Christmas in Cherry Hills Read online

  Their visit might be over, but to Kat it felt like just the beginning.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you for visiting Cherry Hills, home of Kat, Matty, and Tom! If you enjoyed their story, please consider leaving a book review on your favorite online retailer and/or review site. Also join my readers’ group so you’ll be one of the first to know when their next adventure is published.

  Please keep reading for an excerpt from Book Thirteen of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery series, Choked in Cherry Hills. Thank you!

  CHOKED IN CHERRY HILLS

  Something was coiled around Katherine Harper’s neck. She could feel it encircling her throat, cutting off her airway. Whoever was choking her had a hold on her head, keeping her immobilized and helpless. She wanted to scream, but that was impossible when she couldn’t draw air into her lungs. Terror spread through every cell in her body. She was only thirty-two, much too young to die.

  Kat’s eyes flew open in a panic, her heart racing in her chest. Gasping for breath, she reached up to fight off her assailant. Her fingers landed on something soft and warm, something that felt quite familiar.

  Tom flicked his tail in her face and adjusted positions. Kat let out a strangled laugh, her heart starting to return to its normal rate. The attack had been a dream, one perpetuated by a certain big cat’s insistence on sleeping on her pillow.

  Kat levered herself up on one elbow and turned on the bedside lamp. “I thought you were trying to kill me,” she scolded the brown-and-black feline.

  Tom pried one eye open. The expression on his face suggested he wasn’t above such a deed if he deemed it necessary.

  Kat ruffled his fur. “You can’t fool me with that tough-guy attitude. I know you’re a big softie at heart.”

  Tom shut his eye and relaxed. Pretty soon, the sound of his purring filled the room.

  Kat snuggled closer to Tom while she petted him, savoring this moment for as long as she could. January mornings could be cold in Cherry Hills, Washington, and she would like nothing more than to stay buried under the covers all day.

  Unfortunately, she had to start getting ready for work soon.

  Kat checked the bedside clock. On the off chance that Matty, her yellow-and-brown tortoiseshell, failed to rouse her for breakfast according to her usual strict schedule, the alarm was programmed to go off in half an hour. Kat moved the knob to the radio setting instead.

  “Let’s see what John Sykes has to say this morning, shall we?” she suggested to Tom as she adjusted the dial.

  She rarely listened to talk radio, but since John Sykes had volunteered to auction off an evening out in his company to benefit Furry Friends Foster Families, she figured she should tune in to the local radio personality’s show at least once.

  “. . . totally agree, Bob,” a melodious male voice boomed through the speakers when Kat found the proper frequency. “Fitness is a lifelong commitment. Speaking for myself, it can be a challenge to find the time, but this year I’m making a point to show up at the gym at least twice a week. What about you, listeners? Anyone want to join me in my pledge to better health?”

  Kat swung her legs out of bed, frowning when she noticed the stiffness in her calves. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been inside a gym.

  “For those of you just tuning in, we’re talking New Year’s resolutions. Have one? Hate ’em? Call in and let us know where you stand.”

  Tom turned his head toward the radio and meowed his two cents before leaning back to groom his tummy.

  “You’re not into resolutions either, huh?” Kat replied. She gave Tom’s ample stomach a scratch, feeling it yield beneath her fingers. “Or fitness,” she added.

  The man who Kat presumed was John Sykes came back on the radio. She listened while heading over to the closet to select an outfit for work.

  “Happy Friday to all of you just joining us. If this is your first time tuning in this week, I have some exciting news to share with you. Tonight I’ll be up north in Cherry Hills for a charity auction. You ever been to Cherry Hills, Eli?”

  “Once or twice,” a more nasal male voice chimed in. “Can’t say the town offered much in terms of entertainment.”

  “If it’s entertainment you want, today’s your lucky day. A wonderful little animal rescue there called Furry Friends Foster Families is hosting a silent auction tonight to earn some much-needed funds for those homeless puppies and kitties. And one of the auction items up for bid is a very special evening with yours truly.”

