A killer christmas wish, p.10
A Killer Christmas Wish, page 10
They watched as Rachel laughed, throwing her head back and then putting her hand on Dante’s arm.
“Yes, that’s his date.” Cat held up her hand. “Anyway, I’m not looking for a man, I already have one.”
“Shauna told us that you and Seth were engaged. How lovely. It must be nice to work with your significant other all the time. I just haven’t seen him around the house much this week.” Eliza’s eyes twinkled in the low lights. “I hope we haven’t upset him in some manner.”
“Seth’s busy this week. Usually, he’s around all the time during retreat weeks.” Cat sipped her drink. “I was actually just trying to remember how many glasses of this stuff I’d had. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”
“It’s like being at an employer Christmas party, for you, isn’t it? You can’t just relax and have fun because someone will say something. I’m kind of thinking being an author might not be as amazing of a job as I thought before this week.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but yeah, I have to be on my best behavior around the college group since Covington is one of our sponsors.” She turned and saw Brad coming toward her. And Andi was in tow. Great. Now she’d have to find another reason to escape. “And here we go…”
Andi bounced on her heels. “Great, I’ve got two of you together. Cat, Eliza, this is my father, Brad Anderson. Dad, this is Cat Latimer, the author who runs the writer retreats and Eliza’s one of the authors who’s there with me this week.”
“Andi, I didn’t realize you were the dean’s daughter.” Cat hoped her shock wasn’t showing. Why exactly was Andi worried about going to community college? And a better question was why did she get one of the retreat’s scholarships? “Your daughter is a gifted writer.”
“She enjoys that writing stuff. I tried to get her to at least get a business degree so she would have a fallback, but sometimes what a father says goes in one ear and out the other.” He smiled at Andi. “And she’s stubborn, like her mother is.”
“Mom and Dad divorced a few years ago so he thinks he can put all my bad characteristics on my genes I got from Mom. Especially since I’m using her maiden name at school.” Andi smiled at her father and Cat could see Andi’s hope for real love behind the gesture. “Dad didn’t want anyone to think I’m getting special treatment.”
“It’s nice that things didn’t deteriorate. I know divorce can be hard on a family,” Cat said.
“I try not to think about divorce at all. It gives my wedding planning business bad juju.” Eliza pointed to Teri and Julie. “There’s the others. Maybe you should introduce your dad to them as well?”
“Sounds like a plan. Cat, thank you for inviting us to come tonight. This is amazing. And I get to see my dad all dressed up.” Andi took her father’s arm and she and Brad disappeared into the crowd.
“And the world just gets weirder.” Cat sipped her champagne. By the way tonight was going, she’d be on number ten before she knew it. And then she’d be playing Twister or something with the entire Economics Department.
“You didn’t know her dad was a dean at the college?” Eliza didn’t look at her, instead her gaze followed Andi and her father’s progress over to the other writers. “It seems a little off that she’s the ‘scholarship’ choice for this session, don’t you think? What does a dean make here?”
“A lot of money. Maybe the name threw off the English professor who’s in charge of making the choices for the position.” Cat was going to have a talk with the English department dean tomorrow. “I’m sure there are many other students who should have been considered.”
“Well, I’m glad I’m not having that conversation.” Eliza emptied her glass. “And I’m off to track down a waiter. They tend to get scarce farther into the night when they don’t want you leaving the party inebriated.”
Cat watched as Eliza tracked down a waiter and snag two glasses of champagne. Cat wondered if she was coming back to her table, but instead, she sat at another table already almost filled with a group of men. Eliza did know how to introduce herself.
“Are you having fun? I hope so since I can’t.” Shauna came up behind her with a glass that appeared to be sparkling water with a lime.
“Fun is relative.” She glanced at her watch. “We have less than an hour left before we can blow this joint. Do you want to sit down and eat? The buffet looks pretty good.”
