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The next morning, Lauren crunched granola while Zoe munched whole wheat toast slathered with butter. Annie had already eaten her beef and liver.
“I wonder if Father Mike has thought to put up new posters for the play.” Zoe’s brown eyes sparkled. “We’ll need them, so everyone knows Annie is playing Mrs. Claus.”
“Great idea.” Lauren glanced at Annie, who sat next to her at the kitchen table. “What do you think?”
“Brrt!”
“I can make them during our quiet periods today,” Zoe said.
“If we have any.”
Business had been very good the last couple of weeks. The weather had turned chilly, and Lauren wondered if it might even snow. She would love to experience a white Christmas, even if it was only for one day – or half a day.
“I think I should make an extra batch of cupcakes today.” Her sweet treats had been selling out every day lately, along with Ed’s feather light Danishes.
“Ooh – are you making your new gingerbread cupcakes?” Zoe’s eyes lit up.
“Yes.” Gingerbread cakes with ginger flavored frosting and a red and white striped miniature candy cane had proved to be a big hit with their customers.
Mitch had suggested a super vanilla cupcake a couple of months ago, and she was still working on that request. Since it was for him, she wanted it to be super special.
“Make sure you put one away for me.”
“I will.” No wonder she had curves – her new creation had her reaching for one more often than she should.
They walked through the private hallway connecting the cottage to the café and started setting up.
The interior walls were pale yellow, and the furniture consisted of pine tables and chairs – right now, the chairs were stacked on the tables. A string-art picture of a cupcake with lots of pink frosting decorated one of the walls – evidence of one of Zoe’s past hobbies.
And of course, Annie’s pink cat bed on a low shelf, where she could relax when she wasn’t seating customers.
Faint notes of hazelnut and cocoa scented the air. As well as lattes and cappuccinos, they made regular and dark hot chocolate, as well as tea, such as Earl Grey, for their customers. Cupcakes, Danishes, and an array of Paninis rounded out their offerings along with a refrigerator full of chilled juices, and water.
Lauren unlocked the oak and glass door right on the dot of nine-thirty.
“I’ll start making the posters now.” Zoe pulled out a drawer behind the counter and grabbed a white sheet of paper and a black marker.
After a couple of minutes, Zoe held up her work.
Come and see Annie starring as Mrs. Claus in the Christmas Play!
7p.m. Saturday Night at the Town Hall.
“It looks good.” Lauren admired it. “And you’ve drawn Annie’s portrait on it.”
“She’s easy to draw,” Zoe said modestly. In the last few months, she’d embarked on pottery as her new hobby and had made mugs featuring Annie in different poses. She’d sketched Annie’s picture herself, and Lauren had to admit her cousin had a talent for art. The customers loved the mugs and it was good advertising for the café as well.
“Look, Annie.” Zoe held up the poster so Annie could see it from her basket.
“Brrt!” Annie sat up straight as she studied it.
“Will Father Mike be okay with this?” Lauren asked. She was proud that Annie was in the play, but she didn’t want to step on any toes – or should that be paws?
“Because I’ve called Annie the star of the show?”
“Mm-hm.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Zoe said. “But I’ll call and check with him.”
“Good idea.”
“He said it sounds great.” Zoe shoved her phone back in her jeans’ pocket. “And I should make as many as I want.”
“Let’s put this in the window.”
After they placed it prominently in the big window facing the street, they smiled at each other.
“Now all we need are some customers,” Zoe declared.
“Brrt!”
A few minutes later, Mrs. Wagner walked into the café, looking warm in her winter outfit of a periwinkle quilted jacket and matching pants.
“Hi, Mrs. Wagner.” Zoe pounced on her. “What can we get you?”
“Give me a minute to study your offerings, Zoe,” she replied.
Their usual rule was that customers came to the counter to order, and Lauren and Zoe brought out their treats. But they relaxed this rule for the elderly, infirm, and harried. Since Mrs. Wagner was really neither, although she did appear to be around sixty-five, Lauren surmised that Zoe wanted to grill her for information – specifically, what they had overheard last night when leaving the theater.
Mrs. Wagner perused the contents of the glass case – Lauren’s new gingerbread creation, as well as triple chocolate ganache, and blueberry crumble cupcakes.
“You don’t have Ed’s honeyed walnut Danish?” Mrs. Wagner asked, her mouth pursed.
“It’s in the oven right now,” Lauren said. “It might be ready in thirty minutes or so.”
“I don’t have time to wait.” She sighed. “I’ll have a gingerbread cupcake. They are quite good.”
