Cat Trick Read Online Free PDF Page B

doing tomorrow morning?”
    “He’s posing for her,” I said. “Last spring, Ruby took some photos and then did a
     pop art painting of Hercules for a workshop she was teaching. He was lime green and
     Big Bird yellow. Maggie convinced her to hang the painting in the co-op store and
     someone bought it. For a lot of money. Now Ruby wants to do another painting of Hercules
     to donate to a fund-raiser for a cat rescue group. So she’s taking more pictures tomorrow
     morning.”
    “That’s really nice,” he said.
    “Ruby’s a nice person.”
    There was a clunky silence. Then Marcus spoke. “I arrested Ruby based on the evidence.”
    “I know you did,” I said. The SUV was just ahead.
    He stepped in front of me and stopped. “Wait a second. You just agreed with me.”
    “I did.”
    “You aren’t going to argue?”
    I shook my head. “Nope.”
    He pulled his mouth to one side. “What am I missing?”
    I held up my index finger. “Number one, I don’t want to argue with you because I’m
     having a good time.”
    “So am I,” he said.
    I raised a second finger. “Number two, I know you have to look at facts and evidence.
     You can’t make decisions based on emotion.”
    He opened his mouth to say something, and I raised my other hand in warning. “That
     doesn’t mean I like it.”
    A hint of a smile flitted across his face.
    I held up my ring finger with the other two. “Number three, if we argue, I’ll have
     to stalk off just on principle and I’m tired. I don’t want to walk all the way up
     the hill.”
    He looked expectantly at me. “What’s number four?”
    “I don’t have a number four,” I said.
    “How about we can’t argue because of Maggie?” He started walking backward down the
     sidewalk.
    I followed. “Because of Maggie?”
    Marcus held out both hands and almost backed into a garbage can. “She has been working
     awfully hard to get us together.”
    A rush of heat rose in my face. “You know?”
    The hint of a smile turned into a full one. “Kathleen, Owen and Hercules probably
     know. Maggie hasn’t exactly been subtle.”
    The cats did know, but I was pretty sure that had more to do with the fact that they
     weren’t exactly typical house cats than it did with Maggie’s lack of subtlety.
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “She played matchmaker with Roma and Eddie—indirectly—and I think
     now she wants everyone to have a happily ever after.” The moment the words were out,
     I was sorry I’d said them. “I don’t mean I think that you’re some kind of prince on
     a white horse,” I added. “Or even not on a horse. Or even a prince . . . not that
     you’re not a great guy.” I was babbling.
    Marcus stopped walking so suddenly, I smacked into him, both of my hands landing flat
     on his chest. It was a very nice chest, broad and manly. I sucked in a deep breath.
     And he did smell good.
    I gave myself a mental smack. What the heck was wrong with me?
    Marcus put his hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay,” he said. “I know what you mean.”
    We stood there looking at each other like we were caught in a movie moment, the point
     where the hero gazes deeply into the heroine’s eyes and then sweeps her into a passionate
     kiss, so passionate that one of her feet comes off the ground.
    We didn’t do that.
    Marcus let go of my shoulders and I took my hands off his chest, trying not to act
     as flustered as I felt. We were standing next to the SUV. He unlocked the door for
     me and walked around to the driver’s side.
    On the way up the hill, we talked about all the efforts to bring more tourists to
     Mayville Heights in the traditional off-season. By the time Marcus pulled into my
     driveway, the awkwardness I’d felt on the sidewalk was gone. He walked me to the back
     door, and I thanked him for dinner. He smiled, told me he’d talk to me soon and walked
     back around the side of the house. No movie-moment kiss, not even a peck on the cheek.
     As I unlocked