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“I can’t believe Jenna would kill Stefnee to get the co-host job,” Lauren commented as they drove home.
“I know,” Zoe agreed. “She seems so nice. Hey!” She snapped her fingers. “We should turn around and interview the baker who tried to recreate your super vanilla cupcakes.”
“Not today.” Lauren’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s almost ten already. At this rate we’ll be lucky to open the café by eleven.”
“Yes, boss.” Zoe sighed. “But I think this baker is a definite lead. I wonder if the Sacramento detective knows about him?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” Lauren teased.
“Because he didn’t give me his number.”
“He gave it to me. I put it in the drawer behind the counter.”
“Or you could just tell Mitch about this baker as well as Stefnee stealing Kelly’s boyfriend.”
“I think Mitch has enough to do without passing messages back and forth between me – or is it you – and Detective Fritchley.”
“But he loves you.” Zoe giggled. “And I’m glad.” She sobered.
“Thanks.” Lauren smiled. She wanted to ask Zoe if Chris loved her, but held back. Sometimes her cousin could be just as private about her love life as Lauren was. When Zoe was ready to tell her, she would.
As soon as Lauren parked the car in front of the cottage, they rushed to open the café.
“Are you guys okay?” Ed stuck his head through the swinging kitchen door as soon as they arrived.
“Sorry,” Lauren apologized. “I didn’t think we’d be gone so long.”
“We were sleuthing.” Zoe unstacked the chairs.
“My cherry pinwheels are ready,” Ed announced. “I’ll bring them out.”
“Thanks.” Lauren gave him a grateful look.
He hesitated. “Is it all right if AJ visits the café this afternoon? She’s usually okay at home alone, but lately she’s seemed grumpy with me when I get back after work. I thought helping Annie out in the café might cheer her up.”
Annie had found AJ in the garden nearly two years ago when she’d been a tiny scrap of a Maine Coon kitten. AJ and Ed had bonded instantly, and now he was a proud cat dad.
“Of course,” Lauren replied. “I’m sure Annie would love to see her.”
“Yeah.” Zoe grinned.
A sudden thought struck Lauren.
“Do you think AJ would prefer to play with Annie in the cottage instead? She didn’t seem very interested in being Annie’s assistant a while ago.” She hoped Ed wouldn’t be offended. She had tried to be tactful.
“You’ve got a point.” He chuckled. “If she’s not being helpful, she could hang out there with Annie. How’s that?”
“Works for me,” Zoe said.
“And me. Now we just have to tell Annie.”
***
“BRRT!” Good, was Annie’s reaction to the news.
“If AJ’s not interested in being your helper, you can take her to the cottage and have your usual playdate,” Lauren added.
“I really thought my idea a while ago of AJ training to be Annie’s assistant was genius,” Zoe mused, “but it turned out it wasn’t.”
“Back then she was more interested in being with Ed.”
“I guess he was one of the first humans she’d met, apart from you and me,” Zoe said.
“And AJ instantly bonded with him.” Lauren smiled.
“I wonder why AJ is cross with him now?” Zoe tapped her cheek. “Hey, I wonder if it’s because he goes out too much!”
“What do you mean?”
“I realize he has to work, just like you and I do, but he volunteers at the animal shelter as well, doesn’t he?’
Lauren stared at her.
“You could be right,” she said slowly.
“So all Ed has to do is cut back his hours at the shelter, and AJ will be happy.”
“But what about the people running the shelter, and the other volunteers?” Lauren crinkled her brow. “They might depend on Ed.”
“Ooh, maybe he could take AJ with him! She could see what he does there, and then she might understand.”
“Or maybe she’d be happy to hang out with him there.”
They smiled at each other.
“Genius,” Zoe proclaimed.
A steady stream of customers came into the shop, Lauren feeling guilty there weren’t any cupcakes to tempt them with. Luckily, Ed had made extra pastries, which seemed to keep most of their customers satisfied.
“I am disappointed, Lauren.” Ms. Tobin had entered the shop, staring at the glass case that held nothing except Ed’s delicious Danishes. “I was hoping to see your super vanilla cupcakes. What with all the talk on TV about them, although I know you told me they weren’t yours on the screen, I really felt like one today.”
“I’m sorry.” Lauren looked at the fifty-something woman. Ms. Tobin used to be their prickliest customer, but she’d mellowed recently, since Lauren and Zoe had saved her from an internet scammer. Today she wore a fawn skirt and cream blouse that complemented her brown hair.