“Thank you,” Lauren replied.
“Would you like something to drink?” Zoe asked. “Latte, cappuccino, mocha, hot chocolate, tea?”
“Just a regular latte, thank you,” Mrs. Wagner replied.
Usually Annie trotted over to a customer as soon as they entered the shop, but today she seemed to realize that Mrs. Wagner hadn’t been ready to be seated. Now, however, the feline came over to her.
“Brrt?” she asked enquiringly.
“I’m ready to sit down now, Annie,” Mrs. Wagner replied, her expression lightening a little.
“Brrt.” This way. Annie led the senior to a small table near the counter.
“We’ll be right over with your order,” Lauren promised.
Annie ambled back to her basket. Apparently, Mrs. Wagner didn’t seem in the mood to chat with her.
“I’ll take the cupcake over,” Zoe whispered. She plopped the treat onto a white plate and zoomed over to their customer.
“These are delicious,” she enthused to Mrs. Wagner. “Lauren is making your latte.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Wagner nodded.
Zoe leaned in. “How come Jay and Kyle owe you money?”
“What?” Mrs. Wagner frowned. “How on earth do you know that?”
“We couldn’t help overhearing last night at the theater,” Zoe told her.
“We weren’t eavesdropping,” Lauren said, as she walked over with the coffee. She’d added a peacock design to the top of the micro foam. The advanced latte art course they’d taken in Sacramento a while ago had really paid off.
“Yeah, we were just about to leave when we heard you tell them, ‘I know what you did.’” Zoe’s expression was keen with curiosity. “What did they do?”
Sometimes Lauren wished her cousin wasn’t so impulsive, but she had to admit she’d like to know as well. Although ...
“It’s not really any of our business,” she reminded her cousin.
“No, it’s not,” Mrs. Wagner told her. She stabbed her fork into the cupcake, the cheery red and white candy cane falling to the side of the plate with a clatter. “But I’ll tell you, anyway. They’ve recently moved in next door to me, and the first thing they did – well, Jay did – was to remove part of the wooden fence between our properties and in doing so, dug up my very rare and valuable rosebush.”
“Why would they do that?” Zoe scrunched her nose.
“Because they think they can do anything they like.” Mrs. Wagner sipped her coffee, not seeming to notice the latte art.
“Jay gave me some lame excuse about wanting to plant hops. Apparently, he wants to make his own beer.” She tsked. “Kyle is okay, I suppose, but I do not like Jay. He thinks if he does something wrong, someone else will bail him out. And life isn’t like that.”
“No,” Lauren replied.
“Not all the time,” Zoe agreed. “Is that why they owe you money?” she persisted.
“Yes.” Mrs. Wagner nodded vigorously. “I told them it was a very rare rose and it had cost me a lot of money to buy it a few years ago – two hundred dollars, would you believe – but I’d saved up for it and it produces the most amazing flowers you’ve ever seen. And the perfume!” Mrs. Wagner closed her eyes as if remembering the scent. “I’d never experienced anything like it. And now they’ve destroyed it. And it’s not as if I can just go out and buy another. I’ve called nurseries everywhere, and most of them have never heard of it. And the employees who know what I’m talking about said they can’t get their hands on it.”
“You can’t replant it and see if it will grow again?” Lauren asked. Although she had a backyard and a small front garden, she didn’t have much experience in growing things, apart from her tiny herb garden at the rear of the café.
“I tried that,” Mrs. Wagner said mournfully. “It just died.”
“Oh.” Lauren didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t blame you for wanting Jay to pay for the damage,” Zoe said indignantly.
“Thank you.” Mrs. Wagner nodded. “Whenever I press him about it, he keeps saying he’ll pay tomorrow, or next week, but it’s been three weeks now, and he still hasn’t coughed up.”
“What about hiring a lawyer?” Zoe asked.
“That will probably cost more money than the rose bush was worth. And I just don’t have the spare cash to do something like that.” Mrs. Wagner sighed. “The only thing I can think of is to keep asking him for payment every time I see him.”
“Perhaps Father Mike could talk to him,” Lauren suggested.
“Oh, I don’t want to bother the poor man,” Mrs. Wagner said. “He’s so busy, running here and there, looking after his congregation. And now he’s taken in that Persian show cat.” She tsked. “I took over some cookies I’d baked, since he does so much for everyone, and the cat hissed at me. Can you believe that?”
