killed.”
“No. You couldn’t have. You care for people.” Cat put her hand on his arm. “And that’s one of the reasons I love you.”
“I thought it was for my charming wit and dashing good looks.” Seth patted her hand.
“That too.”
At least it was over. And Jessi was safe. Cat watched out the side window as they made their way from the wilderness into town. A town with a lot of secrets, but one thing she dtd know about Aspen Hills was that it was her home.
CHAPTER 23
Seth was as good as his word, and at 8:05 he pulled out of the driveway on Sunday morning with Connie, Cora, Lisa, and Kelly tucked into the vehicle. He’d given them the extra five minutes to say their goodbyes to Jessi and Cat. And the group had made plans with Shauna to book a return visit to the retreat in six months. Kelly had offered to pay the entire cost if Jessi could come back as the Covington student.
“We’ll figure out something,” Cat promised as she shut the door. She, Jessi, and Shauna stood in the driveway and waved as the car left. “When is Dante coming to get you?”
Jessi grabbed her duffel and her laptop bag. “He’s not. I told him I’d walk down to his house. He’s expecting me for breakfast, so I better get going. My mom flew in last night and will be there too.”
Cat gave the girl a hug. “Don’t let them bully you. You are amazing. You can do anything.”
“I’ll second that.” Shauna stepped in for her hug when Cat stepped back. “And you know where we are. You’re welcome anytime you want to stop in.”
“Thanks. I’ll take you up on that.” Jessi started humming as she made her way to the sidewalk. She turned back and waved when she cleared the gate. Then she was gone.
“It’s like sending the baby birds out into the wild, isn’t it?” Shauna stared after Jessi until they couldn’t see her anymore.
“We got attached to this group.” Cat turned toward the kitchen. “Do you need help cleaning up?”
“Nope, I’m good. But I will be out riding this afternoon, so don’t come looking for me. Pete will be here at seven for dinner, and I’m making a roast chicken.”
“Sounds wonderful.” Cat walked back with her into the house. “I’m going upstairs to spend some time with my book. See you at dinner.”
When seven came, the three of them sat down in the kitchen for Sunday dinner. Uncle Pete passed Cat the chicken. “Well, Darryl is out of my jail and off to Denver. They’re going to do some psych tests on him. All he did was cry the entire time he was in my cell.”
“It’s been a crazy week. I almost feel sorry for him.” Shauna dished up a tower of mashed potatoes and then poured gravy in the middle.
Uncle Pete took the potatoes and filled his own plate. “I’m really glad it’s over. I can’t believe I almost charged Jessi with her friend’s murder. Your faith in her kept me from making that mistake.”
“She’s a good kid.” Cat smiled at the memories from the last week. It had been an interesting retreat.
“Oh, and I’ve caught our Peeping Tom.” Uncle Pete ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Apparently, the college got a copy of one of the frat’s entrance dare lists. And peeking into your house and being seen was worth five points. Getting the cops called was worth ten. And if you got away with it, fifteen. We’re going to be revoking their charter and sitting all the pledges down for a long talk about right and wrong.”
“It’s always something with the college.” Cat tore off a piece of the breast meat and nibbled on it. “Do you have any more clues on the string of murders at Outlaw? Did Darryl just try to make her murder look like the others?”
“Now that we’ve eliminated Joseph John from the murders, yeah, it looks like they’re not connected, although Shirley thinks the cases would be great training tools for new officers to learn how to investigate.” He blushed at mentioning her name. “I guess we could be solving those someday.”
“I got a call from Paul today.” Shauna changed the subject quickly, sensing the unease Pete was feeling after mentioning Shirley. “The will reading is scheduled for next Wednesday. I’m so glad this nightmare will finally be over.”
“So you’ll be taking off for the islands when you inherit all that wealth?” Cat took a bite of the potatoes. “I better enjoy your cooking now.”
“Even if he left me something, you’re stuck with me. And by the way, remember when you said I could get a pet?”
“You want something besides a horse and a cat?” Cat asked, not sure where this subject was going. The place was going to turn into a zoo if they didn’t watch out. Maybe they should talk about Jessi instead.
“Well, Angelica solved that problem. I think we have enough pets for a while.” Shauna smiled at the confusion on their faces. “She made a nest in the straw and delivered five healthy kittens in the barn. I can’t believe you or Seth didn’t notice she was pregnant.”
“Six cats?”
“We don’t have to keep all of them. And they don’t have to be indoor cats. But yeah, we have pets.”
Uncle Pete chuckled, then covered his mouth and pretended it was a cough. Cat leaned back into her chair. The house was filling up quickly. And now they had pets. No, she corrected herself. Their home was filling up quickly.
She went back to eating and asked her uncle how his girlfriend Shirley was doing. Home and family was nothing if not messy and uncomfortable at times. But it was also the best way to live. This was the second time in two days she’d thought about home and what it meant.
Cat had lived two lives in this house. The one with Michael. and now this one. And she thought even if she had seven more lives like a normal cat, this one might just be her favorite.
One of Shauna’s favorite things to do is bake with huckleberries. If you’re from the Western mountain areas, you know the joy of going huckleberry picking in early June. But if you’re out of your stash, or you don’t live in Colorado, here’s a way to substitute blueberries. And with using the yogurt instead of the sour cream, you make it diet food. Well, almost.
Lynn
EASY BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream or vanilla yogurt
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cream ½ cup of butter and sugar. Add next five ingredients. Add 2 cups of flour and sour cream (or yogurt) alternately to egg mixture, mixing with a spoon. Fold in blueberries. Pour mixture into greased 9”x13” baking pan. In a separate bowl, cream brown sugar and ¼ cup butter. Add ¼ cup flour to get a semi-dry mixture. Spread on top of batter. Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes.
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SCONED TO DEATH
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Cat Latimer series
A STORY TO KILL
FATALITY BY FIRELIGHT
OF MURDER AND MEN
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