One Hot Murder by Lorraine Bartlett

of a shot.”
    Katie ate a couple of bites of her sandwich before she spoke again. “Fred said I’d probably become good friends with the new owners. Nick and…who else?”
    “Don Parsons. Great guys. You
will
love them.”
    Katie took another bite of sandwich and made a noncommittal “Hmm…”
    “If you like, I could introduce you to them,” Seth offered.
    Katie swallowed, her eyes widening. “Sure. I wouldn’t mind. I could invite them to join the Merchants Association. It
would
be in their best interests.”
    “Of course,” Seth agreed.
    Katie polished off the first half of her sandwich. “When?”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “When could you introduce me to your friends? Tonight? Tomorrow?”
    “Whoa—whoa! What’s the rush?”
    “Oh, come on, Seth, you know I’ve been dying to get my hands on that place for years. If somebody else is going to have it, I want to be in on the plans. I need to. I love that old house. It was meant for
me
, but if I can’t have it, I want to make sure the new owners are going to love it and take care of it just like I would have.”
    “That sounds very noble, but are you sure you won’tbecome a pain in their—” Like Davenport, he paused in his description.
    “Does everybody go around McKinlay Mill thinking of me as some kind of a nuisance?”
    “Not at all,” Seth assured her. “It’s just…you
do
have a dynamic personality. It’s a big part of your charm.”
    “Flattery will get you everywhere with me. You and Andy both know what buttons to push.”
    “All part of being a good lawyer.” He sipped his iced tea. “I’ll give Nick a call and try to set something up. Are you free every night this week?”
    “Usually I would be, but Tuesday I’m cooking dinner for Andy.”
    “You—cooking? Isn’t that an oxymoron?” he asked, aghast.
    “I’ll have you know I dug out my aunt Lizzie’s favorite cookbooks and bought several new ones, too. I’ve been working my way through them. The way to a man’s heart
is
through his stomach, right?”
    “I’ve heard it said, but it doesn’t work with me,” Seth muttered.
    “I might just invite you to dinner so you can see how much I’ve improved. But the truth is you’d melt.”
    “How would you like to come to my place to cook? I’ve got central air-conditioning.”
    “I might just move in with you,” she countered.
    “Let’s not go that far,” he teased. “You could seriously cramp my lifestyle.”
    “And you, mine.”
    They both laughed.
    “Are you coming to the potluck at the Alley on Saturday night? Everybody’s going to be there.”
    “Everybody?” Seth asked.
    “Everybody who’s anybody on Victoria Square.”
    “That doesn’t include me,” he said sadly.
    “You’re the Alley’s lawyer. And I’m looking for a tenantfor one of my empty storefronts inside the Alley,” she reminded him.
    “You know how fond I am of Artisans Alley, but that’s not the ambiance I want my clients to experience when they come for legal services.”
    Katie sighed. “You can’t fault a girl for trying. But the invitation is still open. I would love for you to be there. You can bring the mansion’s new owners.”
    “I’ll think about it.”
    “Think hard,” Katie said, and ate another potato chip. She watched as Seth stabbed another piece of lettuce and realized just how much she enjoyed his company. Now if she could just get him to spill the beans on the new owner of Wood U. But now wasn’t the time to badger him. He’d tell her in good time.
    If she didn’t uncover that fact for herself first.

    Seth dropped Katie off at the front of Artisans Alley, and she was grateful that the front of the building was air-conditioned. If she stood there and soaked in the cool dry air for a few moments, she might actually cool down from the quick but hot ride in Seth’s car before she had to face the hot box that was her office. Seth gave a wave and turned the car around. He was headed to the new marina and