Unfortunately, Lauren could. Mrs. Wagner looked like an indignant hawk in that moment, and Mrs. Snuggle did not seem to like any humans at the best of times – apart from Father Mike, possibly.
They left Mrs. Wagner to enjoy her order.
“Wow,” Zoe muttered as they headed toward the counter. “No wonder she sounded cranky last night when we overheard their conversation.”
“No wonder,” Lauren echoed. She just hoped Mrs. Wagner’s problem would be solved to her satisfaction.
Martha barreled into the café, Annie running to greet her.
“Brrt!” She hopped onto the seat of her friend’s walker without waiting for an invitation.
“Hi, cutie pie!” The gray-haired woman winked at Annie. “Where should I sit?”
“Brrt!” This way! Annie directed her with a series of brrts and brrps until they stopped at a four-seater table in the middle of the room.
“Hi, girls.” Martha waved to Lauren and Zoe once she sat down. “Is it true Annie is going to star in the play?”
“Brrt!” Yes! Annie jumped on the pine chair next to Martha’s.
“Yes,” Mrs. Wagner replied from her table.
“Yes,” Lauren and Zoe chorused.
They hurried over to Martha – and Annie.
“You must tell me all about it.” Martha grinned. Although she needed her walker to get around, she was full of energy.
“We will,” Zoe promised. “Did you see my poster in the window?”
“Yes.” Martha nodded, her short curls springing around her head. “Good stuff. But I also heard it down at the senior center this morning.”
“Don’t look at me,” Mrs. Wagner said from her table. “I haven’t told anyone yet.”
“That place is a hotbed of gossip,” Lauren mused.
“You bet!” Martha winked.
“What can we get you?” Zoe asked.
Martha ordered her usual hot chocolate crammed with marshmallows.
“I’ve already bought a ticket for the play, even before I knew you were going to be in it, Annie.” She turned to the cat. “Now I’m glad I did. I don’t want to miss out.”
“Brrp.” Thank you. Annie nudged Martha’s arm.
“It’s going to be amazing,” Zoe enthused. “And you’ll get to see me play the head elf.” She struck a pose.
Lauren observed it was the same pose as last night and smiled to herself.
“I can’t wait!”
They gave Martha her order and left her to enjoy her time with Annie.
“I hope Mrs. Finch has bought a ticket,” Zoe fretted. “I don’t want her to miss out on seeing Annie – and me – in the play.”
“I’m sure she has,” Lauren assured her. “And if she hasn’t, we could buy one for her.”
“As a Christmas present!” Zoe brightened. “That’s a great idea.”
“We can ask her when she comes in today,” Lauren proposed.
“Especially since we won’t be going to her house for craft club tomorrow night.”
Craft club – a Zoe invention – took place Friday nights at Mrs. Finch’s. It had previously been called knitting/crochet/string-art/beading/pottery club, evidence of Zoe’s hobbies, until they’d finally decided to just call it craft club. They’d both started with knitting which Lauren had stuck with, but Zoe had ventured out into the world of handcrafts until she finally seemed to have settled on pottery – for now, anyway.
But with the play on Saturday night, and the final dress rehearsal Friday, they’d had to regretfully cancel their craft club evening, as there were only four members, including Annie.
“I’m sure Ms. Tobin will buy a ticket when she knows Annie will be in the play,” Zoe said.
“I think you’re right.” Lauren nodded.
“And Claire and little Molly.”
Just as Zoe mentioned their names, the mother-daughter duo entered the café.
“Annie!” Molly waved her chubby arms as her tall, athletic mother pushed her in the stroller.
“Brrt!” Annie jumped down from the chair and ran to greet her friend.
“I think she’s getting too old to be pushed around,” Claire confided to them as Molly gently patted Annie. “But I don’t think she can walk here all the way from our house.”
“Why don’t you two sit here with me?” Martha suggested. “Then Annie can sit with all of us.”
“Yeah!” Molly beamed, her blonde curls bouncing around her face.
“Thank you.” Claire smiled at Martha.
“Cino, cino,” Molly chanted, referring to her usual order of a babycino. Made of frothy steamed milk, with pink and white marshmallows and a sprinkle of chocolate powder, it was a treat the toddler enjoyed immensely.
Claire ordered her usual latte, and a gingerbread cupcake. “You can share mine, darling,” she told Molly.
“Yeah!” Molly clapped her hands.
Lauren smiled to herself, wondering what the toddler’s reaction would be when they told her Annie would be playing Mrs. Claus in the play.
Martha beat them to it.
