All Murders Final! by Sherry Harris

it.” He grinned again, which highlighted his sturdy jaw.
    â€œWhat are you doing for Patriots’ Day?” We smiled at each other. My heart felt like it was melting. CJ had been so distant lately, and Seth so lovely. Why have I been having such a hard time deciding who I want to have a relationship with? The choice seemed more obvious every minute.
    Seth leaned in close. His spicy aftershave wafted off his warm skin. I breathed it in, thinking once again that every man in America should be mandated to wear this stuff. “You think that’s a better line?” he asked.
    I smiled. “And you shouldn’t make assumptions that I’m alone. My friends might be in the back.” I waved a hand toward a corner of the bar.
    Seth glanced over his shoulder. A bunch of pimpled adolescents were playing video games. The first time it had been bikers playing pool. “You’re going with those guys are your friends?”
    â€œThey could be.” At this point on the first night we’d met, his buddies had come and pulled him away from me, but tonight would be different.
    â€œSeth,” a pouty voice said. I turned to see a tall, slender woman dressed in a fitted black suit standing next to us. “Did you get my cosmo?”
    That explained Seth’s drink. I should have realized it wasn’t for him. My melting heart shored up a bit. Of course he wasn’t alone. Why would he be? And here I had thought my choice seemed so clear.
    Seth handed her the drink, and she linked her arm through his. “This is Nichole More. Margaret’s granddaughter.”
    I said hello and realized I’d seen her in pictures with Seth over the past few months. I tried to remember what the society page had said about her. I think she was a lawyer, too, but unlike Seth, she was a defense attorney. They must have some interesting discussions. Her suit looked expensive, her hair glistened even in the dim light, and she stood about two inches taller than Seth. She looked like a model, even though I knew she wasn’t one.
    â€œYou’ll have to excuse us,” Nichole said to me. “Seth, my mom is insisting she needs to ask you something.” She tugged on his arm. Good heavens. Would he buy such a blatant made-up line?
    â€œOkay,” he said.
    Yup, I guess he would.
    As he moved past, he whispered, “I’ll be back. Wait for me.”
    I wasn’t the waiting kind of girl anymore, so as soon as they left, I took off in the other direction, trying to ignore the jealous thoughts darting around my head. I hoped to find the woman who’d told me I had my nerve attending the viewing, so I could ask someone who she was. But she was nowhere to be found. I chatted with a few people as I moved around the increasingly tipsy crowd. But there were a lot of people I didn’t recognize, and they all looked wealthy. I headed for the door. Just before I opened it, a hand grabbed mine. Seth.

Chapter 13
    â€œI want you to meet my parents,” he said.
    â€œYour parents are here?” I looked over my shoulder, like they might be right behind me. “Why?”
    â€œMy family and the Mores go way back. So will you meet them?”
    I felt unsure. I was no model or lawyer, the kind of woman Seth usually seemed to be with, but I needed to snap out of that kind of thinking. I ran my own business, and I looked pretty good tonight. Someone out there thought my boots were sexy. Ugh. Why had I thought of that? I straightened my shoulders, told myself it would be okay.
    â€œOkay,” I finally said.
    Seth took my hand and guided me through the crowd. I gripped his hand like he was a towrope and I was a rookie skier going back up a hill. He gave my hand a squeeze, which made me feel a little better. Seth stopped by two couples and waited until one of the women turned. She looked like a taller, more stylish version of Queen Elizabeth. I resisted the urge to curtsy.
    â€œSeth, darling,