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“I wonder what Mrs. Finch is doing for Christmas,” Zoe mused the next evening as they drove to their friend’s house. The evening was chilly, damp – and dark.
“I hope she won’t be on her own,” Lauren said.
“She can always spend Christmas with us,” Zoe suggested.
“Good idea.” It was the perfect solution – if Mrs. Finch didn’t already have plans.
Lauren pulled up outside the sweet Victorian cottage. The porch lamp glowed in the night.
She lifted Annie out of the backseat, checking the buckles on her harness were secure.
“Brrt.” Annie led the way to the front door.
“Hello, dears.” Mrs. Finch greeted them before they even had a chance to knock. “I heard your car and saw your headlights.”
“Hi, Mrs. Finch.” Zoe beamed at her.
“Come in, come in.” The elderly lady led the way down the lilac hall to the living room, decorated in shades of fawn and beige.
“Now, what crafts are we going to explore tonight?” she asked as she carefully sat down in an armchair.
“I’ve just finished the latest batch of Annie’s mugs.” Zoe pulled a brightly wrapped gift out of her shopping bag and handed it to Mrs. Finch.
“This is for you. From me and Annie. And Lauren.”
“Brrt!” Annie sat next to Lauren on the sofa, watching Mrs. Finch with wide green eyes.
“How lovely!” Mrs. Finch’s hands wobbled slightly as she unwrapped the present. She gazed at the portrait of Annie wearing a Santa hat. “Annie, it looks just like you, dear.” She beamed.
“Brrt!” Thank you.
“What are you doing for the holidays?” Lauren asked, giving Zoe a sideways glance. A small plastic tree decorated with a few silver baubles stood in the corner of the room.
“Oh, girls, I just found out today. My son and his wife are coming to spend Christmas here.” Mrs. Finch’s face was wreathed in smiles.
“That’s wonderful.” Lauren was glad their friend would spend time with her family.
“Awesome!”
“Now, Lauren, how is your knitting going?”
“It’s not,” Lauren said gloomily.
“Wait until you see what Santa is bringing you.” Zoe winked at her.
“Wool?” Lauren asked half hopefully and half unhopefully.
“You’ve done very well since you took up knitting,” Mrs. Finch encouraged her. “You’ve stuck with it and you’ve made two scarves and hats, and a tea cozy.”
“I think the tea cozy is where I came unstuck.” Lauren wrinkled her nose. “It was a lot harder to make than I thought, and I don’t think it’s good enough to use in the café.”
“If you take a break you might want to return to knitting at a later point,” Mrs. Finch encouraged.
“Yeah, like on Christmas Day.” Zoe giggled.
Lauren glanced at her. What was her cousin up to?
Mrs. Finch told them more about her son’s visit, and then Lauren and Zoe went to the kitchen to make them all a latte.
“We must ask her about Jay and Kyle’s mom,” Zoe muttered as Lauren dropped a capsule into the coffee machine. “Maybe Mrs. Finch knows something.”
“True,” Lauren agreed, as the machine growled and hummed, pouring out a thin stream of espresso.
After Lauren made the coffee, they returned to the living room. Annie was now perched on the arm of Mrs. Finch’s chair.
“Thank you, girls.” Mrs. Finch beamed at them as Lauren handed her a latte. “What shall we talk about now?”
“Jay getting murdered.” Zoe jumped in. “I think we should find out who did it.”
“And I think we should let Mitch catch the killer,” Lauren commented.
“Do you know their mom?” Zoe asked.
“No.” Mrs. Finch shook her head. “I heard she’s in assisted living, but I’m afraid I haven’t met her.”
“That’s too bad.” Zoe frowned.
“I don’t think she’s very well,” Mrs. Finch said thoughtfully. “I can’t remember who told me that, though.”
“Maybe Martha knows something,” Zoe suggested. “We can ask her next time she’s in the café.”
“Brrt!” Yes!
“I hope you three will be careful,” Mrs. Finch fretted.
“We will,” Lauren told her.
They moved on to more pleasant topics, Zoe leaving the subject of Lauren’s date with Mitch until last.
Thankfully, she didn’t embarrass Lauren too much, just telling Mrs. Finch with a wink that Lauren had a big date with Mitch the following night.