“Are you two going to the Christmas show on Saturday night?” she asked. “I am. And guess who will be in it?”
“Zoe!” Molly pointed to her. “Elf!”
“That’s right.” Martha nodded. “And Annie is going to be in it.”
Molly’s mouth fell open as she stared at the cat and then back at Martha.
“Really?” Claire asked.
“Yes,” Lauren replied.
“Brrt!”
“As Mrs. Claus!” Zoe told them.
“Ooooooh!!!!!!!” Molly’s expression was full of admiration as she gazed at Annie.
“Just as well I’d already bought tickets,” Claire said wryly. “Because I wouldn’t get any peace until I did.”
“And there’s a good chance it will be a sell out because Annie’s in it.” Zoe grinned.
They headed to the counter to fill the orders.
“If we tell every customer that Annie is going to be in the play, I bet Father Mike sells the remainder of the tickets today,” Zoe commented.
“I hope so,” Lauren replied. The local wildlife sanctuary was a worthy cause, and Father Mike could raise a lot of money.
The morning passed quickly.
When Hans entered the café, Annie ran to greet him. The dapper German in his sixties was one of her favorite people.
“Brrt!”
“Where shall I sit, hmm, Liebchen?” A dapper man in his sixties, his faded blue eyes twinkled down at her.
“Brrt!” With me! Annie led him slowly to a two-seater table near the counter.
“Hi, Hans!” Zoe greeted him as she leaned over the counter.
“Hello, Zoe, and Lauren.”
“Hi.” Lauren smiled as she finished the latte art on a cappuccino. This time it was a tulip.
“I have heard all about Annie.” Hans beamed at the Norwegian Forest Cat sitting next to him. “You are to be the star of the show, Liebchen!”
“Brrt!”
Zoe took his order, and they both chatted to him when they brought over his cappuccino and gingerbread cupcake.
“I have already bought my ticket,” Hans told them. “Now I am glad I did. I do not want to miss out on seeing you, Annie.”
“I thought I could record the play on my phone so AJ, and Annie’s friend Toby, could watch it later,” Lauren said.
“That’s a great idea!” Zoe grinned. “I’m sure Father Mike won’t mind.”
They left Hans to enjoy his visit with Annie.
“We could have an early dinner before rehearsals tonight,” Zoe said as they headed back to the counter.
“Definitely,” Lauren said. She didn’t know if she could wait until nine p.m. or even later.
“Let’s get pizza.”
“Okay.” It was one of their favorite meals, although Lauren tried to ensure she ate plenty of vegetables – most of the time – as well.
“I’ll order it after we close this afternoon and clean up.”
Lauren nodded, her attention focused on the person walking through the door.
“Hi, Ms. Tobin,” she greeted one of their regulars.
“Hi!” Zoe waved to her.
“Brrt?” Annie looked up from her conversation with Hans. With a murmured, “Brrp,” she hopped down from her chair and trotted to greet the fifty-something woman.
Ms. Tobin wore a fawn sweater with matching skirt, just right for the chilly December weather. The color combination complimented her brown hair.
“Hello, dear.” Ms. Tobin smiled down at Annie.
“Brrt.” Hello.
Annie led her to a table near the counter.
“What I should get today, Annie?” Lauren heard her faintly.
Annie placed her paw on the laminated menu that was on the table.
“Yes, I think you’re right.” Ms. Tobin nodded. “A cupcake sounds perfect.”
She rose and walked toward the counter. Annie ran back to Hans while Ms. Tobin ordered.
“I understand, Liebchen,” Hans told her. “You are in demand today.”
“Brrp.” Annie bunted his arm.
“I shall see you in the play on Saturday night.”
“Brrt!” Yes!
Lauren turned her attention to Ms. Tobin.
“I’ll have a large latte and one of your cupcakes, Lauren. Let me see.” She perused the offerings in the glass case. “Yes, I’ll try your new gingerbread creation.”
“It won’t be long,” Lauren promised.
“Ready in a jiffy,” Zoe added cheerfully.
“I bought a ticket to the play this morning,” Ms. Tobin told them. “I heard at the senior center that Annie will be playing Mrs. Claus.”
“Yes, it’s true.” Lauren nodded as she steamed milk. She explained about Mrs. Adley dropping out of the play.
“She’s been waiting a long time for her first grandchild,” Ms. Tobin remarked. “I can see why she would rather spend Christmas with her family.” She looked a little wistful.
Ms. Tobin returned to her table. Annie said goodbye to Hans and joined her.
