stops, once things dry out a little, everyone’s going to be in a better mood.”
“I hope you’re right,” Maggie said. “With the store closed, Jaeger’s guardian angel with a checkbook idea seems pretty good to at least a couple of people.”
“It’s what my dad calls selling smoke in a jar,” I said, reaching down to lift Owen onto my lap. He rubbed the side of his face against the telephone receiver. “Owen sends his love.”
“Give Fuzz Face a scratch for me,” she said. Owen must have heard her voice because he started purring.
“Mags, why don’t I bring the truck down? We can take whatever you need over to your studio and at least get those orders sent.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. If I can keep up with orders from the Web site, that’s one less thing for Jaeger to complain about.”
“I’ll meet you at the shop in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks,” she said. I could hear the smile in her voice. “Hey, Kath, I forgot to ask you. Did you try the boots on Hercules? Did he like them?”
“He was…speechless…meowless,” I said, cringing at how lame I sounded.
“I’m glad. I know he hates getting his feet wet.”
“I’ll see you shortly,” I said.
I hung up. Owen looked at me, narrowing his golden eyes. “I didn’t lie,” I said. He continued to stare, not even a whisker twitching.
I bent my face close to his. “Remember what I said,” I whispered. “We can always put those boots on you.”
He blinked, gave his head a shake and jumped down to the floor. Then he disappeared.
Literally.
“I hate it when you do that,” I muttered, heading back to the kitchen. I had no idea how he did it or why. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing I could ask Roma about when I took the cats for their shots. And Owen’s little vanishing act had come in handy on occasion. Over time I’d just learned to accept it, kind of like Maggie’s inexplicable love for the
Today
show’s Matt Lauer. Some things defy rational explanation.
At least Hercules couldn’t spontaneously become invisible. Nope. All he could do was walk through walls. Again, it sometimes had its uses.
I took a couple of aspirin. Then I pulled on my sweatshirt and rubber boots and made my way out to the truck.
Maggie was waiting on the sidewalk in front of the co-op store. Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Good goddess, Kathleen, what happened?” she said.
I held up a hand. “I’m okay. It’s not as bad as it looks.” It probably would have been better if I hadn’t held up the hand with the big bandage on it.
She shot a quick glance at the front of the truck. “Did you have an accident?”
“No.” I shook my head. “The embankment behind the carriage house collapsed out from underneath me yesterday. The ground is completely saturated with water.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because I’m okay.”
“You could have broken your neck.”
“But I didn’t,” I said. “I’ve got some scrapes and some bruises and I twisted my ankle, but that’s pretty much it. Marcus called the paramedics. Trust me, I wouldn’t be walking around if he thought I wasn’t okay. You know what he’s like.”
Maggie folded her arms across her chest. “I know what you’re like too.”
“Would it make you feel better to know Roma gave me the once over as well?”
“It would,” she said. “If you were a horse, or a German shepherd.”
“Roma has said I’m as stubborn as a mule,” I said. “Does that count?”
Maggie didn’t want to smile, but she couldn’t help it.
“I swear I’m all right, Mags,” I said. “But the thing is, when the hill collapsed there were some…remains that were unearthed.”
“Remains?” she repeated. “You mean human remains?”
I nodded, shifting my weight more onto my right leg. If I stayed in one position too long the throbbing in my ankle got more insistent, as though it were doing the percussion intro to the
Hawaii Five-0
theme song.
Quickly, I filled in
“I hope you’re right,” Maggie said. “With the store closed, Jaeger’s guardian angel with a checkbook idea seems pretty good to at least a couple of people.”
“It’s what my dad calls selling smoke in a jar,” I said, reaching down to lift Owen onto my lap. He rubbed the side of his face against the telephone receiver. “Owen sends his love.”
“Give Fuzz Face a scratch for me,” she said. Owen must have heard her voice because he started purring.
“Mags, why don’t I bring the truck down? We can take whatever you need over to your studio and at least get those orders sent.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. If I can keep up with orders from the Web site, that’s one less thing for Jaeger to complain about.”
“I’ll meet you at the shop in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks,” she said. I could hear the smile in her voice. “Hey, Kath, I forgot to ask you. Did you try the boots on Hercules? Did he like them?”
“He was…speechless…meowless,” I said, cringing at how lame I sounded.
“I’m glad. I know he hates getting his feet wet.”
“I’ll see you shortly,” I said.
I hung up. Owen looked at me, narrowing his golden eyes. “I didn’t lie,” I said. He continued to stare, not even a whisker twitching.
I bent my face close to his. “Remember what I said,” I whispered. “We can always put those boots on you.”
He blinked, gave his head a shake and jumped down to the floor. Then he disappeared.
Literally.
“I hate it when you do that,” I muttered, heading back to the kitchen. I had no idea how he did it or why. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing I could ask Roma about when I took the cats for their shots. And Owen’s little vanishing act had come in handy on occasion. Over time I’d just learned to accept it, kind of like Maggie’s inexplicable love for the
Today
show’s Matt Lauer. Some things defy rational explanation.
At least Hercules couldn’t spontaneously become invisible. Nope. All he could do was walk through walls. Again, it sometimes had its uses.
I took a couple of aspirin. Then I pulled on my sweatshirt and rubber boots and made my way out to the truck.
Maggie was waiting on the sidewalk in front of the co-op store. Her eyes widened when she saw me. “Good goddess, Kathleen, what happened?” she said.
I held up a hand. “I’m okay. It’s not as bad as it looks.” It probably would have been better if I hadn’t held up the hand with the big bandage on it.
She shot a quick glance at the front of the truck. “Did you have an accident?”
“No.” I shook my head. “The embankment behind the carriage house collapsed out from underneath me yesterday. The ground is completely saturated with water.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because I’m okay.”
“You could have broken your neck.”
“But I didn’t,” I said. “I’ve got some scrapes and some bruises and I twisted my ankle, but that’s pretty much it. Marcus called the paramedics. Trust me, I wouldn’t be walking around if he thought I wasn’t okay. You know what he’s like.”
Maggie folded her arms across her chest. “I know what you’re like too.”
“Would it make you feel better to know Roma gave me the once over as well?”
“It would,” she said. “If you were a horse, or a German shepherd.”
“Roma has said I’m as stubborn as a mule,” I said. “Does that count?”
Maggie didn’t want to smile, but she couldn’t help it.
“I swear I’m all right, Mags,” I said. “But the thing is, when the hill collapsed there were some…remains that were unearthed.”
“Remains?” she repeated. “You mean human remains?”
I nodded, shifting my weight more onto my right leg. If I stayed in one position too long the throbbing in my ankle got more insistent, as though it were doing the percussion intro to the
Hawaii Five-0
theme song.
Quickly, I filled in
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