“I think he is a very nice young man,” Mrs. Finch told her. “Although, I did not like him when he first came to town and investigated my neighbor Steve’s death. But he was doing his job and I think he might have mellowed a little since he’s met you, Lauren.”
“Ohh.” Lauren didn’t know what to say but she could feel her cheeks heat up at the compliment.
They said goodbye to Mrs. Finch and walked out to the car.
“Now we – I – have another mystery to solve,” Zoe declared with a giggle as she buckled her seatbelt. “Where am I going to sleep tomorrow night?”
***
“I’M TAKING CHRIS TO meet my parents,” Zoe told her the next morning over breakfast.
Lauren’s spoonful of granola paused halfway to her mouth.
“Brrt?” You are? Annie asked as she sat next to Lauren at the table.
“When?”
“Tonight.” Zoe nodded. “So that means you can have the house to yourself – with Mitch. And Annie, of course. Chris and I will have dinner with Mom and Dad.”
“What does Chris think about it?” Lauren asked, curious.
“He doesn’t know yet.” Zoe waved a hand airily. “But he did say I could choose what we did tonight.”
“You haven’t met his parents yet – have you?” Lauren peered at her cousin. They told each other pretty much everything, but this announcement was a little surprising.
“No,” Zoe admitted. “Although we have talked about it – a bit. Anyway, this is the perfect solution for tonight. Chris and I could even stay overnight at my parents if we don’t feel like driving all way back here. And I can stay over at his – and Mitch’s – apartment if we do get back here late.”
“If you’re sure,” Lauren said a little dubiously. It would be nice to have the place to herself – and Mitch, but she didn’t want her cousin to feel displaced.
“I am.” Zoe pulled out her phone from her jacket pocket. “I’ll text Chris right now and tell him I’ve made our plans for the night.”
***
THAT EVENING, BUTTERFLIES flitted in Lauren’s stomach. Zoe had already gone to pick up Chris, a giggle on her lips as she left. Lauren hoped Chris was ready to meet Zoe’s parents, and her cousin’s surprise wouldn’t backfire.
Now it was her turn to get ready for her date with Mitch.
“Brrt?” Annie asked as she jumped up on the bed, effortlessly elegant.
“I’m going to wear my plum wrap dress. Mitch and I are going out to dinner, then coming back here.” Lauren pulled the outfit out of the closet.
She felt comfortable in it – and attractive. Mitch’s eyes always warmed when he saw her wear it.
“Mitch is going to stay over tonight.” Lauren pointed at the bed. “In here with me.”
“Brrt?” Annie’s eyes rounded.
“Yes.” Lauren nodded, hoping Annie wouldn’t be upset about the sleeping arrangements for the night. “So, I was thinking, you could sleep on the sofa in the living room?”
“Brrt?” Annie’s eyes grew even wider.
“It’s just for one night,” Lauren said hastily. Although, if things went well like she hoped they would, it might be more.
“Brrp.” Annie’s lower lip jutted out.
“Mitch and I are going to be doing ... girlfriend-boyfriend things.” She hoped. Glad there weren’t any witnesses right now as she tried to delicately explain adult relationships to her fur baby, she continued, “I don’t think you should be in here while we’re ... together like that.”
“Brrp.” Lauren didn’t think it was possible for Annie’s lower lip to pout any further.
“You like Mitch, don’t you?” Lauren asked as she slipped on the dress. It had taken Annie a little while to warm up to Mitch, but now she seemed to accept him readily as Lauren’s boyfriend.
“Brrp,” Annie replied.
Lauren told herself it meant Yes.
“He might be over here a little more often,” she told her fur baby. “Because he likes me – us.”
Mitch hadn’t had any experience with cats when she’d first met him, and he’d also taken time to get used to Annie, but now both of them seemed to like each other.
Annie turned around in a circle on the bed, appearing to think it over. Then she settled down on the peach bedspread, as if she was not going to move anytime soon.
“Okay.” Lauren kissed the top of her head, the fur velvety soft. She hadn’t had a boyfriend for a while before she’d met Mitch – in fact, she didn’t think she’d had overnight company since Annie had come into her life. Mitch staying tonight might be a bit of an adjustment for Annie – but it might also be one for Lauren as well.
