by Lynn Cahoon
Jocelyn’s, or Josh’s, as her husband called her, face softened as she reached up and touched his face. “You’re living the dream.”
Cat smiled and waved them over to the desk. “Seth will be right down to help with the luggage. I’ve got your key ready if I could get someone to fill out the registration?”
“I’ll do it.” Jocelyn set the luggage next to her other items. Archer was busy checking out the beams in the foyer and the construction of the house. “My husband, Archer, here is too busy freaking out since we’re in the land of his dreams.”
“I take it this is your first trip out west?” Cat handed her a card and a pen. “I see from your registration that you’re both writing western historical fiction?”
“Add romance to my genre and you’ve got it. We met at a writer’s group in Pittsburgh twenty-five years ago and we’ve been making up stories about western expansion ever since. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to talk a little about publishing this week because I’m tired of all the agent rejections saying westerns aren’t selling.” Jocelyn focused on the card, then handed it back to Cat. “There you go.”
“We’ll definitely have a lot of time to talk about your concerns. This is your retreat. We structure a lot of the sessions around your needs.”
The door opened and a tall, handsome, twenty-something man walked inside. He grinned at the three women standing at the registration desk. “Well, this retreat is just getting better and better. I didn’t know I’d be surrounded by such beautiful writers.”
Cat glanced down at the last name on Shauna’s list of attendees. “You must be Brodie Capone.”
He dropped a tote bag at his feet. “In the flesh. The party can begin.”
Chapter 2
Sitting around the dining room table, Cat could already see that Brodie wasn’t fitting in to the group. In fact, no one seemed to enjoy the larger-than-life stories the kid told. Hopefully when the retreat started, he would focus on his writing and calm down, but for today, he was falling flat with his stories.
“So you’re probably all wondering if I’m related to Al. Well, I don’t want to drag the story out . . .”
“That would be the first story he didn’t drag out in the last twenty minutes,” Seth muttered low enough so Cat was the only one who could hear him.
She pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh, but she got his message. This group was going to be more of a challenge to facilitate. “Brodie, I’m sure the story is fascinating, but we have a tradition of letting everyone speak at the first night’s dinner and I’m afraid you’ve used up your allotted time. Sydney, tell us about your goals for the week?”
Most of the writers let out a sigh as Sydney outlined her very impressive list of to-dos over the seven-day retreat. “Of course, tomorrow it’s all about the hike. I’m so looking forward to seeing the nature of the area.”
“Seth made you all field guides. I think you’re going to have fun.”
“Hiking is fun, but it’s a lot more than that, especially in this area. You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. People can get hurt if they aren’t careful.”
“I knew a guy who got lost fall semester and they didn’t find his body until spring,” Brodie added, shaking his head.
“We won’t leave anyone behind,” Seth promised.
“Are there any old mining cabins on our planned route?” Archer asked, his eyes bright. “I’m writing a story about a mining camp, so it would be amazing if I could see some actual artifacts.”
“There’s a ghost town a few miles from here. Maybe sometime this week Seth could drive you up. The town’s closed for the winter as it’s a tourist site with reenactments during the summer, but you can still walk around. You just can’t get into any of the buildings.” Cat thought about the writer’s group that had spent their extra day experiencing Outlaw. It hadn’t gone exactly how she’d planned it, but then again, when did a retreat go as planned?
“That would be awesome. I’d even buy the gas.” Archer watched Seth’s reaction.
He glanced at Cat. “Then it’s done. We’ll set up a plan and if anyone else wants to go, just let Cat or me know.”
“I’d love to.” Jocelyn patted her husband’s arm. “I’m better at taking pictures than Archer. He gets so excited, he forgets.”
“So we know what Sydney has planned.” Cat looked at Tristin, trying to change the subject before Brodie jumped in again. “What’s your goal list for the week?”
“Man, I’m just in it for the experience.” He smiled at Sydney. “Besides, my lovely wife has enough goals for the both of us.”
“You’re not getting away with that.” Cat shook a finger at him and laughed. “This is your retreat too. Seriously, what do you want to get done? Word count? Planning?”
“Honestly? I’d like to try my hand at some short stories.” Tristin’s gaze darted to Sydney. “I loved writing short stories in college, but since we’ve started the travel book, it’s been put on the back burner.”
“Well, not this week. Our visiting professor is not only an expert on Hemingway, he teaches the short story class at the college. I’m sure he’d be willing to adjust his lecture to add in some discussion.” Cat made a mental note to give Professor Turner a heads-up e-mail before his Tuesday talk. “And it will give you something to work on during the word sprints we like to do in the afternoons.”
“Awesome.” Tristin turned to Archer. “What are your goals besides soaking up Colorado history?”
Cat loved it when the group started to meld together. This one was going to be different, not only because of the overtalkative Brodie, but because of the fact the other four were couples. Cat decided she needed to watch this play out and see if she needed to adjust anything on the marketing side or the scheduling. Maybe after they remodeled the other wing, they could do a Valentine’s Day retreat where they were all writing couples. Shauna could do a couple’s cooking class and . . .
“Earth to Cat.” Seth nudged her. “Jocelyn asked what your plans for the week are.”