“They had the event catered so it’s actually edible. I’m game if you are. Did you play grieving widow enough?” Shauna followed Cat over to the buffet line and took a plate.
“I hope so. Did you know Brad Anderson is Andi’s father?” Cat explained his position with the college.
Shauna frowned as she used tongs to grab several different appetizers. “That doesn’t seem sporting. I thought our scholarships were going to students who couldn’t afford the price of the retreat.”
“That was my understanding, too. I’m going over to Covington tomorrow and talking about this. If it’s not in the contract, I think we should make sure it is in the next one.” Cat piled some lobster mac and cheese on her plate along with potato skins and loaded fries.
“Carb loading? I didn’t know you were running a marathon tomorrow,” Shauna teased.
Cat set her plate on an empty table and scooted the chair closer. “I might not be running, but it’s probably not going to be a pleasant conversation.”
“So eat now for tomorrow we may die?”
Cat studied her. “Isn’t that from Les Miz?”
“Kind of.” Shauna bit into a bread stick. “Do you want to go to Los Angeles and look for a wedding dress over the Christmas break? I’ll reach out to some of my old contacts to see if they can get us appointments with some of the better designers.”
“I don’t want to pay a fortune for the dress.” Cat took a tentative bite of the mac and cheese. When it was good, she grabbed a bigger bite. “We should be able to find something in Denver.”
“I told you to not worry about the cost. This is my treat. And no trying to get out of it. I want you to feel like a princess in your dress. I won’t stop until you do.” She glanced up and pointed to the doorway. “Dante and his date are leaving. He is one fine-looking man.”
“Why don’t you date him?” Cat asked as she watched Shauna watch the couple leave.
Shauna laughed. “Well, one, he hasn’t asked. And two, he’s waiting for you to dump Seth and run away with him. I’m sure he has an island somewhere just in case he can convince you someday.”
“Dante isn’t in love with me.” Cat snuck a peek back at the doorway and locked gazes with Dante. Cat waved and Shauna laughed. “Okay, fine, maybe he does have feelings, just don’t say anything. Besides, I’m not in love with him.”
“What would I say? I told you so?” Shauna pointed over at the writers who were heading their way. “I think our guests are ready to leave.”
“Thank goodness.” Cat hurried to finish her food. By the time she was done, Andi, Teri and Eliza were standing near Shauna, talking.
“I would have done it a little differently, but every event planner has their own style,” Eliza was telling the group.
“Well, I would have made it more about the history of the place,” Julie said. “Michael Latimer was a new voice in the field of economics. They could have made it a little more about him and less about the new program the dean wants to set up.”
“Be careful what you say about my dad.” Andi shook her head. “I know he’s difficult but he’s got a good heart.”
Julie held up her hand. “I’m so sorry. I should be more discreet about my opinions. I’m sure your father means well. I would have set up the evening a little differently. That’s all I’m saying.”
Andi finished her drink. “Sorry. I’m just used to defending him when my mom goes off. I should have realized you guys don’t have the same baggage as she does.”
“Poor dear. My folks were divorced too. Being the go between sucks.” Teri put her arm around Andi.
“You have no idea. Dad’s even threatening to stop paying my college expenses.” Andi took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. This is a party for Cat’s ex-husband and I’m sitting here crying about my problems.”
Cat reached over and patted Andi’s hand. “It’s fine. Emotions are what keep us all human. Are we ready to get out of here?”
When everyone nodded, Shauna stood up. “I’ll go get the car.”
After gathering their coats, they all waited at the tree for Shauna to come back with the SUV. Teri still had her arm around Andi. “Are you okay now?”
Andi wiped away her tears. “I’m fine. My mom just laid some news on me a few months ago. I’ve taken a paternity test because she’s not sure who my dad really is. I guess it came up in the money divisions during the divorce. I just want the guy who tucked me in at night and read me bedtime stories to be my actual father. Is that so wrong?”