  “If somebody is desperate enough to fork over cold hard cash to spend time with you, they’re welcome to give me a call,” Eli quipped. “I’ll give ’em this seat right here.”

  John chuckled. “Now, Eli, we’re not letting you sleep in that easily.”

  Matty sauntered into the bedroom. The tortoiseshell stopped just past the threshold and glanced at the radio.

  “And here’s the expert at keeping people from sleeping in,” Kat said, greeting the feline with a head scratch. “Right on time to beg for breakfast, I see.”

  Matty let Kat pet her for a few seconds before leaping on top of the mattress. Her ears pricked when she caught sight of the clean slacks Kat had laid out.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Kat snatched her pants off the bed before Matty could shed all over them.

  “So, ladies,” John Sykes was saying, “now that you have the lowdown, I expect to see a bunch of you in Cherry Hills tonight.”

  “And remember, if the thought of spending a full evening with John fails to float your boat, there’s still plenty of reasons to join us tonight,” Eli said. “Lots of other auction items will be up for grabs—ones that are much more appealing than the threat of being stuck with my dud of a co-host for hours on end.”

  “That’s right,” John said, laughing. “And all the money is going to a good cause.”

  Kat smiled as she changed out of her pajamas. She was happy the radio hosts were putting in a good word for the silent auction. She, Imogene Little, and Willow Wu—the three Furry Friends Foster Families board members—had put a lot of work into tonight’s fundraiser, and they were banking on it being enough of a success to support the needs of their foster animals for the next few months.

  Kat buttoned her slacks and pulled a belt out of the closet. Deciding to have some fun before she put it on, she grabbed hold of the buckle and wiggled the other end at the cats.

  Matty’s pupils dilated, and she jabbed at the belt with one paw. Tom, on the other hand, didn’t want to have anything to do with the snake-like object. He scurried toward the far side of the bed and buried his head under the pillows.

  Kat laughed. “You’re seriously scared of a little belt? And you’re always the first one to attack my shoelaces.”

  Losing interest in the belt game, Matty trotted over to Tom and licked his neck. Tom flinched, but when he saw it was only Matty he started purring again.

  Kat’s insides warmed. “It must be nice to have a sibling who looks out for you,” she said, ignoring the ache she experienced sometimes when she was reminded that she had no brothers or sisters of her own.

  Before Kat could become too maudlin, the voices on the radio captured her attention again. The hosts were still discussing the 4F auction.

  “You looking forward to tonight, Eli?” John Sykes asked.

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Good. For all you listeners on the fence about driving a little ways to attend a charity auction, let me remind you that I’ll be there meeting and greeting everyone in person.”

  “You’re supposed to be encouraging our listeners to show up tonight, not driving them away,” Eli joked.

  “Well, in that case, I’ll offer everyone out there a guarantee. Show up this evening, and I promise I’ll make this one of the most memorable nights you’ll have this year.”

  Kat wouldn’t realize the truth of his statement for another twelve hours.

  * * *

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  Books in the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery series:

  Book 1: Murder in Cherry Hills

  Book 2: Framed in Cherry Hills

  Book 3: Poisoned in Cherry Hills

  Book 4: Vanished in Cherry Hills

  Book 5: Shot in Cherry Hills

  Book 6: Strangled in Cherry Hills

  Book 7: Halloween in Cherry Hills

  Book 8: Stabbed in Cherry Hills

  Book 9: Thanksgiving in Cherry Hills

  Book 10: Frozen in Cherry Hills

  Book 11: Hit & Run in Cherry Hills

  Book 12: Christmas in Cherry Hills

  Book 13: Choked in Cherry Hills

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Paige Sleuth is a pseudonym for mystery author Marla Bradeen. She plots murder during the day and fights for mattress space with her two rescue cats at night. When not attending to her cats’ demands, she writes. She loves to hear from readers, and welcomes emails at [email protected].