“Oh, sorry, I was thinking about a future session.” Cat laughed at the stares she was getting. “A February session, just for couples. You all have me dreaming.”
“Maybe we should just sign up now.” Jocelyn patted her husband on the arm. “Archer is horrible at remembering holidays and anniversaries. This way he’ll be a captive audience.”
“I’m sitting right here, you realize that, right?” Archer kissed his wife on the cheek. “Just look at what you and Cat have in store. Wives are like elephants. They never forget.”
Seth put an arm around Cat’s shoulders. “Man, I’ve already learned that lesson.”
“Okay, you guys, not all of us are coupled up here.” Shauna glanced around at the empty boxes of pizza on the table. “Are you ready for some dessert? I have fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies and a gallon of premium vanilla ice cream. It’s made by a local dairy.”
“Using virgin cow milk, I suppose,” Sydney added.
The group erupted in laughter.
Tristin leaned over. “Cows make milk to feed their young. They have to have sex to have a baby.” He looked at the group. “We haven’t gone over the birds and the bees lesson yet.”
“And you’re married?” Brodie asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Okay, kids, keep it PG. We have a young one here.” Archer slapped Brodie on the back. “Son, you’re going to realize someday there’s a lot more to marriage than just a little booty call every once in a while.”
“And twice on your birthday,” Tristin added.
“Lalalala.” Shauna laughed. “So seriously, dessert?”
“Why not? My diet is on hold until we get back to Pittsburgh.” Jocelyn grinned.
Archer leaned close. “I love you just the way you are.”
“I’m heading up to my room to write. You all continue down here.” Brodie stood and saluted the group. “What time are we on deck for breakfast?”
“S
ince you’re hiking tomorrow, we’ll have breakfast ready from seven to nine, when you’re scheduled to leave.” Shauna paused at the door. “You sure you don’t want to take a couple of cookies with you? And there’s drinks in the fridge in the cabinet.”
Brodie opened the door and grabbed two bottles of water. “This will work. I’m still running cross-country on the college team, so sugar is off-limits.”
“There will be fruit available all day, but you may want to rethink the no-sugar rule. Especially when Shauna makes brownies. Man, they’re to die for.” Seth leaned back in the chair and watched Brodie. “By the way, you didn’t say what you write?”
Brodie stared at his feet, color filling his face. “I’m working on something new.”
“Oh, like what?” Now Brodie had Cat’s and the rest of the group’s attention.
His blush intensified when he answered. “Just something new.” He bolted out of the room with his water.
The writers around the table were silent. Finally, Sydney spoke. “Romance. My money’s on romance.”
“Erotic or Regency. Something got him blushing,” Jocelyn added. “It’s definitely not a thriller or what he considers an appropriately manly book.”
“Leave the kid alone. At least he’s not chatting our ears off,” Archer added to the conversation.
Shauna came back with the cookies and ice cream, and the rest of the night was spent talking about life and writing and histories. Cat enjoyed the conversation, but when the writers had gone to their rooms and she was cleaning up with Shauna, she sighed.
“What’s got your goat?” Shauna broke a cookie in half and gave part to Cat.
“I hope Brodie didn’t just blow his chance to bond with the group. You know we’ve been really lucky that the Covington student has been brought into all the groups easily. This time, the odds are stacked against him coming in.”
“He didn’t help his cause tonight. The kid has an ego.” Shauna bit into the cookie. “The other four have already gotten comfortable. I think they’ll be fun.”
“I agree. I’m just concerned about Brodie.” Cat ate the cookie and wondered if there was something, anything, she could do to stop the train wreck she saw coming.
* * *
When Cat got downstairs the next morning, both Seth and Shauna were already in the kitchen. Seth was paging through the field guide and making notes while he tracked his progress on the computer-generated image of the hiking trail. Cat grabbed some coffee and looked over his shoulder. “Did you leave Shauna the trail information in case we don’t show back up?”
He grinned at her. “This means you’ve decided to come with us?”
“Of course. What kind of host would I be if I stayed back?” Cat sat and grabbed a muffin from the basket on the table.
“You’ve checked the weather then. A balmy sixty-seven degrees.”
Cat shrugged. “My weather app predicted low seventies. I think this will be the last warm day we see until spring. The weather guy says it’s going to snow next week.”
“As long as this hike is done before the snow falls, I’ll be happy. Next year can we plan the hike the months from late spring to early fall?” He closed his computer. “I think I’m ready. I’ve gone over the trail three times already this morning.”
“I’m just looking forward to getting out. I’ve been spending way too much time in my office this last week.” Cat sipped her coffee. “I kind of outed my new book proposal. Do you think you’d be willing to read three chapters before I send it to my publisher, and let me know where I got it wrong?”
“It’s fiction, it doesn’t have to be accurate.” He stood and refilled his cup.
“But you know that’s not true. You of all people get upset when someone gets something totally wrong when you’re reading military thrillers. I know this will be the softer, gentler side, but I want some authenticity. I think it helps the reader relate.”
He set his coffee down. “I need to go check the SUV and make sure we have the hiking packs ready.”
Cat watched as he left the kitchen via the back door. “Was that a yes or a no? I couldn’t tell.”