11
Seth was waiting for them on the porch when they got back and hurried them all inside. “The sidewalks are clear but it sounds like they’re going to ice up soon. I’m glad you guys made it when you did.”
“Have you been working on them since we’ve been gone?” Cat reached out and touched Seth’s cheek that was red from the cold. “What did you do, clear Mrs. Rice’s sidewalks too?”
“It’s a neighborly thing to do.” He smiled at her and held his hand out for her coat. When she handed it to him, he blinked. “Wow, you look amazing. I should have gone with you to beat all the other guys off you.”
“She was the light of the party.” Shauna took Cat’s coat from Seth and hung it up on the rack with her own.
“Not true. I was the wallflower trying to stay unnoticed until we could leave.” Cat laughed and smoothed her dress.
“It was a fun party, anyway,” Eliza said as she and the other writers hung up their coats and hurried into the dining room.
“Hold on a minute and I’ll have a batch of fresh hot cocoa for you guys,” Shauna called to the group. Then she turned back to Cat and Seth. “I’ll get them settled. Why don’t you two go relax in the living room? I’ll bring a tray in for you in a few minutes.”
“Subtle, you’re not.” Cat took Seth’s arm. “Want to go sit in front of a fire and dream of our future?”
“Sounds like a perfect way to end a busy day.” He nodded to Shauna. “Thanks.”
“No problem. You two haven’t had much time together this week.” Shauna peeked into the dining room. “By the way they’re digging into the last of the treats, I can see that I’m going to have to bake tomorrow. Maybe some Christmas sugar cookies so they can decorate them before they all disappear.”
Once they were alone in the living room, Seth closed the door and pulled Cat into his arms. He kissed her. Leaning back, he stared into her eyes. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t go with you tonight. I should have been there. I let my insecurities get between us.”
“You have nothing to be insecure about. Michael’s gone. I’m with you.” She took his hand in her own and walked toward the couch. “We’re good. Aren’t we?”
“I think it’s that college life that freaks me out so much. I went into the Army. I didn’t go to school. I’m not some guy who would have changed the study of economics as we know it had he lived.” He stood and put another log on the fire. “I can’t give you riches or fancy events like the one you attended tonight.”
“Believe me, I’ve had enough faculty parties to last me the rest of my life. Besides, I do events like these when I go to conferences. I don’t have to have attention all the time. I like my life. Our life. I’m even beginning to like the writer retreats. It’s nice to talk about business with other people who understand.” Cat slipped off her heels and put her feet on the coffee table. “Tell me that we’re okay. You’ve been gone a lot this retreat.”
“Sorry about that. I’ll be better at planning around the retreat next month. And we’re better than okay.” Seth slipped onto the couch with her. “How was tonight? Sucky because I wasn’t there?”
“True. But it was interesting. Andi’s dad is the dean of the economics department now. I knew the dean that Michael had worked under left a few years ago. I guess this guy was one of the professors that worked with him. I hadn’t met him.”
“Wait, your scholarship kid is related to one of the school’s deans? Isn’t that a conflict of interest?” Seth played with a curl that had escaped from her updo and was now hanging in her face.
“Shauna and I are going to talk to the school. Maybe they didn’t know with the different last names. At worst, they should have said something. I want to clarify the definition for January’s session.” She closed her eyes. “Full disclosure, I talked to Dante for a bit. He had a date with him so we didn’t talk long.”
“Dante had a date? That’s unusual. Typically, he’s a lone wolf kind of guy.” Seth smiled and rubbed her cheek. “Maybe he’s getting the hint about us.”
“He knows we’re engaged. And I have to say, he saved me from having to endure more small talk from the economic guys. Man, those guys are so boring.” Cat thought about the night. “I asked him about the woman who he’d been worried about writing an expose. He said it was just someone they went to school with. He’d been thinking about it and had concluded that she wasn’t really a threat. Not anymore.”