“I promise I’ll make them for you tomorrow.” She’d planned on baking some cupcakes when they’d returned from Sacramento, but before she could sneak off to the kitchen, they’d been inundated with customers.
“Very well.” Ms. Tobin seemed mollified. “Please put one aside for me, so I don’t miss out.”
“I will,” Lauren promised. She made a large latte for her, adding a peacock design on top of the micro foam, while Zoe plated a cherry pinwheel.
“I hope we don’t get any more complaints,” her cousin whispered to Lauren.
“Me too.” She nodded.
Mitch came in after the lunch rush. Ed had gone home to fetch AJ.
“Hi.” Her face brightened when she saw him.
“Hi.” His gaze met and held hers.
“Why don’t you two take a table?” Zoe grinned. “I can handle things here.”
“Thanks.” Lauren threw her a grateful look.
“Brrt?” Annie trotted up to them, and took the lead to a table near the rear. “Brrt.” Sit here.
“Thanks, Annie.” Mitch smiled at the silver-gray tabby. “Will you be joining us?”
“Brrt!” Yes! She hopped up on the chair next to Lauren’s and bunted her arm.
Lauren gently stroked her, while Mitch sat opposite them.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow night,” he said. “For our double date. If Zoe isn’t over at Chris’s house by then, I can give her a ride, too.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Lauren smiled.
“Someone at the station told me you were late opening up this morning. They were disappointed to miss out on their latte fix.” He looked at her in concern. “Are you okay?”
She explained about their sleuthing expedition at the TV studio.
“Did you know that Stefnee stole the receptionist’s boyfriend?”
“No, but I’m not on the case.”
“What about the baker Stefnee hired to recreate my – our – super vanilla cupcake?”
“No.” His gaze sharpened. “But I’ll contact the Sacramento detective and let him know.”
“Thanks.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, then he left, promising that now his burglary case was wrapped up, he’d have more free time to spend with her. The thought sent a flutter of warmth through her.
“Brrt?” Annie asked as Mitch strode out the door.
“AJ should be coming over soon.” She checked her watch.
“Annie!” Toddler Molly waved her chubby arms in the cat’s direction. Her mother Claire pushed her in the stroller.
“Hi.” Lauren rose and smiled at the duo.
“Molly walked nearly the whole way here,” Claire told them, “but then her legs got tired.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Brrt!” Annie greeted her little friend.
“Look – my doll!” Molly waved a small blonde-headed doll in the air.
“Santa gave it to her for Christmas, and she takes it everywhere with her,” Claire commented.
“Why don’t you two sit here with Annie?” Lauren proposed.
“That would be great,” Claire said.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any cupcakes today,” Lauren apologized, “but I do have Ed’s Danishes, including his honeyed walnut.”
“Oh, I’ll have one of those.”
“Cino, cino,” Molly chanted as she stroked Annie with ‘fairy pats’, being very careful to be gentle. The toddler loved her treat of a small cup of steamed milk sprinkled with pink and white marshmallows, and hot chocolate powder.
“And I’ll have my usual latte,” Claire said.
“Coming right up.” Lauren smiled.
Zoe plated the pastry while Lauren steamed the milk for the coffee.
“AJ!” Molly’s voice could be heard. “Look, Annie!”
“Brrt!” Lauren watched her fur baby greet the brown tabby Maine Coon as Ed set the carrier down in the café.
“Are you sure it’s okay, Lauren?” Ed asked gruffly, kneeling on the floor.
“It’s fine,” she insisted, hoping it would be.
“We are a certified cat café,” Zoe reminded her.
“Meow!” AJ jumped out of her carrier and gazed around the room, then darted toward Annie.
“Brrt!” Annie hopped down from her chair to greet her friend.
“Want both,” Molly pleaded to her mother. “Annie and AJ.”
“We can ask them, darling,” Claire replied.
“Let me help.” Lauren carried the latte and babycino over.
“I just have to clean up the kitchen and I’m finished for the day,” Ed told her, picking up the carrier. “Then I’ll collect AJ.”
“Of course.” Lauren nodded. “You don’t think ...” she hesitated.
“What?” he prompted her.
“Maybe AJ misses you being at home because you’re helping out at the shelter, as well as working here,” she said in a rush.