By the time Mitch arrived, Lauren was ready. Annie was asleep on the bed, not even stirring when the doorbell sounded.
“Hi.” He smiled at her, looking extra handsome in his outfit of charcoal slacks and navy dress shirt, the colors complimenting his short dark hair and brown eyes.
“Hi,” she said breathlessly.
“Where’s Annie?” He looked past her.
“Having a snooze.” Maybe she would wait until later to tell him about Annie’s reaction to their plans for the night.
“I’ll say hi to her when we get back.” He smiled.
She nodded, locking the door behind her as they headed toward his car.
***
LAUREN FOUND IT HARD to concentrate on conversation during dinner at the Italian restaurant at Zeke’s Ridge, a small town not too far away.
Mitch ordered steak with mushrooms, while she tried ratatouille.
The memory of their thwarted romantic weekend away flashed through her mind. At least there wouldn’t be a horrible surprise when they returned to the cottage – she hoped. Annie had always been so well-behaved – even if she wasn’t entirely happy about tonight, Lauren was sure she wouldn’t “act out” and claw a pillow, or the sweater Lauren just remembered she’d left lying on the bed.
“What’s Zoe up to tonight?” Mitch asked as they waited for their dessert of tiramisu.
“Taking Chris to meet her parents.” Lauren couldn’t hide a little smile.
“Really?” Surprise flickered across his face.
“Yes.”
“I hope it goes well,” he replied. “Chris definitely has feelings for her.”
“And Zoe definitely has feelings for him.”
“Good.” He captured her hand, giving her all his attention.
After dinner they drove back to the cottage. Lauren opened the front door with trepidation, wondering if Annie would be standing in the hallway, looking at her reproachfully, but the house was silent.
She flicked on the light.
No Annie.
“Where is she?” Mitch asked.
Now was the time to tell him.
“I don’t think she ...” her voice trailed off as they entered the living room. Her fur baby was curled up on the sofa, nestled in Lauren’s sweater – the one she’d left on the bed.
“Ohhh.” Was this Annie’s way of telling her she was okay with Mitch spending the night?
“Let’s not disturb her,” Mitch whispered, his arm around Lauren’s shoulder.
“No.”
***
LATER, LAUREN WONDERED why she had been nervous. It had been wonderful – and definitely worth the wait. She’d shut the bedroom door as a precaution, but there had been no four-footed scratching, demanding to be let in.
She snuggled in Mitch’s arms, drifting off to sleep.
***
“HEY.” A SOFT MALE VOICE near her ear.
“Mmm?” Lauren burrowed under the covers.
“I think someone wants to see you.” Mitch sounded amused.
Lauren sat up, blinking.
Mitch was right next to her – in bed.
Scratch, scratch, on the closed bedroom door. Scratch, scratch.
“Ohhh.” She looked at him, nonplussed. “Annie usually sleeps with me.”
“I guessed,” he said wryly. “It’s okay. Why don’t I make us some coffee and give you two some time together?”
Her heart filled with love at his understanding.
“Thanks,” she replied softly.
He kissed her tenderly on the lips.
Mitch left for the kitchen, wearing his clothes from last night.
“Brrt!” Annie rushed into the room and jumped onto the bed, her eyes wide and curious. “Brrt!”
“Thank you for last night.” Lauren stroked the silver-gray tabby. “I love you so much, and I always will. You know that, don’t you?”
“Brrt.” Yes.
“You’ll always be my fur baby.”
“Brrt!” Good!
Mitch came back into the bedroom, carrying two mugs.
“These lattes won’t be as good as yours, but they should be drinkable.” He set the mugs down, smiling at Annie. “Good morning, Annie.”
“Brrt.” She looked at him for a second, then nestled into Lauren’s arms again. After a moment, she peeked out at him. “Brrt?”
“I think she might be inviting you to pet her,” Lauren said.
“Okay.” Mitch gently stroked Annie’s shoulder. “I’ll take good care of your mom,” he told her. “And you too, if you’ll let me.”
Lauren’s eyes grew misty. She had definitely made the right decision letting Mitch into her – and Annie’s – life.