“Do you think Ms. Tobin has any family?” Zoe plated the cupcake.
“I don’t know.” Ms. Tobin was quite a private person.
Zoe took the treat over to the table.
“Thank you.” Ms. Tobin smiled briefly. “Annie has been keeping me company.” She turned to Annie. “I think you will be excellent in the play, dear.”
“Brrt.” Thank you.
They left Ms. Tobin to enjoy her time with Annie.
“I must be going now.” Hans approached the counter to pay his bill. He clinked some coins into the tip jar.
“Thanks.” Zoe smiled.
Zoe and Ed shared the tips. Since Lauren owned the café, she didn’t think it fair to take a cut of the tips as well.
“I shall see you at the theater on Saturday.” Hans beamed.
They waved goodbye to him.
“Total sell out.” Zoe nodded. “Everyone is going to be at the town hall to see the play.”
“I think you’re right.”
Lauren’s attention was snagged by the tall, lean, and muscular man who strode into the shop. In his early thirties, he wore a blue button-down shirt and charcoal slacks.
Mitch Denman.
“Hi,” he greeted her.
“Hi,” Lauren replied softly. Every time she saw him, her heart beat faster, even though they’d been dating for over a year.
“Where’s Chris?” Zoe glanced behind him, as if expecting her boyfriend to suddenly appear.
“He’s working a shift.”
“Again?” Zoe frowned.
“Since he’s new down here, he doesn’t want to rock the boat. Not yet, anyway,” Mitch explained. “But he said to tell you he’ll be at the theater tomorrow night to help backstage.”
“Good.” Zoe’s expression brightened.
“I’m sorry we haven’t seen much of each other lately,” he murmured to Lauren. “Between work and Chris crashing at my place ...”
“I understand,” Lauren replied. She noticed Zoe had moved to the other end of the counter, but wondered if her cousin could still overhear them.
“Detective Castern has gone home for the holidays,” Mitch continued. “So I’ve been doing some overtime. I haven’t been hanging out with Chris every night.”
“I didn’t think you were,” Lauren said. She’d been a little disappointed that she hadn’t seen Mitch as often as usual recently, but she was glad that he had a good friend to spend time with, like she had in Zoe – and Annie.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised. “What about tonight – or tomorrow night?” He looked rueful. “Tomorrow’s craft club – or is it dress rehearsal?”
“Tonight is dress rehearsal too,” Lauren said regretfully. “And since Annie is playing Mrs. Claus, I need to be there.”
He blinked. “She’s what?”
“You mean you haven’t heard?” Zoe jumped into the conversation from the other end of the counter. “I think you’re the only person in here today who didn’t know!”
Lauren quickly told him what had transpired last night.
“I was coming to watch the play with you anyway, but I definitely have to see this.” He smiled, glancing around the café. “Where’s Annie now?”
“Over there.” She gestured to the small table, where the feline appeared to be listening to Ms. Tobin.
“Tell her congratulations from me.” His dark brown eyes were warm as he returned his attention to Lauren.
“I will.”
“What about Sunday?” he asked. “I could come over and we could have lunch. I’ll organize it.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled.
His phone buzzed a few minutes later, and he left with a latte and a gingerbread cupcake, promising to call her that night.
“Maybe Chris and I can do something on Sunday,” Zoe mused as soon as Mitch left the café, “Since you’ll be occupied.” She winked.
“I hope so.” Lauren felt her cheeks heat a little. Would she always have that reaction to her cousin speaking about Mitch?
“I love that Chris transferred down here,” Zoe continued. “And it’s cool that he’s roomies with Mitch. I mean, we’re roomies – with Annie, of course.” She glanced over at Annie keeping Ms. Tobin company. “But it would be nice if Chris stopped by the café sometimes. Like he did when he lived in Sacramento.”
Before Lauren could open her mouth to say something, Zoe continued, “Yes, I know he’s the new guy at work, like Mitch reminded me. It’s just – I don’t know.” She sighed.
Her sudden bout of uncertainty wasn’t like the sunny, impulsive cousin Lauren knew. But Zoe had experienced some disastrous internet dates before meeting Chris – in real life. And their romance had progressed slowly at first – perhaps even more slowly than Lauren and Mitch’s.
“Tell him how you feel.” Lauren touched her shoulder. “Maybe he’s feeling the same way.”
“You think?” Zoe brightened.
In Lauren’s opinion, they were the perfect couple. Chris’s laidback, easy going nature complemented Zoe’s live wire personality.
“Yes.”