“Huh.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I never thought of that. Yeah, you could be right.”
“You could take AJ with you. To the shelter,” Zoe added as she brought over the Danish. “She could watch you help – whatever you do there.”
“Clean out cages,” he said wryly. “I have tried to explain to her where I’ve been but ...”
“Maybe she needs to see it for herself?” Lauren suggested.
“Maybe.” Ed departed to the kitchen.
Annie and AJ now sat opposite each other at Molly and Claire’s table, without any intervention by Lauren.
“Look,” Molly crowed. “Two kitties!”
AJ seemed very interested in Claire’s pastry, while Annie seemed to enjoy the endless ‘fairy pats’ Molly gave her.
“So far so good,” Zoe whispered to her.
“I hope AJ enjoys herself,” Lauren replied. “Annie, too.”
“Definitely.” Zoe grinned.
***
WHEN ED CAME TO COLLECT AJ, Molly pouted. Both cats seem to pout as well.
“She’s been very good,” Lauren told Ed.
“Maybe she’s matured,” he said proudly. “Remember, when AJ tried training as Annie’s assistant, she was only eight months old. Now a year has passed.”
“That’s true.” Lauren nodded.
“Meow!” AJ jumped down from the chair.
“Here’s your carrier, AJ,” Ed said softly as he held out the wire cage.
“Meow!” AJ ran to the locked door of the private hallway, swiveled, and raced down the length of the café.
Lauren hurried to the entrance door and stood in front of it, blocking anyone from entering – or exiting.
“Come on, AJ,” Ed crooned. “It’s time to go home.”
“Meow!” It sounded a lot like No.
The brown tabby jumped up on the chair next to Claire, much to little Molly’s delight.
“AJ,” she chortled.
The feline jumped down and ran under the table.
Annie observed her friend’s antics with an enquiring expression on her face.
“Brrt?”
“I don’t think AJ wants to go home yet,” Zoe explained.
Ed watched his cat’s antics with a helpless look.
“Are you helping at the shelter this afternoon?” Lauren called from the doorway.
“I was planning to.” He scratched his head.
“What if you take AJ with you?” Lauren suggested. “And tell her.”
AJ crept out from under the table at the mention of her name.
“Meow?”
“Want to come with me this afternoon?” Ed asked her.
“Meow!” AJ trotted over to him and jumped into his arms.
“Good girl.” He stroked her fur, gently putting her inside the carrier. “You can see where I’ve been going after work.”
“Meow.” AJ sounded approving.
“Thanks, guys.” Ed looked relieved.
“I hope you and AJ have fun this afternoon.” Zoe grinned.
“Meow!”
After the two of them left, Lauren and Zoe attended to their customers. Claire and little Molly remained a while, the toddler dragging her feet when Claire said they should go home.
“Want to stay,” Molly pleaded.
“Maybe next time,” Claire promised. “Do you want to be a big girl and walk part of the way?”
“Allwight.” Molly sighed. “Bye, Annie.” She waved to the Norwegian Forest Cat the whole way out of the café.
“What an afternoon.” Zoe plopped on one of the stools behind the counter. “I definitely need a mocha.”
“Me too.” Lauren ground some beans.
There were only a couple of customers left now. Annie curled up in her basket, wriggling this way and that.
“What’s wrong?” Lauren handed the coffee-making duties over to Zoe and headed toward her fur baby. It was as if Annie couldn’t get comfy. She usually had no trouble relaxing in her pink cat bed.
“Brrt!” Annie pawed at the cushion, lifting it up. “Brrt!”
“What is it?” Lauren bent down and peered. Something blonde caught her eye. Touching it gingerly, she frowned. It felt like hair.
“Brrt!” Annie placed her paw on the object.
Lauren drew it out slowly.
“Is that Molly’s doll?” Zoe came over.
“But how did it get there?” Lauren frowned. “I don’t think Annie put it there.”
“What about AJ?” Zoe suggested. “When she was zooming around the place?”
“I’d better call Claire and let her know.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Claire’s relieved voice came over the phone. “Molly’s been grizzling ever since she hopped into the stroller and discovered her doll was missing. We’re already on our way back there to check if it was handed in. Please thank Annie.”
“I will,” Lauren promised.
“It’s Annie’s Lost and Found all over again.” Zoe grinned. “Except this time, AJ lost it!”