either.” Haley looked
pointedly at the cat.
“She’s got you there, Boss.” Hank
climbed into the pick-up. “I’ll go deliver her back home. If you hear shouting,
don’t concern yourself. I think I can hold my own against a sixty-five-year old
man.”
“He’s sixty six,” Dottie chimed in.
Ethan raised his eyebrows. “Care to
share any other statistics with us, Mom? Favorite foods? Waist size? Good
dancer?”
“Fried chicken. Don’t know his
waist size, but I’d guess around thirty eight, and I can’t dance with my bad
knee, so how would I know?” She plopped her hands on her hips. “And he loves
that cat, Hank, so don’t be mean to him.”
“I wouldn’t dream of being mean to
an old fart like him, Dottie, but he’s got to listen to reason. Someone could
have been hurt, maybe killed. This animal is wild by nature and she was hungry.
Do I need to spell it out?”
Dottie shook her head. Hank slammed
the pick-up door shut and started the truck, then pulled out.
Ethan shot his mom a wicked grin.
“I didn’t know you and Amos were such good friends.”
“There’s lots you don’t know about
me.” Dottie glared at him. “Amos is lonely, and we talk some. That’s about it.
But I know he loves Lucy, and she normally wouldn’t hurt a fly. She purrs when
you pet her.”
“She probably purrs when she’s
chewing on you, too.” Ethan started toward the field. “Let’s go look at cougar
tracks. All of you need to know what they look like.”
“You honestly would let Kayla hike
again?” Haley asked, as she followed Ethan.
“What’s she supposed to do? Stay
cooped up all day whenever we come here?”
“Don’t bite your nanny’s head off,”
Dottie ordered. “She’s right. Kayla needs to stay close until you know Lucy can’t
get loose again.”
“Cougar Kitty will be in a zoo if I
have any say about this. And I won’t let Kayla, or any of you, hike until this
gets settled.”
Kayla tugged on her father’s hand.
“I want to see her paw prints.”
Ryan kicked his legs, hitting
Haley’s stomach with each kick. “Me too.”
She lowered him to the ground, but
kept a firm grip on his hand. “Why don’t we go on a safari next weekend? That
might be a tad safer.”
“Great idea.” Ethan started up the
hill. “I’ll look into it.”
Rolling her eyes at Dottie, Haley
followed Ethan into the woods to get her first, and hopefully last, look at a
cougar’s paw print.
****
“I promise I’ll make an appointment
for my surgery after the family reunion.” Dottie stared at Ethan across his
mahogany desk, all but daring him to dispute her, and he knew better than to
utter a word. “I think that’s fair,” she continued. “After all, I want to enjoy
the family reunion and I wouldn’t have time to recuperate before then. What can
a few more weeks hurt?”
“Hopefully nothing.” Eyeing his
mother, Ethan stacked some scattered papers into a pile, and then shoved them
to a corner of the desk. “Let me know as soon as the date is set for surgery.”
Dottie let out a long-suffering
sigh. “I guess I don’t have much choice but to tell you, seeing as how you’ll
have to take me to the hospital.”
“Good point.” She narrowed her gaze
at him. He held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t look at me like that. I saw
you stumble this morning in the kitchen.”
Dottie glared at him. “Ryan’s toy
was in my way. I tripped on it.”
“Then I’d best tell Haley she needs
to keep things picked up better.”
“Don’t you dare. She works herself
to death as it is. Besides, Ryan is my buddy.”
In other words, you didn’t
really trip over his toy . “You’re not going to be able to play with him
before long, Mother, so please make the appointment. Get this over with.”
Shooting him daggers, Dottie snatched
up her phone from the desk and called her surgeon. After leaving a message, she
ended the call. “Satisfied?”
“I’ll be more satisfied when
they’ve
pointedly at the cat.
“She’s got you there, Boss.” Hank
climbed into the pick-up. “I’ll go deliver her back home. If you hear shouting,
don’t concern yourself. I think I can hold my own against a sixty-five-year old
man.”
“He’s sixty six,” Dottie chimed in.
Ethan raised his eyebrows. “Care to
share any other statistics with us, Mom? Favorite foods? Waist size? Good
dancer?”
“Fried chicken. Don’t know his
waist size, but I’d guess around thirty eight, and I can’t dance with my bad
knee, so how would I know?” She plopped her hands on her hips. “And he loves
that cat, Hank, so don’t be mean to him.”
“I wouldn’t dream of being mean to
an old fart like him, Dottie, but he’s got to listen to reason. Someone could
have been hurt, maybe killed. This animal is wild by nature and she was hungry.
Do I need to spell it out?”
Dottie shook her head. Hank slammed
the pick-up door shut and started the truck, then pulled out.
Ethan shot his mom a wicked grin.
“I didn’t know you and Amos were such good friends.”
“There’s lots you don’t know about
me.” Dottie glared at him. “Amos is lonely, and we talk some. That’s about it.
But I know he loves Lucy, and she normally wouldn’t hurt a fly. She purrs when
you pet her.”
“She probably purrs when she’s
chewing on you, too.” Ethan started toward the field. “Let’s go look at cougar
tracks. All of you need to know what they look like.”
“You honestly would let Kayla hike
again?” Haley asked, as she followed Ethan.
“What’s she supposed to do? Stay
cooped up all day whenever we come here?”
“Don’t bite your nanny’s head off,”
Dottie ordered. “She’s right. Kayla needs to stay close until you know Lucy can’t
get loose again.”
“Cougar Kitty will be in a zoo if I
have any say about this. And I won’t let Kayla, or any of you, hike until this
gets settled.”
Kayla tugged on her father’s hand.
“I want to see her paw prints.”
Ryan kicked his legs, hitting
Haley’s stomach with each kick. “Me too.”
She lowered him to the ground, but
kept a firm grip on his hand. “Why don’t we go on a safari next weekend? That
might be a tad safer.”
“Great idea.” Ethan started up the
hill. “I’ll look into it.”
Rolling her eyes at Dottie, Haley
followed Ethan into the woods to get her first, and hopefully last, look at a
cougar’s paw print.
****
“I promise I’ll make an appointment
for my surgery after the family reunion.” Dottie stared at Ethan across his
mahogany desk, all but daring him to dispute her, and he knew better than to
utter a word. “I think that’s fair,” she continued. “After all, I want to enjoy
the family reunion and I wouldn’t have time to recuperate before then. What can
a few more weeks hurt?”
“Hopefully nothing.” Eyeing his
mother, Ethan stacked some scattered papers into a pile, and then shoved them
to a corner of the desk. “Let me know as soon as the date is set for surgery.”
Dottie let out a long-suffering
sigh. “I guess I don’t have much choice but to tell you, seeing as how you’ll
have to take me to the hospital.”
“Good point.” She narrowed her gaze
at him. He held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t look at me like that. I saw
you stumble this morning in the kitchen.”
Dottie glared at him. “Ryan’s toy
was in my way. I tripped on it.”
“Then I’d best tell Haley she needs
to keep things picked up better.”
“Don’t you dare. She works herself
to death as it is. Besides, Ryan is my buddy.”
In other words, you didn’t
really trip over his toy . “You’re not going to be able to play with him
before long, Mother, so please make the appointment. Get this over with.”
Shooting him daggers, Dottie snatched
up her phone from the desk and called her surgeon. After leaving a message, she
ended the call. “Satisfied?”
“I’ll be more satisfied when
they’ve
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