“That sounds really nice,” Freddie said a moment later. “I kind of want that. With … someone.”
My jaw dropped. That was the first time ever Freddie hadn’t made a snarky joke when I talked about my feelings for Grady. Maybe this really was a new year.
“I’ve been meaning to say,” Freddie said. “I was really impressed with how you held it together last night.”
I squinted at him. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I was giving you a pretty hard time before the party about losing it with all your bottled-up emotions,” he said, petting Stanley’s head. “But after a rough start, you were like the coolest of us all.”
I blinked. I hadn’t really felt cool …
… but I guess I did keep it together. For the most part. Huh. Go me.
“And you got to admit,” he went on. “Some parts of last night were pretty fun.”
I looked up from the fork I had been spinning on the table. “Exactly what parts are you referring to?”
“You running around in a turban and snow boots? The whole thing with the Blinder 3000—”
“You shouting werewolf! every time you saw Joey!”
We laughed.
It felt good … and nauseating.
“So,” Freddie said once he had regained his composure, “given everything that’s happened this past year, do you regret moving back to Otter Lake?”
All that laughing had made me cry a little. I wiped my eyes and looked at Freddie. Aww, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that he looked just a little bit worried about what my answer might be. “Nope. Not at all. Not even for a second.”
“BFFs forever?”
I sighed. “How many times do I have to say it? The second f—”
“BFFs forever?” Freddie repeated at a much louder volume.
I smiled. “BFFs forever.”
Also by Auralee Wallace
Skinny Dipping with Murder
Pumpkin Picking with Murder
Snowed In with Murder
Praise for the Otter Lake mystery series
“Delightful … with laugh-out-loud moments, a touch of romance, and a fun, sassy style. Readers will enjoy every moment spent in Otter Lake.”
—Diane Kelly, award-winning author of Death, Taxes, and a Shotgun Wedding
“A frolicking good time … with a heroine who challenges Stephanie Plum for the title of funniest sleuth.”
—New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson
“Time spent with the folks in Otter Lake is well worthwhile, with writing that is witty, contemporary, and winning.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Wonderfully entertaining!”
—RT Book Reviews
About the Author
Auralee Wallace has played many roles in her life, including college professor, balloon seller, and collections agent. When this semi-natural blonde mother of three children (and psychiatric nurse to two rescue cats) isn’t writing humorous novels about quirky characters, she can often be found pontificating about the Golden Age of soap operas or warring with a family of peregrine falcons for the rights to her backyard. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
The Morning After
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
The Morning After
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
The Morning After
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
The Morning After
Chapter Nineteen
The Morning After
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
The Morning After
Chapter Twenty-three
The Morning After
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
The Morning After
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
The Morning After
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
The Morning After
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
The Morning After
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
The Morning After
Chapter Forty-three
The Morning After
Chapter Forty-four
Also by Auralee Wallace
Praise for the Otter Lake mystery series
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
RING IN THE YEAR WITH MURDER
Copyright © 2017 by Auralee Wallace.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN: 9781250151469
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St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / November 2017
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Ring In the Year with Murder--An Otter Lake Mystery Page 24