“That sounds like he took care of it. Are you sure he wasn’t talking about Dan?” Seth held up his hand. “I know, you don’t see him as a killer. But that’s coincidental if it wasn’t Dan.”
“I know. I’m holding on to the fact he said a woman he went to school with, not a man.” Cat didn’t say anything for a long while, she just stared at the fire.
Shauna came in and dropped off a tray with hot chocolate and a plate full of cookies. “You two look serious. Don’t tell me you’re talking about Dan’s murder again. I wanted this to be your time.”
“You’re right. We need to put all that behind us and think about the future.” Seth glanced around the living room. “Maybe we should add a theatre room to the house. This room would work.”
“This room is where I do my retreat sessions. No remodeling here.” Cat took her cup. “What about the east wing? What are we doing with the ground floor there?”
Seth and Shauna exchanged looks. He pointed to her and Shauna sat on the wing chair before answering. “I told Seth that we needed to reserve that area so you have a family area for after you two get married. Maybe a separate living room and a playroom?”
“No. I don’t want to block it off for us. The retreat only happens one week a month. There’s no reason to separate out a ‘living’ area from the rest of the house. Unless you want one?” She turned to Seth.
“This wasn’t my idea. I’m fine with what we have. With the addition of a theater room and maybe a man cave.” He grinned.
“Shauna, do you want separate quarters? I could see you might. And I’m okay with that,” Cat added as her friend shook her head.
“No, I was just thinking of you two.” She stood and leaned on the back of her chair. “Which reminds me, I need to ask what exactly you do want instead of making assumptions. Besides, who’s saying I won’t find The One and actually move out on my own someday.”
“Let’s sit down next week and plan out some rooms for that space then. With next year’s projected budget, I bet we can finish the guest rooms and start on the community rooms before the end of the year.” Cat glanced up at her friend. “Maybe we need to think about adding an office for you in that area. Or changing out the den to be your office and making a larger one in the reconstruction space?”
“I would like my own office,” Shauna admitted as she yawned. “That way I can spread out and leave my mess out. Now, I have to clean up if I’m working in the kitchen each time I cook a meal. Anyway, tomorrow’s coming up fast and I’m beat. I’ll see you two for breakfast?”
“I’ll be out before you start so I’ll just grab something at my meeting.” Seth picked up his phone. “But I’m setting a reminder for Tuesday to talk about renovations in case we haven’t put that on our calendar before then. Good night, Shauna.”
After Shauna left, Cat sat up straighter. “Was I wrong about the renovations? Did you want a separate family area?”
“No. If we were separated out, it would feel like a business rather than a house. This is your home. Soon, it will be our home. Not just an apartment, the whole place. A home we get to share with others.” He chuckled. “And it’s a whole lot better than the last time I shared quarters in the Army.”
“Let’s hope so.” She cuddled in and watched the fire for a while as they talked about the past, the future, and a little bit about now.
When the fire burned down, Seth stood and pulled her up. “Let’s crash. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
Had she told him she was going over to the college? Even if she hadn’t, now she had a good reason – the Covington student clause. If she happened to find out more about Dan and his time attending Covington, that would just be a bonus. She put their cups back on the now empty tray. “I’m so tired.”
“You go on upstairs, I’ll handle locking up.” He kissed her. “I’ll see you tomorrow at lunch?”
Cat thought about Dan and his time at Covington as she climbed the stairs and finally crashed on her bed. It was a long shot, but there wasn’t any other reason Cat knew that a man would be killed. Covington College had its secrets and sometimes, those were deadly.
After a morning filled with coffee and meeting her word count, Cat headed out to Covington. When she stopped at the English department, she found out that the dean wasn’t in and wasn’t expected in until next week. She made an appointment for next Wednesday to chat with him about the scholarship requirements. Then she wandered through the almost empty professor offices until she found Jessica Blair sitting at her desk. Cat poked her head into her office and waved.