“I think that was a skillful avoidance of answering the question at all.” Shauna shook her head. “Maybe you should ask one of his friends from the military to read it. I don’t think Seth wants to go down that path.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that feeling.” Cat glanced at the clock. “If you don’t need me, I’m going to work for an hour in my office before I take off for the day. I’ve got some planning for the next release to finish.”
“I’m fine. I’m sending you all with a cooler full of sandwiches, snacks, and a bag of cookies that Seth has already put into the backpacks. I gave you a bag of peanuts as well. I know you need your protein or you get grumpy. I guess I’ll see you all this afternoon? Do you want late lunch or just an early dinner?” Sasha opened her laptop as she talked.
“Can we have potato and sausage soup? That will work for me for both. Then if Seth’s still hungry, he can make a grilled cheese or heat up soup for dinner.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be baking this evening anyway to get ready for day one.” She peered at her screen. “How do you know when it’s ready?”
“When what’s ready? Oh, the book? I guess now it’s when I hit deadline or when I realize I’m just moving words around. Then your editor will let you know if you’re off base. But I’m not writing a cookbook.” Cat put a hand on Shauna’s shoulder. “I know they are going to love it.”
“Who are they? Right now, it’s just you and me.” Shauna blushed. “And my beta reader.”
Cat stopped by the door. “You never told me who that was.”
“Didn’t I?” Shauna peered at the computer screen lost in the book. “I’ll come get you when Seth’s ready to go.”
Cat paused for a minute, but when she realized Shauna was lost in the book, she gave up. Either Shauna didn’t really have a beta reader, or it was someone she thought Cat didn’t approve of. Either way, it wasn’t her business. Cat had enough on her plate to worry about. Like where she was going to tour with her next release.
Her publisher had agreed to fund four stops. She had twenty bookstores or libraries that had expressed interest in hosting her. She needed to be smart with the marketing budget she’d been given. She opened the e-mail again and read the parameters and the deadline for a response. Then she started listing her top ten and a reason behind each choice.
By the time Shauna knocked on her door, Cat had narrowed the list down to six stops and made a runner-up list for the next release. She’d mixed it up by different parts of the country. Now she just needed to cut the list again and she’d be done by Friday. It would be a painful choice, but she thought if she just let things simmer, she might even make the decision earlier.
She turned off the computer and went to meet the others downstairs.
The hiking trails were less than thirty minutes out of town, but it felt like they were in the middle of the forest. The trailhead had a small parking lot. Cat had hiked this trail many times in the summer and used it to cross-country ski in the winter. It should be challenging enough for the Evans couple, but not too hard for the Winchesters. Especially Archer, who had a bit of a tummy on him. Brodie had decided to stay back for the day. Cat didn’t know if he thought the cost of the extra day wouldn’t be covered by the college or if he just didn’t like hiking. Either way, she was glad for the quiet Brodie’s absence would allow.
They all gathered around the car, their backpacks on. Seth held out his trail guide. “I asked you all to bring a watch. Did you?”
Hands went up and everyone showed their watch.
“Good. Now look at this. You all have one of these and a pen. Take them out and as you’re walking, see how many of the flora and fauna you can find and put a check mark by them, as well as what time you saw the item. That way we can compare when we get back. I’m hoping we’ll see some wildlife too. So don’t be surprised if we come up on a
deer or an elk on the trail. Hopefully you won’t see a bear, but if you do, stay still until they move out of the way. We scare them as much as they scare us.” Seth glanced around the group. “Any questions?”
“Yeah, since you brought up a bear, can I just sit in the car and write until you all get back?” Jocelyn smiled, but Cat could see her hand reach for Archer’s.
“Don’t worry, honey, you can run faster than I can so the bear will stop at me.” He kissed the top of her head. “We’re ready to go.”
“Stay close and don’t drag behind.” Seth waved Archer and Jocelyn to the front. “You two after me, Cat, you can be in the middle, and, Tristin, can you and Sydney bring up the end?”
“Works for me.” Tristin circled his arms around Sydney and kissed her neck. “But we might lag behind a little.”
“Perv.” Sydney stepped out of his embrace, but her smile didn’t waver. “Don’t worry about us, we’ll keep up.”
“Great. Then we’re off.” Seth started up the trail, and Cat waited for the first couple to follow.
The first hour went fast with a few stops to take pictures, as well as compare plants with the pictures in the book. By the time they’d reached the first outlook, where Seth was already stopped and waiting for them, Cat’s legs ached. She leaned on a tree and stretched out her calves. “Too many hours sitting at the desk.”
Jocelyn plopped on the bench that the Forest Service had set up near the lookout. She took out her water bottle and took a long sip before talking. “I haven’t done anything like this since college. I used to be on the cross-country team and ran for miles. I guess I should pick back up that hobby.”
“I can’t believe they have a full setup here.” Archer glanced at the outhouse. “Tell me that’s functional.”
“The Forest Service maintains this trail year-round because it’s also a cross-country ski trail. For most of the hiking trails the maintenance is shut down November first or at the first snowfall,” Seth explained as Archer made his way to the small building.
“Great.”